Last week the Cleveland Browns wrapped their mandatory minicamp in Berea Ohio. Some storylines have emerged like wide receiver Amari Cooper’s hold out for a contract extension. Quarterback Deshaun Watson looking like his old self in shorts and helmets. Defensive End and pass rush specialist Myles Garrett tweaked his hamstring. Otherwise, it was a relatively drama free minicamp and Cleveland Browns fans are excited for training camp and the start of the season. But what are the expectations of these Cleveland Browns fans?

It seems like yesterday that the most exciting part of the season for Cleveland Browns fans was the NFL Draft in April. It was so bad that a featured film about the team starring Kevin Costner was not about winning a championship on the field. It was about winning the NFL Draft. It was called Draft Day.  I as a Cleveland Browns fan felt insulted. At least in 1989 when Major League was released in theaters with Charlie Sheen, it was about the Cleveland Indians winning a division championship on the field. Granted it was like the Bad News Bears, but it was the Cleveland Indians.  Those days of only winning on draft day for the Cleveland Browns are now over, and the fans know it.

As of today, Cleveland Browns fans have high expectations for their team. As I type this in my head, I can hear the Curb Your Enthusiasm music. It is a mental condition that Browns fans have endured for almost thirty years. We as Browns fans need to understand that having expectations of winning is a good thing. That means we have a good team and a competitive team. We have a stable organization with competent people in the front office. And an owner willing to spend money to field a championship team. The expectations are to win and win consistently. Cleveland Browns fans have endured more mockery and flack than any other fan base in the NFL. Yet we have stayed loyal and endured the bad years since expansion in 1999. And those loyal fans now expect a winning football team, and they will be rewarded with one.