Brace Yourselves, Steelers' AFC North Rival Cleveland Browns Unveil New Uniforms And A Ridiculous New Sponsor

The rivalry between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns is no laughing matter. However, with some recently released news, the Browns' new alternate uniform and its sponsor just might be. 

The Steelers and Browns rivalry is one of the oldest in the NFL. The two teams have been in the same division for decades with the first meeting on October 7, 1950, when the Browns won 30-17. The most recent match-up was January 8, 2023, and the Steelers won that one 28-14. 

One of the factors that fuel the rivalry between the two is the proximity of the cities, only about 130 miles. It is sometimes called the "Turnpike Rivalry" because the Pennsylvania/Ohio Turnpike is the main road used to traverse the distance. The cities have other commonalities, such as being "blue collar" type working communities with similar historical industries and demographics. 

Those similarities have likely only thrown gas on the fire of the rivalry, with each city feeling it is the best. However, when it comes to football, there is a clear winner, the Steelers. They have played each other 143 times with Pittsburgh owning the series at 80-62-1. The Steelers also have the longest win streak of meetings with 12, from 2003-2009. 

However, there is no disputing that the Browns of 2023 are not your parent's Browns. The organization has worked hard to build a team that is a serious contender and the Browns have given other AFC North teams a run for their money in recent years. 

Steelers Own The Browns In Most Stats Including Best Throwback Uniform

Recently, CBS released a poll where they named the top throwback jerseys by every team, that included the Steelers' 2022 throwback. It was a nod to the 1972 uniforms for the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception. According to CBS, the Steelers have had many unique uniforms in the past, but these are perfect. 

"The Steelers have donned some interesting throwbacks in the past, but the 'Steel Curtain' era throwbacks are right for a franchise with a storied history. Pittsburgh retired the 'Bumblebee' uniforms in favor of these. A massive upgrade that shouldn't be changed, especially for a team that has excellent uniforms that withstood the test of time," says CBS reporter Jeff Kerr.

The Steelers have a long history of sticking with what works, unlike other NFL teams that are constantly shifting and changing their looks or adjusting the colors of their uniforms. They have never been a team built on flash and dazzle, but instead on nose-to-the-grindstone hard work and the black and gold uniforms epitomize that. 

Now the Browns have announced that they are upgrading their throwbacks for the 2023 season. They unveiled a new alternate white helmet that they will wear with the white throwback jerseys they first wore in 2021. This will be the first time the team has worn this look since 1946 - marking the first time in over seven decades that they won't wear an orange helmet.   

The team will debut them on the road in Week 2 in Pittsburgh for the Monday Night Football game. Then wear them again two more times as a part of their "White Out Series." Perhaps the most shocking part of all of this is that the series has a surprising new sponsor...

DUDE Wipes.

Yes, you read that right. DUDE Wipes are flushable wipes designed for personal care. The brand is built upon catchy slogans and funny sayings that appeal to the "potty humor" crowd. They include things like, "Don't trust toilet paper after that lunchtime burrito."

Seriously? I supposed it is good to be able to poke fun at yourself, but for decades the rest of the NFL has joked about how the Browns' uniforms are the color of something yucky. Now they partner with a sponsor that is designed to clean up said yucky substance. It is like they wrote the jokes for us. The Browns even released an "Oh Sh*t" promotional video to announce their new partnership. 

Not everyone is laughing about the Browns' new white helmets. The Cincinnati Bengals are giving us Anchorman vibes as they join the turf war, issuing a tweet implying the Browns stole not only the white helmets from them, but their original entire uniform scheme as the Bengals announced they would use a white throwback helmet in 2022. 

The Bengals might be angry about the white helmet, but another team deserves to be frustrated with the fan inclusion. Did the Browns snag this idea from another Pennsylvania team? The Penn State Nittany Lions have been doing "white out" games, with amazing success, since 2004. The Browns are asking all fans to wear white to those games so they can have those "white out" conditions in the stadium. Of course, that first game is in Pittsburgh, so Steelers fans need to make sure they don't wear any away jerseys that game just to be safe. 

All I can do at this point is turn this over to the fans. Let us hear your thoughts on the Browns' new throwbacks and their new promotional sponsor. Is this a huge W in creativity, or a giant bit of kaka? 

Psst...tell all your friends, no white jerseys or shirts Week 2. Tell us what you think! Click to comment below. 

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