Tag: FirstEnergy

Cleveland city council resolution asks for stadium name change; Browns respond quickly

Whoever said “there is no such thing as bad publicity” seems to be wrong as the Browns and the City of Cleveland find a little more:

One way or another, it seems the Cleveland Browns organization has controversy surrounding it. Sometimes it is related to little things, like Jimmy Haslam getting advice from a homeless man, and other times it is much more serious.

The latest controversy surrounds the name of the stadium that the team plays on, FirstEnergy Field. FirstEnergy, the company, has held the naming rights to the Cleveland stadium since 2013 and is contracted until 2030 with those rights.

The company has also been embroiled in controversy since bribery charges were brought by federal prosecutors surrounding former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder.

While FirstEnergy paid a $230 million fine as a part of a plea deal, Cleveland’s city councilman Brian Kazy has sponsored a resolution attempting to get the company’s name off the Browns stadium:

Simply, I don’t believe that the municipally-owned stadium that the Cleveland Browns play in should bear the name of this tainted company. The sign, seen as people enter Cleveland, gives the impression that they represent the city. This is false.

FirstEnergy responded to News 5:

“FirstEnergy has a longstanding commitment to supporting communities through sponsorship of civic, athletic and arts organizations. We have taken swift action to address events that have occurred over the past year and to ensure a culture of strong ethics, integrity and accountability at the company. We look forward to continuing as a valued partner with all the communities in which we live and work.”

Now, so has the team insisting that the partnership, and naming rights, will continue in the future:

Whoever said “there is no such thing as bad publicity” seems to be wrong in relation to the Cleveland Browns.

Browns have a 10,000 fan wait list for season tickets

Fans have to pay $100 just to get added to the list

Looking for Cleveland Browns season tickets? Get in line and be prepared to wait…

A report from Crain’s Kevin Kleps lays out the significant interest in the newly successful Browns. Per Kleps, the Browns are going to hit the 10,000 mark on their official wait list for season tickets to see the team play at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Not only is the queue huge, but fans must pay a $100 retainer just to get their name added to the bottom of the list. That doesn’t even include the price of the tickets.

It’s a radical change for the Browns, who notched the franchise’s first postseason win in over 25 years following the successful 2020 season. The arrow is pointing up for the Browns, and fans want desperately to be a part of it.

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