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Chick Ludwig covers the Cincinnati Bengals. He also writes about his other passions: college football, basketball and golf.Home > Blogs > Chick Ludwig At Large > Archives > 2008 > September > 25 > Entry
Browns-Bengals: It’s high time we take a little football trip down memory lane
IS DAYTON, OHIO,
BENGALS’ TOWN
OR BROWNS’ TOWN?
SADLY, THE ‘BATTLE OF OHIO’
JUST ISN’T THE SAME ANYMORE
===LUDWIG AT LARGE remembers collecting Coca-Cola bottle caps of Cleveland Browns players, using Elmer’s Glue to fasten them on a large paper mat and mailing them in. In return, I received a football, sweatshirt, buttons and all sorts of Browns paraphernalia. Who out there remembers Lindsey Nelson’s Notre Dame highlights? Jack Moran’s “King of TV Bowling?” Glier’s Goetta cookin’ in the skillet? If you’re like me, then we LIVE FOR SUNDAYS AT 1 O’CLOCK!===
Before I ask who’s going to win the big game — no capitalization or boldface or italics are necessary because, frankly, it just ain’t all that big anymore — LUDWIG AT LARGE would like to ask loyal readers a more pressing question:
Is Dayton (“OH”…”IO!”) a Cincinnati Bengals town or a Cleveland Browns town?
And while I’m at it …
Whatever happened to the Bengals-Browns rivalry?
I hate to use the word hate, but the Browns and Bengals used to hate one another. It’s because Browns owner Art Modell fired Paul Brown as Browns head coach on January 9, 1963, only to have Brown return as the Bengals founder and first head coach in 1968.
The blood war lasted until Brown’s death (August 5, 1991). Modell moved the Cleveland Browns team to Baltimore after the 1995 season; the Cleveland Browns resurrected as an expansion franchise in 1999; and the “Battle of Ohio” rivalry hasn’t been the same since.
But let’s go back, back, back to 1964.
As a kid growing up in the Price Hill section of Cincinnati — Linneman’s Delicatessen, The Taffy House, the Sunset Lounge, St. William School (The Chickster won the contest for nicknaming the school’s athletic teams; “The Barons”) — I used to run home from “St. Bill’s” church on Sundays to hear the immortal words …
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, this is Frank Gleiber and Warren Lahr, live from Municipal Stadium for today’s game between the Cleveland Browns and the … “
I was 10 years old and the Cleveland Browns were champions of the NFL. The names will always be magic.
Head Coach Blanton Collier and … in alphabetical order …
DB/RB-Walter Beach
FB-Jim Brown
T/DT/DE-Monte Clark
WR/P-Gary Collins
LB-Vince Costello
DB-Ross Fichtner
LB-Galen Fiss
DE/C/T-Bill Glass
RB/FB-Ernie Green
T/DT/K-Lou Groza
G-Gene Hickerson
LB/DE-Jim Houston
DT-Jim Kanicki
RB-Leroy Kelly
LB-Mike Lucci
DT-Dick Modzelewski
DB-Bernie Parrish
QB-Frank Ryan
T/G/DE-Dick Schafrath
WR-Paul Warfield
DE-Paul Wiggin
G-John Wooten
Sunday’s were awesome. There was Lindsey Nelson doing the Notre Dame highlight show. There was Jack Moran’s “King of TV Bowling.” There was bacon, eggs and Glier’s Goetta cookin’ in the skillet.
And there were the Cleveland Browns … until the Cincinnati Bengals came along in 1968.
Then my rooting interest changed to Virgil Carter, Bob Trumpy, Paul Robinson, Essex Johnson, Mike Reid, Bob Johnson, Speedy Thomas, Tommy Casanova, Ken Riley and Lemar Parrish.
Ahh, the memories.
Let’s relive some right here, right now …
Permalink | Comments (6) | Post your comment | Categories: NFL
Comments
By Robert Young
September 25, 2008 12:19 PM | Link to this
“We move ahead to further action in the 3rd quarter”. I can still hear that distinctive voice. And who knew Jack Moran’s sports coats would end up being th fashion inspiration for Herb Tarleck many years later. As far as the rivalry Modell taking away the team seems to have let people realize as much as we hate each others’ team what was worse was having no rivalry. Not to mention both teams have pretty much sucked since the Clowns returned. Never did Goetta and my doc is probably happy about that.By Bob-Tipp City
September 25, 2008 2:34 PM | Link to this
Lindsey had some snazzy coats, too. Do you remember the spoof Channel 9 would do with Jack Moran on Groundhog Day? My favorite Browns- Bengals is McAnnally coming back to catch a TD after being laid out.By Bob-Tipp City
September 25, 2008 2:36 PM | Link to this
Lindsey had some snazzy coats, too. Do you remember the spoof Channel 9 would do with Jack Moran on Groundhog Day? My favorite Browns- Bengals is McAnnally coming back to catch a TD after being laid out.By Pete
September 25, 2008 3:04 PM | Link to this
Who cares?By Jo Jo is RIght
September 26, 2008 12:29 AM | Link to this
I believe Tom Darden laid him out with one of the hardest hits I ever saw. Pat Mac coming back was my favorite moment too!By osurickbee
September 26, 2008 8:29 AM | Link to this
Wow, the bottle caps! I too remember collecting them, and making a trip to the local Coke HQ to redeem them. I’ll bet a complete set is rare.