On Being Brown: What It Means to Be a Cleveland Browns Fan

Rating:
Summary: Football explained
Review: Despite being continually disillusioned by the sport - by the drugs, the criminal element, the absurd salaries - pro football continues to hold a mysterious allure. After reading "On Being Brown," I think I now understand what that allure is. Huler does a wonderful job of explaining what it is about football that keeps our attention long after we should grow tired of it. He captures the special thrill of walking into an arena for the first time as a child, the sense of community, the sense of commitment and loyalty we develop - even the smells of an NFL game - and makes us realize why football remains special. This isn't a book aboaut the Cleveland Browns, it's a book about football that any true fan would enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: Football explained
Review: Despite being continually disillusioned by the sport - by the drugs, the criminal element, the absurd salaries - pro football continues to hold a mysterious allure. After reading "On Being Brown," I think I now understand what that allure is. Huler does a wonderful job of explaining what it is about football that keeps our attention long after we should grow tired of it. He captures the special thrill of walking into an arena for the first time as a child, the sense of community, the sense of commitment and loyalty we develop - even the smells of an NFL game - and makes us realize why football remains special. This isn't a book aboaut the Cleveland Browns, it's a book about football that any true fan would enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: Nice try
Review: Good try, but a lot of grammatical errors and uninspired writing. I didn't learn anything new about the Browns.

Rating:
Summary: A reader in Berkeley
Review: I am not a Browns fan but learned a lot about a special time for a boy, his dad and their team. This is a moving book about a kid being introduced to sports and his memories of it as an adult.

Rating:
Summary: Good and memories and thoughts while we wait for this season
Review: I came upon this book by accident, but it turned out to be a little gem that was a joy to read. As I turned the pages and read what the author was feeling and reliving, I was taken back to my father, who loved the Browns and to the time I spent watching games with him and my twin brother, and to the 1970's when I was a season ticket holder. As I read ,I kept saying that I knew exactly what the author was feeling and what he meant. The author brought back so many memories of all the highs and lows that came from being a Browns fan, of memories at the hulking stadium on Lake Erie
( what the legendary voice of the Browns, Gib Shanley, called the "house of thrills" ), to the anger when Art Modell moved the team to Baltimore. It was true and is still true that it is Cleveland's Browns not the Cleveland Browns. Modell owned a football team, but he didn't own the Browns. This book is an absolute must read for Browns fans wherever they may live. While we all wait for the 2003 edition of the Browns and a season full of promise under head coach Butch Davis, fans should all pick this book up and read it.

Rating:
Summary: It's Much More Than Simply Being Brown
Review: On Being Brown is a terrific little book about football, Cleveland, fathers & sons, and the rituals of growing up that mold who we become as adults. Huler knows how to touch the nerves of those of us who have lived and died with the fortunes of the Browns over several decades. But, he touches those nerves very gently, because they're his nerves as well. As an added bonus, the final chapter by comedian Martin Mull is simply fantastic. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: A reader in Berkeley
Review: This book rocked my world. As one of many displaced Clevelanders who still adores his Browns and Tribe, I can totally relate to the author's words. Red Right 88, The Drive, The Fumble, Bernie...they're all here in great detail. You can almost hear Nev Chandler's voice.

Rating:
Summary: Good Concept, Bad Execution
Review: This was a neat concept for a book, but sometimes concepts are better left undeveloped. Huler's attempt at a series of essays fails to capture the true meaning of what it means to be a Browns fan. The book's plain cover is for once a viable avenue in which to judge the rest of the work. Segmented books masquerading as novels are often a hard sell, as are collections of essays. This book is both. The highlight of the entire work is Martin Mull's afterword.


Rating:
Summary: Big Yawn
Review: Were they kidding? Maybe they think people are dumb, but we won't buy ANYTHING. Certainly not this.