RIP Stan "Atenears" Aten

[Mark O]

Loved the story Z....   Certainly remember that 2007 trip very well and the 2011 trip which was the infamous "blackshit" year.    2007 was my first trip back to meet up with these guys in person.   Not ready completely to type out my Stan story just yet....but it will be coming soon.   

[Flugel]

On 11/12/2018 at 10:02 AM, Zombo said:

Flugs,

We go ALL the way back ... the original Browns Board Rat Pack. We terrorized Tampa and the the Flats. Such great memories.

It was great talking to you yesterday and seeing you in Tampa.

When I told Stan we were at the Tampa tailgate together he sent these pictures of a young dapper Flugels with the words "I kept that Sheet just in case I ever had to have a profile picture when I'm impostering Flug's on a Steeler Forum."

LOL!

I'll never forget it Zombo.  Stan told me he needed me to check out this message board he was ruffling feathers in. He had a couple Steeler fans, in particular, he wanted me to get under their skin.  I said "Say no more!  I won't just get their skin crawling - I'll get it doing aerobics!"

So I got there and that sick bastard was posting in 2 different screen names.  His own and one that had my last name in it.  He already had all kinds of guys making dart boards with me as the bullseye.  I hit the deck LMAO!   He was better at pissing people off in my name than I am if you can believe that. In fact, I became known on that board as the Flugel imposter/wannabee. 

Some guy said "Yeah, Flugel you probably sip lady liquor from a straw."  He fired back with "I got your straw right here" and launched that picture of me above back from Spring Break in college finishing a 2 beer funnel underwater...  And I mean this in the best possible way when I say WHAT A BASTARD!

Always an outrageous adventure.  That's why we'll never forget him!

[The Gipper]

3 hours ago, Flugel said:

I'll never forget it Zombo.  Stan told me he needed me to check out this message board he was ruffling feathers in. He had a couple Steeler fans, in particular, he wanted me to get under their skin.  I said "Say no more!  I won't just get their skin crawling - I'll get it doing aerobics!"

So I got there and that sick bastard was posting in 2 different screen names.  His own and one that had my last name in it.  He already had all kinds of guys making dart boards with me as the bullseye.  I hit the deck LMAO!   He was better at pissing people off in my name than I am if you can believe that. In fact, I became known on that board as the Flugel imposter/wannabee. 

Some guy said "Yeah, Flugel you probably sip lady liquor from a straw."  He fired back with "I got your straw right here" and launched that picture of me above back from Spring Break in college finishing a 2 beer funnel underwater...  And I mean this in the best possible way when I say WHAT A BASTARD!

Always an outrageous adventure.  That's why we'll never forget him!

Did you really have hair that looked like that?  Oy Vey.

[ballpeen]

We might need to have a memorial

[Zombo]

13 hours ago, ballpeen said:

We might need to have a memorial

Home opener next year. Be there.

 

Z

[Furnier]

Judging by the turnout at Stan's service tonight he never met anyone that wasn't his friend. I never saw anything quite like it. Farewell my friend.......and yeah, there needs to be a memorial party/tailgate/weekend.

[ballpeen]

11 minutes ago, Furnier said:

Judging by the turnout at Stan's service tonight he never met anyone that wasn't his friend. I never saw anything quite like it. Farewell my friend.......and yeah, there needs to be a memorial party/tailgate/weekend.

I thought about going....I really did, but couldn't..I did send flowers by FTD.

t...

[firebiker911]

I haven't posted on here in years. Tonight I went to Stan's wake. I met Stan (online not in person), when he was Atenears on the AOL board. I used to go on the AOL board before and after the Browns left in 1995 and continued posting while they were gone. Some of you may remember I used to spar with RavenBalti or something similar to that. So after the Browns came back I got tired of arguing with the troll (Ravenbalti) and eventually went on with my life.  I didn't post anymore until I met this guy in Marblehead a few years later. His name was Stan, I began to talk about sports and then about the Browns with him and thought he was a great guy immediately. It was right after that that he mentioned the AOL board and that he started his own Board to take the place of the one that shut down. I told him my aol screen name and he immediately knew who I was (on line at least), what a coincidence? We both had a place in Marblehead and we both had mutual interest in Cleveland sports, specifically the Browns.

After which I signed up for the BrownsBoard and had may interesting conversations with all of you. I met Kathy and his family and became his friend. I also have come down to the tailgates a few time since I had season tickets as Stan did. I partied with Stan many times at the lake and before the games at the lake front. I grew to love Stan and his wife and family and had many boat trips and a couple of vacations together. We laughed every time we were together. 

That being said, It sucks you are gone Stan. When I got the called from Kathy it was a kick in the gut. You loved bringing strangers together for a good time. You took risks, you lived life like most of us want to but don't have the balls. You traveled and had fun. I will miss your laugh. I hope one day the Browns live up to the their name as you said they didn't. I hope one day to see you again.

[ballpeen]

You will, and you will smile

[hoorta]

11 hours ago, Furnier said:

Judging by the turnout at Stan's service tonight he never met anyone that wasn't his friend. I never saw anything quite like it. Farewell my friend.......and yeah, there needs to be a memorial party/tailgate/weekend.

It was great meeting up with some of the guys (under sad circumstances)- you, Ed, Don, Westside Steve, Gipper, Todd, and a few others. I did head over to Maya afterwards to have that large margarita in Stan's honor. Several of his family, including his brothers were there, and they told me at last count over 350 people had signed the condolence book. Besides the orange stuff, I'll bring up a hefty supply of Dayton's finest Elsas Cantina's "Bad Juan" margaritas- no disrespect to Maya, but I've never tasted better, anywhere.

Russ, don't take it personal- most people live their lives the way they want to. One of my favorite quotes is attributed to Abraham Lincoln.  "Think for a moment how difficult is is to change yourself, and you will realize how difficult it is to change anyone else." Yeah, I've piled on a ton of weight too, but  I like to think that 4,000 miles of bike riding every year helps a little. 

PS- genetics only helps so far. I found out at the Viewing both Stan's parents are very much alive (talked to them) as are all his brothers,

[ballpeen]

7 hours ago, hoorta said:

It was great meeting up with some of the guys (under sad circumstances)- you, Ed, Don, Westside Steve, Gipper, Todd, and a few others. I did head over to Maya afterwards to have that large margarita in Stan's honor. Several of his family, including his brothers were there, and they told me at last count over 350 people had signed the condolence book. Besides the orange stuff, I'll bring up a hefty supply of Dayton's finest Elsas Cantina's "Bad Juan" margaritas- no disrespect to Maya, but I've never tasted better, anywhere.

Russ, don't take it personal- most people live their lives the way they want to. One of my favorite quotes is attributed to Abraham Lincoln.  "Think for a moment how difficult is is to change yourself, and you will realize how difficult it is to change anyone else." Yeah, I've piled on a ton of weight too, but  I like to think that 4,000 miles of bike riding every year helps a little. 

PS- genetics only helps so far. I found out at the Viewing both Stan's parents are very much alive (talked to them) as are all his brothers,

Well said.  I know first hand.  I am just bummed out.

[Zombo]

11 hours ago, Furnier said:

Judging by the turnout at Stan's service tonight he never met anyone that wasn't his friend. I never saw anything quite like it. Farewell my friend.......and yeah, there needs to be a memorial party/tailgate/weekend.

Some have mentioned getting together soon and taking Kathy out to a Cavs game or something, which is a great idea, I hope that happens, but in the interest of planning something that EVERYONE can attend, including us out-of-towners, the Brits, and Scots and everyone else Stan befriended across the globe it needs to be at the beginning of next football season, so we will start to plan for the home opener and having the biggest and best Browns tailgate and Stan Memorial ever. We'll make plans as the year goes by, and everyone will be welcome whether you knew Stan or not, to celebrate his life and a enjoy a day with the best Browns fans in the world.

[Zombo]

10 hours ago, firebiker911 said:

I haven't posted on here in years. Tonight I went to Stan's wake. I met Stan (online not in person), when he was Atenears on the AOL board. I used to go on the AOL board before and after the Browns left in 1995 and continued posting while they were gone. Some of you may remember I used to spar with RavenBalti or something similar to that. So after the Browns came back I got tired of arguing with the troll (Ravenbalti) and eventually went on with my life.  I didn't post anymore until I met this guy in Marblehead a few years later. His name was Stan, I began to talk about sports and then about the Browns with him and thought he was a great guy immediately. It was right after that that he mentioned the AOL board and that he started his own Board to take the place of the one that shut down. I told him my aol screen name and he immediately knew who I was (on line at least), what a coincidence? We both had a place in Marblehead and we both had mutual interest in Cleveland sports, specifically the Browns.

After which I signed up for the BrownsBoard and had may interesting conversations with all of you. I met Kathy and his family and became his friend. I also have come down to the tailgates a few time since I had season tickets as Stan did. I partied with Stan many times at the lake and before the games at the lake front. I grew to love Stan and his wife and family and had many boat trips and a couple of vacations together. We laughed every time we were together. 

That being said, It sucks you are gone Stan. When I got the called from Kathy it was a kick in the gut. You loved bringing strangers together for a good time. You took risks, you lived life like most of us want to but don't have the balls. You traveled and had fun. I will miss your laugh. I hope one day the Browns live up to the their name as you said they didn't. I hope one day to see you again.

I remember you, Stan spoke fondly of you! Thanks for posting, it is so great to hear from all these folks, you are all a big part of the fabric of the Browns Board and Stan's Legacy.

Zombo

[Zombo]

9 hours ago, hoorta said:

It was great meeting up with some of the guys (under sad circumstances)- you, Ed, Don, Westside Steve, Gipper, Todd, and a few others. I did head over to Maya afterwards to have that large margarita in Stan's honor. Several of his family, including his brothers were there, and they told me at last count over 350 people had signed the condolence book. Besides the orange stuff, I'll bring up a hefty supply of Dayton's finest Elsas Cantina's "Bad Juan" margaritas- no disrespect to Maya, but I've never tasted better, anywhere.

Russ, don't take it personal- most people live their lives the way they want to. One of my favorite quotes is attributed to Abraham Lincoln.  "Think for a moment how difficult is is to change yourself, and you will realize how difficult it is to change anyone else." Yeah, I've piled on a ton of weight too, but  I like to think that 4,000 miles of bike riding every year helps a little. 

PS- genetics only helps so far. I found out at the Viewing both Stan's parents are very much alive (talked to them) as are all his brothers,

Larry, I'm glad you could be there in person, it means a lot to me that our "gang" was represented in person. And Steve, Gip, Ed, Don, Todd and everyone else. Really wish I could have been there. Kathy was texting me this morning and I was really feeling her pain. She read all of the comments on here too, so she knows how much we love the guy.

Hurts that I'm not there, so I take solace in you guys representing.

Zombo

[Zombo]

2 hours ago, ballpeen said:

Well said.  I know first hand.  I am just bummed out.

I know you are, brother. I look forward to tipping a moonshine with you next September.

Zombo

[The Gipper]

15 minutes ago, Zombo said:

Some have mentioned getting together soon and taking Kathy out to a Cavs game or something, which is a great idea, I hope that happens, but in the interest of planning something that EVERYONE can attend, including us out-of-towners, the Brits, and Scots and everyone else Stan befriended across the globe it needs to be at the beginning of next football season, so we will start to plan for the home opener and having the biggest and best Browns tailgate and Stan Memorial ever. We'll make plans as the year goes by, and everyone will be welcome whether you knew Stan or not, to celebrate his life and a enjoy a day with the best Browns fans in the world.

Good deal....hope to be there ...and that it won't conflict with my travel schedule. I am planning to do a trip to Missouri in the first part of September.   (but , also...we will not know the schedule for next year until like the middle of next April, but I will have to make my travel plans long before that.)

[ballpeen]

8 hours ago, Zombo said:

Larry, I'm glad you could be there in person, it means a lot to me that our "gang" was represented in person. And Steve, Gip, Ed, Don, Todd and everyone else. Really wish I could have been there. Kathy was texting me this morning and I was really feeling her pain. She read all of the comments on here too, so she knows how much we love the guy.

Hurts that I'm not there, so I take solace in you guys representing.

Zombo

I feel the same.  I wanted to be there.  We sent a plant, but that isn't the same.

[DieHardBrownsFan]

You can still visit t he grave when you come up for a game.  Still waiting to find out where he is burried.  

 

[DieHardBrownsFan]

On 11/12/2018 at 10:41 PM, Westside Steve said:

2002?

[Riffer X]

I think reality has set in even more, or the fact I have done some drinking while working on the house has gotten me more depressed about this. It's been building for a few days now, as it usually takes time for death and sadness to set in for me. Not sure exactly why, but I have been thinking more and more about the times I had with Stan, Kathy, Ed and Alexis to name a just a few (not even getting into the tailgates). I have a great wall of text to write that is coming soon to go along with some of the great memories here from other friends and posters. 

Rest in Peace my brother and good man, you will be missed but never forgotten.     

Kudos to Zombo for everything he is doing and has done for the board in general. Same for Mark O. 

Also kudos to my good buddy Flugs (one of my best friends in life I met through this board), who broke the bad news to me. The reality of this sucks, hard. Sorry to be a Debra Downer.                       

[Mark O]

6 minutes ago, Riffer X said:

I think reality has set in even more, or the fact I have done some drinking while working on the house has gotten me more depressed about this. It's been building for a few days now, as it usually takes time for death and sadness to set in for me. Not sure exactly why, but I have been thinking more and more about the times I had with Stan, Kathy, Ed and Alexis to name a just a few (not even getting into the tailgates). I have a great wall of text to write that is coming soon to go along with some of the great memories here from other friends and posters. 

Rest in Peace my brother and good man, you will be missed but never forgotten.     

Kudos to Zombo for everything he is doing and has done for the board in general. Same for Mark O. 

Also kudos to my good buddy Flugs (one of my best friends in life I met through this board), who broke the bad news to me. The reality of this sucks, hard. Sorry to be a Debra Downer.                       

You're not being a downer.   I think it's hit us all hard this week and one thing that has made it somewhat easier is reading the messages from people here as the week has gone on. 

 

[VikingDawg]

Not to derail the thread any, just had a question about the lady that passed away a few years ago, Kathy was her name I believe? Was that the lady that used to post on several Browns boards as Hiwaygal back in the day? Thanks. 

[Mark O]

7 minutes ago, VikingDawg said:

Not to derail the thread any, just had a question about the lady that passed away a few years ago, Kathy was her name I believe? Was that the lady that used to post on several Browns boards as Hiwaygal back in the day? Thanks. 

KSHutchins was her name

[Zombo]

4 minutes ago, VikingDawg said:

Not to derail the thread any, just had a question about the lady that passed away a few years ago, Kathy was her name I believe? Was that the lady that used to post on several Browns boards as Hiwaygal back in the day? Thanks. 

Different girl. I think that girl went to Barking Hard.

Z

[Furnier]

3 minutes ago, VikingDawg said:

Not to derail the thread any, just had a question about the lady that passed away a few years ago, Kathy was her name I believe? Was that the lady that used to post on several Browns boards as Hiwaygal back in the day? Thanks. 

No. That was Kathy Hutchins aka KS Hutchins aka Woof Woof Kathy. She is also sorely missed. Kathy was around before all of us. She started on the Compuserve Browns board and was in on the ground floor of the AOL Grandstand board even before I got there......which was January 1995. I'm sure Stan is currently picking on her about her orange bra and socks. 

[VikingDawg]

Just now, Zombo said:

Different girl. I think that girl went to Brady Quinn Homo Fan club.

Z

Ahhhhhh ok. Yeah she was over there and another now defunct board but haven't seen her post anywhere in ages so thought maybe was the same person. Anyhow thanks guys. 

[hoorta]

2 hours ago, Furnier said:

No. That was Kathy Hutchins aka KS Hutchins aka Woof Woof Kathy. She is also sorely missed. Kathy was around before all of us. She started on the Compuserve Browns board and was in on the ground floor of the AOL Grandstand board even before I got there......which was January 1995. I'm sure Stan is currently picking on her about her orange bra and socks. 

 Yeah Kathy was one of the originals- going all the way back to the old AOL Board. Sadly- had retirement in view, and passed away around a year short....   

There were tons of folks there in "The Dark Years" with no football. Very few of them migrated over here- and they were all great posters. 

[Westside Steve]

There was "Boo Yankees" on AOL...

Kind of a bitch.

WSS

[Flugel]

On 11/13/2018 at 1:10 AM, Zombo said:

So I guess it is time for me to share my Stan story…

October of 1997 … The Indians and Marlins are in the World Series, the Browns are in limbo and I am assembling a desk in my new condo as I await the delivery of my Gateway2000 … I’m going on the World Wide Web, Ladies and Gentleman!

It arrives, I take it out of the box, plug in the phone line, turn it on, slap in that free AOL disk and I’m ready to surf. Screen name? Hmmm. I’ll pick one for business, Meehan2000, and one for fun … It’s Halloween, so how about my favorite Munster’s character … Zombo2000 it is. (Kids, “2000” was very sheik in 1997.)

So I’m in … And the first two words I typed in to the Internet were “Cleveland Browns”, Well those “keywords” took you to a place called AOL Grandstand. A wonderful place with all of these colorful characters like “Ghoolie” and “Hoorta” and “Furnier” posting about my beloved Cleveland Browns.

You have to remember, before the internet, many of us Browns fans were isolated. I spent my whole adult life Fall Sundays sitting by myself in the corner of a sports bar in New Jersey, Michigan, Florida, California or somewhere with the “bad TV” and no sound. So this was a spectacular discovery that I was not alone in my Browns obsession.

So then there was this character, “Anteater” or some sort of Sheet. He seemed like the “know-it-all” of the group. Who was this guy, an ex-football coach or something? He had a method of letting somebody get carried away with themselves and talking out of their asses … and then he would dissect their posts line by line and make them look like an idiot. This guy was good.

So after lurking for a couple weeks, I finally got up enough gumption to respond to one of his posts. It was a full year and a half before the “new” Browns first draft, but this Anteater guy was already trying to convince everybody that Ohio State LB Andy Katzenmoyer needed to be the Browns first pick. I made a reasonable reply that it was too early to choose, but that they should probably consider at QB with that pick, and I’m not sure how I worded it, but I will never forget his response: “That’s a real knee slapper, Zombo…” and it was on. I had my first internet battle. I famously called Katzenmoyer a “big dumb redneck” and we started debating and disagreeing on every subject … and we never stopped until last Saturday Night. In fact we were still arguing about the 1999 NFL draft the last time I saw him.

And when I say “argued”, I mean we almost always disagreed … but always made each other laugh.

After we both had that “Who’s this guy?” moment, the Atenears/Zombo show was on. We picked a side, dug in and destroyed everything in our path to make our point and took wild swings at each other’s loyal henchmen.

I became the leader of “Camp Couch” while Stan became the voice of “The Dark Side”.

We argued for days about legendary Browns like Corey Bridges, Darren “Chia Pet” Chiaverini and Terry “1700” Kirby. The only thing we agreed on was that Scott Rehberg sucked.

The 1999 NFL draft was more analyzed on the AOL board than any Presidential Election anywhere. Was Chris “Rosey” Palmer going to select my boy Tim Couch or Skippy’s idea of drafting Ricky “small hands” Williams or doing the Ditka Trade for a bevy of picks … if you supported anybody else, like say Akili Smith  … you were gay.

So when the dust had settled over the draft, and we looked over the scorched earth of the AOL Grandstand Board to see who was still standing … we realized we had a pretty good group. And we also realized that real football games were going to start and we should get together … as in meet as real people and not our screen name characters.

So, after the Hall of Fame game against Dallas (Couch looked great) our first preseason game was in Tampa, two hours from me. We knew this great Camp Couch Loyalist named “Flugels” who lived in the Tampa area, and I was only a couple hours away, so we convinced Stan he should come down to Tampa on “business”. So he set up a few sales call for his Penis Pump manufacturing business and made the trip and the first official Browns Board tailgate consisted of Me, Stan, Flugels, a crazy cat named “Vette” and some friend Flugels brought along who we called Booger … because he looked like the character from the Revenge of the Nerds movies ... in the parking lot of the Best Western walking distance from “The Big Sombrero” in Tampa.

That night was a whole story itself … If I see you at a tailgate next year ask me about the “Pizza Boy”, Vette’s arrest, the cops in the parking lot and the fight in the stands. What can I say … I may be one of the graybeards around here now, but when we started on AOL, I was 33 and Stan was 30 and we both acted like we were 20. Or 17. Some will say I still do.

So then Stan got together with Ed and Don and started the tailgate in the Flats down by some bridge. It was awesome. We had our own AOL Private “Clubhouse” board now, thanks Furnier, away from the prying eyes of trolling Steeler and Ravens fans, and Stan and some blonde chick named “Boo” were the moderators after we chased off the rent-a-cop moderators they provided us. Poor Boo … We gave her so much Sheet.

But Stan and Boo were on TV for the first ever Cleveland Browns Home Game in 99 against the Steelers telling the newcasters about this crazy “internet group” from the “world wide web” that had never met on-line before that day. And Ed was grilling burgers for a whole lot more people than he ever imagined.

I made it up to that tailgate later that season and finally met the legendary “Roachmaster”, “Furnier”, “Hoorta”, and the larger than life “Gumbo Dog” … amongst many, many other great folks that I met that day and at future tailgates.

I got Season Tickets in 2000 and always made it up to one or two tailgates a year and that is where my friendship with all these fine folks began … at the Browns Board Tailgate Stan started.

We may have found a permanent tailgate home in Cleveland (we thought), but we were still lost in the internet desert on-line, with Stan as our Moses trying to find us a place. The Clubhouse thing was dropped by AOL, we went back to the regular boards, but it was too trolly with Steeler and Ratbird heathen, we spent all of our time fighting with them and never got to discuss the important issues of the day like Wali Rainer’s bleeding forehead and Percy Ellsworth’s inability to cover anything.

We went to a CBS Sportsline forum that Stan secured for us … but it was too corporate … too many rules. Fatdad (Jim Deetz) started his own Cleveland website “The River Burns”, but God rest his soul, he wasn’t focused too much on the sports part of it and we knew we needed another place, a place devoted to Cleveland Browns Football … A Browns Board.

Stan and I were very tight friends at this point. He always invited me to stay at his house, offered to feed me, whatever I needed … but I was doing pretty well for myself so I’d usually get a hotel room for us to trash as we literally spent the entire tailgate weekends partying. He was with Kathy now … He was still with the “Toothless Hag” when I met him, and I was there for him through his divorce and then he met “Hag2” and they blended their two young families and added a fifth kid, Alexis … and Kathy put up with out shenanigans. Or, actually, she participated in most of them. The stories from this era are legendary, again, each should have it’s own thread: “The Bloody Turban”, the “Cab door”, Zombo Gets Arrested (OK, “detained”) Parts I, II, III and IV …

About this time, Stan decided he was buying his own website dedicated to Browns fans. He wanted me to be an administrator and moderator while he did the backstage tech stuff. I had never moderated, didn’t want to moderate … I wanted to be the “Bad Guy” … but when Stan asked, you knew it was for the good of our little on-line family, so I accepted, and here I am today moderating 2,000 cool guys and Ghoolie.

Marko and Hoorta were tabbed as moderators as well, and the First Lady of the Browns Board, KS “Kathy” Hutchins, affectionately known as “Mom”, kept us in line. And all was right with the world … Except the Browns still sucked.

My world changed in the Summer of 2007. That is when I found out that the woman that I had been married to for two and half years was actually a sick criminal strung out on prescription pain killers who had taken out second mortgages on all of my Florida properties, taken out countless credit lines under my name, stole $13,000 from my elderly mother and ran up $128,000 in credit cards in my name. In one year I went from thinking I was financially set to financial ruin. When I finally got away from this awful human to visit my family in Pennsylvania, I lost everything I owned in one day. She cleaned out our joint checking accounts, cleaned out our house, reported everything “stolen” and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it because I was married to it. All I had was the clothes on my back, my trusty beagle, my car and a friend's laptop. Thank God I had that laptop because the Brownsboard was my only place of peace.

Then came the hordes of false accusations of unspeakable crimes, going after my family, my Mom, my disabled brother, my innocent 10 year old niece … No, I didn’t kill her … But I should have. She went to prison. I went to hell.

The only person I reached out to outside of the family was Stan. I met Stan and Ed and a few others in Youngstown for a high school football game, it was the first time I had gone anywhere socially since everything went down, and I was a wreck inside. Stan never judged, never waivered. He had my back. He invited me out to the Browns opener against the Steelers on his dime. That’s when I met Marko, the Soup Nazi, Jarrod, and a few others but most importantly, I had a good time … and forgot my troubles for a day or two. I don’t think I ever thanked Stan for that, we never got all gushy and talked about feelings and Sheet … but he knew I had his back and I knew he had mine.

Eventually I got back in the game and the tailgates remained my one thing to look forward to every year no matter what. Marko, Mike from Atlanta, Howie and Gareth from the UK and Keith from Scotland joined our tightknit group with Stan and Ed and Don. There was Russ, and the other Russ, and Rich, and Gipper and the legendary Westside Steve. There are a ton of other folks that were huge parts of the Browns Board and the tailgates and if I started naming, names, that is a whole ‘nother thread too.

Then there was the big Anderson/Quinn wars where Stan and I MAY have taken out some frustrations in our personal life on half the Browns Board. The Browns Board had become too much work. It was supposed to be fun. Stan grew tired of people complaining about the way THEY wanted the board run, and he reminded everyone that it was his board. He once told me “You know, I just started all this so everyone could have a place to come and you, me and Flugels could enjoy ourselves at night”. It became too much. We chased off about half our membership, but lost a lot of good posters and good people in the process, and Stan was hurt that some of his closest and favorite posters went to the new rival board.

After that, I think Stan felt a little bit betrayed, and he became increasingly frustrated with how the Browns were run and he slowly relinquished control of the board to me and eventually pretty much stopped posting all together.

But he never closed the place down, he kept it going for his true friends. I know for a fact he has lost money on this site every year. And he grumbled about it. And he threatened to shut it down … but he never could. Because his friends were still there. And that will tell you everything you need to know about Stan.

 

GREAT post Zombo!  Like they say, "Tough times don't last - tough people do.." 

Remember how terrified and paranoid Stan always got about Lou Merletti?    We had a lot of funny smart assses on the board back when Bottlegate went down.  One of them superimposed a picture of Stan in the windup with a Budweiser bottle from the stands. 

I'm always reluctant to tell our road trip stories from the past because they'll all look like I'm adding Hollywood to them.  I guess I'll share a few.  Anyway, Stan instigated that entire van door flying off the hinges incident.  Here's the scene and unseen, if you will.  A taxi mini van has a 6'4" 330 lb GumboDog (Carl) in the back seat with me, Stan and one of Stan's local buddies all glommed in.  Zombo is seated in the front passenger seat with the only passenger door that opened out in lieu of sliding open. Anyway, we were out partying in the Flats.  Stan nudges me and whispers "Come on Flugel you gotta get Zombo ALL GOING."  Right on cue (coincidentally), there was a bus full of females from either a Bachelorette Party or a Sorority Girls Gone Wild excursion coming up from behind us on the lane to our right (closest to the curb).   Consequently, I reached forward placing my hands on Zombo's shoulders and said "ZOMBO, THERE'S A BUS FULL OF HOTTIES COMING UP ON OUR RIGHT. THEY'RE ALL LOOKING FOR A REAL MAN!"  Before that second sentence was finished, Zombo opened the door and the fast traveling bus to our right ripped it right off the hinges.  The best news is Zombo didn't try to get out of the van too quickly...   The driver of the vehicle that hit us got out and all I could say was "OMG we're getting yelled at by the Heat Miser from the Year Without a Santa Claus."  Not the brightest thing to do because now we had a van full of people laughing which only got the Heat Miser more heated.  I can't remember if that ended up with Zombo getting a ticket or not.  What I do remember is Zombo didn't like the cop's attitude...

The next morning we're tailgating and Zombo yells over to Stan - "Skippy, that's great!  No porta-potties. I gotta power squirt and there's a huge line at Panini's."  Stan replied, "REAL MEN, don't wait in line.  That's what alleys are for Zippy!"  As fate would have it, Zombo took Stan's advice and Cleveland Five-O was right there to give him a ticket.   Zombo concluded it all by showing Stan his ticket saying something like "I GOT YOUR REAL MEN DON'T WAIT IN LINES RIGHT HERE SKIPPY."

Then there's the bloody towel turban story from another year where all Zombo was missing in the Flats was the flip flops and camel.  Stan had this friend FatJeff (I was glad to see posting in this thread) that partied with us in the Hyatt.  He was built like the Tazmanian Devil and equipped with a low center of gravity. Anyway, as we were drinking - Stan broke out his football testosterone stories. FatJeff was his childhood hero that nobody could tackle and/or wanted to be tackled by.  All of a sudden, a previously quiet Zombo interrupted him with  "BULLSHITT!  He's built like a beach ball.  He couldn't even tackle my asss!"    So, now there's a challenge and bet in place between Stan and Zombo about who's buying drinks that night.  The challenge is Zombo wearing his traction-free docksiders has to make it past the end of the bed closest to the air conditioner for a TD.  As fate would have it, the 5'10" 180 lb Zombo had a great running start and made a valiant effort dipping a shoulder and flipping a forearm into a well grounded 5'7" 230 lb FatJeff. Zombo went airborne like Mary Lou Retton and his head hit the corner of the table between the 2 double beds shy of the goal line.  With an ear-to-ear grin that said "told you so" better than words, Stan said "Come here Dumbass!  Then he gave Zombo some beer cooler first aid.  1 cold beer for the buzz and 1 to put on the wound.  As the day went into the evening, the wound continued to bleed a little on and off. Zombo ended up wearing a white Hyatt towel over his head like a Turban to the Flats that night, which didn't take very long to show some blood staining through.    I think we were calling him something like Ali Haji Zombo.  He looked like a real sick bastard and we had a blast playing it up that night in the bars. In response to one cute little concerned and inquisitive mind, I pulled a Disney spin right out of my asss:   "Yeah, we don't quite have him fluent yet but he loves words like HOT, FREE, WIN and COLD (especially when he's drinking).  Unfortunately, someone taught him to say GAY every time he sees an umbrella in a drink. Today he tried out for the All Madden Team and came up just a yard or 2 short.  We're trying to get his mind off that tonight..."

Edited November 17, 2018 by Flugel

[The Gipper]

Something I have had in the back of my mind for a few days now....so I will bring it up here. I had been thinking of doing a winter...get out of the cold, trip.  I have a few destinations in mind...mostly places in the southwest (between AZ, New Mex. Calif).  But then I thought about this:  

Is anyone interested in doing a Stan Aten Memorial  Las Vegas Excursion,    perhaps sometime between late January and late February?  (or...maybe even during the Super Bowl if possible; let's face it, I don't think the Browns will make it there this year...but if they do, why not see it in Vegas).   I think that I can get a hold of some reasonably priced condos.  Seven night stays. I think I can book some where, depending on the number coming, the cost for the condo could be as low as $150-250 a week, per person. 

Stan loved Vegas as you all should know....and this could be a fitting way of remembrance. 

If I do it, I would be getting a rental car because there are 2-3 out of town sites I would want to see while there....like Death Valley/Castle Mountain, which would of course be optional for anyone coming.

If you have any interest, let me know on here or send me a PM. Nothing is set at all. 

Edit...I was just checking on the weather there that time of year, since I had never been there in winter:  Highs can range from low 70s to upper 50s.  lows usually in the mid 40s.  So, to me, fairly ideal.