Game of My Life: Cleveland Browns


Book Description

For the city of Cleveland and the fans of the Browns, it’s not just a football team: it’s a way of life. From rabid fan clubs all around the country to fans around Northeast Ohio wearing the colors of the brown and orange, time stops when the Browns take the field each week. The team joined the NFL in 1950 and won a championship in their first year in the league, and went on to win three more, the last of which was 1964 when they shutout the Baltimore Colts 27-0 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Since then fans have been waiting, through good years and bad, for the glory to return to the Browns franchise. They have had to endure the harshest of defeats, losing three times to the Denver Broncos in the 1980’s on the doorstep of playing in their first Super Bowl. They also had to live out the nightmare of their franchise being ripped away during the 1995 season, as then owner Art Modell moved them to Baltimore in one of the most shocking moves in NFL history. This book will give you an idea of the fanfare and the love that former players and fans have for the Cleveland Browns. Read as Bernie Kosar, Ozzie Newsome, Don Cockcroft, Eric Metcalf, and other beloved players remember the glory days, with exciting trips to the postseason. You’ll understand after reading this just how much Cleveland loves its football team, and how the players feel the same. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.




Cleveland Browns History


Book Description

There was little fanfare when Art "Mickey" McBride flew into Chicago in 1945 to purchase a professional football team for Cleveland. But that act set in motion a tradition that has brought the city of Cleveland together on Sunday afternoons for (most of) the sixty years to follow. Cleveland Browns History is the story of championship seasons, legendary coaches, and Hall of Fame players. Coach Paul Brown led his teams to seven league title games in their first 17 seasons. Running backs Marion Motley, Jim Brown, and Leroy Kelley each rushed over opposing defenses and straight into Canton, Ohio, along with fellow Browns like Otto Graham, Ozzie Newsome, and Len Ford. The "Kardiac Kids" in 1980 had too many nail-biters for some fans, but won the AFC Central in typical fashion--by three points in the final game of the season. All these stories, plus those of the many unsung heroes to don the NFL's only logo-less helmet, fill the pages of this book, sure to delight any Cleveland Browns fan.




Vintage Browns


Book Description

If you remember the Kardiac Kids … the Dawgs … the old Stadium … Bernie and Marty and Ozzie … this book is for you! Like a Classic throwback jersey, it recalls favorite players and exciting moments from Cleveland Browns teams of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and more. They played it old-school. Doug Dieken set the NFL record for consecutive starts by a left tackle despite three knee surgeries, broken hands and thumbs, torn tendons, a broken arm and “a concussion or two. Maybe four or six. Hard to know.” Ozzie Newsome never expected to play tight end when he was drafted, then practically reinvented the position on his way to the Hall of Fame. Bernie Kosar carried a massive weight on his young shoulders as a hometown hero leading the Browns during years when the team offered a ray of hope to a downtrodden city. Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack together formed one powerhouse backfield and separately dealt admirably with adversity. Phil Dawson discovered that despite popularity and longevity, “Every kick could be your last.” Also includes Gregg Pruitt, Brian Sipe, Marty Schottenheimer, Reggie Langhorne, Brian Brennan, Bill Belichick, Tim Couch, Phil Dawson, and others. These insightful short profiles will entertain Browns fans of any vintage!




Things I've Learned from Watching the Browns


Book Description

Veteran sports writer Terry Pluto asks Cleveland Browns fans: Why, after four decades of heartbreak, teasing, and futility, do you still stick with this team? Their stories, coupled with Pluto's own insight and analysis, deliver the answers. Like any intense relationship, it's complicated. But these fans just won't give up.




The Browns Bible


Book Description

The essential guide to every game in Browns history Every Sunday in autumn, a new chapter is written in the long and storied history of the Cleveland Browns. Win or lose, with each contest, the mythos of this beloved franchise is extended and enriched in the hearts of the sport's most loyal fans. The team has played nearly one thousand games over the past eight decades, and The Browns Bible tells the tale of each one. Through individual game stories and box scores, it encapsulates every victory, every defeat, every touchdown from 1946 to the present. The most comprehensive account of the Cleveland Browns ever written, The Browns Bible narrates the legend of this cherished franchise season by season and week by week as it gradually wove itself into the fabric of the city's culture--starting with its dominance of the All-America Football Conference and continuing through the glory years of the 1950s, the Kardiac Kids and Dog Pound eras, and the franchise's rebirth in the twenty-first century. Within these pages are snapshots of the drama inherent in each contest, from crisp clashes under the bright autumn sun to gridiron wars fought in the bitter cold of winter. Readers will relive the ultimate highs and the heartbreaking lows, the moments quickly forgotten and those remembered forever. Through these vignettes, the heroics of celebrated players of the past unfold: the achievements of Otto Graham, Lou Groza, Jim Brown, Leroy Kelly, Brian Sipe, Bernie Kosar, and countless others who created and strengthened this team's legacy through the generations. From Sunday-afternoon spectacles to Monday-night madness, from the Shamrock Bowl to the Playoff Bowl, The Browns Bible is the definitive guide to one of the most enduring teams in professional sports.




Playing Pro Football


Book Description

Playing professional football is a dream for many—but it's also a high-pressure, grueling job. If you're the pro player on the field, millions of people are scrutinizing your every play, expecting you to make your blocks, outsmart your opponents, move the ball to your end zone, and score. To play at 100 percent on Sundays, you are constantly preparing for the next game—practicing, lifting weights, going to meetings, or watching video. Throughout the year, you must also maintain your fitness through proper workouts, rest, and nutrition. Playing in the pros is an incredible challenge. But for those who suit up on Sundays, the journey is totally worth it. This book, which was reviewed by six-year National Football League (NFL) veteran Michael Lehan, offers an authentic look at what life is like as a pro football player. You'll learn: • How players climb the ranks to reach the NFL • What daily life is like for an NFL player • How NFL players prevent and treat injuries Go behind the scenes and see what it's really like to be an NFL star!




Cleveland Browns 101


Book Description

Cleveland Browns 101 is required reading for every Browns fan! From the sharing the excitement of the "Dawg Pound" with Chomps to the legendary players and great NFL Championships, you'll share all the memories with the next generation. Enjoy all the traditions of your favorite team, learn the basics about playing football and share the excitement of the NFL!




100 Things Browns Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die


Book Description

Most Browns fans have taken in a game at FirstEnergy Stadium, remember the way they felt when it was announced that Cleveland was getting back the Browns, and are psyched to see Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry lighting up scoreboards together. But only real fans know the exact number of Joe Thomas' consecutive snaps streak, remember who the Browns were playing when Jerome Harrison rushed for 286 yards, or have barked with the Dawg Pound. Featuring traditions, records, and lore, this lively, detailed book explores the personalities, events, and facts every Cleveland Browns fan should know. Whether you were there for the rise of Bernie Kosar or are a more recent supporter of Baker Mayfield, these are the 100 things every fan needs to know and do in their lifetime. Beat reporter Zac Jackson has collected every essential piece of Browns knowledge and trivia, as well as must-do activities, and ranks them all from 1 to 100, providing an entertaining and easy-to-follow checklist as you progress on your way to fan superstardom.




Brown for the Count


Book Description

Fans of the Cleveland Browns have learned to accommodate an exceptional range of emotional possibilities. Hundreds of reasons reside in this readable reference spanning the Browns' storied postwar origins through their unprecedented rebirth and into the present.Brown for the Count honors this heritage honestly, with dozens of digestible lists featuring players, moments, oddities and statistics, rewarding readers from green to grizzled:What NFL rules changes were inspired by Browns?Who else wears the same team colors? Which goal-line stands were most outstanding?What trades were the best and worst of each era?How would team records improve if their entire history were included?Which Browns players were also college teammates? Returned after stints with other teams? Excelled in other sports? Became head coaches? Scored on both offense and defense?From this motley mosaic of anecdotes, trivia, and appreciations -- including a major section of the all-time best Browns at each position -- emerges an absorbing sense of kinship connecting vastly different generations of Cleveland pro football. Every Browns fan is loyal to certain memories held close to the heart: favorite players, great games, and shared experience with a family of fellow fans. To better know and identify with this complex and evolving history is to be Brown for the Count.




Cleveland Browns A - Z


Book Description

A must-have book for any Cleveland Browns fan, this updated edition of Cleveland Browns A to Z is compiled alphabetically for easy accessibility. The book offers a complete history of the tradition-filled franchise and includes more than five hundred different items of interest. Imagine yourself in chilly Cleveland, where the frigid winds freeze fans in the stands and frustrate such legendary kickers as Lou Groza and Don Cockroft. Discover the origin behind the country’s most rabid followers, who sit in the east end zone’s Dawg Pound and bark their support for the team. Revel in a ream of statistics, from Hall of Famers like Jim Brown and Otto Graham to passing yards leaders to the win-loss record for when the team plays in domes. Cleveland Browns A to Z is a handy reference guide of notable information that makes up Browns history, especially regarding statistics. Cleveland Browns A to Z brings you the history of the Browns and will delight those with a penchant for sports trivia with its array of facts and heightened attention to detail. From Abe Abraham to Eric Zeiler, this book has all the information Browns Backers would ever want to know about their team. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.