The new Browns management team is learning an old lesson: Even in a football-mad city such as Cleveland, nothing sells easier than a winning program.
The Browns are in the midst of a ticket sales campaign that is more aggressive than anything seen in the franchise's new era since the 1999 rebirth.
They have added layers of sales personnel to their staff.
They are offering partial-game packages, new group sales programs, and discount tie-ins with the Indians and Cedar Point.
They are offering unsold suites on a game-to-game basis.
And they are calling on their media partners to help hawk the 2010 home schedule.
And yet, at least four games on the 10-game home schedule, counting the two practice games, are particularly difficult sales.
"Our expectation this year is we'll get every game sold out," said Jim Ross, vice president, in a recent interview. "It's not easy. It takes a lot of work."
Technically, the Browns averted local television blackouts last season, but at least three games required last-minute help from sponsors or broadcast partners.
This year's problem games are the two exhibition games -- Aug. 21 against St. Louis and Sept. 2 against Chicago -- and regular-season games Nov. 28 against Carolina and Dec. 26 against Baltimore.
Exhibition games have been notoriously difficult sales for decades. Former owner Art Modell went the Barnum & Bailey route in the 1970s and '80s by trying to peddle doubleheaders involving a second game or a concert before or after a Browns game. As ticket prices went up, crowds continued to dwindle.
Commissioner Roger Goodell hasn't helped the cause by trashing the NFL preseason as a bad product in his two-year campaign to have the regular season expanded to 18 games. When the head of the league says preseason football is lousy, it's hard for any fan to argue with him.
The slow sales for the two Browns regular-season games can be attributed to the calendar. The Carolina game is on Thanksgiving weekend, and the Baltimore game is the day after Christmas.
Playing at home on those dates is a good thing football-wise because players and coaches can celebrate the holidays at home. But it's bad business-wise because those are historically difficult games to sell. Everybody likes to sit back and watch the NFL on television, but not a lot of fans are eager to buy tickets to sit in cold weather.
Otherwise, the 2010 home schedule is very favorable to the Browns. Playing division rivals Baltimore and Pittsburgh should create more interest than the dreg games at the end last season against Oakland and Jacksonville.
Ross said he was surprised to learn that many fans still were under the wrong assumption that games are routinely sold out. Season ticket sales last year were around 55,000 -- down from a high of about 60,000. There is no waiting list for season tickets and no automatic sellouts anymore.
He said he has been encouraged by fan reaction to events that have "spiked" ticket sales -- such as the arrival of Mike Holmgren as president, the team's draft in April and also the team's select-a-seat promotion last month.
Single game tickets went on sale Saturday, after which Ross and his staff will have a better idea of how much work must be done to assure no blackouts this season.
Meanwhile, it bears noting the Ravens sold out their entire regular season hours after putting up single-game tickets on Friday. The Ravens, of course, are selling more than just another season. They have legitimate hopes for the Super Bowl, and nothing sells in the NFL better than that.
Brownie bits: Not all prognosticators are down on the Browns. Dave Razzano, a veteran NFL scout formerly with the 49ers writing for Playmaker Mobile, predicts they will be "a solid 8-8 team . . . they have the right people in place now. They've got the best front office they've had in a long time. They just need a couple years to add players and free agents. The Browns are talented in certain spots. I'd say they're as talented as they've been in, gosh, 11 years. This team has more talent than all of the last decade." . . . Browns tight end Evan Moore prepped for his arrival at training camp by working out in southern California with quarterbacks Mark Sanchez of the Jets and Trent Edwards of Buffalo. . . . Pro Football Weekly recently named an NFL all-star team made up of players never drafted. The Browns had two selections -- return specialist Josh Cribbs and new quarterback Jake Delhomme. Also appearing on the squad was former Browns cornerback Leigh Bodden.