While it’s been largely one-sided for the last 25 years, the rivalry between the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers remains one of the fiercest in the NFL.
That was apparent on Friday as one Cleveland radio host celebrated the Browns’ postseason-clinching victory over the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football by prank calling a Pittsburgh radio station to gloat.
As 93.7 The Fan’s The PM Team W/Poni & Mueller discussed the Steelers’ upcoming game against the Seattle Seahawks on Friday afternoon, the show took a call from a listener named “Jim in Ohio.” After thanking hosts Chris Mueller and Andrew Fillipponi “for the vine,” Jim proceeded to state that expected to enjoy Pittsburgh’s game against Seattle by “laughing my a** off” before posing a question to Fillipponi.
“Have you picked out a good place to watch the playoffs yet?” Jim asked.
After Fillipponi responded that he hadn’t and asked why Jim was the inquiring, the caller proceeded to remind him of a social media post that the host had sent to Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II in November.
“That’s what I’m reading, baby! That’s what I’m reading baby!” Jim said. “Turn it up! Loud and proud, Poni!”
It soon became clear to the hosts that “Jim” was actually 92.3 The Fan’s Ken Carman.
“You sound like a crappy store brand version of Ken Carman,” Fillipponi said.
“Buddy, this is the crappy, drunk, store brand version of Ken Carman. We’re still celebrating out here, baby boys!” Carman confirmed, before launching into a rendition of the Michael Stanley Band’s 1998 Browns anthem “Here We Go Again.”
At that point, all Fillipponi could do was ask Carman if the Browns would be playing “that devious creep” — presumably quarterback Deshaun Watson — in 2024, before one of the hosts curiously pointed out that Michael Stanley is dead.
As Browns tight end David Njoku showed after Thursday’s game, one of the biggest perks of winning is being able to celebrate by pulling out the receipts. And when it comes to Fillipponi’s X (formerly Twitter) account, there are certainly plenty for Browns fans like Carman to choose from.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.