Description
Book SynopsisOutside the Limelight pulls back the curtain on Ivy League basketball. At a time when college sports have become a multimillion dollar industry, Kathy Orton reminds us of why some young men chase hoop dreams—not for an NBA contract, but for the love of the game.
Trade Review"Orton, a
Washington Post sports writer, makes a game effort of illuminating the inside game of a sport that has been remarkably monotonous in its outcome." * Bloomberg News *
"Not many people are aware of the drama of Ivy League basketball.
Outside the Limelight is a wonderful tribute to one of the most undervalued conferences in college basketball. I know. I've got the tuition bills." -- Tony Kornheiser * Washington Post and ESPN *
"Growing up, I was very impressed with Bill Bradley, Jim McMillian and Heyward Dotson. They fueled my interest in going to an Ivy League school. I hoped we as a team could duplicate the success they had at their schools. Kathy Orton introduces college basketball fans to the Ivy League beyond the well-known names and tells the story of the joys and sorrows of a season." -- James Brown * Harvard '73 and CBS Sports/Showtime studio host *
"In my book, there's no such thing as an Ivy League player. There is such a thing as a basketball player who happens to play in the Ivy League. As
Outside the Limelight reveals, when they come out of the locker room and step across the white line, they are basketball players. Period."
-- Pete Carril * former Princeton coach and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame member *
"As someone who played in the Ivy League, and always wanted to write about it, Kathy Orton has beaten me to it. And good for her, for she's written a wonderful book that captures both the league's idiosyncrasies and its uniqueness. It's all here, the coaches trying to win in a league without athletic scholarships, the players grappling with their own basketball dreams, and the bus rides, too. In many ways the Ivy League is the last real amateur league in college basketball, a page out of a simpler basketball time, and Orton captures it all. I wish I had written it." -- Bill Reynolds * Brown '68 and Providence Journal sports columnist *
"Journalist Orton followed Ivy League men's basketball during the 2005-06 season, as Penn and Princeton battled for the top spot and Harvard, Cornell, Yale, Brown, Dartmouth, and Columbia struggled to achieve winning records. This charming book recalls a time when colleges played basketball solely for the love of the sport. Highly recommended." * Choice *
"Orton has honored [these players] with her thoughtful account." * Town Topics *
"Orton provide[s] a fresh look at the non-scholarship, true student athletes in the game." * The Saratogian *
Table of ContentsForeword
Preface
1 Origins of a League
Part I Great Expectations 2 A Mom-and-Pop Store
3 Great Scott
4 Multicultural Quakers
5 Getting Under Way
6 Roll Crimson Pride
7 Backdoor Cuts
8 A Tradition Tarnished
9 Bright Lights, Big Stages
Part II The Heart of the Season 10 Harvardization
11 Conference Calls
12 We Interrupt This Season . . .
13 The Road Is the Thing
14 Everyone Onto the Court
15 Brothers in Arms
16 A Rivalry Like No Other
17 Topsy-Turvy Weekend
18 Dreams Deferred
19 And the Winner Is . . .
Part III Tournament Hoopiness 20 The Wait of Expectations
Epilogue
