Cleveland Browns History (OH) (Images of Sports) [Paperback]

Frank M. Henkel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 11, 2005

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.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Frank M. Henkel is the creator of the online NFL History Network, which includes his own brownshistory.com, and is now one of the largest pro football history sites on the internet. He is also a member of the Professional Football Research Association. A lifelong Browns fan, Henkel's dogs--Bernie and Hanford--are named for his childhood football heroes.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing (July 11, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738534285
• ISBN-13: 978-0738534282
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #765,152 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All there is to know about the Cleveland Browns!!! A+++++, July 23, 2005

By 

Derrek Fisher "Fishbone" (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cleveland Browns History (OH) (Images of Sports) (Paperback)

A very well written book. There is an amazing amount of information packed into 128 pages. The book is broken down in chronological order, starting in the early days of the All-American Football Leauge, through all the NFL and AFC championships, the hard years of the 1980's and 90's, the move out of Cleveland and the triumphant return in 1999. The book starts with Cleveland's utter domination of the AAFC and their move to the NFL. It covers Paul Brown's accomplishments and his eventual firing by Art Modell, the "Kardiac Kids" of 1979 - 1984, and the careers of Lyle Alzado and Bernie Kosar. The book draws to a close with the old Browns moving to Balitimore, the fans fight in Congress to keep the team in Cleveland, and the eventual rebirth of the new Cleveland Browns and their future, including the recent hiring of Romeo Crennel as the team's new head coach. Plus, there are countless black-and-white pictures and rich captions of Cleveland Browns history. The cool thing about b&w pictures is that it makes everything equally historical, from 2004 to 1946.

Overall, I throughly enjoyed this book about one of the most historic sports teams in history. I look forward to Mr. Henkel's next book. Perhaps he can work his magic over the Dallas Cowboys history.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read, August 23, 2005

By 

Roger E. Gordon (Canton, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cleveland Browns History (OH) (Images of Sports) (Paperback)

It is remarkable how much information Frank Henkel crams into 128 pages. From the Cleveland Browns' beginnings in the mid-1940s, to the title teams of their first decade, to the club's "slump" in the late-1950s and early '60s, to Cleveland's last pro sports championship in 1964, to the near-misses of the late-'60s, to the Bad News Browns of the mid-70s, to the Kardiac Kids, to the Kosar era, to The Move, to the "return" of the Browns in 1999, to the troubled times of today, Henkel takes the reader on a unique path through the history of one of the most celebrated franchises in the NFL. Besides bringing to the reader the obvious highlights and lowlights of nearly 60 years of Browns football, Henkel also writes of players and happenings about which many fans may have forgotten. The author goes into great detail in the play-by-play of some very memorable games. He also adds spice by offering the reader an array of trivia tidbits throughout the book. If you are a fan of Cleveland Browns history, you will love Cleveland Browns History. It's that simple.

2.0 out of 5 stars Not What I Was Expecting, January 26, 2011

By 

BT Surf (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cleveland Browns History (OH) (Images of Sports) (Paperback)

I am a Browns fan, and I like learning about the team's great history. But reading this was boring. Lots of facts are presented but it reads almost like a narrative form of a statistics book. I want to experience more of the emotional and humanistic elements. There are literally no quotes from fans and only a few from players and coaches. I am interested in reading specific examples of fan reactions during the team's highs and the lows. I want to read about the players' personal accounts during the "Kardiac Kids" era games. I want to read quotes from the coaches' regarding in-game decisions. I would like to have seen clippings from the local newspapers. This book gives way too few for any of above. The book does, however, provide some nice black-and-white photos. It is somewhat brief being only 128 pages yet the book costs more than others. I was expecting much more for my money. Since this is my first Browns book, I can't recommend another although I'm hoping there are better ones available.