Rivalry weakened by roster changes

The Browns-Steelers rivalry lacks the interest of the past in Cleveland.
BEREA (AP) -- "Steelers week" just isn't what it used to be in Cleveland.
Sure, Browns fans will make bets with Steelers fans who live in the area and radio stations will play unflattering songs about Pittsburgh.
But with so many new faces in the Browns locker room, there seems to be a lack of passion for what was one of the league's fiercest rivalries.
"Of course you hear about it, and you feel it from everybody in the area, but other than that it's another game for us," said guard Joe Andruzzi, who joined the Browns as a free agent in the off-season.
Center Jeff Faine has grown to appreciate the rivalry in his three years with the team, but said roster turnover has weakened the intensity.
"A big part of it has to do with free agency," Faine said. "It's not the same players every year that you're playing against. I think that takes away from a lot of rivalries around the league."
Not much of a threat
The Browns haven't been much of a threat to the Steelers in recent years either, going just 3-10 against Pittsburgh since returning to the league in 1999. Baltimore, and this season Cincinnati, have been Pittsburgh's main competition in the AFC North.
Browns coach Romeo Crennel usually stresses that the most important game is the one they're playing next. But on Wednesday he called attention to the importance of Sunday night's game.
"This is the biggest game of the year," Crennel said. "We have to go to Pittsburgh and play at their place. They have the Terrible Towels and it's a hostile environment."
Crennel, who tasted the rivalry as a defensive coordinator with Cleveland in 2000, knows the players need to experience the rivalry themselves.
"There are several new faces and they might not understand as strongly as the fans do," Crennel said. "They might not realize the importance and how close the two cities are. ... If they don't understand now, they will by the end of the week."
Dieken recalls rivalry
Former Browns tackle Doug Dieken, who played from 1971 to 1984, agrees. Now a color analyst for the Browns radio network, Dieken recalls some of the nastier years of the feud.
"It was uglier in the trenches. It was uglier everywhere. There was always a battle here or a battle there," he said. "Joe Jones spiking [Terry] Bradshaw. Ron Bolton spitting on [Lynn] Swann. [Jack] Lambert hitting [Brian] Sipe going out of bounds. Joe Greene kicking Bob McKay in the [groin]."
The rivalry hasn't been without it's moments in recent years:
* In 2000, Punter Chris Gardocki, then with the Browns, extended a finger toward Pittsburgh's bench after linebacker Joey Porter knocked him to the ground while he was watching his punt sail down field.
* In January 2003, Cleveland blew a 12-point lead with 10:17 left to lose 36-33 in an AFC Wild Card game against Pittsburgh, ending the Browns' only winning season since 1999 on a sour note.
* In 2004, Porter and running back William Green were ejected for wildly throwing punches at each other before a game. They also accused each other of spitting during the altercation.
There still is a rivalry
"It's still Cleveland -- it's probably not as bad as Baltimore, but the rivalry's still there," Porter said Wednesday. "It's still going to be a big game. We've had some things in the past that make it to where we definitely don't like each other, so you have to prepare yourself to be ready because it's going to be a physical game."
Steelers coach Bill Cowher, who played for the Browns from 1980-82, speaks fondly of the rivalry.
"It's a natural rivalry because of the historic past of these two teams," Cowher said. "They're so close in proximity, two cities that mirror each other in their passion for football and the fan support that they both have."
Cowher's teams have dominated the Browns over the last 13 years going 17-5, including two playoff victories. His team humiliated the Browns in their return to the league in 1999 with a 43-0 defeat in their first game.
Dawson sees renewal
"When I got here in '99 all you heard about was the glory days of this rivalry," Browns kicker Phil Dawson said. "You could probably make the argument that it hasn't been like that since '99. ... As we get this thing going on our end, I think you'll see the rivalry rekindle."
The Browns are heavy underdogs going into Sunday night's game, but their only win in the last 10 games against the Steelers came on a Sunday night in October 2003.
It's Faine favorite memory of the rivalry.
"You really saw what it was like to win against Pittsburgh -- how the fans react to you," Faine said. "The whole city is almost like a different city."