For ten years the Cleveland Browns compiled a better record and won more championships than any team in pro football history. In their first game they set an all-time attendance record and consistently drew the largest crowds of the post-World War II era. They dominated an upstart league and then silenced their detractors by doing the same to the NFL. The Browns were led by Paul Brown, a football visionary who changed pro football. Most important among his innovations was the leading role the franchise played in the integration of pro sports. While much of their competition continued with the racial exclusion of the past, the Browns featured some of the greatest black players of all-time, men who were an integral part of the Cleveland dynasty. The Best Show in Football: The 1946-1955 Cleveland Browns, Pro Football's Greatest Dynasty tells the story of those players and that dynasty. Included in that story is the construction of the Browns as well as accounts of the team's many victories. Dozens of interviews bring to life the exploits of Otto Graham, Bill Willis, Marion Motley, Lou Groza, Mac Speedie, Len Ford, Dante Lavelli, Frank Gatski, and so many others. In rich detail, The Best Show in Football demonstrates why Cleveland's dynasty was the greatest ever, greater even than several teams that are usually accorded that honor. The conclusions may be surprising but the evidence is all here. And along the way author Andy Piascik provides a wonderful trip back to football's golden age.

"This ... look at pro basketball records covers everything from Wilt Chamberlain's list-topping 100-point game to the ... Charlotte Bobcats mark for fewest wins in a season"--ONIX annotation.

The 26 men featured in this book have one thing in common: They were all great football players. These legends were the superstars of the NFL and AFL during the glorious 60s and the fun-loving 70s. However, only 2 of these legends are in the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. These stars revolutionized the game of Pro Football with their brilliant performances and were Pro Footballs biggest gate attractions. As the years go by, and the 60s and 70s have become a distant memory, these outstanding football players and mavericks have been unappreciated and forgotten. These heroes and legends of the fall contributed to the success of the NFL and made Pro Football the most popular and exciting sport in America. Distant Memories- The NFLs Best Ever Players of the 60s and 70s focuses on Pro Footballs forgotten stars and legendary heroes from the glorious past. Its about pioneers and great players from yesteryear. I have always wanted to write a book like this. Since I was a former amateur football player and have the knowledge and resources about football, I thought I would be the right person to write this book and do it with class and style. I have watched every football player in this book play every week and have seen all of the weekly highlight shows. I have followed their entire careers and I have seen every touchdown they scored. I watched all NFL and AFL games on TV in the 60s and 70s. In 1970, when the AFL and NFL merged to become one league, I watched every game on TV during the 70s.I can remember my golden Sunday mornings and early afternoons when I played football during the 70s. I always hurried home from my games so I could watch the NFL on TV. You can ask my wonderful mother. She knew where I was every Sunday afternoon during the football season when I was young. I would like the players in this book to finally receive the recognition they deserve for their outstanding accomplishments. Danny Jones http://www.starsofthenfl.com/index.html

In less than 120 years an activity invented by one man to alleviate winter boredom for a college gym class has evolved into a worldwide multi-billion dollar enterprise. It is impossible for Dr. James Naismith, basketball's inventor, to have envisioned the extent to which his simple game would reach. Without major changes to his original 13 rules, basketball is now played in more than 200 countries by people of all ages. Thanks to basketball, players like Michael Jordan, Earvin 'Magic' Johnson, Larry Bird, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O'Neal have become some of the most famous people in the world. The Historical Dictionary of Basketball is a comprehensive account of all forms of basketball_amateur, professional, men's, women's, Olympic, domestic, and international_from its invention in 1891 through the present day. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, an extensive bibliography, and over 600 cross-referenced dictionary entries on the people, places, teams, and terminology of the game.

What are boys like? Who is the creature inhabiting the twilight zone between the perils of the Oedipus complex and the Strum und Drang of puberty? In With the Boys, Gary Alan Fine examines the American male preadolescent by studying the world of Little League baseball. Drawings on three years of firsthand observation of five Little Leagues, Fine describes how, through organized sport and its accompanying activities, boys learn to play, work, and generally be "men."

Fans, coaches, and players use basketball stats to find out which teams and players are rising to the top. Explore the most exciting basketball stats of all time.

Think you know Rays baseball? Think again … you’re about to find out how smart you really are about the Tampa Bay Rays. You know that in 1998 the Tampa Bay Devil Rays were an expansion franchise playing its first official, painful season. You know that in 2008, minus the Devil, the Rays were the best team in the American League. But if you think you know everything that transpired as Tampa went from “worst to first” and made itself into one of the elite franchises in professional sports … well, it’s time to prove it. Co-authored by Rays’ pitcher Andy Sonnanstine, Tampa Bay Rays IQ contains ten chapters of Rays’ history and offers up 200 brand-new trivia questions that will, in fact, reveal the true level of your fandom.

The 1966 Green Bay Packers were one of the greatest teams in professional football history. Led by legendary head coach Vince Lombardi and 10 future Hall of Famers--including Bart Starr, Jim Taylor, Forrest Gregg, Willie Davis and Ray Nitschke--they were the decisive winners of Super Bowl I, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs and upholding the superiority of the National Football League over the upstart American Football League. This book tells the story of the hard-working '66 Packers on the gridiron and their legacy in Titletown, USA.

The sixteen original essays in this collection cover influential and famous rivalries from a variety of sports, including track and field, golf, boxing, basketball, tennis, ice skating, baseball, football, soccer, and more. The essays are diverse, but together they illustrate what is common to any rivalry: equally matched opponents that often have decidedly different backgrounds, styles, and personalities. These differences may center on race and culture, political and societal ideologies, personality, geography, or religion—a mix intensified by fans and the media. From highly publicized and emotionally charged individual competitions to bitterly fought team contests, Rivals illuminates what one-of-a-kind opponents and the passion they inspire tell us about ourselves and our society.