Cleveland Browns

Cleveland is one of America’s oldest sports cities but is also said by some to be cursed. The Cleveland Browns have never won a Super Bowl, or even played in one. The Cleveland Indians last won the World Series in 1948 and the Cleveland Cavaliers have had one NBA Finals appearance in 2007, where they were swept by San Antonio in the first four games. Even having Lebron James as the city’s star athlete was not enough to break the curse.

With the Cleveland Browns having selected Johnny Manziel as the 22nd pick in this year’s NFL Draft, will 2014-2015 be the year this finally changes? Is Johnny Manziel enough to stop the curse?

Manziel, also known as Johnny Football, played quarterback at Texas A&M University. During his time at A&M, Manziel led the Aggies to a 20-6 record. He won the Heisman trophy in 2012 (the first freshman to ever win the award), and was also selected as the SEC Offensive Player of the Year. In 2013, he was selected as the SEC Male Athlete of the Year. With numerous other accolades over the course of his college career, Johnny Football became a well-known name and a viable prospect for many NFL teams looking to start fresh and rebuild their team.

It surprised many fans that Manziel was selected 22nd in the draft, as sports analysts and fans alike predicted him to go much earlier. He was the second of two first round picks for the Cleveland Browns – they also selected Justin Gilbert, a cornerback from Oklahoma State University, with the 8th pick. Cleveland also has a new head coach, Mike Pettine, who was the defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills in 2013 and spent the three seasons prior to that as the New York Jets’ defensive coordinator. With a new coach and fresh top-tier talent, the Cleveland Browns are ready to begin their turnaround.

Upcoming opponents for the Browns this season include the usual AFC North rivals: Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals, as well as the four NFC South teams: Saints, Falcons, Panthers and Buccaneers among others. Their first game is scheduled for September 7th against the Steelers in Pittsburgh. The Browns’ home opener is set for September 14, where they will be hosting the New Orleans Saints.