This heart-warming autiobiography blends the magic of music with the thrill of Kansas City football. For almost half a century, Tony DiPardo was the band director for the Knasas City Chiefs. In this humerous, touching, and lively memoir, fans will re-live all the greatest moments of Chiefs football through the unqiue, smiling eyes of the longest running music act in the NFL.
In 1927, on the northeast corner of Cherokee and Iowa Streets in south St. Louis, a multistory, multipurpose building was erected. Retail shops and a bowling alley occupied the first floor, while upstairs was a place that defied the imagination of someone driving by in their brand new Model T Ford. Today, that upstairs space, with its lofty ceiling, huge maple tongue-in-groove dance floor, and wraparound balcony, is the Casa Loma Ballroom -- St. Louis' last grand ballroom. Today, one gets the feeling that the ghosts of the big bands and the vocalists still linger there -- and with good reason. Just about everybody who was anybody played there at one time or another. Ol' Blue Eyes himself, before he was the idol of millions, received just a meager "Featured Singer, Frank Sinatra" note at the bottom of the Casa Loma bill the night he played with the Harry James Orchestra.
What fans don't love to relive the good times of their favorite team? Likewise, in a twisted sort of way, what fans can really resist a self-pitying look back on some of those times that tested their allegiance? Those forgettable games, seasons, and plays that made the good times even better?The Good, the Bad, & the Uglypresents all the best moments and personalities in the history of the Kansas City Chiefs. It also unmasks, but doesn't revel in, the bad, the regrettably awful and the unflinchingly ugly. In entertaining—and unsparing—fashion, this book sparkles with Chiefs highlights, lowlights, wonderful and wacky memories, legends and goats, the famous and the infamous. You'll relive the upset win over Minnesota in Super Bowl IV but also the Dolphins Garo Yepremian's last-second field on Christmas Day to beat the Chiefs in the longest NFL game ever played. The pinpoint passing of the masterful Len Dawson but also the erratic and sometimes depressing play of the late 80s Chiefs.The Good, the Bad, & the Uglyincludes the best and worst Chiefs teams and players of all time, the most clutch performances and performers, the biggest choke jobs and chokers, great comebacks and blown leads, plus overrated and underrated Chiefs players and coaches. There are Chiefs you loved for all the right reasons, and those you couldn't stand, sublime and embarrassing records, and trades, both savvy and savagely bad. Brawls and fights. Rivalries. Compelling photos. And much, much more. If you're a through-thick-and-thin Chiefs fan,The Good, the Bad, & the Uglyis especially for you. It will remind you of the good and great times and bring a knowing smile about some of those other times, when you proved to yourself just how loyal you are. For everyone else, this warts-and-all portrait of the Chiefs will provide countless fond memories, goose bumps, and laughs.
Whether you're a die-hard booster from the days of Hank Stram and Len Dawson or a newer supporter of Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, these are the 100 things all Kansas City Chiefs fans needs to know and do in their lifetime. The book contains every essential piece of Chiefs knowledge and trivia as well as must-do activities, and ranks them all from one to 100. With an entertaining and easy-to-follow checklist for readers use to track their progress, 100 Things Chiefs Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die is the ultimate resources guide for true diehards.
In the early twentieth century, St. Louis was a hotbed for ragtime and blues, both roots of jazz music. In 1914, Jelly Roll Morton brought his music to the area. In 1919, Louis Armstrong came to town to play on the "floating conservatories" that plied the Mississippi. Miles Davis, the most famous of the city's jazz natives, changed the course of the genre four different times throughout a world-renowned career. The Black Artists Group of the 1970s was one of the first to bring world music practices into jazz. Author Dennis C. Owsley chronicles the ways both local and national St. Louis musicians have contributed to the city and to the world of music.
NFL placekicking has an extensive history, from the early days of the dropkick, to the placekick, to kicking barefoot, to soccer style kicking. Each season, approximately 30 percent of all games in pro football are won by field goals. Field goals and extra points account for 20 percent of the league’s yearly total points. This book discusses all aspects of NFL placekicking in historical perspective: the effectiveness of different kicking styles; the use of artificial turf and the development of domed stadiums as they relate to placekicking accuracy; individual kickers who helped to change the way a football is kicked; the mental aspects of the skill, so vital to a kicker’s success; the development of the square-toe kicking shoe used by straight-on kickers to make better contact with the ball; changes in goal posts and the shape of the ball; and the fine points of centering, blocking and holding for the kicker.
In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends.
The year 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of this legendary season in Kansas City sports history—when the Kansas City Chiefs reached the pinnacle of pro football, defeating the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV to become world champions. Experience the magic of this epic journey through the words of award-winning writer, Michael MacCambridge, and pictures, including a treasure trove of photographs from Rod Hanna, the Chiefs’ team photographer during that historic season (many never-before-seen). You’ll join the Chiefs on their extraordinary journey, from the heat of training camp at William Jewell College in Liberty, to the adversity of losing quarterback Len Dawson to an early-season injury, to the triumph of upset playoff wins over the defending world champion New York Jets and the arch-rival Oakland Raiders, to the final triumph in Super Bowl IV, after one of the most chaotic Super Bowl weeks ever. This lavish book documents how the Chiefs revolutionized pro football, transformed the way the rest of the nation saw Kansas City, and helped Kansas Citians see themselves more clearly. Whether you’re a longtime Chiefs fan who wants to relive that thrilling season, or a younger Chiefs diehard seeking to better understand why the Chiefs of that era were so beloved, this is the book for you.
This beautiful, limited-edition volume is hand-numbered and autographed by Dante Hall. Certificate of Authenticity included, only 500 copies available! X-citing. X-traordinary. X-cellent. Whatever adjective can be dreamed up, it cannot compare to the 2003 dream season Dante Hall enjoyed for the Kansas City Chiefs. From an appearance on the The Late Show with David Letterman to etching his name into the NFL record books, Dante ?The X-Factor? Hall turned the NFL into his own personal playground and helped the Chiefs get back to the postseason for the first time since 1998. As one of the most heralded running backs ever to hail from the football-crazy state of Texas, Hall enjoyed a great deal of success at Texas A&M before being unceremoniously dropped from the team because of a series of parking tickets that drew as much attention as his exploits on the football field.
