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Known as the Mistake by the Lake, Cleveland Municipal Stadium, was
one of football's hallowed grounds for more than five decades. The idea
for a new stadium in Cleveland was first mentioned in
1903. By the 1920s a 25,000 seat was proposed. However, Osborn
Engineering designed a much bigger stadium that could house a
variety of events. In 1928, a $2.5 million bond was issued by the city to
build the stadium becoming the first stadium built using
public money. A landfill full of old cars and tires near Lake Erie
was chosen as the site to build the stadium on. Ground was broken
for the stadium on June 24, 1930. Constructed of steel and
concrete, the stadium became known as Lakefront Stadium.
The stadium was completed by July 1, 1931
and the first event was held two days later. There was one problem after the stadium opened
as it
had no main tenant. The Cleveland Indians (MLB) were glad that a new
stadium was built, but decided not to move into the stadium until
1932. Lakefront Stadium had a capacity of 78,189 that included covered double-decked grandstand that was in the shape of a
horseshoe and had an uncovered section of bleachers beyond the endzone. There were 37,896 seats in the lower level, 29,380 seats
in the upper level and 10,913 bleacher seats. The stadium also
had lights, a sound system and a scoreboard behind the bleachers.
In 1937, the Cleveland Rams were founded by Homer Marshman, a
Cleveland attorney. The NFL placed the Cleveland Rams in the NFL
Western Division to replace the St. Louis Gunners. The Rams began
playing at Cleveland Stadium in the fall of 1937. For nine years
the Rams played at Cleveland Stadium with the Cleveland Indians.
After the 1945 season, owner of the Rams, Dan Reeves moved the
team to Los Angeles. In 1944, the All-American Football Conference
was born. Businessman, Mickey McBride was awarded a franchise
that became known as the Cleveland Browns. The Browns shared
Municipal Stadium with the Rams for one year. Once the Rams left
for Los Angeles, the Browns became the only football team at
Municipal Stadium.
Throughout their
history at
Municipal Stadium, the Browns were one of the best teams in the
NFL. At Cleveland Municipal Stadium very few changes occurred. The
stadium was renovated in 1967 and 1974 when the original wooden
seats were replaced by plastic ones and a new scoreboard replaced
the old one. Transformation of Municipal Stadium from football to
baseball was relatively simple as few changes had to be made to
the stadium in order for football to be played. The football field
was laid out straight up the center of the baseball field. One of
the more notable parts of Municipal Stadium was its rowdy fans who
sat in the bleachers behind the end zone. This section became
known as the "Dog Pound" where fans would hassle the opposing
team.
During the late 1980s and
early 1990s, Cleveland Municipal Stadium began to
deteriorate
rapidly. The Indians moved into Jacobs Field after the 1993
season. After failing to reach an agreement to get a new stadium
built for the Browns, owner Art Modell, moved the Browns to
Baltimore after the 1995 season. The Browns played their final
game at Municipal Stadium on December 16, 1995. The stadium was
demolished in November 1996. During the same year, the City of
Cleveland and the NFL secured a deal to return professional
football to the city by 1999. The city built a new stadium, Cleveland
Browns Stadium on the site where Cleveland Municipal Stadium was
located. An expansion team was awarded to the city and the Browns
began playing in Cleveland on September 12, 1999.
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