Ohio coaching legend Paul Brown said he wanted to create "the New York Yankees of pro football" when he assembled the Cleveland Browns from scratch in 1946. Despite his ambition, not even the future Hall of Fame coach could have foreseen ten league championship appearances and seven titles in the team's first ten years. Since their first game, the Cleveland Browns have come to symbolize power, excellence, and gridiron dominance. Now fans of one of the NFL’s most storied teams will recapture all the excitement and glory of Browns football in this newly revised edition of Tales from the Cleveland Browns Sideline. Cleveland native and veteran football writer Tony Grossi recalls the personalities that sowed one of the NFL's proudest traditions and the characters who have continued to grow it. Fans will discover the unlikely origin of the Marion Motley trap play, the scout's inside story behind "the mad dog in the meat market,” the insult that launched Brian Sipe's rise from a thirteenth-round draft pick to the league's Most Valuable Player, and so much more. From Jim Brown to Bernie Kosar and up through the modern era, this book captures the colorful characters who wore the plain white uniforms and blank orange helmets like never before.

Ohio coaching legend Paul Brown said he wanted to create "the New York Yankees of pro football" when he assembled the Cleveland Browns from scratch in 1946. Despite his ambition, not even the future Hall of Fame coach could have foreseen ten league championship appearances and seven titles in the team's first ten years. Since their first game, the Cleveland Browns have come to symbolize power, excellence, and gridiron dominance. Now fans of one of the NFL’s most storied teams will recapture all the excitement and glory of Browns football in this newly revised edition of Tales from the Cleveland Browns Sideline. Cleveland native and veteran football writer Tony Grossi recalls the personalities that sowed one of the NFL's proudest traditions and the characters who have continued to grow it. Fans will discover the unlikely origin of the Marion Motley trap play, the scout's inside story behind "the mad dog in the meat market,” the insult that launched Brian Sipe's rise from a thirteenth-round draft pick to the league's Most Valuable Player, and so much more. From Jim Brown to Bernie Kosar and up through the modern era, this book captures the colorful characters who wore the plain white uniforms and blank orange helmets like never before.

Ohio coaching legend Paul Brown said he wanted to create the New York Yankees of pro football when he assembled the Cleveland Browns from scratch in 1946. Not even the future Hall of Fame coach, however, could have foreseen 10 league championship appearances and seven titles in the team's first 10 years. That excellence and professional dominance cultivated a national fan base that has since crossed international boundaries. Elvis Presley, President John F. Kennedy, and Hank Aaron counted themselves as Browns fans. More than 50 years later, Browns Backers Worldwide is the largest organized fan club in professional sports, with over 265 chapters and 27,000 members worldwide. In Tales from the Cleveland Browns Sideline, Cleveland native and veteran football writer Tony Grossi recalls the personalities that sowed one of the NFL's proudest traditions and the characters who have continued to grow it. Grossi discloses the unlikely origin of the Marion Motley trap play and the talents that Otto Graham never used on the football field. Fans can read the scout's inside story behind the mad dog in the meat market' and the general manager's insult that launched Brian Sipe's rise from a 13th-round draft pick to the league's Most Valuable Player. Tales from the Cleveland Browns Sideline reveals who first called his defensive teammates Dawgs and why teammates stayed as far away as possible from Steve Everitt's locker. From Jim Brown to Ben Gay, from Glue Fingers Lavelli to Turkey Jones, the colorful characters who wore the plain white uniforms and blank orange helmets are captured like never before.

The third edition of The Cleveland Indians Encyclopedia contains everything fans have ever wanted to know about one of baseball's most storied franchises. From 1869, when professional baseball came to Cleveland, to 1901, when the Indians became charter members of the American League, to their consistently fabulous play in the 1990s, the team has featured innumerable stars over the years. This comprehensive volume traces the genesis of baseball in Cleveland, covering all of the team lore and legend, the controversies, the triumphs, and the heartaches, including: - Nearly 300 player profiles--from Napoleon Lajoie and Tris Speaker in the early part of the 20th century to 1960s stars Rocky Colavito and Sam McDowell to today's headliners like Omar Vizquel and Jody Gerut - Season-by-season descriptions of unforgettable moments and memories - Nearly 1,000 illustrations of players, game highlights, and memorabilia, including a panoramic foldout of Jacobs Field - Extensive statistics, including box scores, team and individual records, and trades - The World Series championship, the managerial strategies, the personalities, the honors, and the milestones - An immense treasure of little-known facts and surprising anecdotes

The 50 Greatest Players in Cleveland Browns History examines the careers of the 50 men who made the greatest impact on one of the National Football League’s oldest and most iconic and franchises. Using as measuring sticks the degree to which they impacted the fortunes of the team, the extent to which they added to the Browns legacy, and the levels of statistical compilation and overall dominance they attained while wearing a Browns uniform, The 50 Greatest Players in Cleveland Browns History ranks, from 1 to 50, the top 50 players in team history. Quotes from opposing players and former teammates are provided along the way, as are summaries of each player’s greatest season, most memorable performances, and most notable achievements.

A de facto American national holiday and phenomenon, the Super Bowl claims a spot as one of the most significant sporting events in the world and the most widely celebrated, feasted and feasting event of the year— with $14+ billion at stake, commercials costing $7 million for a 30-second spot, record-setting broadcast ratings, and 113+ million viewers. More avocados (105 million pounds) are consumed, and more beer is drunk (325 million gallons) on the single day of Superbowl Sunday. But there is much more at play than partying at our annual sports extravaganza, as this scholarly researched yet readable volume demonstrates: Here you will read a historical perspective that includes discussions of the meta-event’s economics (stakeholders, host cities, advertising, gambling, and media), fandom, ratings, halftime entertainment, the roles of mythic spectacle and religion, football’s sexist, militaristic language, gender issues like cheerleaders and sex trafficking, the Puppy Bowl, medical concerns like concussions and violence, tailgating and foodie ideas—all along with tidbits about your favorite team(s) and player(s). Touchdown!

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!