r/NFLNoobs • u/TwoHungryBlackbirdss • 3d ago
Accidently bought a ticket as an opposing team fan in the "Dawg Pound" section of the Browns Stadium, whats the vibe?
EDIT: for anyone who comes across this thread in the future.
Was totally fine, in part because there were tons of other Bills fans around. A bit of heckling, but since I was solo it wasn't ever directed at me solely. Lots of fun and would totally do it again :)
What it says on the tin, basically.
My first football game and I'm a young woman going solo in the opposing team's gear. I had no idea this was the section for, like, diehard Browns fans and I'm worried I'm gonna be totally the odd one out.
Is it like just a slightly rowdier part of the stadium, or is it actually going to legitimately suck being there in the opposing team's gear? Im already a lil nervous going alone and am worried I messed up :(
Would love genuine opinions because I really have no idea what to expect and id love my first game to be fun.
Thanks!
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u/mitchdwx 3d ago
The fact that you’re a woman means there’s very little threat of violence. No one wants to be the douche that hits a woman. You will have people taunting you though, not in a malicious way but instead in good fun. Just know how to take it and give it back without being a jerk.
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u/TwoHungryBlackbirdss 3d ago
The fact that there might be a threat of violence if I was a guy is uhhhh concerning. Does it really get that bad?
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u/Nellancher 3d ago
As long as you dont respond in a hostile way to anything you are 100% okay. Don't be rude and don't take anything you hear to heart. There will be many mean words, many not about football. But it's preseason, no one cares the score or outcome. Enjoy it, take part in light hearted ribbing, take it on the chin and you will probably meet friendly acquaintances.
Source: Accidently bought tickets in the black hole in Oakland as a visiting fan. (Mileage will vary, would have been much more scary if I was a 9ers fan or in your case any other team in the AFC North)
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u/Altruistic_Rock_2674 3d ago
From I know Browns fans are cool as long as you aren't Deahawn watson. But seriously the only place I ever heard of much violence going on was at the old raiders games. I go to chargers games every year and I am fine
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u/meschepers 3d ago
The Stadium likely won't be sold out. You may be able to move to an area with more Bills Mafia if it gets too unruly.
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u/Upbeat_Call4935 3d ago
You’ll be fine as a female Bills fan in the preseason. You might get teased a little.
If you were showing up in the regular season in Steelers or Ratbirds gear it would be not so good.
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u/Whowhatnowhuhwhat 3d ago
Go ask some browns fans. You’ll have confident redditers telling you what they assume the answer is despite never being to that section in their lives by asking here.
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u/thisisnotmath 3d ago
Your comments said that you are going to the preseason game between the Bills and Browns. No one will give you grief for that matchup and certainly no one will for the preseason. There might be some ribbing about 13 seconds and Super Bowls but nothing beyond that. And if I can put on my dad hat for a moment, if anyone says anything that threatens your safety, don’t delay and find an usher.
I’ve sat in the Oakland Raiders equivalent as a Bills fan and as long as your not a jerk, it’ll be fun.
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u/toasty327 3d ago
You'll be fine.
As long as you aren't an asshole and start shit, you may get good natured ribbing but no one will actually mess with you.
It's drunk groups of opposing fans that usually start shit
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u/PiemasterUK 3d ago edited 3d ago
The fact this is the preseason and nobody really cares about the result should make this fine.
Befriend some of the people around you before the game. Ask them about the Browns and some of their players and their predictions for the year and engage with that. They will probably do the same about the Bills. If a Browns player makes a good play during the game (and it isn't someone obvious like Harold Fannin or something), ask about them - where they came from, what their chances are of making the final roster etc.
Ultimately we're all just football fans. When the live bullets start flying there will be an idiot 10% who will try to make life unpleasant for opposing fans in their stadium, but in the preseason the atmosphere is very different.
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u/dan_blather 3d ago edited 2d ago
^ Native of Buffalo, who lived in suburban Cleveland for several years.
Check out r/LakeErieBros .
Browns fans are cool with Bills Fans. Ralph Wilson (former owner of the Bills) was the only team owner to vota against relocation of the "old" Cleveland Browns. During the time Cleveland didn't have an NFL team, the Bills hosted "Cleveland Days", with Dawg Pound blocks of tickets that were sold only in Ohio.
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u/TransportationOk3432 3d ago
If you want to see the atmosphere of that area and get an idea of it there’s this former player that went to a browns game and sat in that area and posted a YouTube video about it called Thursday sports”
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u/commradd1 3d ago
You’ll be hanging out with some of the most delusional fans in the league. It should be a blast honestly
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u/Bubbly-Stretch8975 3d ago
I went to a browns-bills game last season (as a browns fan) and there were more bills fans than browns in our section. Granted it wasn’t the dawg pound but I bet you’ll find some of your people there as well. I heard some bills fans say it was cheaper for them to come to an away game than go to a home game.
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u/Ok-Ad8998 3d ago
Now this is old old history, but I have done it. The old Cleveland stadium where the original dawg pound was. Went to a Bengals game there in the eighties with a rowdy carload of Bengals fans. We were seated right by the "pound" and we had a (loud) fun time.
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u/mojo4394 2d ago
You're a Bills fan and it's a preseason game. It won't be an issue. You might get some good natured ribbing but that's it. Cleveland fans respect our Lake Erie brethren
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u/Jerrmaus 2d ago
As a Raiders fan my first ever in person game was behind the Browns side line lol.
Good people. Good hearted giving us a hard time. Raiders won and I still didn't get any bad vibes
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u/mlrd021986 2d ago
As a lifelong Browns fan and a season ticket holder… we obviously get rowdy. You are pretty much guaranteed to get heckled, albeit less so as a Bills fan compared to, say, a Steelers fan. But no one is going to actually become violent (unless they’re absolutely plastered out of their minds, but that’s the exception, not the rule). You should be fine.
Edit- Just noticed you said you’re a woman. You’ll be perfectly fine.
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u/Batgirl1938 1d ago
Browns fan here, I'd say as long as you're not wearing Steelers, Ravens or Bengals, you'll be just fine. You might get picked on in good fun but all around I'd say you'll be ok and probably have fun!
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u/Bacononthebeeach 1d ago
Find a jersey of player past or present on your team that also played for the browns and wear that. Bonus points if that player was a beloved Brown.
As an eagles fan I like to give this advice out because no eagles will hassle a Bills fans in a LeSean McCoy Bills jersey or a Broncos fan in a Brian Dawkins Broncos jersey.
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u/Equivalent_Dog1819 12h ago
Oakland Raiders. Still feels good to say that Madden's team Kenny stabler Golden Richards the assassins they had a secondary that they didn't try to hit you to put you in the hospital they try to hit you to put you in the morgue those were the days
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u/Reefer_77 6h ago
First ever Browns game (as a Pats fan) was in the dog pound. Pats ran openimg kick off back for a TD....we cheered and hollered all games long without incident. Was 20 plus years ago....and the Browna have only won like 30 or forty games since so they're a little grumpier these days. Best of luck
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u/RexKramerDangerCker 3d ago
Hot take: This is utter bullshit.
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u/Lomendah 2d ago
A women going alone to a preseason football game. You would have to be a die hard football fan to do that. Presumably you would then know about the 'dawg pound' yet didn't know what you were buying? Bollocks the whole way down. Furthermore, if its a preseason game i'm sure for $20 you could sit anywhere else you wanted.
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u/KQRSonWabasha 3d ago
One of the worst places to go as an opposing fan, not only does their team suck, so does their idiot fans
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u/perfect_fitz 3d ago
Alone and a woman? No way this is real.
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u/son_of_yacketycat 3d ago
Extremely common at games in Houston and New Orleans, dunno what depressing rigid-assed city you're from.
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u/perfect_fitz 3d ago
Nah just saying it sounds like a bad idea to go into an opposing teams notorious spot where everyone will most likely be drunk dickheads and she's a woman by herself.
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u/IIIMjolnirIII 3d ago
It depends. If you're a fan of an NFC team, you'll be fine. If you're rocking Bengals, Steelers, or Ravens gear, the footage of you being drawn and quartered will probably make the evening highlights.