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Kardiac Kids: The Story of the 1980 Cleveland Browns
A heart-pounding journey through the most exciting season in Cleveland Browns' history
Every longtime Cleveland sports fan knows about "Red Right 88," the play that ended the Browns' 1980 season. Quarterback Brian Sipe's ill-fated throw, intended for tight end Ozzie Newsome, was intercepted by Oakland in the end zone, bringing to a halt Cleveland's "kardiac" campaign.
In Kardiac Kids Jonathan Knight paints a portrait of the Browns' storybook 1980 season and its impact on the city of Cleveland. Knight takes us through that unforgettable year from beginning to end, describing in great detail how the city simply fell in love with this team.
Though the Cleveland Browns boast four world championships and possess a rich and respected past, the magical 1980 season was clearly the most memorable in team history. Kardiac Kids is a tribute to that team.
Every longtime Cleveland sports fan knows about "Red Right 88," the play that ended the Browns' 1980 season. Quarterback Brian Sipe's ill-fated throw, intended for tight end Ozzie Newsome, was intercepted by Oakland in the end zone, bringing to a halt Cleveland's "kardiac" campaign.
In Kardiac Kids Jonathan Knight paints a portrait of the Browns' storybook 1980 season and its impact on the city of Cleveland. Knight takes us through that unforgettable year from beginning to end, describing in great detail how the city simply fell in love with this team.
Though the Cleveland Browns boast four world championships and possess a rich and respected past, the magical 1980 season was clearly the most memorable in team history. Kardiac Kids is a tribute to that team.
- GenresSports
301 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2003
About the author
Jonathan Knight
16 books10 followersJonathan Knight is the author of eleven books on a range of topics which have gained nationwide notoriety. From true crime to sports, from presidential assassinations to inside Hollywood, Jonathan has a knack for discovering untold tales and transforming them into compelling pageturners. He lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his two sons. You can learn more at jknightwriter.com and follow him on Facebook at facebook.com/JonathanKnightWriter and at Twitter at @jknightwriter.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 4, 2024
Jonathan Knight did it again with Kardiac Kids. He wrote another book concerning a certain season or period in Cleveland Browns history and he made you care about that certain season or period in Browns history through his unique and impassioned style of writing.
Kardiac Kids was about the magical, nail biting, and historical 1980 Cleveland Browns football season. Knight captured that memorable 1980 season through game summaries of every regular season game and the one playoff game the team played in, side stories or anecdotes on the head coach and certain members of the team, and more.
Knight wrote this book as if he was the beat reporter of that 1980 Browns team. Barely any other season in Browns history was mentioned in this book and that was Knight's intention, and if he did talk about other seasons, he mentioned those seasons in the epilogue. There was a quote on page 86 of the book that I would like to include in this review that illustrated Knight's singular focus on that 1980 Browns season, "Hey Logan, Sipe hollered as his teammate prepared to leave the locker room for the party that Sunday night. "I've got to believe we're magic!" he said in reference to a popular Olivia Newton-John song besieging the radio airwaves that fall." That song started getting really popular around the early part of August 1980.
This book was well researched and passionately written as evidenced by stuff like this, "The Browns were playing the 4-3 85 percent of the time as well as many stunts and blitz variations." When you write a book that chronicles a season you should know stuff like that as to give the reader (especially if it's a passionate fan of the team) a sort of backstage pass to some of the inner workings of a team.
Giving the book a finishing touch or at least a good sendoff was the epilogue section of the book, where Knight explained how the Browns didn't capitalize on the success of the 1980 season and run with that success from 1981 to 1984 with consistent playoff appearances, winning seasons, AFC Championships, or Super Bowl appearances or wins.
Reading this book was bittersweet even though I'm not and never will be a Browns fan. That 1980 Browns team had the material to make it to Super Bowl XV and possibly win it, but fate conspired to not even let the Browns get past the Divisional Round of the playoffs that year. That Mike Davis (Oakland Raiders defensive back) interception of a Brian Sipe pass in the end zone dashed the Browns hopes that January 4, 1981 day in Cleveland. Man, Browns fans like Knight are still suffering from that loss of 44 years ago.
In conclusion, Kardiac Kids was an educational, passionately written, and bittersweet text on a season in Browns history that was (a winning season, filled with so many great memories, records were set, and more) and wasn't (the playoff loss to the Raiders that ended the Browns' dream season). I would recommend this book to die-hard Browns fans or Browns fans that feel like reliving that magical 1980 season.
Kardiac Kids was about the magical, nail biting, and historical 1980 Cleveland Browns football season. Knight captured that memorable 1980 season through game summaries of every regular season game and the one playoff game the team played in, side stories or anecdotes on the head coach and certain members of the team, and more.
Knight wrote this book as if he was the beat reporter of that 1980 Browns team. Barely any other season in Browns history was mentioned in this book and that was Knight's intention, and if he did talk about other seasons, he mentioned those seasons in the epilogue. There was a quote on page 86 of the book that I would like to include in this review that illustrated Knight's singular focus on that 1980 Browns season, "Hey Logan, Sipe hollered as his teammate prepared to leave the locker room for the party that Sunday night. "I've got to believe we're magic!" he said in reference to a popular Olivia Newton-John song besieging the radio airwaves that fall." That song started getting really popular around the early part of August 1980.
This book was well researched and passionately written as evidenced by stuff like this, "The Browns were playing the 4-3 85 percent of the time as well as many stunts and blitz variations." When you write a book that chronicles a season you should know stuff like that as to give the reader (especially if it's a passionate fan of the team) a sort of backstage pass to some of the inner workings of a team.
Giving the book a finishing touch or at least a good sendoff was the epilogue section of the book, where Knight explained how the Browns didn't capitalize on the success of the 1980 season and run with that success from 1981 to 1984 with consistent playoff appearances, winning seasons, AFC Championships, or Super Bowl appearances or wins.
Reading this book was bittersweet even though I'm not and never will be a Browns fan. That 1980 Browns team had the material to make it to Super Bowl XV and possibly win it, but fate conspired to not even let the Browns get past the Divisional Round of the playoffs that year. That Mike Davis (Oakland Raiders defensive back) interception of a Brian Sipe pass in the end zone dashed the Browns hopes that January 4, 1981 day in Cleveland. Man, Browns fans like Knight are still suffering from that loss of 44 years ago.
In conclusion, Kardiac Kids was an educational, passionately written, and bittersweet text on a season in Browns history that was (a winning season, filled with so many great memories, records were set, and more) and wasn't (the playoff loss to the Raiders that ended the Browns' dream season). I would recommend this book to die-hard Browns fans or Browns fans that feel like reliving that magical 1980 season.
April 29, 2013
People often ask me why I so proudly wear the Orange and Brown, especially when there are so many other winning football teams. You would think growing up in North Central Ohio that it would be Browns Country, but in fact, it’s almost a sea of Black and Gold and honestly, who could blame them? Why root for the bumbling Browns when you could put your efforts behind a winning, Super Bowl caliber team like the Steelers? It would be easy. But that’s the problem, it’s easy. Too easy.
You wonder why I wear the Brown and Orange? Why I get my hopes up every Sunday, only to sigh in exasperation at the final score? It’s because I understand the Cleveland Browns, I get them. Not because they have a tendency to lose, but because of what they represent. They represent a factory worker pulling over-time just to make ends meet, they represent kids playing backyard football with a beat-up plastic ball from WalMart with dreams of making it to the big leagues someday, and they represent the very aspect of blue collar, 9-5 work ethic. That’s MY Cleveland Browns.
It was with great excitement when I began to read this book, having had it requested from the Queens Library. Since I was born in 1982, the Kardiac Kids era was already over and instead my football experiences started with Bernie Kosar and the mid-80’s Browns. I was vaguely familiar with the Kids, but knew next to nothing in terms of actual knowledge. What I read further solidified my stance that the Browns are, without a doubt, America’s Team.
1980 was a rough year for the town of Cleveland, Ohio. What was once a prosperous city was now gripped in economic turmoil, plagued by (sometimes violent) racial tensions and their beloved Browns, which during the 50’s and 60’s were considered the New York Yankees of football, had seen a steady decline in the late 70’s. Hope was a thing of the past and jeers like ‘Mistake on the Lake’ seemed to sting more than they would admit. In fact, the 1979 Browns had shown promise, but fizzled out towards the end of the year, finishing at a disappointing 9-7.
But when the 1980 season rolled around, there was a feeling in the air that something was different. Coach Sam Rutigilano had demonstrated a risky, pass-heavy offense that made him stand out from the other coaches and quarterback Brian Sipe was demonstrating a laser-like accuracy and skill level not seen since the days of Otto Graham. Through the mess of the 1979 season, there were enough gems and flashes of brilliance that the people on the shores of Lake Erie felt something deep within them. Change was coming.
Though the 1980 season opened with the Browns going a heart breaking 0-2, the boys in Orange and Brown began to pick things up, winning the next 6 out of 8 games. Suddenly, the Browns were up front and center, surprising even the most jaded of critics. But what caught the people’s attention was not just the fact the Browns were finally winning, but how they were winning. Whether they won or lost, it all came down to the last series of plays. Be it a last minute pass, a frantic rush or an ill-timed interception, the 1980 Browns put all on the line, with their nerve-wracking games earning them the nickname the Kardiac Kids.
When the Browns won the AFC Central championship in a hard fought battle with intrastate rivals Cincinnati Bengals, the city of Cleveland exploded in a wave of optimism. Christmas was around the corner and the victory felt like a gift the city had long hoped for. The Indians sucked, the Cavs sucked, but they had the Browns! It was a great time to be a Buckeye and an even better time to be a football fan. Finally Cleveland had a team to believe in, finally the Browns were reliving the days of Jim Brown or Otto Graham. Though it seemed almost taboo, there was talk of appearing in their first Super Bowl. All that stood between them and an AFC Championship shot was the Oakland Raiders and on January 4th, 1981, the Raiders arrived for a brutally cold day at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. The Dawg Pound was alive, ready to root on their home team and see them pull off another heart-stopping, Kardiac Kids victory.
Both teams battled in a frozen war that would go down as one of the great games in the history books of the NFL. With wind chill, the temperature dropped to a soul-freezing -36F and the winds blew in excess of 20MPH off of Lake Erie. With the grass frozen to the point where they resembled jagged spears of green ice, the two teams were locked in a grid-iron showdown. With less than a minute left in the game and Cleveland down 14-12, the Browns had the ball to the Raiders 13 yard line and were within field goal range to take lead by one. It was a classic Kardiac Kid situation; only the Browns kicker had been struggling all season long, even missing several easy kicks in the current game. (After the season was over, he confessed he had been playing with partially torn cartilage in his knee. He was released by the Browns following the 1981 season and retired shortly after.) So with the game on the line, Coach Rutigilano and Brian Sipe decided to roll the dice and go for the touchdown. The plan was to hit tight-end Ozzie Newsome on a mad dash to the end zone and put the finishing touches on the Raiders. The plan was set and the play was called: Red Right 88. What happened next would change everything.
As Sipe dropped back for the pass, he failed to see wide receiver Dave Logan was wide open and attempted to thread the needle and get the ball to Newsome. Swarmed in double coverage, Newsome watched helplessly as the ball was intercepted by Raiders safety, Mike Davis. The clock ticked down to zero and the Browns playoff hopes were crushed. The Kardiac Kids had flat lined. After that, Cleveland never really recovered, going 5-11 the very next year and struggling to stay above .500 in the following seasons till the day Bernie Kosar laced up his cleats. Still, the memory of the Kardiac Kids lingers on.
I know this isn't so much a review of the book, but I think it’s important to lay the groundwork for what this book covers. It’s an in-depth, behind the scenes look at that fantastic season where the stars aligned and the football gods smiled on Cleveland. Each game is broken down in great detail, offering player insight, coach feedback and excerpts from all the major sports outlets of the day. It’s well written and, dare I say, inspirational. It’s a must read for any Cleveland Browns fan and honestly, a must read for any football fan in general.
RATING: 5 out of 5 PARMA PIROGIS
You wonder why I wear the Brown and Orange? Why I get my hopes up every Sunday, only to sigh in exasperation at the final score? It’s because I understand the Cleveland Browns, I get them. Not because they have a tendency to lose, but because of what they represent. They represent a factory worker pulling over-time just to make ends meet, they represent kids playing backyard football with a beat-up plastic ball from WalMart with dreams of making it to the big leagues someday, and they represent the very aspect of blue collar, 9-5 work ethic. That’s MY Cleveland Browns.
It was with great excitement when I began to read this book, having had it requested from the Queens Library. Since I was born in 1982, the Kardiac Kids era was already over and instead my football experiences started with Bernie Kosar and the mid-80’s Browns. I was vaguely familiar with the Kids, but knew next to nothing in terms of actual knowledge. What I read further solidified my stance that the Browns are, without a doubt, America’s Team.
1980 was a rough year for the town of Cleveland, Ohio. What was once a prosperous city was now gripped in economic turmoil, plagued by (sometimes violent) racial tensions and their beloved Browns, which during the 50’s and 60’s were considered the New York Yankees of football, had seen a steady decline in the late 70’s. Hope was a thing of the past and jeers like ‘Mistake on the Lake’ seemed to sting more than they would admit. In fact, the 1979 Browns had shown promise, but fizzled out towards the end of the year, finishing at a disappointing 9-7.
But when the 1980 season rolled around, there was a feeling in the air that something was different. Coach Sam Rutigilano had demonstrated a risky, pass-heavy offense that made him stand out from the other coaches and quarterback Brian Sipe was demonstrating a laser-like accuracy and skill level not seen since the days of Otto Graham. Through the mess of the 1979 season, there were enough gems and flashes of brilliance that the people on the shores of Lake Erie felt something deep within them. Change was coming.
Though the 1980 season opened with the Browns going a heart breaking 0-2, the boys in Orange and Brown began to pick things up, winning the next 6 out of 8 games. Suddenly, the Browns were up front and center, surprising even the most jaded of critics. But what caught the people’s attention was not just the fact the Browns were finally winning, but how they were winning. Whether they won or lost, it all came down to the last series of plays. Be it a last minute pass, a frantic rush or an ill-timed interception, the 1980 Browns put all on the line, with their nerve-wracking games earning them the nickname the Kardiac Kids.
When the Browns won the AFC Central championship in a hard fought battle with intrastate rivals Cincinnati Bengals, the city of Cleveland exploded in a wave of optimism. Christmas was around the corner and the victory felt like a gift the city had long hoped for. The Indians sucked, the Cavs sucked, but they had the Browns! It was a great time to be a Buckeye and an even better time to be a football fan. Finally Cleveland had a team to believe in, finally the Browns were reliving the days of Jim Brown or Otto Graham. Though it seemed almost taboo, there was talk of appearing in their first Super Bowl. All that stood between them and an AFC Championship shot was the Oakland Raiders and on January 4th, 1981, the Raiders arrived for a brutally cold day at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. The Dawg Pound was alive, ready to root on their home team and see them pull off another heart-stopping, Kardiac Kids victory.
Both teams battled in a frozen war that would go down as one of the great games in the history books of the NFL. With wind chill, the temperature dropped to a soul-freezing -36F and the winds blew in excess of 20MPH off of Lake Erie. With the grass frozen to the point where they resembled jagged spears of green ice, the two teams were locked in a grid-iron showdown. With less than a minute left in the game and Cleveland down 14-12, the Browns had the ball to the Raiders 13 yard line and were within field goal range to take lead by one. It was a classic Kardiac Kid situation; only the Browns kicker had been struggling all season long, even missing several easy kicks in the current game. (After the season was over, he confessed he had been playing with partially torn cartilage in his knee. He was released by the Browns following the 1981 season and retired shortly after.) So with the game on the line, Coach Rutigilano and Brian Sipe decided to roll the dice and go for the touchdown. The plan was to hit tight-end Ozzie Newsome on a mad dash to the end zone and put the finishing touches on the Raiders. The plan was set and the play was called: Red Right 88. What happened next would change everything.
As Sipe dropped back for the pass, he failed to see wide receiver Dave Logan was wide open and attempted to thread the needle and get the ball to Newsome. Swarmed in double coverage, Newsome watched helplessly as the ball was intercepted by Raiders safety, Mike Davis. The clock ticked down to zero and the Browns playoff hopes were crushed. The Kardiac Kids had flat lined. After that, Cleveland never really recovered, going 5-11 the very next year and struggling to stay above .500 in the following seasons till the day Bernie Kosar laced up his cleats. Still, the memory of the Kardiac Kids lingers on.
I know this isn't so much a review of the book, but I think it’s important to lay the groundwork for what this book covers. It’s an in-depth, behind the scenes look at that fantastic season where the stars aligned and the football gods smiled on Cleveland. Each game is broken down in great detail, offering player insight, coach feedback and excerpts from all the major sports outlets of the day. It’s well written and, dare I say, inspirational. It’s a must read for any Cleveland Browns fan and honestly, a must read for any football fan in general.
RATING: 5 out of 5 PARMA PIROGIS
February 1, 2021
Excellent book
Great read about an era of football from my childhood days, back when the NFL was actually fun to watch.
Great read about an era of football from my childhood days, back when the NFL was actually fun to watch.
March 15, 2017
It's hard to believe that the Browns were good once. This trip through one of the most exciting seasons, the Kardiac Kids led by Brian Sipe, Dave Logan, Ozzie Newsome, Clay Matthews, Ron Bolton and coach Sam Rutigliano were on the doorstep of greatness. One poorly executed play in the playoffs against the Raiders and everything started to fall apart. It wouldn't be rebuilt again until the Bernie Kosar era.
I really enjoying this book, considering the Browns haven't been relevant in my lifetime (born in '82). Hopefully, we'll get back there someday.
I really enjoying this book, considering the Browns haven't been relevant in my lifetime (born in '82). Hopefully, we'll get back there someday.
January 31, 2011
I was literally unable to go to work for two days after Brian Sipe threw that errant pass that landed in the arms of Mike Davis. However, this book did allow me to relive some of the excitement of that Cinderella year.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews