Though Melissa shares the love of Cleveland Browns football with her husband, the devoted matriarch of the Ward family didn’t become a Browns fan by marriage as some might assume.

She does admit, however, that it was for a “total-girl reason” that she began to watch the team as a teenager back in the late early 80’s. Growing up, her mom and dad watched the Browns each Sunday and while the exact date on which her football intrigue began isn’t certain – it is certain why it began.  She attributes her initial interest in the game – and more specifically in the Cleveland Browns -- to a fine looking young man named Brian Sipe. Catching her Tiger Beat trained eye, the dark haired quarterback piqued her interest in the team and in turn, the sport of football rather quickly. Scouring newspapers for pictures or articles about Sipe and continuously watching the news for interviews and/or video, it was inevitable that the young girl from Madison, Ohio would absorb a little knowledge and understanding of the actual game along the way. 

In time, the QB role changed hands and her beloved #17 moved on, but her interest in the game and her loyalty to the team remained. At the ripe old age of 16, she met a blonde haired, blue eyed boy named John and quickly learned that he too, was a devoted fan of the Brown and Orange. They dated for two years, taking in many games at the old Municipal Stadium, attending training camp sessions and cheering their team on together. And on Saturday, July 6, 1985 ---- just three days after the Cleveland Browns signed a young man named Bernie Kosar to the roster --- they got married.  

Five years later, they welcomed a new Browns fan to the world and named her Brianna. Starting out in a small home in Mentor, they led a quiet existence but still, they dreamed of one day having a house in which they could create and enjoy their very own Browns Utopia.  Through the years, John and Melissa took advantage of every opportunity to collect and save anything and everything Browns. And in the fall of 2003, when they walked into the large, blank-canvas basement in a house in another area of Mentor, they knew their dreams had been realized -- they had found their Utopia. 

An aspiring writer at heart, Melissa enjoys time with her family and her pups and, like those around her, she looks forward to the day when her team takes it all the way and wins the big game.  For when that day comes, she’ll sit with her family… in their decked out Browns basement… surrounded by pictures and memories of the team they love and she’ll remember that it all began the day she first saw… a fine looking young man named Brian Sipe.