one of the more famous dawg pound season-ticket holders is john big dawg thompson (he had a legal name change to include his nickname), known as the "canine-in-chief." television cameras often showed the offensive-lineman-sized man in his dog mask and no. 98 jersey, although recently he has undergone gastric bypass surgery and lost considerable weight. in 1995, thompson became an unofficial spokesman for browns fans fighting the move of the team to baltimore. he testified before the u.s. house committee on the judiciary and appeared on "politically incorrect" with bill maher.