What Was The Mascot Of The Cleveland Browns?

Brownie the Elf, the first official mascot of the Cleveland Browns, has been on the sideline in Cleveland since the franchise was created. The Browns had been the only NFL team without a mascot since 1944 when taxi-cab magnate Arthur B. “Mickey” McBride secured a Cleveland, Ohio, franchise in the newly formed All-America Football. Brownie the Elf is not used as often as the team’s more well-known mascots, Chomps and Swagger, but dates back long before the team began play.

Art Modell is believed to have put the elf on the team’s sideline. It is likely that Brownie that prompted Chase to refer to Cleveland as elves. The Browns even had a live Brownie mascot, Tommy Flynn, who roamed Cleveland’s sideline during AAFC. The name Brownie comes from Scottish folklore, which describes cantankerous and mischievous spirits with elf-like features who come out at games.

The latest caricature of Brownie was revealed last week as the team’s new midfield logo. The origin of the mascot and how it came to Cleveland remains unknown. The Cleveland Browns have had a live Brownie mascot, Tommy Flynn, who roamed Cleveland’s sideline during AAFC. The mascots of the team are a “brownie” elf and a dog, typically a bull mastiff, in reference to the dawg pound.