No tailgating, no crowds: Browns home opener totally different experience for fans this year
Channel: sports games
Date: 2020-09-18

Due to COVID-19, only a fraction of the 60,000 plus fans were allowed inside FirstEnergy Stadium Thursday night, but diehards are still rooting for their team.

“It’s a completely different experience than it normally would be for a home opener… we’d be down in the Muni Lot for at least a few hours by now,” said season ticket holder Tiffany Soggs.

The city of Cleveland banned tailgating in the Muni Lot, and there were no raucous crowds in the Warehouse District.  It was hard to believe the scene downtown.

“There’s not much of a buzz right now, people are home, they know they can’t go to the game… there’s no tailgating, which absolutely stinks,” said Browns fan Daniel Clarke.

As it got closer to game time, more fans showed up for pre-game excitement at The Barley House on West 6th Street. But regular game day patrons say the atmosphere is highly unusual.

“Normally, we wouldn’t even be able to get in here this late, you have to come down here in the afternoon to be able to get a seat, so to be able to walk right in, it’s just weird, it’s a weird feeling,” said Randy Grays.