![\"1976](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/U3GK2HIREREO7PY4BBSCEUYYI4.jpg\")
NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle and Browns owner Art Modell in 1976. (Plain Dealer photo)Cleveland Plain Dealer<\/p>\nCLEVELAND, Ohio \u2013 More than 60 years ago, the Cleveland Browns played a game two days after one of the nation\u2019s darkest moments.<\/p>\n
On Nov. 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. On Sunday, Nov. 24, the NFL went ahead with 10 games.<\/p>\n
With a nation in mourning, the Cowboys came to town. And before the game, Browns owner Art Modell made an incredible request to his public-address announcer Johnny Holliday.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what happened:<\/p>\n
Holliday, in the beginning of a long career that spanned multiple stations and games in several cities, had worked as a spotter at Browns games for opposing teams\u2019 radio. Spotters work silently, usually in the booth, helping the play-by-play announcer identify players \u2013 who made the tackle, who the intended receiver was, who is down injured.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny time the other team would call me up and say, \u2018I\u2019ve got 25 bucks for you\u2019 \u2013 I was only making $150 for WHK at the time,\u201d he told cleveland.com this year.<\/p>\n
Holliday had read that the Browns\u2019 PA announcer had passed away in the offseason. On Nov. 27, 1962, Bob Smith was serving as master of ceremonies at a Massillon sportsmanship dinner. He had collapsed and died. He was 48.<\/p>\n
\u201cI called the Browns and asked for Mr. Modell, not expecting that I would get through to him,\u201d Holliday recalled. \u201cHe picks up the phone. <\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018Hello Mr. Modell?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah?\u201d came the owner\u2019s response. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s Johnny Holliday,\u201d the radio man said, not knowing what he was in for with Modell\u2019s reception. But any doubts were immediately put to rest.<\/p>\n
NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle and Browns owner Art Modell in 1976. (Plain Dealer photo)Cleveland Plain Dealer<\/p>\n
\u201cHi Johnny, how are you? I listen to you every afternoon going home,\u201d Holliday said, feeling relieved his foot was in the door.\u201d<\/p>\n
He asked what Modell\u2019s plans were about the PA job and was told the team\u2019s spotter was going to get it. But then he asked: \u201cAre you interested?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTell you what,\u201d Modell added, \u201cwe\u2019ve got this doubleheader coming up. You do the first game, he can do the second game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Modell is remembered by many of recent generations for moving the Browns to Baltimore in the 1990s. But with his background in advertising and marketing he was not afraid to try things, including doubleheaders with four teams in one stadium in the 1960s.<\/p>\n
So Holliday worked the game with the team spotter on the field, the two scurrying along the sidelines.<\/p>\n
Modell was pleased. He called down and said he wanted Holliday to work the second game as well. Any guilt Holliday felt about horning in on the spotter\u2019s chance to become a PA announcer quickly dissipated.<\/p>\n
The spotter \u2013 whose name Holliday could not recall \u2013 told him: \u201cI could have never done this. He (Modell) was just being kind, offering me the job, but I could never have done this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Months later came the fateful game with Dallas.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone was up in arms and unrest with what happened in Dallas,\u201d Holliday said. \u201cMr. Modell says, \u2018Johnny, I want you to do something for me and I know you can do it. I don\u2019t want you to mention the word \u201cDallas\u201d at all during the game.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI said, \u2018Ahhh \u2026 OK.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said, \u2018You can do anything you want to do, but do not use the word \u2018Dallas\u2019 on Sunday because the fans will erupt in boos and it will be very uncomfortable.<\/p>\n
![\"President](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/UR4SOFP5ERCVTFIW326AO5RWYY.jpg\")
President John F. Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline Kennedy are greeted by an enthusiastic crowd upon their arrival at Dallas Love Field, on Nov. 22, 1963. A few hours later the president was assassinated while riding in an open-top limousine through the city.Associated Press<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I did the entire game just calling them \u2018Cowboys,\u2019 \u2018visitors,\u2019 \u2018the other team,\u2019 \u2018guys in gray and blue.\u2019 I never mentioned the word \u2018Dallas.\u2019 It was really tough, because naturally you\u2019re going to say \u2018Second and five at the Daaaahhh\u2019 \u2013 you catch yourself and it was probably the most difficult thing I have ever done in over 60 years.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the game Modell called him and said, \u201cYou earned your 35 dollars for this one.\u201d<\/p>\n
Holliday, now 88, is the longtime play-by-play voice for the University of Maryland. Years after the 1963 game that demanded Holliday\u2019s linguistic gymnastics, Modell landed in Baltimore with the Ravens.<\/p>\n
\u201cI broadcast all the University of Maryland games. We had a game in Baltimore. I asked if Modell was there. He wasn\u2019t. I had a napkin and I put on it, \u2018Hey if you need a PA guy I\u2019m available for 35 bucks a game.\u2019 I gave it to an usher in the press box to give it to him the next day the Ravens were playing. <\/p>\n
\u201cI get a call from him the following Monday. Thirty-five bucks – is that what I paid you? You\u2019re at least worth 40 now.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was the nicest man, I loved the guy,\u201d Holliday said.<\/p>\n
Holliday had a long career in radio but has fond memories of his time in Cleveland. When he worked at WHK the station had a pretty good basketball team, and they would play promotional games for charity. Once, they played members of the Browns and beat them.<\/p>\n
\u201cJim Brown was a tremendous basketball player,\u201d Holliday said of the great running back and multi-sport athlete. \u201cWe had a very good team.\u201d The station had ringers that at times included Gene Michael, who would go on to play for and later manage the New York Yankees, as well as Gus Johnson, a future NBA player.<\/p>\n
Years later Holliday ran into Brown.<\/p>\n
\u201cI said, \u2018Jim, you don\u2019t remember me? I was in Cleveland when you were in Cleveland,\u2019\u201d Holliday recalled. \u201cDo you remember the game we played you guys?\u201d<\/p>\n
Brown did, in fact, remember the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know what I remember about that game?\u201d Holliday remembers Brown saying. \u201cYou could shoot, you could score, you could distribute. You did everything. I could have flattened you with one shot. But I didn\u2019t because I really liked you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Holliday laughed: \u201cAt 6-2, 225, thank you. I\u2019m 5-8, 150 right?\u201d<\/p>\n
When he worked in Cleveland, Holliday lived near Warrensville Heights High School and used to pitch batting practice to the school team, which included future Major Leaguer Sal Bando. <\/p>\n
\u201cI still consider that city that jumpstart of my career,\u201d Holliday said. \u201cI was only there for five years, but I did my first television there, I did my first theater there, at Cain Park summer theater.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added he and famed comedian Tim Conway were the voices for Big Boy restaurants, \u201cand the outtakes were better than the commercials. All I did was laugh at him. Great city for me, and the people were some of my all-time favorites.\u201d<\/p>\n
And to think an early start for Holliday came on a 35-degree day at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in 1963.<\/p>\n
That day, Cleveland \u2013 a 7.5-point favorite – jumped to a first-quarter lead against Dallas and never looked back, winning, 27-17.<\/p>\n
Frank Ryan was 13 of 26 for 162 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. His counterpart with the Cowboys, \u201cDandy\u201d Don Meredith, had a miserable afternoon. He was 13 of 30 for 93 yards and four interceptions. He was sacked twice.<\/p>\n
Cleveland\u2019s run game punched at Dallas\u2019 defense. Ernie Green rushed for 97 yards on seven attempts, including a 51-yard run. Jim Brown plowed his way through for 51 yards on 17 carries.<\/p>\n
The game in Cleveland begs a what-if scenario: Would the league have canceled games if the game had been scheduled to be in Dallas and not Cleveland?<\/p>\n
Commissioner Pete Rozelle had decided to go on with the games after consulting with his friend Pierre Salinger, Kennedy\u2019s press secretary.<\/p>\n
Decades later, Rozelle called playing the games the worst decision he made.<\/p>\n
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