Kardiac Kids

 

Who were the ‘Kardiac Kids’? The media dubbed The Cleveland Browns football team of 1980 with this name. Believe it or not – The Cleveland Browns were an exciting team that year and they managed to play their games and pull out a win in the last two minutes or less of their games.

 

In 1980, the team finished with an 11-5 record, won their first Division Title since 1971, caught the attention of the media, and cemented the love of their fans and other observers.  That season was truly a magical one. It was a year of ups and downs, along with the heartbreak of what is now known as ‘Red Right 88’ where QB, Brian Sipe’s pass was thrown into the end zone to Ozzie Newsome and intercepted.

 

It was a year of highs for Sipe, who threw for 4,132 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions, and won the NFL MVP award. It was also a year where five Browns players had 50 or more receptions, and where FB Mike Pruitt went over 1,000 yards rushing for the second straight year.

 

The roller coaster season would be remembered for the exciting come from behind wins, like:

·         Browns 26 – Green Bay Packers 21 – where with 16 seconds left in the game, Sipe completed a touchdown pass to Dave Logan to pull out the win.

·          The Browns beat the Steelers 27-26 when Newsome caught the winning catch with 5:35 left in the game.

·         Or when the Browns secured the Central Division title with Don Cockcroft’s game winning field goal, beating the Cincinnati Bengals with 1:25 left to play.

 

The tenacity and excitement of the 1980 team is still talked about 33 years later. Sipe and Company, despite not going to the NFL Championship, is still remembered as one of the most exciting teams and year, and when they took their fans on one long Kardiac Journey. The ‘Kardiac Kids’ of 1980 will fondly be remembered by every fan who had ever followed the team.