Sports

Northeast Ohio Browns fans packed Muni Lot, bars ahead of win over Jets

Ideastream Public Media | By Ygal Kaufman,

Published December 28, 2023 at 4:56 PM EST

wood paneled bus is decorated to look like giant dog wearing Cleveland Browns helmet — Tailgating at the Muni Lot is a Cleveland tradition. The home-decorated and expertly modified vehicles on display are just some of the many signature pieces of a great tailgating party.

The air in Cleveland was thick with anticipation and optimism Thursday as Browns fans prepped for a face-off against the New York Jets.

two men wearing matching shirts that say Muni-Lot Degenerates with a picture of a dog drinking beer. — Giovanni Castelli and Paul Kaspick have been friends since second grade and have been tailgating Browns games together for over 19 years. They insist the Muni Lot is the best place on earth to tailgate and the only place they'll do it.

The team, led by quarterback Joe Flacco, prevailed beating the Jets 37-20 Thursday and clinching a spot in the playoffs. The team has only pulled that off two other times since they rejoined the NFL in 1999: once in 2002 and again in 2020.

Nicole Bozickovich grew up a Steelers fan, but she and her husband Brandon have been Browns season ticket holders for four years. They were tailgating on Cleveland's Muni Lot before the game.

"This is the whole reason to be here," she said while tailgating in the city's Municipal Lot Downtown. "It's the environment, everyone here and then walking into the stadium just getting to feel the energy before you're even in the game."

woman in Cleveland browns paraphernalia holding a beer, smiles with other browns fans in background — Nicole Bozickovich comes to tailgate regularly with her husband Brandon and their friends, and she says the atmosphere is unlike any other.

Giovanni Castelli and his friend Paul Kaspick met in second grade and have been tailgating together with their group, named the Muni-Lot Degenerates, for more than 19 years.

"Good times are here finally," Castelli said. "There's been a lot of pain and suffering, you can say, but good times are here."

Flacco, who stepped in as starting quarterback after Deshaun Watson's season-ending injury in November, most recently played for the Jets.

men in Cleveland Browns paraphernalia stand at tailgate site. — Being "wacko for Flacco" has become one of the most commonly heard refrains around the city of Cleveland for the last month.

It was the perfect storm for Adam Watters, who, despite being an Akron native, is a Jets fan. He said he saw a Jets game on TV when he was a kid and fell in love with Chad Pennington. He was tailgating for a second time Thursday, wearing his Jets gear.

man in New York Jets gear stands smiling surrounded by men in Cleveland Browns gear. — Adam Watters has no fear proudly wearing his Jets colors, despite him being from Akron. Perhaps his comfort comes from being flanked by a bevy of friends who bleed brown and orange.

"Last time we got a hard time... It's been pretty, pretty chill today," Watters said at the Muni Lot. "They should beat us, and they're not giving us too many problems today."

Those who didn't want to brave the weather or couldn't clinch tickets crowded bars across Northeast Ohio. In Akron sports bar Basement at the Lakes, Browns fans gathered to drink and share optimism about the game. Flacco is the secret behind the Browns' great season, said Rose Barbudo of Akron.

"He's been perfect. He's just been perfect. These kids respect him, and that's all you can ask for," she said. "It's just a perfect fit — so much more than what we're used to."

Lisa Calderoni and Roy Copley stand in Browns gear at a sports bar. — Lisa Calderoni and Roy Copley were optimistic about a Browns win on Dec. 28, 2023.

Roy Copley, of Barberton, thinks the Browns are going all the way to the Super Bowl.

"Last time they won a championship was the year I was born, '64," he said.

Updated: December 29, 2023 at 6:30 AM EST