The Best Show in Football: The 1946-1955 Cleveland Browns Pro Football's Greatest Dynasty

by Andy Piascik

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.

Genres: Sports, Football

397 pages, Hardcover

First published November 28, 2006

Reviews

[Brent Darling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andy Piascik takes you on a 10-year trip through the Cleveland Browns’ greatest era, 1946-55. Ten years, ten championship games. In this book, you will get not only season recaps, but also behind the scenes stories about the Browns and their two leagues.

Similar book to Richard Bak’s “When Lions Were Kings”. Recommended, even if you’re not a Browns fan.

[Joe Kapraszewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book discussing the origins and early years of the Cleveland Browns. There was enough detail about the games to be interesting but not too in depth as to make the book drag. The book also looked into other issues to do with the team, the AAFC, the NFL at the time, and other issues.