Goose
Goose

Author: Tony Siragusa

Publisher: Crown Archetype

Published: 2012-09-04

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13: 0307985644

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A hugely popular and beloved football commentator and former player with the Indianapolis Colts and the Baltimore Ravens, Tony Siragusa offers his uncensored insider's look at the NFL and his hilarious take on life off the gridiron. The New York Times called him a "modern-day John Madden." Tony Soprano called him "Frankie Cortese." His teammates called him "Goose." Whatever you call him, Tony Siragusa is larger than life in every possible sense, from his personality to his physique to his colorful career, hilarious stories, and bombastic take on life. Goose is the book that Siragusa's fans have been clamoring for, to hear more from the Super Bowl champ-turned-commentator-turned-actor, who has brought his unmistakable style and intense love for life to every endeavor. In a memoir that is guaranteed to make you laugh, cheer, shake your head, laugh some more, and then think seriously, Siragusa offers stories, life lessons, and perspective gained from his unbelievable collection of experiences. He also offers a no-holds-barred look at the NFL, with locker room stories and surprising glimpses at the way things are done when the cameras (or the refs) aren't looking. His narratives range from hilarious anecdotes about his New Jersey childhood and wild college days, to behind-the-scenes glimpses at some of the greatest players in football history, to Goose's opinions about the current state of the NFL. And he shares them all with his signature love for life and uncensored insight.

Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts

Author: Lew Freedman

Publisher:

Published: 2013-08-15

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13: 0760343306

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""A complete illustrated history of the National Football League's Indianapolis Colts, including the team's early era in Baltimore"--Provided by publisher"--

The Point After
The Point After

Author: Sean Conley

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2020-07-21

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 1493042777

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A vivid account of life in the NFL—and an inspiring story of everything that comes after. Against seemingly impossible odds, Sean Conley became the starting kicker for the University of Pittsburgh in his senior year. A year later, he suited up for the Detroit Lions. But when he joined the New York Jets soon after, Conley’s injuries caught up to him, and his lifelong dream came crashing down in a crisis of denial and fear. The Point After is an all-access look at the NFL, one of the most intense workplaces in sports. Conley describes pushing through pain at NFL training camps, surrounded by rookies, All-Pro veterans, and long-shot undrafted free agents, all hell-bent on staying in the game. He recounts the insecurities he dealt with on and off the field, and the despair that overtook him when his career ended. But while Conley thought life was over, it was just beginning. Transcending football, this is the story of an ex–football player who discovered the true meaning of sports and life, and found happiness in the most unexpected way. Embodying the spirit of the underdog, this is a moving tale of strength, determination, and spiritual grit.

Raise a Fist, Take a Knee
Raise a Fist, Take a Knee

Author: John Feinstein

Publisher: Little, Brown

Published: 2021-11-16

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13: 0316540927

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Based on dozens of shocking interviews with some of the most influential names in sports, this is the urgent and revelatory examination of racial inequality in professional athletics America has been waiting for. Commentators, coaches, and fans alike have long touted the diverse rosters of leagues like the NFL and MLB as sterling examples of a post-racial America. Yet decades after Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists in a display of Black power and pride, and years after Colin Kaepernick shocked the world by kneeling for the national anthem, the role Black athletes and coaches are expected to perform—both on and off the field—still can be determined as much by stereotype and old-fashion ideology as ability and performance. Whether it’s the pre-game moments of resistance, the lack of diversity among coaching and managerial staff, or the consistent undervaluation of Black quarterbacks, racial politics impact every aspect of every sport being played—yet the gigantic salaries and glitzy lifestyles of pro athletes often disguise the ugly truths of how minority players are treated and discarded by their White bosses. John Feinstein crisscrossed the country to secure personal interviews with quarterbacks, coaches, and more, revealing the stories none of us have heard (but all of us should know). Seventy-five years after Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color line, race is still a central and defining factor of America's professional sports leagues. With an encyclopedic knowledge of professional sports, and shrewd cultural criticism, bestselling and award-winning author John Feinstein uncovers not just why, but how, pro sports continue to perpetuate racial inequality. “None of us are trying to make race an issue. Race IS an issue.” (From the Foreword by Doug Williams)

Fatso
Fatso

Author: Arthur J. Donovan, Jr.

Publisher: Avon Books

Published: 1988-10-01

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 9780380706297

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Never Ride a Rollercoaster Upside Down
Never Ride a Rollercoaster Upside Down

Author: Jeff Smulyan

Publisher: BenBella Books

Published: 2022-12-06

Total Pages: 329

ISBN-13: 1637742223

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"A nicely balanced personal and practical book of corporate reflections and hard-won business lessons." —Kirkus Reviews What is it really like to be an entrepreneur? After nearly fifty years of building a successful media company, founder of American all-sports radio Jeff Smulyan shares with candor and humor just how many bitter failures come with each great victory along the way. For founder and CEO of Emmis Communications Jeff Smulyan, the path to success has been anything but straightforward. When you’ve owned a Major League Baseball team, started America’s first all sports radio station, created the world’s two largest hip hop radio stations and managed everyone from David Letterman to Ken Griffey Jr. and Don Imus and even been nationalized by an ally of Vladimir Putin, you’ve seen the rollercoaster ride of an entrepreneur from every side. Aspiring entrepreneurs, radio and media industry insiders, and avid sports fans alike will appreciate Smulyan’s honesty as he shares the countless lessons he’s learned from decades of entrepreneurship. Smulyan offers readers priceless insight into navigating the twists and turns of growing a business and teaches how to build a culture based on both trust and humor—the essential keys to surviving almost anything. Never Ride a Rollercoaster Upside Down details Smulyan’s journey: from taking over his cousin’s failing country music radio station and founding his own company, to purchasing and then selling ownership of the Seattle Mariners and guiding his company through the Golden Age of Radio. Alongside his humorous, eventful, and dramatic stories, Smulyan presents valuable pointers and tips—for anyone else brave enough to try their own hand at starting a business. The journey to booming business is a rollercoaster. Learn from someone who has experienced all the ups and downs—and knows that what’s most important is to hold on while keeping your sense of humor intact.

Catch a Star
Catch a Star

Author: Tamika Catchings

Publisher: Revell

Published: 2016-03-01

Total Pages: 244

ISBN-13: 1441219633

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When all she wanted was to fit in, Tamika Catchings never imagined one day she'd stand out--as a basketball superstar and an inspiration. Catchings faced being set apart by her hearing loss, separation from family, living up to high expectations, and the pain and discouragement of debilitating physical injuries. Yet she reached for the stars with hard work, perseverance, and her faith in God. Through the silence, she found the way to shine. Catch a Star tells Tamika's story of overcoming: of leading the Indiana Fever to its first championship, being named to the WNBA's All Decade Team, earning four Olympic gold medals, and founding the Catch the Stars Foundation to help young people achieve their dreams. Her story will inspire readers to face their doubts and fears, encouraging them to reach for their own stars, no matter what challenges come their way.

Comeback Season
Comeback Season

Author: Cathy Day

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2008-02-01

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781416564539

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In Comeback Season, Cathy Day, author of the highly praised novel The Circus in Winter, tells the heartwarming story of how she got back in the game of love -- thanks to her favorite football team, the Indianapolis Colts. In 2005, Day, an Indiana native, moves to Pittsburgh to start her dream job. She's thirty-seven, a college professor, an acclaimed writer -- and still single. Psyching herself up, she thinks, "This is the year for the Colts and for me." Instead, both Day and quarterback Peyton Manning face heartbreaking end-of-season losses: the man in her life decides to punt, and the Colts fall to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the eventual Super Bowl champs. Her blue heart broken, Day vows that if the Colts can come back in 2006 and try again, so can she. Inspired by Manning's legendary perfectionism, Day spends the off-season "in training." She gets in shape, imagining that she's Rocky Balboa running through the Philadelphia streets to the tune of "Gonna Fly Now." She quits smoking. She reads dating primers. She watches Sex and the City. She takes notes. She asks everyone she knows, "Um, do you know any men my age who aren't married?" Come preseason, Day reluctantly joins an online dating service and goes on practice dates while the Colts play practice games. Indy goes 1-4 in the preseason, which is better than Day's record of 0-4. Lonely and dejected, Day returns home to watch Colts games with her family, who are full of well-intentioned relationship advice -- much of it bad. The 2006 season finally arrives. Each week that fall, the Colts battle a new adversary and Day faces her enemies: her own romanticism, indecisive men, and her biggest foe, the singles industry. Friends and family deliver impassioned pep talks but can only watch anxiously from the sidelines as Day marches bravely into bars and coffee shops to meet perfect strangers. On the way to the Super Bowl, she discovers that the key to winning -- in both love and football -- exists somewhere between Trying Everything and Letting Go. Honest, touching, and frequently hilarious, Comeback Season tells a timeless story about our need to feel connected to people and to places. This year-long chronicle of one woman's journey will resonate with anyone who's ever looked for love...fumbled...recovered! and kept charging down the field.

Invincible, Indiana
Invincible, Indiana

Author: Nate Dunlevy

Publisher: Nate Dunlevy

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 250

ISBN-13: 098476240X

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Dale Cooper arrived in tiny Invincible, Indiana determined to coach his way to a better job. He never bargained for a clueless principal, a bitter star, a racist point guard, and a town fiercely proud of 49 consecutive seasons of finishing exactly .500. When it becomes apparent to Dale that neither the town nor his players have any interest in winning, he devises a way to turn everyone's expectations upside down. His gambit forces Invincible to strive for greatness if only to keep their dreams of mediocrity alive. Set in 1996-1997, Invincible, Indiana explores the myths and motivations that led to the demise of the 'single class tournament' that was the bedrock of Indiana mythology. Both funny and heartbreakingly serious, Invincible, Indiana unpacks the core of the Hoosier state's love affair with basketball. Invincible, Indiana will make you laugh, cry, and cheer, but most of all it will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about the hysteria that was basketball in Indiana. Author Nate Dunlevy is already one of the most popular voices in Indiana sports coverage. His first book, Blue Blood: Tales of Glory of the Indianapolis Colts, explored the fragile history of the Colts as they fought for a place at the table and struggled to overcome the basketball bias inherent in Indiana. Now he takes on the traumatic final days of one class basketball, using the travails of fictional Invincible, Indiana to consider questions of greatness, fate, and the full court press.

San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants

Author: Matt Johanson

Publisher: Sports Publishing LLC

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 214

ISBN-13: 1596701870

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The authors reconnect readers to San Francisco Giants players of the past, especially those whose lives took dramatic turns. The drama of many of these players' careers can be relived through commentary from team legends.