The Cleveland Browns and their AAFC Team Story

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The All-American Football Conference lasted only four seasons, but its impact on professional football was enormous. One big reason is the success of the league's top team, the Cleveland Browns.

Pro football historian George Bozeka recently sat down with us in the Pigpen to tell us about the fascinating origin and history of the Browns in this era. George is the Executive Director of the Professional Football Researchers Association (PFRA).

Arch Ward, the Chicago Tribune editor who was the organizer of the AAFC, saw an opportunity in Cleveland for a pro football franchise after the Cleveland Rams won the NFL Title in 1945 and then abruptly left the city for the West Coast. It was a historic and controversial move, as no other NFL franchise was within a couple thousand miles at the time. Also, the Rams were the first American major league sports franchise on the Pacific Coast. George Bozeka tells us that Rams owner Dan Reeves moved not only for the football opportunities but also for some of his other business ventures.

Ward contacted Arthur "Mickey" McBride, an Eastern Ohio businessman with his hands in everything from real estate to a taxi company in Cleveland. McBride also ventured into a wire service that provided horse racing results to people who needed to know the results, such as bookies. McBride's involvement in this side hustle placed him in the public eye even before he bought the Cleveland franchise. This interest made a part of McBride's persona a bit shady as it put him in the company of organized crime figures who did not continuously operate within the fine lines of the law. But despite this, McBride had a passion for Northeast Ohio, the finances to cover the costs, and a strong desire to win at football. He also knew he needed people with good football knowledge and organization to run his franchise.

Mickey McBride officially joined the All-American Football Conference owners in 1944 by buying the rights to the new Cleveland franchise. Yes, he needed a coach to organize his team and wanted a good one to start things off right. Author Andy Piascik, in his book, The Best Show in Football: The 1946–1955 Cleveland Browns, says that McBride and Leahy even had a handshake deal made for the Fighting Irish coach to leave his very successful program to be the sideline boss of the Cleveland franchise. When Notre Dame officials got wind of the deal, they took action. They appealed to McBride and his loyalty to the school, as McBride's son was an alumnus. Soon, they persuaded Leahy to stay and McBride to make another choice as a coach for his new team.