The Gipper Posted March 12, 2013 Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 Consider this question: Should the following person, even today, be considered a Cleveland football Icon? This person's name is: Bob Waterfield. Hall of Fame Quarterback of the Cleveland Rams. Waterfield was a military veteran who was drafted in the 5th round by the Cleveland Rams out of UCLA in 1944, but did not begin to play with the Rams until the 1945 season as a 25 year old rookie. But when he got here, he did well. The Rams that year, under Waterfield's "command" went 9-1 in the regular season and defeated the Washington Redskins in the NFL title game to bring Northeast Ohio its first NFL championship since the 1924 Cleveland Bulldogs won the title. Waterfield was really the first true "Quarterback" of a Championship Cleveland area team. The 20s titles of the Bulldogs/Akron Pros didn't really include a QB as we know it today, but those 1945 Rams certainly did. Waterfield that season went 89/171..a good pct. in those days, for 1609 yards and 14 TDs (remember, only 10 games were played), for an 8.2 TD pct. He averaged 9.4 per attempt. Of course, the reason Cleveland doesn't acknowledge him much is because after that season the Rams departed for Los Angeles where Waterfield became more of an icon and had a playboy image. I believe he was married to Jane Russell. But, should we hold the fact that the owner of that team decided to move against Waterfield, our championship QB? Maybe Waterfield welcomed the news because he could then date big tittied movie stars and go back home to the LA area he went to college (though he was from Elmira, NY) Also, it was Waterfield who started for the Los Angeles Rams against the Browns in the 1950 title game. In that game against the Browns he went 18-31 with 1 TD and 4 Interceptions. So he did give the Browns a lot of gifts in a game they only won by 2 points. Maybe we should thank him for that. The following year, 1951, the Rams beat the Browns in the NFL title game, but Waterfield was not the starting QB in that game. Norm Van Brocklin was. Waterfield just made kicks, as he was also the teams kicker. (He was the kicker for the Cleveland Rams in 1945) So, we here ALL HAIL Otto Graham and Frank Ryan, Cleveland Browns Championship QBs. But should we not also have a hip hip hurray for the first Cleveland Champion QB: Bob Waterfield? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browns57 Posted March 12, 2013 Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 Consider this question: Should the following person, even today, be considered a Cleveland football Icon? This person's name is: Bob Waterfield. Hall of Fame Quarterback of the Cleveland Rams. Waterfield was a military veteran who was drafted in the 5th round by the Cleveland Rams out of UCLA in 1944, but did not begin to play with the Rams until the 1945 season as a 25 year old rookie. But when he got here, he did well. The Rams that year, under Waterfield's "command" went 9-1 in the regular season and defeated the Washington Redskins in the NFL title game to bring Northeast Ohio its first NFL championship since the 1924 Cleveland Bulldogs won the title. Waterfield was really the first true "Quarterback" of a Championship Cleveland area team. The 20s titles of the Bulldogs/Akron Pros didn't really include a QB as we know it today, but those 1945 Rams certainly did. Waterfield that season went 89/171..a good pct. in those days, for 1609 yards and 14 TDs (remember, only 10 games were played), for an 8.2 TD pct. He averaged 9.4 per attempt. Of course, the reason Cleveland doesn't acknowledge him much is because after that season the Rams departed for Los Angeles where Waterfield became more of an icon and had a playboy image. I believe he was married to Jane Russell. But, should we hold the fact that the owner of that team decided to move against Waterfield, our championship QB? Maybe Waterfield welcomed the news because he could then date big tittied movie stars and go back home to the LA area he went to college (though he was from Elmira, NY) Also, it was Waterfield who started for the Los Angeles Rams against the Browns in the 1950 title game. In that game against the Browns he went 18-31 with 1 TD and 4 Interceptions. So he did give the Browns a lot of gifts in a game they only won by 2 points. Maybe we should thank him for that. The following year, 1951, the Rams beat the Browns in the NFL title game, but Waterfield was not the starting QB in that game. Norm Van Brocklin was. Waterfield just made kicks, as he was also the teams kicker. (He was the kicker for the Cleveland Rams in 1945) So, we here ALL HAIL Otto Graham and Frank Ryan, Cleveland Browns Championship QBs. But should we not also have a hip hip hurray for the first Cleveland Champion QB: Bob Waterfield? NO! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 12, 2013 Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 I am a Browns fan. Not a Northeast Ohio Professional Football fan. But even if I was, like you .. dude played one year in Cleveland. Icon? Zombo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gipper Posted March 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 I am a Browns fan. Not a Northeast Ohio Professional Football fan. But even if I was, like you .. dude played one year in Cleveland. Icon? Zombo Perhaps that is where we differ. The Browns are only important to me because they are the team from Northeast Ohio. If the Browns had never been created and if the Rams had never moved (all of which happened before even I was born), then the Rams would be "Our" NFL team...and I would almost certainly be a "Rams fan". The same for the Canton/Cleveland Bulldogs. If they, like the Packers/Bears/Cardinals/Giants had held on to make it through the early stages of the league they may have survived and thrived just like those teams did, and we would all be "Bulldogs fans". But they didn't, so NEO eventually got the Browns. And if Modell's devilry had been successful, then we may not have had them, and I sure as fuck would not be rooting for them if they were in Baltimore. I would be rooting for the "New Bulldogs", or whatever an expansion franchise would have been named. And you say "one year one championship". If Trent Dilfer or Jeff Garcia or Mark Rypien had won a championship in their one year here, would not they be an icon? In fact...Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl in the one and only year he played for the Ravens. (the only SB winning QB to spend that one single season with that team.) If Trent did that here, certainly he would be somewhat of an icon, wouldn't he? (The only reason Waterfield may not be one is because it was a long time ago, and that team moved) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballpeen Posted March 12, 2013 Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 All well and good, but I don't consider him a Cleveland Brown. He's a Ram....as in LA. I know the guy has been dead maybe 30 years, but I don't think he would say he was a Cleveland player. If you took Cleveland fans and LA rams fans out of the mix, I'd bet most don't even know the Rams played in Cleveland. It's a shame we as Cleveland fans have to search back 50-60 years to find glory years and players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gipper Posted March 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 All well and good, but I don't consider him a Cleveland Brown. He's a Ram....as in LA. I know the guy has been dead maybe 30 years, but I don't think he would say he was a Cleveland player. If you took Cleveland fans and LA rams fans out of the mix, I'd bet most don't even know the Rams played in Cleveland. It's a shame we as Cleveland fans have to search back 50-60 years to find glory years and players. I personally do not think that we shouldpander to the ignorance of the young or allow them dictate what we do or do not hold dear. And if any "young" people read this thread, then perhaps they will become educated and won't be quite as ignorant. I know Waterfield is more identified with the Rams because the Rams moved after his rookie season. But, in point of fact, he won his only NFL title as a starting QB as the QB of the Cleveland Rams, not the LA Rams. And lets also face things: what does this list represent: Bob Waterfield Otto Graham Frank Ryan They are the only Quarterbacks in history to lead a Cleveland team to an NFL title. So, its a pretty exclusive list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 The fact that he didn't do it with a franchise that remained in Cleveland, and the fact that he only played one year of professional sports in Cleveland, have to be weighed in whether you are are young, old, a Browns fan, or a Clevleland fan. Zombo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gipper Posted March 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 The fact that he didn't do it with a franchise that remained in Cleveland, and the fact that he only played one year of professional sports in Cleveland, have to be weighed in whether you are are young, old, a Browns fan, or a Clevleland fan. Zombo Yes, I understand that those are all factors in his remembrance. Nevertheless...that 3 man list has been set in stone now for nearly 50 years. No one has added to it. The only way to add to it would be if you also included Fritz Pollard who was the designated QB of the 1920 Akron Pros. Those Bulldogs teams Canton/Cleveland that won titles didn't have a specific Quarterback, but the Pros did. So Add Fritz Pollard to the list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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