“Pat Toomay has mixed fact and fiction to produce a story that will make every armchair quarterback laugh and wince—and worry at his exposition of “the game’s” most insidious reality: the prospect — on any given Sunday—of a fix.” —John Seigenthaler, USA Today “Toomay, for many years a lineman with the Cowboys and the Raiders, gives a sinister turn to the old saw that ‘on any given Sunday, one team can beat another’. . . . He writes knowledgeably about football: its strategy, the pain, the respect and hatred between the men in the trenches.” —Publishers Weekly
An authoritative 100-year history of America's National Football League from its founding. The NFL has become the most lucrative sports league in the world, yet it has not always been a roaring success story. It is a rocky road filled with detours and wrong turns; with heroes and villains; and, most importantly, with thousands of games. Any Given Sunday recounts twenty of the biggest of those, starting with the first contest ever played in 1920 and working through to key fixtures in the recent past. Each chapter is complemented by interviews with some of the game's true stars; first-hand accounts from games, including multiple Super Bowls; and, finally, full access to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Matthew Sherry, founder of Gridiron, the UK's only NFL magazine, takes readers from the boardroom to the field, into the locker-room and inside the journeys of legends, providing a full snapshot of the NFL's epic first century.
Bert Bell, a native of Philadelphia, has been called the most powerful executive figure in the history of professional football. He was responsible for helping to transform the game from a circus sideshow into what has become the most popular spectator sport in America. In On Any Given Sunday, the first biography of this important sports figure, historian Robert Lyons recounts the remarkable story of how de Benneville “Bert” Bell rejected the gentility of a high society lifestyle in favor of the tougher gridiron, and rose to become the founder of the Philadelphia Eagles and Commissioner of the National Football League. Bell, who arguably saved the league from bankruptcy by conceiving the idea for the annual player draft, later made the historic decision to introduce “sudden death” overtime—a move that propelled professional football into the national consciousness. He coined the phrase “on any given sunday” and negotiated the league’s first national TV contract. Lyons also describes in fascinating detail Bell’s relationships with leading figures ranging from such Philadelphia icons as Walter Annenberg and John B. Kelly to national celebrities and U.S. Presidents. He also provides insight into Bell’s colorful personal life—including his hell-raising early years and his secret marriage to Frances Upton, a golden name in show business. On Any Given Sunday is being published on the 50th anniversary of Bell’s death.
The triumphant story of beloved golfer Phil Mickelson and the years of grit and tireless work that lead to his success, packed with personal insights and never-before-seen photos. Every year, he came so close only to fall short. Every year, the dream grew larger, only to fade away. Yet every year, his gallery of fans grew in support of his quest. Then, on April 11, 2004, for the most beloved golfer of the decade, everything changed. It is a moment ingrained in the hearts and minds of millions, a moment of epic triumph and destiny fulfilled that will be remembered for the ages. But for Phil Mickelson, winning the 2004 Masters was merely another step in an odyssey that began many years ago. Born into a sporting family, with a putter drawn on his birth announcement, Phil knew early on that golf would always be his passion. His parents embraced and nurtured that dream, but they taught him that winning isn't everything. In One Magical Sunday, Phil Mickelson takes us on a magical journey inside a life few have seen up close, but a life whose lessons can be cherished forever. As we travel hole-by-hole through that triumphant Sunday at the Masters, Phil looks back at the influences that made him the man he is today: his mom and dad, who mentored him on the balance between family and golf; his wife, Amy, who has given him so much happiness and fulfillment; and their three children, who remain their top priority. With personal insights from Phil's family and never-before-seen photos of his most treasured moments, One Magical Sunday is a book not only for Phil's millions of fans, but for everyone who finds inspiration in reading about a champion on and off the course.
Whatever your ailment, the nation's best-loved film experts have the perfect cinematic prescription for you, whether it's a course of the Coens or a dose of Die Hard. And they're ready to cure the movies to,, taking their scalpels to bloated blockbusters and warning of the ill effects of overpraise. Where medical ignorance and movie expertise meet - the surgery of Doctors Kermode and Mayo is now open.
In this powerful and evocative memoir, Oscar-winning director and screenwriter, Oliver Stone, takes us right to the heart of what it's like to make movies on the edge. In Chasing The Light he writes about his rarefied New York childhood, volunteering for combat, and his struggles and triumphs making such films as Platoon, Midnight Express, and Scarface. Before the international success of Platoon in 1986, Oliver Stone had been wounded as an infantryman in Vietnam, and spent years writing unproduced scripts while taking miscellaneous jobs and driving taxis in New York, finally venturing westward to Los Angeles and a new life. Stone, now 73, recounts those formative years with vivid details of the high and low moments: we sit at the table in meetings with Al Pacino over Stone's scripts for Scarface, Platoon, and Born on the Fourth of July; relive the harrowing demon of cocaine addiction following the failure of his first feature, The Hand (starring Michael Caine); experience his risky on-the-ground research of Miami drug cartels for Scarface; and see his stormy relationship with The Deer Hunter director Michael Cimino. We also learn of the breathless hustles to finance the acclaimed and divisive Salvador; and witness tensions behind the scenes of his first Academy Award-winning film, Midnight Express. The culmination of the book is the extraordinarily vivid recreation of filming Platoon in the depths of the Philippine jungle with Kevin Dillon, Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, Johnny Depp et al, pushing himself, the crew and the young cast almost beyond breaking point. Written fearlessly, with intense detail and colour, Chasing the Light is a true insider's story of Hollywood's years of upheaval in the 1970s and '80s, and Stone brings this period alive as only someone at the centre of the action truly can.
What does the Bible say about periods? The average woman has 500 periods in her lifetime. And whether yours are mildly annoying, utterly debilitating or emotionally complicated, most of us have at one time or another asked: Why?! This warm, light-hearted, real, honest and at times surprising book gives a biblical perspective on menstruation, as well as a whole lot more. Beginning with periods, Rachel Jones takes readers on an adventure in theology, weaving together wide-ranging reflections on the nature of our bodies, the passing of time, the purpose of pain, and the meaning of life. One thing is for sure: you’ve never read a Christian book quite like this one. Whether you’re in need of hope and help, or are just downright curious, you’ll be refreshed and encouraged by this book. As Rachel puts it, “Whoever you are, my aim is that you reach the end of this book celebrating who God has made you, how God has saved you, and the fact that he speaks liberating and positive truth into all of life’s experiences (even periods)”.
On any given Sunday the Christian approaches Christ who is present in Word and Meal. The songs, movements, and prayers that surround this Word and Meal are called the Divine Service. It is God's (divine) service to us and our proclamation of Christ' s life, death, and resurrection to ourselves and anybody that enters the church on that Sunday. One way to appreciate the traditional divine service is to see the life of Christ on display. The major events in the life of Christ are hinted at or explicitly mentioned in the classic order of service. We rightly plead for God' s mercy when we enter his presence. God' s answer is Christ. Traditionally Christians have sung the Christmas song "Gloria to God in the highest" after pleading, “ Lord, have mercy!” With this reminder of Christ' s birth we begin the story of Christ. Soon we wave our palm branches and sing “ Hosanna!” on Palm Sunday. We cry the Good Friday prayer, “ Lamb of God” . We eat with our resurrected Lord as did the Emmaus disciples, and we receive a blessing as we enter the same crazy world the disciples did after Jesus blessed them as he ascended into heaven. This volume aims to teach the Divine Service to both the lifelong worshipper who was never taught why the church does the things the church does on Sunday mornings and the curious observer of this ancient tradition. It is divided into two parts. Part One: A Story of the Divine Service is a story of a young married couple encountering Christ' s forgiveness at a church service and finding the ability to forgive each other. Part Two: The Life of Christ in Poetry and Prose explains the life of Christ as told in the classic Divine Service. It is the hope that this book helps teach this beautiful but under-appreciated jewel of our Christian heritage.
Sean Collins is happy working at the family pub and sharing a house with the woman of his dreams. He and Lauren are equals in every way, including in bed, where they burn the sheets. Life is good. Even if he must hide a couple of secrets to keep it that way. Lauren is madly in love with Sean. They share everything-almost. She can't deny sensing...something. A certain feeling when she, Sean and their friend Chad are all together. But she doesn't press. How can she when she's not being completely forthright herself? Chad is feeling pretty miserable, and renting a room in Sean and Lauren's home has only made it worse. In a house filled with secrets, Chad's are doozies. When an opportunity arises to explore their deep desires, the trio plunges into a sex-filled, emotionally charged ménage. Long-buried feelings are revealed, changing their lives irrevocably. Whether for better or worse, only Sean, Chad and Lauren can decide.
An authoritative 100-year history of America's National Football League from its founding. The NFL has become the most lucrative sports league in the world, yet it has not always been a roaring success story. It is a rocky road filled with detours and wrong turns; with heroes and villains; and, most importantly, with thousands of games. Any Given Sunday recounts twenty of the biggest of those, starting with the first contest ever played in 1920 and working through to key fixtures in the recent past. Each chapter is complemented by interviews with some of the game's true stars; first-hand accounts from games, including multiple Super Bowls; and, finally, full access to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Matthew Sherry, founder of Gridiron, the UK's only NFL magazine, takes readers from the boardroom to the field, into the locker-room and inside the journeys of legends, providing a full snapshot of the NFL's epic first century.
