If there’s one thing about the city of Cleveland’s sports fans, it’s that they don’t give up hope. They were rewarded with the Cavaliers winning the NBA title last year and the Indians earning a trip to the World Series.
Long a passion of sports enthusiasts in Cleveland, the Browns remain that one team that can’t get over the hump. With one playoff appearance since re-entering the league back in 1999, the Browns remain a laughingstock.
But this hasn’t turned off a hopeful fan base that’s looking forward to a day when its NFL team joins the Cavaliers and Indians as hot tickets.
It’s in this that we shouldn’t be surprised that the highest-rated media market for the first round of Thursday night’s NFL Draft resided in Cleveland. It’s the fourth consecutive year that this has happened.
Cleveland has been the market with the highest local TV rating for the NFL draft for four consecutive years. Browns fans don't give up hope.
— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) April 28, 2017
To be fair to other markets, the Browns did boast the No. 1 overall pick. In the end, this team picked three times before the first round itself drew to a conclusion. There was surely nation-wide interest in what a revamped Browns front office would do with the bounty of picks it had.
Though, the NFL might want to catch wind of this. Its draft is being held in Philadelphia this year and will likely be held in Dallas next year. Why not give Cleveland the opportunity to host this three-day extravaganza? It surely would play well in Ohio.