Cleveland Browns new jerseys are classic and correct

Want to find a good NFL jersey? Find one that hasn’t changed. The Las Vegas Raiders — despite changing cities a few times — are a great example of this. Silver and Black. No wondering who is wearing those threads. The same can be said for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs. Those teams wear some of the nicest looks in pro sports, and have been doing so for decades upon decades. On Thursday, the Cleveland Browns launched a new uniform kit only a few years after giving us one of the worst combinations in recent years. It is a huge upgrade.

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True to ourselves.
True to our loyal fans.
True to who we’ll always be.https://t.co/VwRW3sfRSx pic.twitter.com/HbQYZQEu9N

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) April 15, 2020

The uniforms ditched had that odd CLEVELAND wordmark across the check and even worse, striping on the pants which gave way toward the socks, reading BROWNS on either side. It was a true atrocity, especially for a franchise that by and large had kept the same visual concept since joining the NFL in 1950 after moving over from the defunct All-America Football Conference (AAFC).

The new look does have some wrinkles including a little more block numbering than the past along with the all brown color rush uniform, but the return to a more original look is a smart move by owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam.

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Cleveland is often a punchline in football, but the Browns have a proud history. In the 1950s, the Browns won three championships and went to six consecutive title games behind head coach Paul Brown and quarterback Otto Graham. They won again in 1964 behind the incomparable talents of first-ballot Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown.

While they didn’t win a championship in the 1980s, the Browns went to three AFC title games in four years (1986, ’87 and ’89), styling in their all-white road uniforms twice.

The Cleveland Browns may not play any better in 2020 simply because it looks better, but the team needed a refresh after years upon years of losing. If Baker Mayfield can recapture his rookie form, and the combination of Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry steps up, the Browns can be one of the more competitive teams in a conference with the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and not much else.

For the Browns, there’s a long way to go and many steps to take. At least they’ll look good making them.