With a television viewership of over 100 million people and hundreds of millions of dollars spent each year on tickets, concessions, and merchandise alone, the Super Bowl is the greatest game on Earth. Offering in-depth analysis, detailed statistics, play-by-play recaps, and post-game insights for every Super Bowl ever played, The Ultimate Super Bowl Book is the most definitive reference to this iconic sporting event, exploring all the high and lows from more than four decades of gridiron drama, with stories and quotes from the men who made history on football’s biggest stage. In addition to a comprehensive examination of each Super Bowl played since 1967, the book presents features on the greatest individual performances in Super Bowl history—from Joe Namath to Joe Montana, Tom Brady to Aaron Rodgers, Marcus Allen to Emmitt Smith, Jack Lambert to James Harrison—and the best and worst decisions by some legendary coaches, including Vince Lombardi, Chuck Noll, Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Mike McCarthy, and more. Author Bob McGinn weighs in on the biggest Super Bowl shockers, the worst blunders, and the most entertaining characters. Quotes from players and coaches take you to the sidelines and into the huddle with the greatest teams in Super Bowl History, including the Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, and more. No sporting event can compete with the Super Bowl—and no book can compete with this one as the ultimate reference to the ultimate game!
Credited as the face of American speed skating, Apolo Anton Ohno has done much to bring the sport out of obscurity. According to the United States Olympic Committee, Ohno holds the record for most medals won by a U.S. Winter Olympian: two golds, two silvers, and four bronze. This compelling edition provides a balanced biographical overview of Apolo Anton Ohno. Chapters discuss his childhood being raised by a single father, his decision to pursue speed skating, and his appearances at the 2002, 2006, and 2010 Winter Olympic games.
This book carefully examines the careers of the 50 men who made the greatest impact on the New York Giants of the National Football League. Including iconic figures such as Lawrence Taylor, Mel Hein, Frank Gifford, Harry Carson, Michael Strahan, and Eli Manning, the top 50 ranking is sure to fuel debate among Giants fans. A fascinating collection of bios, stats, quotes from opposing players and former teammates, photographs, and recaps of memorable performances and seasons, this book is a must-read not only for Giants fans, but for all fans of professional football.
In the bestselling tradition ofthe The Eighty-Dollar Champion, the propulsive, inspiring Cinderella story of Stymie, an unwanted Thoroughbred, and Hirsch Jacobs, the once dirt-poor trainer who bought the colt on the cheap and molded him into the most popular horse of his time and the richest racehorse the world had ever seen. In the wake of World War II, as turmoil and chaos were giving way to a spirit of optimism, Americans were looking for inspiration and role models showing that it was possible to start from the bottom and work your way up to the top-and they found it in Stymie, the failed racehorse plucked from the discard heap by trainer Hirsch Jacobs. Like Stymie, Jacobs was a commoner in "The Sport of Kings," a dirt-poor Brooklyn city slicker who forged an unlikely career as racing's winningest trainer by buying cheap, unsound nags and magically transforming them into winners. The $1,500 pittance Jacobs paid to claim Stymie became history's biggest bargain as the ultimate iron horse went on to run a whopping 131 races and win 25 stakes, becoming the first Thoroughbred ever to earn more than $900,000. The Cinderella champion nicknamed "The People's Horse" captivated the masses with his rousing charge-from-behind stretch runs, his gritty blue-collar work ethic, and his rags-to-riches success story. In a golden age when horse racing rivaled baseball and boxing as America's most popular pastime, he was every bit as inspiring a sports hero as Joe DiMaggio and Joe Louis. Taking readers on a crowd-pleasing ride with Stymie and Jacobs, Out of the Clouds -- the winner of the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award -- unwinds a real-life Horatio Alger tale of a dauntless team and its working-class fans who lived vicariously through the stouthearted little colt they embraced as their own.
The New York Giants joined the National Football League back in 1925, and have since been one of the league’s flagship franchises. The Giants have appeared in nineteen NFL championship games—more than any other team—and have won eight league championships. Iconic figures such as Eli Manning, Phil Simms, Harry Carson, Michael Strahan, and Frank Gifford have all played for the Giants. Twenty-five players who spent at least one full season with the Giants have been inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame, and fifteen of those men spent the majority of their careers playing for the team. This book carefully measures the careers of those players who made the greatest impact on the team. The ranking was determined by such factors as the extent to which each player added to the Giants’ legacy, the degree to which he impacted the fortunes of his team, and the level of dominance he attained while wearing the Big Blue uniform. Features of The 50 Greatest Players in New York Giants Football History include: Each player’s notable achievements Recaps of the player’s most memorable performances Summaries of each player’s best season Quotes from former teammates and opposing players Football fans will find The 50 Greatest Players in New York Giants Football History a fascinating collection of bios, stats, recaps, quotes, and more. And with such iconic figures as Lawrence Taylor, Emlen Tunnell, Roosevelt Brown, and Mel Hein leading the list, this book is sure to inspire debate and controversy among true Giants supporters.
The sports industry is more complex than ever before, and succeeding within it now requires an equally dynamic approach. Teams and leagues across many sports face unprecedented competition in worldwide markets as the cost of doing business increases and traditional revenue streams face pressure. In light of these changes, the idea that winning championships is the key to organizational success is misguided. The Sports Strategist: Developing Leaders for a High-Performance Industry reveals which areas in the industry, unlike winning, can be controlled and maximized for consistent success. Aspiring leaders in the sports business will learn how to design identities, manage narratives, and maximize new technologies in order to implement business analytics and build public support. These techniques are vital to creating a successful sports organization that is ready to reap the benefits of winning when it does happen, without having to rely on it when it doesn't. In such a high-performance field, the demand for well-equipped leaders is great, and The Sports Strategist provides the necessary tools and techniques for their success.
This book profiles 24 athletes who overcame seemingly insurmountable medical odds to attain athletic success. Each profile describes the athlete's problem, the medical issues he or she faced, how success was achieved despite the setback, and the personal qualities that helped the athlete to prevail. Part I features 15 athletes who dealt with diseases and physical disabilities, including Babe Didrikson Zaharias (cancer), Ron Santo (diabetes), Gail Devers (Graves' disease), Alonzo Mourning (kidney disease), Wilma Rudolph (polio), Scott Hamilton (a pancreatic disorder in childhood) and Jimmy Abbott (born with one hand). Part II highlights nine athletes who dealt with near-fatal or life-changing accidents and injuries, including Bill Toomey, Three-Finger Brown, Greg LeMond, Lou Brissie and Tommy John.
Muhammad Ali was not only a champion athlete, but a cultural icon. While his skill as a boxer made him famous, his strong personality and his identity as a black man in a country in the midst of the struggle for civil rights made him an enduring symbol. From his youth in segregated Louisville, Kentucky, to his victory in the 1960 Olympics, to the controversy that surrounded his conversion to Islam and refusal of the draft during the Vietnam War, Ali's life was closely linked to the major social and political struggles of the 1960s and 70s. The story of his struggles, failures, and triumphs sheds light on issues of race, class, religion, dissent, and the role of sports in American society that affected all Americans. In this lively, concise biography, Barbara L. Tischler introduces students to Ali's life in social and political context, and explores his enduring significance as a symbol of resistance. Muhammad Ali: A Many of Many Voices offers the perfect introduction to this extraordinary American and his times.