The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Fans show love for Flacco
Browns fans are still Wacko for Flacco.
If there was any question about that, it was answered March 20 when some fans patiently stood in a line for more than two hours to get an autograph from the former Browns quarterback.
That word — former — still stings for fans who expected the Browns would re-sign Joe Flacco for 2024 after what he accomplished for them in December of last year.
One of the fans who waited to see Flacco was 94-year old Mary Jane from Canton. She is in a wheelchair and was at the autograph event with her son.
“I want to see him in person,” she said. “I think he’s wonderful, honest. He’s not cocky. He has very good qualities. I’m very, very proud of him.
“I would want him as one of my sons. I have five. He would be one more. I was very disappointed (when the Browns didn’t re-sign Flacco). I really wanted him back.”
Flacco was invited to a tryout Nov. 17 in Berea after spending more than 11 months without being part of an NFL team. He was signed to the practice squad on Nov. 20 and by Dec. 3 was the Browns’ starting quarterback. He lost the Dec. 3 game against the Rams and then won the next four to propel the Browns to the playoffs. His performance was so remarkable that he was voted Comeback Player of the Year by a nationwide panel of 50 sportswriters.
Flacco loved his time in Cleveland and the fans loved him, as the turnout at Hartville showed. He expected to be re-signed, but the Browns never made an offer. Instead, they agreed with Jameis Winston to a one-year contract last week. Flacco signed with the Colts the next day.
“Joe Flacco saved the season,” said Tony Deramo from
Youngstown. “He came off the couch and put his body on the line. I wish Flacco the best in Indianapolis.”
The autograph session wasn’t inexpensive. Fans were charged $85 for an autograph and $120 to pose with Flacco for a picture. Flacco was not paid per item or picture. Instead, he was paid a flat fee of $50,000. The money paid for the autographs and pictures went to Thomas Brode, who owns the AllStar Sports Memorabilia and Prime Time Sports and Framing exhibit at Hartville Marketplace.
Brode hooked up with Flacco’s agents for the autograph event before the Browns chose to go with Winston. Brode was as surprised as anyone that they did not go with Flacco, but he said it is a testament to Flacco’s character that he did not back out of his commitment at Hartville after the Browns abandoned him and he found a new team.
“They reached out to me because we have been doing so many signings with the Browns like David Njoku and others, so I said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ “Brode said. “The problem is, this was before the Browns went in the wrong direction. Even Joe thought he was coming back to Cleveland. When they didn’t bring Joe back, it was a shock to him and a shock to everybody else.
“It was the dumbest thing Cleveland ever did. How about you put the players on the field that fans want to pay their hardearned money to watch? Joe followed through even after he signed with the Colts to come here. He never tried to back out of his contract. Hopefully the Cleveland Browns fans send him off with a cheer, and I hope, I hope we somehow get a trade with Indianapolis to bring him back home, because he wants to be here and millions of other fans believe Joe Flacco should be a Cleveland Brown.”