On the first week of April in 2025 the NFL Owners met in Palm Beach Florida. At that meeting the NFL Owners voted to recognize the statistics, wins, losses, and championships from the 1940’s All American Football Conference. This majority vote gave official NFL recognition to the Cleveland Browns for eight world championships and an undefeated championship season in 1948. But the city of Cleveland Ohio had a unique NFL Championship history that was already in place.

In 1924 the Cleveland Bulldogs had a record of 7-1-1 and they were awarded the NFL Championship that year after the owners voted to give the first place Bulldogs with the official league’s highest winning percentage at .875 the NFL Championship that season. The Chicago Bears did protest but the championship was still awarded to Cleveland. In 1945 the Cleveland Rams played their final season in Cleveland prior to moving to Los Angeles. Ironically that same year they won the NFL Championship by defeating the Washington Redskins 15-14. And they finished the season with a 9-1 record. The Rams relocated the team because the team’s ownership knew that they would not be able to compete against the popular Paul Brown and the Cleveland Browns in their inaugural 1946 season. In 1950 the Cleveland Browns won the NFL Championship in their first season in the league. In the championship game they defeated the Los Angeles Rams 30-28. They finished the season with a 10-2 record. The city of Cleveland is the only NFL city that has won three championships with three different teams.

It is true that Cleveland is still one of four NFL cities yet to make an appearance in a Super Bowl. Cleveland along with Jacksonville, Detroit, and Houston have not made it to footballs biggest game. Despite that there is still a unique championship history in Cleveland Ohio. And what may be in the future for the Cleveland Browns? Cleveland Browns fans can always hope for a championship and without that and understanding our history we will have nothing left.