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!




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.




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!




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.




So You Think You Know Baseball


Book Description

The Ultimate Baseball Trivia Book In this third title published by National Baseball Hall of Fame Books, test your knowledge of baseball trivia against the experts–the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The history of baseball is etched in its trivia. No American sport is chronicled through its trivia and statistics more than baseball. Now, the National Baseball Hall of Fame presents the ultimate baseball trivia book, So You Think You Know Baseball. Hit it out of the park at your MLB trivia night or in an after-dinner baseball quiz with your family. Selected by the historians and curators at the Baseball Hall of Fame, over 100 years of rich baseball history is packed into this virtual reference guide of facts, figures, and fascinating tidbits about our national pastime. In So You Think You Know Baseball, find 450 challenging baseball trivia questions organized into nine themed chapters covering a wide range of baseball history: • Baseball Firsts – famous firsts for almost every aspect of baseball history • First Year Phenoms – rookie sensations and first year wonders • Legendary Sluggers – Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Babe Ruth & more • Historic Hurlers – celebrated pitchers and their remarkable accomplishments on the mound • Record Breakers – notable players and teams who left their mark in the record books • Hall of Famers – baseball’s all-time greats enshrined in Cooperstown • Baseball in Pop Culture – discover the many ways baseball has influenced American culture • The Postseason – highlighting the celebrated moments in World Series history • Baseball Potpourri – unique facts about America’s Pastime Also don’t miss two other titles published by National Baseball Hall of Fame Books, Picturing America’s Pastime and Memories from the Microphone.




Hidden History of Cleveland Sports


Book Description

Cleveland sports history goes well beyond The Shot, The Fumble, The Drive and so many other ignoble moments. Many of the city's most illustrious sports tales are long-forgotten chapters of tribulations and tragedy, of fleeting fame and enduring milestones. There are forgotten firsts, such as football's first pass and the invention of baseball's slider having ties to Cleveland. There are overshadowed tragedies like a fatal crash involving an Indians pitcher occurring the same year two of the team's hurlers were killed in a high-profile boating accident. And then there are the near misses--like George Steinbrenner coming within seconds of owning the Indians and a famous musician who almost became a Cleveland Brown. From basketball to boxing, hockey to Heisman, journalist Marc Bona chronicles more than a century of unremembered tales.




100 Things Steelers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die


Book Description

In this ultimate guide, true fans of Pittsburgh Steelers football will learn the origins of the team’s iconic logo, the best place to tailgate before kickoff, and how the legendary Steel Curtain defense got its nickname. Whether a die-hard booster from the days of Jack Ham or a new supporter of head coach Mike Tomlin, fans need to know these 100 essential pieces of Steelers knowledge and trivia, as well as must-do activities. This updated edition includes the Steelers’ 2010 AFC championship squad and key moments and personalities from the team’s past three seasons. From games at Heinz Field to highlights of a young Terry Bradshaw, this is a must-have resource for a true fan of the franchise.




Slow Getting Up


Book Description

One man's odyssey into the brutal hive of the National Football League As an unsigned free agent who rose through the practice squad to the starting lineup of the Denver Broncos, Nate Jackson took the path of thousands of unknowns before him to carve out a professional football career twice as long as the average player. Through his story recounted here—from scouting combines to preseason cuts to byzantine film studies to glorious touchdown catches—even knowledgeable football fans will glean a new, starkly humanized understanding of the NFL's workweek. Fast-paced, lyrical, dirty, and hilariously unvarnished, Slow Getting Up is an unforgettable look at the real lives of America's best athletes putting their bodies and minds through hell.




The Best Book of Football Facts & Stats


Book Description

A comprehensive and compact compendium. The Best Book of Football Facts and Stats is a celebration of the game's history and the legendary players and coaches that helped shape and influence the sport. The pages include all the relevant statistics through the 2003 season -- complete with a summary of this year's Super Bowl XXXVIII between the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers. The book includes the most notable, awe-inspiring events that made NFL history. There are concise, personal portraits and career stats of All-Star NFL legends such as Troy Aikman, Joe Montana and Walter Payton as well as coverage of the superstars of today: Tom Brady, Jake Delhomme and Jamal Lewis. Also featured are club profiles of every NFL franchise from the Arizona Cardinals to Washington Redskins. Other features include: Details from every Super Bowl from 1967 to 2004 Who's who of coaches Summaries of the NFL's greatest games Statistical leaders and award winners Glossary of football terms. The Best Book of Football Facts and Stats is an indispensable book for fans both during and between football seasons.