Free-Agent Browns Fan Peddles Loyalty

Franchises flee cities. Players are no more than nomads. Why, Chris Lamb wondered, shouldn’t a football fan enjoy those freedoms?

So when the Cleveland Browns mocked his 30 years of loyalty and bolted to Baltimore, Lamb pounced. He declared fan free agency and let every NFL team, except Baltimore, know in writing that his devotion was theirs for the taking.

“I’m looking for a new team. … What can (insert team name) do for me?” the Old Dominion University assistant professor of English and journalism wrote in part. “What guarantees do I have that you won’t move to Baltimore? Can we do business? Make me a serious offer.”

Ten of 29 teams responded. Atlanta and Jacksonville wrote personal, compelling letters. The Washington Redskins phoned.

The Cincinnati Bengals mailed him two packages of bumper stickers and such. The Dallas Cowboys sent pocket schedules and a media guide. The Denver Broncos blew it by sending an autographed photo of John Elway, who only ripped out the Browns’ heart once in the playoffs.

And get this: The New Orleans Saints, the lousy, miserable, stinking Saints, actually rejected him. Nothing they could send him, they wrote, could spark within Lamb the “emotional bond” all Saints fans feel.

Then he wrote about the whole free-agent experience. Lamb, 38, submitted an essay to Sports Illustrated. The magazine bought it for $1,250 and plans to run it soon.

In his letter, Lamb never flat out asked for a payoff, though it was implied. “You always hear players say it’s not about money, it’s about family or something else,” Lamb said. “Well, I don’t have a family. It is about money.”

In the end, nobody bought off Lamb with the cappuccino machine he secretly lusted after. But the clubs that addressed his concerns about staying anchored drew his favor.

The Falcons and Jaguars are his new teams. They play in different conferences, so he avoids a conflict.