
Ohio
Inducted: September 29, 2013
Captain: Scott Nunnari, Loretta Mikoloski
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Scott Nunnari, Loretta Mikoloski
Scott Nunnari and Loretta Mikoloski captain Dumdog Bus Tailgate in Cleveland, expertly crafting a welcoming, energetic Browns game-day experience that feels like a home away from home. Their tailgate is alive with camaraderie, great food, and the unmistakable Dawg Pound spirit that defines Cleveland football fandom. Every gathering is a celebration of resilience, community, and the shared hope that this season will bring victory to their beloved Browns.
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On a Cleveland Browns gameday, if you're heading into the Muni Lot and you're not sure where to begin, just follow the sound of barking fans and the scent of sizzling meat toward the most unforgettable vehicle in the lot — the Dumdog. You can’t miss it: an oversized, brown-painted school bus with an orange helmet on its nose, furry legs above each wheel, and the kind of animated flair that could only be born from a city with both grit and heart. It's not just a bus — it's a monument to Cleveland fandom, and the beating heart of one of the rowdiest and most creative tailgates in the NFL.
The Dumdog Bus is the brainchild of Scott Nunnari, a lifelong Browns fan from Columbia Station and president of the Muni Lot Browns Backers — the first officially sanctioned Browns Backers group based on the tailgating experience. The name Dumdog comes from a term Scott’s grandmother used when scolding her misbehaving dogs, and like everything in the lot, it's got both meaning and mischief baked in. The current version of the Dumdog — the second evolution of this four-wheeled marvel — took shape over six months of sweat, sacrifice, and a fair amount of beer-fueled brainstorming, culminating in a tailgating machine that doubles as an interactive piece of sports theater.
Inside the bus is a curated museum of Browns memorabilia: original Municipal Stadium seats, a prized Jim Brown rookie card, and a “Save the Browns” yard sign from the heartbreaking mid-‘90s relocation. But it's what’s outside that usually draws the first crowd. The bus can literally lift its leg to “relieve” itself on a remote-controlled Steelers fire hydrant — a running gag that never fails to spark howls of laughter and photo ops. Oh, and those oversized, anatomically suggestive features dangling below the bumper? They might just drop as unsuspecting visitors pass beneath. Juvenile? Absolutely. Hilarious? Every single time.
What’s most impressive, though, isn’t just the spectacle — it’s the community. While the bus may roll in with a core crew of about 14 diehards, the crowd surrounding the Dumdog easily swells into the hundreds. With four kegs typically tapped by day’s end and a trailer-converted grill station serving up enough food to feed an army of Dawg Pound faithful, this is one of the most welcoming, energetic, and all-out parties on the blacktop.
The Muni Lot Browns Backers don’t just do gameday — they live it. They arrive as early as 4 a.m. to stake their claim (they used to stay overnight before regulations put a lid on that), ensuring every last minute is squeezed from the gameday ritual. A live DJ spins tracks from the top of the bus while new features, like the fold-down deck that bridges the bus and trailer, give the whole production a true tailgate compound feel.
But amid all the wild antics and belly laughs, there's a deeper tradition here. Like so many others in Cleveland, the Dumdog tailgate is as much about connection and loyalty as it is about football. Generations of fans return to the same patch of pavement year after year, reunited by the shared language of heartbreak and hope. Whether you're a Browns Backer or just a curious visitor in town for the day, you're always welcome at the Dumdog tailgate — no RSVP required. Just show up, raise a beer, and prepare to bark.
In a city defined by its resilience and pride, the Dumdog tailgate is a symbol of everything that makes Cleveland special: inventive, inclusive, irreverent, and absolutely unforgettable.