Marc Bona is a journalist covering sports and features for Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer, and the author of four books.
Cleveland sports history goes well beyond The Shot, The Fumble, The Drive and so many other ignoble moments. Many of the city’s most illustrious sports tales are long-forgotten chapters of tribulations and tragedy, of fleeting fame and enduring milestones. Learn more about these forgotten and untold stories.
Meet one of the NFL’s most reliable offensive linemen ever. From youth sports in Wisconsin through Big Ten college football to 11 seasons with the Cleveland Browns, Joe Thomas was a tough competitor on the field and an easygoing, fun-loving guy off it. This in-depth portrait is drawn from interviews with Joe’s family, friends, coaches, teammates—and Joe himself.
Featuring athletes such as soccer icon Kristine Lilly, basketball star Victor Oladipo, and softball phenom Cat Osterman, The Reason We Play has something for everyone. From football to rodeo, baseball to racing, the front office to coaching, the subjects all share a common trait of excellence on and off the field. Along with accounts of the sports figures’ lives and careers, read in their own words what motivated them, what obstacles they overcame, and even what books they loved to read when they were young.
Sportswriter Catharine Andrews knows what professional football is like in the near future, but as the season begins she finds herself digging into a mysterious, dominating player’s past to uncover the secret of his greatness. This all-ages book gives the reader a vantage on the field and in the locker room as a mystery unfolds.
Marc Bona, Author 