Search results for ""triumph books""

When University of Minnesota football coach Jerry Kill stepped down due to health concerns in October 2015, he said, “I can’t do what I love doing anymore.” What Kill loved doing, and did remarkably well, was turn around college football programs. In this book Coach Kill shares for the first time his inspirational, thought-provoking, and heartwarming story, from his early years playing for and working under Dennis Franchione to guiding the Gophers to a New Year’s Day bowl game and being named Big Ten Coach of the Year. Kill describes his dedication to his players, how he drove them, and made them into disciplined and inspired football players. Readers will also learn about Kill’s work to bring awareness to cancer and epilepsy.

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An elite pass rusher who was in the prime of his career, Charles Haley was traded from the San Francisco 49ers to an NFC rival, the Dallas Cowboys. Why would they make such a trade? The 49ers did so because Haley had become so difficult for teammates and coaches alike. It turns out that he acted this way because he had bipolar disorder. Haley, a Hall of Famer and the only NFL player who earned five Super Bowl rings, documents what it was like suffering from that condition and how he overcame it. He details what it was like to play for two championship organizations and the fights, transgression, and squabbles that marked his career.

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All In. The moment that LeBron James declared his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014, there was no doubt the franchise was all in on ending the city of Cleveland's over half-century drought without a major sports championship. From the mid-season coaching change to a 3-1 NBA Finals deficit, the Cavs were determined to overcome any obstacle to capture the first NBA title in franchise history. Unlike in 2015 when they were decimated by injuries, they stayed largely healthy in the 2016 playoffs and torched the Pistons, Hawks, and Raptors on their way to a Finals rematch versus Stephen Curry and the record-breaking Warriors. Packed with unmatched analysis and dynamic color photography, Cleveland Is King takes fans through the Cavaliers historic and improbable journey, from Tyronn Lue taking over as coach during the season, to LeBron shaping the team in his image, to the team rallying from the brink of elimination in dramatic fashion to steal the championship in Oakland. This commemorative edition also includes in-depth profiles of King James, Finals hero Kyrie Irving, big man Kevin Love, and more key players in the Cleveland's extraordinary championship run.

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Every St. Louis Cardinals fan has a bucket list of activities to take part in at some point in their lives. But even the most die-hard fans haven’t done everything there is to experience in and around St. Louis. From visiting Ballpark Village to learning how to do an Ozzie Smith backflip, author Dan O’Neill provides ideas, recommendations, and insider tips for must-see places and can't-miss activities near Busch Stadium. But not every experience requires a trip to St. Louis; long-distance Cardinals fans can cross some items off their list from the comfort of their own homes. Whether you're attending every home game or supporting the Cards from afar, there's something for every fan to do in The St. Louis Cardinals Fans' Bucket List.

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Jim Palmer was just 20 years old when he became the youngest pitcher ever to throw a World Series shutout, helping lead the Baltimore Orioles to their first-ever championship, in 1966. Two years later, Palmer’s budding career almost ended due to arm problems. Yet, he mounted an inspiring comeback and reached the pinnacle of his profession, becoming the winningest pitcher of the 1970s and the only hurler to win a World Series game in three different decades. With three World Series rings, three Cy Young Awards and six All-Star selections to his name, an exemplary record as a spokesperson for charities and corporations, and his long tenure as a TV baseball analyst, Palmer is an authority on what it takes to succeed on and off of the field. Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer and co-author Alan Maimon take readers inside the clubhouse, broadcast booth, and corporate world to tell the story of a one-of-a-kind career that serves as a how-to guide on succeeding in the workplace. Interspersed with memorable stories from his illustrious career with the Orioles, this book includes baseball wisdom and life-lessons learned from the one-of-a-kind Earl Weaver as well as colorful anecdotes about O’s teammates like Cal Ripken, Jr and Rick Dempsey, and broadcast partners Howard Cosell and Al Michaels.

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Chronicling the Brewers from the Suds Series of 1982 to the 2011 National League Central title and from Bambi’s Bombers of the late '70s to Harvey’s Wallbangers of the early '80s, Bill Schroeder, a longtime Brewers color commentator and former Brewers catcher, provides insight into the Brewers inner sanctum as only he can. Read about what goes on in the equipment and training rooms, how batting practice can be chaotic, what it’s like to travel with the team, and off-the-wall anecdotes like the time Steve Sparks injured his shoulder trying to rip a phone book in half after listening to a motivational speaker.

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From when the Phillies franchise was established in 1883 and a rookie manager led the team to its first National League pennant in 1915 to the World Series titles in 1980 and 2008, Larry Shenk, a longtime Phillies executive, provides insight into a potpourri of faces, places, events, and personalities in Phillies history. He takes readers through every no-hitter thrown by a Phillies pitcher and an incredible season by a relief pitcher who became the Most Valuable Player. Read about Mike Schmidt’s most dramatic home run, the youngest pitcher to ever win a game in the big leagues, the greatest one-game performance in World Series history, the most unbreakable records in franchise history, and why the Phillies held spring training in Pennsylvania during the 1940s.

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A tribute to the late Dean Smith, who was a basketball coaching legend at North Carolina as well as a socially conscious person who did what he thought was right, no matter the consequence. When he retired in 1997, he was the winningest coach in NCAA Division I men's basketball history. Beloved by fans and players alike, Coach Smith's legacy was apparent well before his passing in February 2015. In Dean Smith: More Than A Coach, the Charlotte Observer's commemorative tribute features rare stories and photographs from the newspaper's archives, with a powerful foreword by Phil Ford, one of North Carolina's all-time great players, as well as the writing of acclaimed Observer columnist Scott Fowler. Whether celebrating Smith's two national championships or his leadership in integrating the North Carolina basketball program, the book is a moving tribute to a beloved man.

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Victory is sweet, and it is made even sweeter when you have been counted out and called out by the naysayers and the haters. It had been a decade — twice as long as most NFL careers last — since the New England Patriots last won a Super Bowl. If time was not on their side, they countered it with the most successful coach/quarterback duo in NFL history: Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, who captured their fourth Super Bowl, and did so fittingly in Glendale, Ariz., the place where their dreams of a 19-0 season came undone six years ago. This ultimate comeback story is recounted in UNDENIABLE, produced by the Boston Globe, which has chronicled the team’s fortunes for New England sports fans since the team’s inception, and never more thoroughly than in 2014. Featuring exclusive photographs from the championship celebration in Boston, this limited edition, 144-page, hardcover book captures the Patriots’ indomitable march to their fourth Super Bowl triumph, while also offering perspective on their seven previous visits to football’s ultimate spectacle. The 2014 Patriots rallied from a humiliating loss in Week 4 — which pundits gleefully pointed to as the first sign of their decline — to reel off seven straight victories and establish themselves once again as the AFC’s top team and the league’s model of consistency. As UNDENIABLE painstakingly describes it, their road to Title No. 4 was marked by controversy and seeming chaos, but the Patriots cut through the distractions to do their job, again, better than anyone else.

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In this honest, no-nonsense book by one of the greatest American stars the NHL has ever known, Jeremy Roenick showcases his skill as a hockey storyteller In his one-of-a-kind way, Roenick shares stories from his 20-year career with the Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks, providing an inside perspective on the oddities of life as a pro athlete. He explains why he openly considered the pros and cons of fighting a fan, opens up about tales of partying on road trips, and even how he became friends with former Vice President Dan Quayle. In one chapter, Roenick lends the pen to his wife, Tracy, to tell her side of the story. Nothing is held back as J. R. reveals his opinions about teammates, opponents, and the future of the game.

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An irreverent, raucous account of Chelios's life and 26 seasons in the NHL From being inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013, to serving in an executive role on the Detroit Red Wings, and signing on to become an NHL analyst for Fox Sports 1, Chris Chelios has proven himself to be a man of many talents and here he tells his story. Drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in 1981, Chelios enjoyed a long career in the NHL, playing for 26 seasons for the Canadiens as well as the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings, two diehard hockey markets in which he has become a beloved figure. From the 1992 Stanley Cup final to the 2006 Winter Olympics team, Chelios shares his achievements on the ice while providing new information on his life off it to readers, making this autobiography a must-have not only for Chelios fans, but anyone who loves the game of hockey.

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The essential collection of activities and experiences for all Wildcats fanatics Even the most die-hard Wildcats fans haven’t done everything there is to experience in and around Lexington. From ordering the infamous breadstick at Joe Bologna’s Restaurant to visiting the Joe Craft Center, this book provides ideas, recommendations, and insider tips for must-see places and can’t-miss activities near campus. But not every experience requires a trip to Lexington; long-distance Wildcats fans can cross some items off their list from the comfort of their own homes. Whether you’re attending every home game or supporting the Wildcats from afar, there’s something for every fan to do in The Kentucky Wildcat Fans’ Bucket List.

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An autobiography of one of the greatest players in New England Patriots history Spotlighting a New England sports icon, this autobiography chronicles the extraordinary life and career of Troy Brown, the talented athlete who played 15 seasons with the New England Patriots. Brown demonstrates how his grit, hustle, and hard work endeared him to a generation of football fans. Brown's past is explored, relating how he made it through college and into the pros despite being given up on several times. His years with the Patriots are documented in detail, covering what it was like to play for Coach Belichick, why Tom Brady has been so successful, and the secrets behind his three Super Bowl wins. Traveling from his younger years in South Carolina through his college career in West Virginia and to the pinnacle of the NFL, this inspirational, rags-to-riches sports memoir will entertain, inform, and inspire football fans of all stripes, especially the hundreds of thousands of fans who support the Patriots—one of the most successful franchises in the league.

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Written by veteran sportswriter and Cardinals insider Rob Rains, Taking Flight answers two basic questions – what makes the Cardinals different from other organizations, and why are they so successful? Perhaps the most important man in the history of the organization was George Kissell. Among the future managers who came under Kissell’s tutelage were Sparky Anderson, Joe Torre, Tony La Russa and the Cardinals’ current manager, Mike Matheny. Kissell’s imprint is still everywhere on the Cardinals’ organization, nearly five years after his death. So too is the work of longtime coach and catching instructor Dave Ricketts, the man who first trained Matheny and later, Yadier Molina. It is the men such as Kissell and Ricketts, who worked for years without fame or notoriety, who helped mold the Cardinals into the franchise it is today.

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In April 2012, after being selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the NFL draft, Russell Wilson wasn’t even guaranteed the starting quarterback spot for the Seahawks. Two years later, he led Seattle to the playoffs in his two years starting for the team, and led the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl win in franchise history. Along the way, Russell silenced doubters who said that he was too short to be an NFL starting quarterback, marking career milestones such as the most regular-season wins by a quarterback in his first two seasons, with 24, and being named the 2012 Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year. This commemorative book examines the young phenom’s career from North CarolinaState to Wisconsin, with a detour into professional baseball, and through the Super Bowl XLVIII win.

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An inside look at the University of Michigan’s football program from the man who was the team’s equipment manager for more than four decades Forty years ago, Michigan equipment manager Jon Falk began his legacy, becoming a living encyclopedia of Michigan football tradition and history. Hired by Bo Schembechler in 1974, the now retired Falk shares his firsthand, inside stories from in the locker room, on the sideline, and on the road with one of college football’s most storied institutions. He may not be as well known as the Big House or the Little Brown Jug, but among coaches, players, and a good portion of the Michigan football faithful, Jon Falk has fashioned a lively legend of his own. Falk’s recollections connect the past and present to highlight the importance of the relationships created during the best four years of any college player’s life and it’s those relationships that drive the Wolverines to success.

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Baseball’s new dynasty is the San Francisco Giants. The Giants captured their third World Series crown in five seasons in 2014—this last one having taken perhaps the most unlikely path. San Francisco finished second in the NL West but advanced to the Wild Card game against Pittsburgh. The Giants stomped the Pirates 8-0, then outlasted the Washington Nationals and the St. Louis Cardinals to set up a Fall Classic showdown with the Kansas City Royals.Packed with insider analysis and outstanding color photography from the Bay Area’s largest newspaper publisher, Triple Crowned takes fans through the Giants’ improbable journey, from Tim Lincecum’s June no-hitter to the Wild Card game in Pittsburgh to the final out against the Royals. This commemorative edition also includes profiles of Madison Bumgarner, Hunter Pence, Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval, and other fan favorites.

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From being inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013, to serving in an executive role on the Detroit Red Wings, and signing on to become an NHL analyst for Fox Sports 1, Chris Chelios has proven himself to be a man of many talents and here he tells his story. Drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in 1981, Chelios enjoyed a long career in the NHL, playing for 26 seasons for the Canadiens as well as the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings, two diehard hockey markets in which he has become a beloved figure. From the 1992 Stanley Cup final to the 2006 Winter Olympics team, Chelios shares his achievements on the ice while providing new information on his life off it to readers, making this autobiography a must-have not only for Chelios fans, but anyone who loves the game of hockey.

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Having played his entire career for the Green Bay Packers for the better part of a decade, Paul Hornung’s collection of memorabilia and photographs span a large and important section of Packers history. Now, Hornung makes his private collection of memorabilia available to the public for the first time ever, and includes never-before-seen photographs. This scrapbook also features such photos as his original contract with the Packers and stories and memories from Hornung himself, making this one-of-a-kind collection the perfect keepsake for any Cheesehead.

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In Under Pressure, Ray Lucas provides fans with a timely, uncensored look at pro football’s play-at-all-costs culture. Overcoming questions about his size and skills as a quarterback, Lucas persevered and went on to play seven seasons in the NFL. His professional football career, however, came to a sudden end at age 30, when a neck injury caused him to collapse on the sideline during training camp. Instructed by NFL doctors that surgery wasn’t an option, Lucas turned to painkillers for relief, but as his tolerance for medication escalated and his NFL insurance coverage expired, he began to plan his suicide. Just days before he planned to take his life, Lucas was put in touch with a group of doctors who agreed to perform neck surgery free of charge. In this tell-all, Lucas shares how—in a league without guaranteed contracts and careers that average just a few seasons long—players in the training room are perceived to lack the toughness necessary to succeed on the field. He discusses how this prevailing attitude leads to widespread abuse of painkillers and leaves many former players unable to lead a normal life once their playing career ends while also sharing details on how he overcame his drug addiction and turned his own life around.

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Johnny Unitas is widely considered the finest quarterback ever to play the game. Much has been written about his life, but for the first time, Unitas’s son, John, writes about his father and reveals information about his family and father’s career that has never before been brought to light. For anyone who holds an interest in either Unitas’s life or NFL history, John Unitas Jr.’s revealing and touching biography honoring the life and times of his father is a must-read. It sheds light on the character and convictions of the man who has lived on in NFL history, both on and off the field, offering clues to what made him the man and the player he was.

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This biography of Joe Paterno by his son Jay is an honest and touching look at the life and legacy of a beloved coaching legend. Jay Paterno paints a full picture of his father’s life and career as well as documenting that almost none of the horrific crimes that came to light in 2012 took place at PennState. Jay Paterno clear-headedly confronts the events that happened with cool facts and with passion, demonstrating that this was just one more case of an innocent man convicted by the media for a crime in which he had no part. Noting that the scandal itself was but a short moment in Joe Paterno’s life and legacy, the book focuses on Paterno’s greatness as a father and grandfather, his actions as a miraculous coach to his players, and his skillful dealings with his assistant coaches. A memorial to one of the greatest coaches in college football history, the book also reveals insightful anecdotes from his son and coaching pupil.

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Examining the connection between baseball and our society as a whole, How Baseball Explains America is a fascinating, one-of-a-kind journey through America's pastime. Longtime USA TODAY baseball editor and columnist Hal Bodley explores just how essential baseball is to understanding the American experience. He takes readers into the Oval Office with George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton as the former presidents share their thoughts on the game, he looks at the changes that America's Greatest Generation ushered in, as well as examining baseball's struggle with performance enhancing drugs alongside America's war on drugs. An unabashedly celebratory explanation of America's love affair with baseball and the men who make it possible, this work sheds light on topics such as the role Jackie Robinson's signing with the Dodgers played in the civil rights movement, how baseball's westward expansion mirrored the growth of our national economy, labor strife, baseball families, the international explosion of the game, and even the myriad ways in which movies, music, and baseball are intrinsically tied. It is a must read for anyone interested in more fully understanding not only the game but also the nation in which it thrives.

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1989 was a season of both triumph and tragedy for the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics, still marking baseball’s only cross-Bay series. But 1989 is remembered as much for the devastating earthquake that struck moments before Game 3 of the World Series as it is for the exploits of Mark McGwire, Will Clark, and other stars. In this history, Gary Peterson combines his firsthand observations with meticulous research and new interviews with players, coaches, and broadcasters to offer a fresh perspective of that unforgettable year. From Dave Dravecky’s emotional return to the mound after cancer surgery and his gruesome injury in his next start to highlight-reel performances by Clark, McGwire, Jose Canseco, and Rickey Henderson to Dave Stewart reaching out to rescue workers after the earthquake, Battle of the Bay captures the agony and excitement that surrounded the Bay Area in the summer and fall of 1989.

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In Super Bowl XLVIII, the Seattle Seahawks triumphed over the Denver Broncos to secure the franchise's first championship. This commemorative edition features unique photographs and highlights from the Super Bowl in New Jersey and captures the team's road to the title. Taking readers through every exciting moment of this historic campaign through award-winning stories and photos from the News Tribune and the Olympian, Super Hawks highlights the Seahawks' season from their dominating win over San Francisco in the home opener to the team's ascent to the No. 1 spot in the NFC standings to Richard Sherman's unforgettable deflection in the final seconds of the NFC Championship Game. This keepsake also includes features on head coach Pete Carroll, quarterback Russell Wilson, running back Marshawn Lynch, Sherman, and more—accompanied by vivid color photographs every step along the way.

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Through the words and images of the Denver Post, this book captures the impact of Peyton Manning’s arrival in Denver, from his signing in March and his first game in a Broncos uniform through the team’s push to the top of the AFC standings and into the playoffs. Essential reading for Broncos fans heading into the team’s second season with Manning under center, this work celebrates the reemergence of a star quarterback in the aftermath of a career-threatening injury. With stories and imagery from the award-winning staff at Colorado’s largest newspaper, this keepsake encapsulates the fever pitch surrounding the Broncos’ return to greatness.

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A 35-year veteran of Notre Dame’s athletic department chronicles one of the most exciting seasons in Fighting Irish football history, providing details on the team’s rise to a number 1 ranking and offering insights and anecdotes on team stars like Everett Golson and Manti Te’o as well as AP Coach of the Year Brian Kelly. Taking readers inside the locker room, to the practice field, and on the sidelines for game days, this book covers all aspects of the historic season—from the season opening with over Navy in Dublin, Ireland and the thrilling overtime win over Stanford to the ousting of rival USC to complete a perfect, undefeated season and secure a spot in the national championship game. Providing unprecedented access to the Notre Dame football program, this guide includes interviews with Irish coaches and staff, making it the book no Domer will want to be without.

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Some of greatest untold stories from Michigan’s football program are shared in this book based on intimate interviews with former players and coaches. Due to his long history covering Michigan football, author Steve Kornacki was given open-door access to Lloyd Carr, Bo Schembelcher, and Gary Moeller, all of whom provided hours of their time sharing their personal accounts and of occurrences during their coaching tenures; the stuff that legends are made of. Stories include being in the Michigan locker room after Bo Schembechler’s last game in the Big House and hearing his rousing speech leading the team in “The Victors” as they punctuated each verse by thrusting red roses toward the ceiling. Coach Carr tells about riding in a limousine through New York on the eve of the Heisman Trophy presentation with Desmond Howard en route to a meeting at NBC Studios with Tom Brokaw and a night in the green room at Late Night with David Letterman. A more heartfelt yarn is the “American Dream” tale of quarterback Elvis Grbac’s Croatian family and the story of center Steve Everitt’s family surviving Hurricane Andrew in a bathtub with the family dog and his 1990 Gator Bowl MVP trophy. Go Blue! reaches back to those special places in time in the program’s history in addition to sharing heartwarming anecdotes. This collection is something no Michigan football fan will want to be without.

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For more than a half century, as a superstar ballplayer, television broadcaster, and front office executive, Al Kaline has personified the Detroit Tigers like no one else. In the Tigers' clubhouse of today, stars such as Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander—neither of whom were even born when he played in the major leagues—respectfully address him as "Mr. Kaline." Tigers fans around the country of every generation refer to him simply as "Mr. Tiger." Now, for the first time, the life and career of this remarkable individual are presented in this compelling new biography. Learn how the skinny, shy youngster with a deformed foot and an undying love for the game of baseball went straight from high school and the sandlots of Baltimore to the big leagues where, at the age of 20, he became the youngest batting champion in baseball history. That achievement marked the start of a first-ballot Hall of Fame career that would carry him to 3,000 hits and a plaque on the hallowed wall at Cooperstown.

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Packed with cutting-edge training programs that are backed by scientific research and proven by professional trainers and athletes, this workbook provides the very best fat-burning workouts. Containing numerous fitness regimens, this book provides the step-by-step instructions necessary to effectively shed fat and to get into optimal shape. In addition, this collection buttresses the workouts with comprehensive meal plans that ensure readers maximize fat loss while also increasing energy levels and maintaining overall health.

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To raise the Vince Lombardi trophy means victory, and victory means surviving the epic journey fraught with peril and adversity that is the game of professional football—a unique life-changing moment that is captured in exciting detail in this collection of sports history. Each year, the National Football League awards the prestigious trophy to the Super Bowl–winning team, an honor that some players will spend an entire career without experiencing. Bestselling sports author Ross Bernstein interviewed more than 100 of the fortunate few from NFL history, both players and coaches, who share the common thread of being championship winners.

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In Star-Spangled Hockey, legendary hockey writer Kevin Allen takes readers on a journey from the earliest days of USA Hockey to celebrate the organization's 75th anniversary. From the beginning, when the organization was started literally out of a shoebox in Tom Lockhart's New York City apartment, to the excitement generated by the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, this book covers the fascinating history of amateur hockey in America.

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Joe Paterno has scaled the heights of his profession, winning more than 400 games, a pair of national championships and nationwide respect for the program he built and sustained. In his mid-eighties now, he has vowed to continue with coaching, excited by the prospect of another promising team, and another autumn in Happy Valley. In this exciting new biography of a coaching icon, Frank Fitzpatrick, author of The Lion in Autumn, chronicles the life and career of the winningest coach in Division 1 football history.

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Ideal for an entertaining start to the day or a fun coffee break, these java-themed word puzzles are a mental workout with a humor buzz. For more than 40 years, millions of newspaper readers have delighted in solving Jumble®, which appears in hundreds of national papers and in these puzzle books that offer hours of challenging wordplay and fun. Each page features a series of mixed-up words coupled with a cartoon clue, and one letter from each word is used to form the answer to the puzzle.

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After nearly half a century, the Stanley Cup again belongs to Chicago and fans can now bring all their memories of the Blackhawks' run home with this unique keepsake. Filled with full-color images and stories about the championship season, Hawkeytown is a must-have for fans that have finally seen the Hawks' 49-year championship drought come to an end.

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Long before Shane Victorino gained fame as a Gold Glove center fielder, All-Star, and World Series champion with the Philadelphia Phillies, he was a precocious child on the island of Maui, frustrating teachers with his inability to sit still and tagging along with older boys to neighborhood ball fields. For Victorino, diagnosed at an early age with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, sports became an ideal outlet for his boundless energy. As the first Maui native ever to appear in a World Series, Victorino played an integral role in giving his team, and the city of Philadelphia, a memory for the ages. In Shane Victorino: The Flyin' Hawaiian, readers will find the compelling story of a young man whose persistence and determination helped him overcome obstacles and emerge victorious at the highest level of his profession.

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In this revealing biography, the exhaustive research of acclaimed sports historian Carlo DeVito sheds new light on a football coaching legend Bill Parcells, exposing the two-time Super Bowl–winning coach's moxie and lifelong dedication to football. The book digs deep into Bill Parcells' past to unlock the secrets of what made him who he is today, following him from his childhood, through 15 years of college coaching, to his first big chance in the pros and the year that almost broke him. With more than 3,000 interviews, newspaper and magazine articles, and scores of primary resources, DeVito's book brings Parcells to life as readers have never seen him before.

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Former NASCAR president, chairman, and CEO William Clifton France—known to most people at Bill France Jr.—is remembered and revered as the man who followed his visionary father at the helm of NASCAR, in the process becoming a visionary himself as he guided NASCAR to unprecedented levels of popularity. The biography covers Bill Jr.'s role in NASCAR's formative years; his assumption of the NASCAR presidency, replacing his father; the sports' explosion under his leadership; his courageous battle with cancer throughout the last decade of his life; and his final role, as NASCAR vice chairman and main advisor to NASCAR's third generation leader, his son, Chairman and CEO Brian France.

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Director of the Pebble Beach Golf Academy, Laird Small, teaches golfers how to improve their score by changing their mental approach to the game and answers key questions such as How do you manage first-tee jitters? What questions should you ask yourself before every approach shot? How do you read tricky lies and get out of trouble? How can you think like an architect? and How do you bounce back after a bad hole? He shares anecdotes and lessons he learned from some of the greatest champions in golf—including Nicklaus, Watson, Palmer, Miller, and Woods—and how they navigated their way around this storied course. From Nicklaus’s famous 1-iron to the 17th green at the 1972 U.S. Open to Watson’s remarkable chip-in on the same hole 10 years later, this book tells their stories as well as how these legends pulled off each shot and what they were thinking. After reading Play Golf the Pebble Beach Way, golfers will not only be ready to play Pebble Beach, they'll have the tools necessary to shoot their lowest scores ever without having to wade through hundreds of complicated terms and swing details. The book teaches golfers how to play better golf using their own authentic swing while having more fun doing it.

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Packed with dynamic photos, authoritative text, and the latest stats, this guide is the perfect introduction to the U.S. Men's National Team as they prepare for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Finding itself ranked among the planet's best as it seeks an unprecedented sixth straight appearance in the World Cup, the team is filled with an amazing collection of young talent, including players competing at the highest levels of European club soccer or starring in America's flourishing Major League Soccer.

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From stocking supermarket shelves and playing in two Super Bowls with the Rams to being consigned to the NFL scrap heap and then starring in a third Super Bowl with the Arizona Cardinals, Kurt Warner's story is a saga of dreams realized and opportunities rewarded against all odds. This biography also stands as a vivid testimony to the faith of a man and his wife to whom tragedy is no stranger and whose commitment to family and community is an inspiration for all. This stunning, full-color volume is a treat for both the eyes and the spirit.

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From his standout youth, where he honed his skills on a backyard rink, to his unlikely jump to the pros at the age of 17, this biography chronicles Wayne Gretzky’s ascension to the greatest hockey player of all time to his shocking trade from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings in 1998—an event that rocked hockey fans across North America. This chronicle reveals, for the first time, the true story behind the deal, as well as Gretzky's important role in making the trade happen. From the press conference where the trade was announced and where Gretzky wept, this work notes how the “Great One” could have been crying tears of joy as he realized his life was about to get a whole lot better—playing for more money in a California city that would be a perfect home for him and his glamorous new actress-wife.

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When Mitch Williams threw the pitch that lost the 1993 World Series for the Philadelphia Phillies, no one could have predicted that his reaction to the loss would win the hearts and minds of Phillies fans across the nation. He stood at his locker for an hour after the game, answering every question, most of which could be answered simply: "I threw a bad pitch." He didn't go into hiding, make excuses, or believe that one loss was the end of the world. Phillies fans, notorious as the toughest in sports, recognized a stand-up guy when they saw one and embraced him as one of their own. Though his successful pitching career is behind him, Mitch is still standing up in Philadelphia and telling it like it is. Straight Talk from Wild Thing is the story of his career, but more than that, it is inside baseball seen from many perspectives: sitting on a 10-hour minor league bus ride, standing on a pitcher's mound, and sitting in a clubhouse, a dugout, and a ranch in Texas, where a man who "retired" at age 32 struggled to figure out what to do next.

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Built from a library of grueling workouts, training secrets, and nutritional tips used by America's professional gridiron greats, this book gives an inside look at the best workouts, together with instructions and advice from ten of professional football's most prolific and well-conditioned players and their coaches. The pros' training methods are compiled into detailed workout programs, with step-by-step exercise descriptions, that will improve on-field performance in the safest and most effective ways possible. Such greats as Reggie Bush, Payton Manning, and Brian Urlacher perform actual workouts in this illustrative guide that will help all levels of athlete, or anyone else interested in diversifying their fitness approaches, step up their game.

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In this powerful and book, the former players and people who know Jim Tressel well reveal in never-before-told stories how this unique coach's philosophy on football and life impacted their own lives in profound ways. More than 50 individuals provide in-depth interviews, including former Youngstown State athletic director Joe Malmisur, A. J. Hawk, Craig Krenzel, John Cooper, Troy Smith, and Archie Griffin, to name but a few. A dynamic and dramatic book that offers a unique perspective on Tressel the coach, the mentor, and the friend, these stories teach valuable lessons on working hard on and off the field.

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Specializing in feel-good humor, this collection of scrambled word puzzles entertains as well as challenges. For more than 40 years, millions of newspaper readers have delighted in solving Jumble®, which appears in hundreds of national papers and in these puzzle books that offer hours of challenging wordplay and fun. Each page features a series of mixed-up words coupled with a cartoon clue, and one letter from each word is used to form the answer to the puzzle.

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The definitive work on this rare coronation, this book delves into the history, personalities, and subplots of each of the 11 Triple Crown champions. From Sir Barton in 1919 through Affirmed in 1978, each Triple Crown winner has exhibited a true personality and charisma befitting of super stardom and renowned author Marvin Drager's prose brings to life these 11 remarkable stories. The Most Glorious Crown is a unique and fascinating inspection of each champion, their jockeys, owners, and trainers, as well as a riveting account of each race and the events leading up to each historic event. This magnificent oversized book includes more than 150 archival, authentic black-and-white photographs of each thoroughbred throughout different stages of its career. It also includes actual racing forms from each race for the Triple Crown.

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Away from the game and the players for which it was crafted, the baseball bat is a sleek but humble creation. Yet in the hands of batters both young and old who have been stepping to the plate on diamonds around the world for more than a century, the bat is a powerful tool, capable of yielding lasting memories or making legends of a lifetime. And no bat has had more impact on baseball and the players of the game than Louisville Slugger, the tool of the trade used by millions-from the major leagues to college and youth leagues. In accordance with Louisville Slugger's 125th anniversary, the complete history of the bat, its impact on the game, and the on-going story of Hillerich and Bradsby's family business is told in these pages. Blending firsthand stories from former and current major leaguers with details from more than 100 years of craftsmanship and contribution, this comprehensive history of baseball's bat and its impact on America's game is a must-have and must-read for anyone who has ever stood at the plate waiting on a pitch-or watched as a fan-hoping for a miracle.

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