The Big 50: Philadelphia Flyers is a lively, comprehensive look at the 50 men and moments that made the Flyers the Flyers. Experienced sportswriters Sam Carchidi and Wayne Fish recount the living history of the franchise, counting down from No. 50 to No. 1. This collection brilliantly brings to life the team's remarkable story, from its growing pains as an expansion team to the Broadstreet Bullies era, to more recent stars like captain Claude Giroux.
From the days of Bobby Clarke, Bernie Parent, and the Broad Street Bullies, and up to the current era with stars like Claude Giroux and Shayne Gostisbehere, Lou Nolan has lived and breathed Flyers hockey as the team's longtime public address announcer. In If These Walls Could Talk: Philadelphia Flyers, Nolan provides insight into the Flyers' inner sanctum as only he can. Featuring conversations with players past and present as well as off-the-wall anecdotes only Nolan can tell, this is your rinkside ticket to some of the most memorable moments and characters in Philadelphia hockey history.
In a city known as home to some of the sporting world's biggest stars, few have ever shined as brightly as the Philadelphia Flyers' Bernie Parent, and this autobiography shares how he became one of the most sensational goalies in NHL history. The catchphrase "Only the Lord saves more than Bernie Parent" became ubiquitous in Philadelphia as Parent won two Vezina Trophies as the league's top goaltender, two Conn Smythe Trophies as playoff MVP, and two Stanley Cup championships, but this work shows how his on-the-ice exploits were only a part of his amazing story. After suffering a career-ending eye injury in 1979, Parent's life took a turn for the worse, a time during which he battled alcoholism and watched his marriage end in divorce. In the end, however, facing the fears that had plagued him all his life led Parent to find solace and happiness once again. In "Unmasked," Parent traces his life and career from his days as a youngster learning to skate to his current role as a Flyers ambassador and public speaker. Featuring rare photos from his personal archive and accompanying text from legendary Philadelphia sports columnist Stan Hochman, this life story gives Parent's millions of fans a never-before-seen glimpse into the life of a hockey icon.
This monumental book about the Philadelphia Flyers not only documents all the best moments and personalities in the history of the team, but also unmasks the regrettably awful and the unflinchingly ugly. In entertaining—and unsparing—fashion, this book sparkles with Flyers highlights and lowlights, from wonderful and wacky memories to the famous and infamous. Such moments include the era of the “Broad Street Bullies” as well as the playoff drought in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Learn how visionary founding owner Ed Snider created the Flyers and sold the city of Philadelphia on the sport of hockey. Get the inside story of how the franchise built a championship squad, then repeatedly rebuilt it over the next three decades to stay at the top of the NHL—in the process compiling the league’s second-best all-time winning percentage. Enjoy classic tales about the great rivalries (especially with the Rangers, Devils, and Penguins), about the great coaches—including Fred Shero and Pat Quinn—and countless great players: Barber, Clarke, Parent, Poulin, Hextall, Primeau, and many more. Whether providing fond memories, goose bumps, or laughs, this portrait of the team and its history is sure to appeal to the fan who has been through it all. This updated edition takes readers through the 2012–13 season and features the Flyers’ trip to the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals as well as recent stars Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell, Kimmo Timonen, and more.
Stretching back to the team's birth in the National Hockey League expansion of 1967, this record follows the Philadelphia Flyers' story, starting with the rabid fan base they built during their "Broad Street Bullies" era of the 1970s. The hard-charging Bullies' back-to-back Stanley Cup victories in 1974 and 1975 are documented, and the team's status as a perennial contender is illustrated through their 34 playoff appearances. Penned by charismatic superstar and team manager Bobby Clarke's own daughter Jakki, this account reflects the personal relationships the author established with many of the team's best skaters. Drawn from up-close interviews with more than 30 of the Flyers' greats regarding their lives, playing careers, challenges, and successes, this compilation is a must-have keepsake that all Philadelphia hockey fans are sure to cherish. Players from all eras are represented--including Billy Barber, Bernie Parent, Mark Howe, Keith Primeau, and more--sharing never-before-told stories about learning to skate, playing pranks in the locker room, enjoying the fruits of victory, and overcoming crushing defeat. Containing valuable advice for both athletes and parents, this is an intimate look at a group of men who have experienced the ups and downs of a demanding sport at all levels.
The Big 50: Toronto Blue Jays is an amazing, full-color look at the 50 men and moments that made the Blue Jays the Blue Jays. Experienced sportswriter Shi Davidi recounts the living history of the Blue Jays, counting down from No. 50 to No. 1. The Big 50: Toronto Blue Jays brilliantly brings to life the Blue Jays remarkable story, from Dave Stieb and Roy Halladay to the roller-coaster that was Roberto Alomar to Joe Carter's 1993 World Series–winning home run to the acquisition of Josh Donaldson.
The Big 50: Chicago Blackhawks is an amazing look at the fifty men and moments that have made the Blackhawks the Blackhawks. Longtime radio analyst Jay Zawaski explores the living history of the team, counting down from number fifty to number one. This dynamic and comprehensive book brings to life the iconic franchise's remarkable story, including greats like Toews, Kane, Mikita, Chelios and more.
Since the start of the twentieth century, Philadelphia’s professional teams in four major sports have won a combined total of seventeen championships. All of Philadelphia’s current teams—the Phillies in baseball, the Eagles in football, the Flyers in ice hockey, and the 76ers in basketball—have won championships. The list of champs also includes long-gone teams such as the Athletics in baseball, the Warriors in basketball, and the Frankford Yellow Jackets in football. In Rich Westcott’s The Champions of Philadelphia, each of these teams earns a chapter devoted to its championship season. There are detailed descriptions of the games and players, plus noteworthy interviews. Starting with teams from the 1940s, Westcott has interviewed more than fifty players, managers, coaches, and others, including luminaries such as Mike Schmidt, Chuck Bednarik, and Bobby Clarke. The City of Brotherly Love is also a city that loves its champions. Westcott’s in-depth account of Philadelphia’s athletic triumphs will attract fans of each of the four active professional teams. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
A multidimensional biography of one of Philadelphia's ultimate power brokers Most sports team owners make their money elsewhere and purchase a team as an extravagant hobby—but that is not the story of Ed Snider. One of the few owners in history to get control of a franchise by mortgaging nearly everything to his name, the longtime Philadelphia Flyers chairman would go on to form the billion-dollar empire of Comcast-Spectacor and cement his standing as one of the most influential businessmen in the city's history. Snider was ambitious and entrepreneurial, though extraordinarily demanding of those who worked for him. He was affectionate with his loved ones, yet often showed a surprising lack of emotional intelligence. His staunch capitalist beliefs contrasted his progressive-minded views on the business of hockey and in sharing his wealth with those in need. The Last Sports Mogul embraces all sides of Snider to form a complex portrait of the unparalleled figure once named Philadelphia's greatest mover and shaker of the millennium. Thoroughly researched and reported, this is a fascinating business story encompassing humble beginnings, unprecedented success, and the values one chooses at the end of the day.
Adam Taliaferro had it all: smarts, an easy-going personality, and incomparable athletic ability. None of that seemed to matter, however, on that fateful September day when his father was given startling news: Do not expect your son to walk. Ever. Since that numbing day, Taliaferro, the Penn State freshman cornerback who was paralyzed after he tackled an Ohio State running back, has defied the odds. Before he had spinal-fusion surgery, he made a vow to his mother: "Mom, I'm not going out like this." Three months later, he walked out of a Philadelphia hospital on crutches, determined to complete his amazing recovery, making the name "Adam Taliaferro" synonymous with courage and perseverance.
