Another NFL Team Is Wussing Out And Moving Into A Dome

There are few things as enjoyable (from home) than watching a snowy football game. There's just something about watching those gladiators of the gridiron battling it out on the frigid tundra of Lambeau Field or any other open-air stadium, while lunatic friends risk frostbite to cheer them on.

It's beautiful, but it's becoming a vestige of the past, and another team is saying, "Thanks, but no thanks" to Mother Nature and the elements, and that team is the Cleveland Browns.

Since 1999, the Browns have played on the shores of Lake Erie. If you like bad-weather games, it's perfect. Wind and lake effect snow. Nothing better.

However, on Thursday, the team announced plans to move into a new domed stadium in the suburbs 12 miles south of downtown when its current lease at Huntington Bank Field expires in 2028.

"We understand this is a complex process with more questions still to be answered and we will continue to communicate openly as our process evolves," Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam said in a statement, per Associated Press. "We recognize our season on the field has not had the start we all hoped for and are working hard to improve each week to make our fans proud."

Yeah, this is probably not the best time to announce something like this, but this is the Browns we're talking about. The next time they're in a good spot, their lease might be up.

The owners of the Cleveland Browns announced their plans to move the team into a dome when the lease for their current stadium is up in 2028. (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)

The Haslams kicked around the idea of several sites for a new stadium and even considered renovating the current one, but decided to go with the $2.4 billion dome project in the suburbs. They didn't really say whether they plan to fund this privately or with public funds.

I get teams all want fresh, new stadiums, but too many are moving into to domes. The Browns are going with a dome. The Bears are moving to a dome. The Chiefs are getting a dome. The Titans are going for a dome. Even the Jaguars — who play in a city where the weather is nice for pretty much all of football season — are opting for a dome.

Sure, there are perks to having a dome — namely year-round events and the chance to host the NCAA Final Four — but I hate that we're depriving ourselves of watching bad weather games.

At least we'll always have blizzard games in Buffalo. Those loveable lunatics up there would never be caught dead in a dome.