The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1961-08-18
SPORTS of TIMES
Boom BrOMTlS
For CrOwn
Bv LOU FABR0
Times Sports Editor

Cleveland Browns fans, who had become very
accustomed to championship teams during Ine 1aDu-
lous quarterbacking reign of Automatic QUO Ora
ham, probably will find the coming pro footpah sea
son a mighty satisfying one.
Although Clevelands first league game Is still a
full month away lat Philadelphia on Sept. ID the
Browns are being doomed for the 1861 Eastern Con
ference championship by most pro grlo observers
And once this matter is settled, the Browns are ex-
pected to win the National Football League title III
the season playoff-probably with the Green Bay
Packers.
ADDING A LOT or WEIGHT to this rosy opti-
mism is Cleveland Coach Paul Brown himself, VINO, In
his Is years at the helm, has gulded the broWnS W IL
first place finishes.
'"This is the year we've been building for" de-
clared Brown, "and I'll be disappointed II we don't
go all the way" Those who know Brown, and his meti-
culous way of building football powerhouSeS. also
know The. veteran coach isn't about to be disappointed.
On the other hand, however, championships don't
come easily in pro football these days.
But according to Coach Browns rigid timetable,
this is the year Cleveland reaches the top. The Browns
finished second the last three years with the l900
squad rated the toughest of the three. Even the 1860
conference-winning Philadelphia Eagles, who lost one
game to Cleveland and won another by only two points,
ranked the Browns the toughest they had faced last
season.
NJ THE BROWNS PROBABLY WILL be tough
er this year. Back is every regular from both defen'
sive and offensive units Of last years fine runnerup
squad. In addition, Coach Brown has a batch OF out
standing rockies who look good enough, and are
anxious enough, to nudge some veterans out oil start
ing jobs.
AS unlikely as this might seem, one OF these
rookies-halfback Tom Watkins-has flashed impress
sively enough to cause s~peedSter Bobby Mitchell 10
have some anxious moments. Other newcomers eX-
pected to stick are John Brewer and Bob CreSplno Oh
Mississippi and Dick Grecni of Ohio University.
Among the many writer's impressed by the aoun-
dant material possessed by Coach Brown is Don Schlf-
fer, who edits an annual pocketbook survey of the pro
ranks. In the 1861 Pro Football Handbook, the tllrd
such handbook" Schiller declared:
There's no doubling the superiority OF talent tIlat
will vault Cleveland TO the title"
PAU BROWN HAS a LITTLE of everything"
adds editor Schiller. Quality and quantity are In har.
mony; offense and defense mix we'll; maturity and
youth complement each other. There Is no better
balanced team in the Conference and there is no reason
why it should not take its first championship since
1857"
Despite all the buildup, the Browns were trounced
soundly in their first exhibition game, 35.7, by the
Detroit Lions. Of course exhibition games don't count
but the lopsided score probably caused some mixed
emotions among guessing fraternity members.
Fans will be able to see the Browns, via television,
for the first time this Sunday when Cleveland meets
the San Francisco 49ers in an exhibition bout. The
tussle will be carried by WBNS-TV beginning at $50
pm.
OTHER BROWNS EXHIBITION games set for
WBNS include a rebroadcast of the Los Angeles game
on Aug. Is and video tape of the Pittsburgh game Of
Sept. 3 and the Detroit game of Sept. 10. All regular
season games also are televised by WBNS-TV.
All exhibition and regular season games of the
Browns are carried by radio station WRFD.