Can anyone answer this question?

[sltnusmc]

A friend of mine is trying to convince me that the Chicago Bears stopped playing games for 3 seasons sometime in the late 90's. He says that this was around the time that Carolina and Jacksonville came into the league. Is this true of the Bears or any team?

[dragons08]

its not the bears, maybe cleavland browns?

[Lufkin_Class_Of_08]

it was the browns...the old browns moved in 96 to baltimore and became the ravens...in 99 the new browns came back and got to keep the history of teh old browns...wish they could have done the same thing in houston and let us have oilers back and keep the history...oilers is a cooler name than texans

[Reaganrattler07]

it was the browns...the old browns moved in 96 to baltimore and became the ravens...in 99 the new browns came back and got to keep the history of teh old browns...wish they could have done the same thing in houston and let us have oilers back and keep the history...oilers is a cooler name than texans

Yeah, and it's more "original" for the area around Houston....if Houston was the only team in Texas then maybe the Texans would work...

[dragons08]

i always like how the cubs and bears go together, they used to both play at wrigley maybe thats how they came about? most bears fans it seems are cubs fans, and white sox with i dont know but cubs and bears go together

[lonny23]

I know the Cowboys stopped playing for about 3 years at the turn of this decade. At least it looked like they stopped playing! :D

[dragons08]

I know the Cowboys stopped playing for about 3 years at the turn of this decade. At least it looked like they stopped playing! :D
haha the bears startred playing for one year...then gone back into hibernation....maybe this year is spring?

[Reaganrattler07]

haha the bears startred playing for one year...then gone back into hibernation....maybe this year is spring?

That's a looooong hibernation...

[dragons08]

That's a looooong hibernation...
yea, were long over due, im curious why the browns left and "came back" they just decided we need a team again or what

[Reaganrattler07]

yea, were long over due, im curious why the browns left and "came back" they just decided we need a team again or what

Nah...the Skins are due. We'll see if Joe 2 is like Joe 1.

[GoOwls]

yea, were long over due, im curious why the browns left and "came back" they just decided we need a team again or what

I think my NFL history is right, but Art Model, the owner of the Browns, moved the franchise to Baltimore and renamed the franchise the Baltimore Ravens. When the NFL went into expansion, Cleveland was one of the first citys considered to get one of the two franchises. Cleveland got the franchise and name the team the Browns, like the old team. So the Cleveland Browns of today, have nothing to do with the old Browns franchise, except for the city. The history of the old Browns franchise went with Model to Baltimore.

[Bootsdaddy]

I think my NFL history is right, but Art Model, the owner of the Browns, moved the franchise to Baltimore and renamed the franchise the Baltimore Ravens. When the NFL went into expansion, Cleveland was one of the first citys considered to get one of the two franchises. Cleveland got the franchise and name the team the Browns, like the old team. So the Cleveland Browns of today, have nothing to do with the old Browns franchise, except for the city. The history of the old Browns franchise went with Model to Baltimore.

No, the history of the franchise is with the "new" Browns. After Modell moved his team there was such an uproar in Cleveland that the NFL almost immediately promised Cleveland another team with their history intact, the same colors, logo, etc. Its really an unique situation as teams such as the Rams, Cardinals, Oilers/Titans all kept their histories. Unlike cities such as Houston and Los Angeles, Cleveland fans had been packing that old Municipal Stadium with 80,000 plus fans for years.

[GoOwls]

Bootsdaddy, I understand what you mean by the team colors and stuff, but I was referring to the championship trophies and team records and all that, those are part of the Ravens franchise now and the trophies are in Models' possession and has no real relation to the present Cleveland franchise, except in the hearts of the fans, but the new franchise really has no relation at all to the old franchise, except for the uniforms and name.