Sport Books

Book SynopsisStuart Pearce became the face of England's bid to win the 1996 European Championships when his maniacal explosion of joy and relief at scoring a penalty in the quarter-final shoot-out against Spain captured the mood of a nation.England did not win the tournament, but, against a backdrop of the Three Lions song that played from every pub, every bar, every car radio and every open window in that summer, it cemented the renaissance of the game in this country. Alongside his friendships with Paul Gascoigne and Gareth Southgate - including the time the trio were invited on stage by the Sex Pistols - the book details the semi-final against Germany, more heartbreak in the penalty shootout when Southgate missed England's sixth penalty and what the tournament meant to Pearce and to Southgate and to the rest of the country.It is a first-hand account of the summer when football came home for England fans, and when the country lost itself in the joy of a home tournament.

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Book SynopsisWillie Lanier was the first African-American middle linebacker in pro football history, playing for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1967-1977 in an era when discrimination against black athletes was still very much the norm. Lanier gave football fans a new mold of athlete, comprised of equal amounts intelligence, creativity, individualism, and collaboration. America's Trailblazing Middle Linebacker: The Story of NFL Hall of Famer Willie Lanier explores the life and times of this groundbreaking football star. A walk-on at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, Lanier established himself as a force on the field. Drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1967, Lanier fought his way to the starting middle linebacker position and became a Super Bowl champion, an eight time All-Pro, and the NFL’s Man of the Year in 1972. After retiring from football, Lanier went to work in the business world and became the CEO of a major US company. This book delves into Lanier’s college years, his NFL exploits, and his many successes off the gridiron, revealing a man who, through hard work and determination, made the most of every opportunity that came his way. On and off the football field, Lanier showed America a glimpse of the future, when fairness, opportunity, and racial integrity could be the reality for everyone. An inspiration for athletes and fans everywhere, Lanier’s story is that of a man who loved challenges, and faced every one of them with an unmatched drive to excel and succeed. Lanier was, and still is, a trailblazer.

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Book SynopsisThe Reshaping of America's Game describes the major developments and challenges that took place in Major League Baseball during the 25-plus years following the players' strike, including cheating scandals, steroids, analytics, and changing demographics.

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Book SynopsisA historic look at the fabled 198384 Boston Celtics and an unforgettable season.Ronald Reagan declares the Soviet Union an Evil Empire. The Apple Macintosh personal computer makes its debut. Michael Jackson's Thriller album dominates the pop charts. And Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics capture the NBA championship over Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the Los Angeles Lakers. It was 1984, and for the NBA and the nation, the year was full of milestone moments.In Dynasty Restored: How Larry Bird and the 1984 Boston Celtics Conquered the NBA and Changed Basketball, Thomas J. Whalen explores this fascinating and dramatic season. The NBA had been struggling, seen as a minor sports league and suffering from poor attendance, lagging television ratings, and embarrassing drug scandals. The Celtics were beset by locker room turmoil, disruptive coaching, ownership changes, and underperforming stars. But Whalen reveals how that all changed when Bird and his fellow Big Three frontcourt teammates Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, along with newcomer Dennis Johnson, banded together to lift the venerable franchise to its fifteenth world championship and helped to transform the league into a global entertainment brand.Dynasty Restored offers insight into the personal barriers Larry Bird had to overcome to achieve NBA stardom, discusses the personal tensions that existed on the team between Bird and McHale, and gives a probing analysis of the unique pressures Black Celtics players faced in a post-Boston Busing Crisis environment. And it shows how this singular season turbocharged the Celtics and the professional game to unprecedented heights.

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Book SynopsisA fascinating look back at the incredible lives and careers of Willie McCovey and Billy Williams, part of the second generation of Black ballplayers who followed in the footsteps of Jackie Robinson.Professional baseball has featured a bevy of superstars over the past century and a half, but only a few of them have impacted their sport and cities as deeply as Willie McCovey and Billy Williams. Born just a handful of miles apart in 1938, they grew up playing baseball in and around one of the sport's true cradles, Mobile, Alabama, on their way to producing two iconic careers in the major leagues. In A Time for Reflection: The Parallel Legacies of Baseball Icons Willie McCovey and Billy Williams, Jason Cannon weaves together the stories of McCovey and Williams to provide an up close and personal perspective of their lives and Hall of Fame careers. Often overshadowed by their teams' superstars, these two players, through hard work and strength of character, overcame difficult times, formidable obstacles, and hideous racism to become two of baseball's best. Their leadership and dedication to their clubsMcCovey spent 19 of his seasons playing for the San Francisco Giants and Williams played 16 seasons for the Chicago Cubsmade them beloved by fans and teammates alike. Featuring original interviews with family members, friends, teammates, and Williams himself, A Time for Reflection brings to life their monumental accomplishments on the diamond while also detailing how these two legends grew into pillars of San Francisco and Chicago and inspired future generations of ballplayers.

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Book SynopsisA fascinating look back on baseball's humble beginnings and its transformation into the national pastime, told through the lives of two men who dominated the game.The nineteenth century was a time of rapid growth and development for the game of base ball, and players George Wright and Albert Spalding were right in the thick of it. These two young men, the first superstars of the professional game, won the hearts of a country in search of a unifying spirit after a devastating civil war.Selling Baseball: How Superstars George Wright and Albert Spalding Impacted Sports in America breathes fresh energy into baseball's origin story with this captivating tale of two vibrant personalities whose rivalry cum friendship was integral to the rise of the professional game. While they came from starkly different backgroundsAlbert Spalding was a young, gangly pitcher from the country's heartland and George Wright was the consummate athlete from New York Citytheir captivating performances on the field and promotion of the game and sports equipment off it fed the public's insatiable appetite for leisure-time pursuits and helped grow professional baseball to unprecedented heights.George Wright and Albert Spalding's stories are masterfully woven together to paint a sweeping picture of the early days of professional baseball, the evolution of sports as a business, and the advancement of sports equipment and the sporting goods industry. Their rise as players and businessmen mirrored the rise of a nation that would lead the world in the coming century.

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Book SynopsisThe remarkable autobiography of Lou Vairo, the Godfather of Hockey, who helped to propel the game to unprecedented heights in the United States.Lou Vairo's impact on hockey in the US is unparalleled. He's been involved in the sport for over six decades, instilling an innovative style and mindset at all levels of the game. His life is an epic insider's hockey story, one that travels around the world from the US to Germany, Russia, the Netherlands, and Italy, involving larger-than-life characters and historic moments.Lou Vairo: The Godfather of US Hockey tells how Lou rose from the roller-hockey streets of Brooklyn to become a force behind the success of American men's ice hockey. His journey is full of twists and turns, from learning to coach hockey at the most basic level to meeting with some of the greatest hockey minds in the world, becoming a scout with the gold-medal winning 1980 Miracle on Ice US Olympic team, coaching in the NHL and in Europe, and creating USA Hockey's diversity program which gave access to the game for tens of thousands of American players who would otherwise have been left out. Lou's love and passion for hockey shines through at every moment of his story. Through his vision, hard work, and persistence, players and coaches finally received the support they needed to excel on the ice and become a force on the international stage.

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Book SynopsisA fascinating history of the Super Bowl and its massive impact on the sports world and beyond.The Super Bowl has changed what was just another wintry Sunday into America's unofficial holiday. It's the biggest entertainment event of the year. It's the most important advertising event of the year. It is the biggest gambling event of the year. More Americans watch this game than vote in presidential elections.How did this all happen? In The Football Game That Changed America, Dennis Deninger reveals how the Super Bowl went from almost being canceled after its first two years to becoming an ingrained part of American life. He tells the story of how this colossal event came to beincluding the challenges, stumbles, and amusing surprises along the wayand details the game's incredible impact well beyond the sports world, touching virtually every facet of life in the United States. Featuring colorful characters, bold rivals, and twists of fate, The Football Game That Changed America brings the history, growth, and future of the Super Bowl to life. It's a captivating deep dive into a sporting event like no other.

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Book SynopsisWhen Ernie Banks passed away in 2015, he was regarded as one of the most beloved men in baseball history. Making his start as a shortstop with the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues as a teenager, Banks went on to become the first African American to play for the Chicago Cubs. Known affectionately as Mr. Cub, he brought exceptional talent and boundless optimism to the game of baseball, earning him a Presidential Medal of Freedom and a place in the Hall of Fame.In Let's Play Two: The Life and Times of Ernie Banks, Doug Wilson explores the life of one of baseball's most immortal figures, from his humble beginnings as a young boy living in the segregated South to his last few years and the public battles over his remains and will. Drawing on interviews of those close to Banks from all stages of his life, Wilson presents a portrait of the baseball player not just as an athlete, but also as a complex man with ambitious goals and hidden pains. Ernie Banks's enthusiasm and skill transcended issues of race and helped him to become one of the most highly-regarded men in baseball. Offering details that have never before been printed, this book discusses Banks's athletic prowess as well as the legacy he left behind. Let's Play Two is the essential Ernie Banks biography for sports fans and historians alike.

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Book SynopsisFrom ESPN’s correspondent Marty Smith— a book of key leadership principles learned from championship coaches he’s interviewed over the past two decades.Sideline CEO delves into the unique psychology and daily preparation and gameplan execution of some of America’s most respected leaders—the coaches who have led hugely successful programs to win it all.    In talking to these sideline CEOs, Marty develops a set of leadership pillars that include: Building vital TRUST within the organization. Creating open lines of COMMUNICATION. DELEGATING responsibility—and thereby empowerment—to your coaches and players. Establishing and sustaining the RIGHT CULTURE in your program. MANAGING CRISES and adversity. EVOLVING with the game, the players and society, and always challenging your team. Packed with insight, candor and keen storytelling from some of the greatest coaches of all time, Sideline CEO offers valuable takeaways that go beyond the game and can help set intentions for winning in our daily lives.

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