Jan. 4, 1986



Brian Schottenheimer is 12 years old. His dad, Marty, is the coach of the Cleveland Browns, a team that barely makes the playoffs in his second season but in the divisional round against the favored Dolphins jumps out to a 21-3 lead.



In the second half, Brian watches as the lead shrinks, then disappears, the Browns falling 24-21. After the game, Brian and his family go to the owner’s suite, and he cries because he’s disappointed for his dad.



Nov. 23, 1991



The issue is logistics. Brian’s high school team plays in the state championship game in Manhattan, Kansas, two hours outside of Kansas City, on Saturday morning; that same day, Marty, the head coach of the Chiefs, is scheduled to fly with his team to Cleveland for a game on Sunday.



Marty has not missed one of Brian’s games all season. He calls a friend who owns a small private plane, meets with his team on Saturday morning, flies to Manhattan, watches...