Vintage Browns: A Warm Look Back at the Cleveland Browns of the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s and More

by Terry Pluto

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



Gregg PruittBrian SipeMarty SchottenheimerReggie LanghorneBrian BrennanBill BelichickTim CouchPhil Dawsonand others

These insightful short profiles will entertain Browns fans of any vintage!

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Football

245 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 28, 2021

About the author

Terry Pluto is a sports columnist for the Plain Dealer. He has twice been honored by the Associated Press Sports Editors as the nations top sports columnist for medium-sized newspapers. He is a nine-time winner of the Ohio Sports Writer of the Year award and has received more than 50 state and local writing awards. In 2005 he was inducted into the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame. He is the author of 23 books, including The Curse of Rocky Colavito (selected by the New York Times as one of the five notable sports books of 1989), and Loose Balls, which was ranked number 13 on Sports Illustrateds list of the top 100 sports books of all time. He was called Perhaps the best American writer of sports books, by the Chicago Tribune in 1997. He lives with his wife, Roberta, in Akron, Ohio."

Reviews

[Don Kyser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for any Browns fan!

[Timothy S. Henson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even as a die hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but that is because Terry Pluto is one of my favorite sports writers, and I will read anything that Pluto writes.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a Christmas present from my son because he knows of my fondness for Cleveland. I lived through all of the events of this book and recall most yet was often surprised by some of the little known detail. My affliction for Cleveland sports goes back to the mid-forties when Cleveland won its last World Series and has been in four losing series since. The Browns in those days won their division or the league Championship so often that it became boring. This book principally covers the 70's, 80's, and the 90's It brings back memories of many good teams and players but also widely known phrases like "the catch" or "the fumble". Even though I have been gone from Cleveland for over forty years Terry Pluto brings back fond memories.

[Matt Randle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book about the big names in the history of the Browns: a little Jesus-y

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice look at the Browns of the 70's, 80's and 90's. Lots of information and the ability to re-live good times and bad.