Beyond the Boys of Summer Review

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(More customer reviews)I have never read a book by Roger Kahn that was less than five stars. This volume is a collection of Kahn's work from books and magazine articles from his illustrious career. Roger covered the Brooklyn Dodgers during the seasons of 1952 and 1953 which led to The Boys of Summer. The book is divided into sections with chapters devoted to athletes, mainly baseball players, that have been subjects of Kahn's work over the past several decades. The last chapter is a tribute to former Dodgers' outfielder Carl Furillo, The Reading Rifle. It is absolutely first rate. Some of the other sections of the book are devoted to New York's centerfielders of the 1950's, hitters and pitchers, fighters such as Dempsey and Ali, in addition to Billy vs. Reggie, and George M. Steinbrenner. A very touching section is entitled "Heroes Off the Field" in which chapters are devoted to Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Ring Lardner, and Pee Wee Reese. Another memorable section is devoted to "On Getting Old" with chapters on Robert Frost, Stan Musial (old as a ballplayer), sportswriters, and the previously mentioned Carl Furillo. I did find one minor error in the Introduction written by Rob Miraldi when he said "he (Kahn) was sent to cover the crosstown Giants in the Bronx" after covering the Dodgers in 1952 and 1953. The Giants as Miraldi knows played in the Polo Grounds which was located on the island of Manhattan. If you have enjoyed Roger Kahn's previous books you won't want to miss this one, especially if you are a baseball fan. This isn't a book to be read by a speed reader. This is a book to be savored.

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Spanning half a century, the first comprehensive anthology of the great Roger Kahn's writing, for a new generation of sports fans

Roger Kahn, author of 19 books including the modern classic The Boys of Summer, is arguably America's greatest sportswriter. Now, for the first time, Beyond the Boys of Summer presents a showcase of 50 years worth of Kahn's celebrated work. From a 1955 article on the incomparable Jackie Robinson to excerpts from his recent bestselling book on the controversial '78 Yankees, this unprecedented anthology spans an entire career to show off the grace, wit, and elegance of Roger Kahn's most memorable writing on sports, as well as his reporting beyond the world of baseball diamonds and boxing rings.

Uniquely organized around life's stages, the book brings readers face to face with some of the greatest names in sport, including Muhammad Ali, Jack Dempsey, Reggie Jackson, and Pete Rose. Through Kahn's fly-on-the-wall style, readers will see Duke Snider in the avocado fields of California, Mickey Mantle in Texas taverns, and Joe DiMaggio watching his famous wife, Marilyn Monroe, flirt for the movie cameras.

In the final segment, Kahn meets the 80-year-old poet Robert Frost, mourns the deaths of friends and heroes, and movingly writes about how sports stars--and even sportswriters--grow old, looking back on a long life well lived.

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Running: A Global History Review

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(More customer reviews)I highly recommend this book - it provides a good overview of the development of running.
However, this is an unusual and idiosyncratic book; if a specific topic interests the author, he writes a chapter about it.I would have liked to see more on the business of running after 1990 - more on shoe company economics and how elite runners make money and less on running gurus. The prose style is also very stilted at times, but this may be more a function of the translator. Still, well worth it.

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In the past decade, the number of Americans who consider themselves runners more than doubled—in 2008, more than 16 million Americans claimed to have run or jogged at least 100 days in the year. Though now running thrives as a convenient and accessible form of exercise, it is no surprise to learn that the modern craze is not truly new; humans have been running as long as they could walk. What may be surprising however are the myriad reasons why we have performed this exhausting yet exhilarating activity through the ages. In this humorous and unique world history, Thor Gotaas collects numerous unusual and curious stories of running from ancient times to modern marathons and Olympic competitions. Amongst the numerous examples that illustrate Gotaas's history are King Shulgi of Mesopotamia, who four millennia ago boasted of running from Nippur to Ur, a distance of not less than 100 miles. Gotaas's account also includes ancient Egyptian pharaohs who ran to prove their vitality and maintain their power, Norwegian Vikings who exercised by running races against animals, as well as little-known naked runs, bar endurance tests, backward runs, monk runs, snowshoe runs, and the Incas' ingenious infrastructure of professional runners.
The perfect gift for the sprinter, the marathoner, or the daily jogger, this intriguing world history will appeal to all who wish to know more about why the ancients shared our love—and hatred—of this demanding but rewarding pastime.

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The Sport of Life and Death: The Mesoamerican Ballgame Review

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(More customer reviews)This is not a subject I would normally think of as intriguing enough for me to read a whole book about it. But I was wrong! Not only is this a fascinating story about Mesoamerican sport, but the writing makes the subject, the people, and the culture come alive. This is about real people playing a real game and living a real life. The book itself is beautifuly produced, full of photos and extremely well written and researched text. As odd as the subject might seem, I think anyone interested in ancient culture, Mesoamerican history, and a richer understanding of aspects of our neighbors to the south will find this book interesting. It would make a great, offbeat gift, too.

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Eleven essays by leading scholars discuss all aspects of the Mesoamerican ballgame, from the natural history of rubber, to the architecture and equipment of the ballcourts, and the religious symbolism of the games. These are followed by the catalogue: 138 objects, often of striking beauty and power - models of ballplayers, both male and female, and the array of strange equipment which provided physical protection from the rigours of the sport.

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Cubs Essential: Everything You Need to Know to be a Real Fan Review

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(More customer reviews)This book was a gift for my youngest son, who is a Cubs fan, through and through. He was very pleased with it.

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The Chicago Cubs have one of the most colorful histories in professional sports, having tugged at the heartstrings of their fans for more than a century and a quarter. Whether they were competing for division titles or just struggling to stay out of the cellar, the Cubs have always managed to keep things interesting and entertaining. If you're a die-hard fan trying to test your knowledge or a casual observer looking to upgrade your status, Cubs Essential has everything you'll ever want to know about this beloved franchise.

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Seahawk: Confessions of an Old Hockey Goalie Review

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(More customer reviews)Hockey wasn't always the high-tech, indoor game that you see on TV today. It used to be contested on outdoor ponds, games at the mercy of weather conditions, cars surrounding the rink to provide illumination for night games. Bruce Valley learned the game under those conditions in the 50's with the Rye Seahawks playing goalie at the tender age of 14. He recounts those memories in his book Seahawk: Confessions of an Old Goalie. For anyone with a love of hockey and a sense of history, this is a great introspective read that takes you back to a simpler time in our collective history.
Valley grew up in Rye in the 40's, a small town on the east coast, struggling to survive in the post WWII era. One day as a youngster, he looked out the window of his house and saw something he had never seen before... a bunch of men skating on ice with sticks, batting around a little rubber disk. His father explained the game of hockey to him, and his life was never the same. Without much else to do in a cold New England winter, Valley took up the game with a passion. This adhoc game turned into an official team in an actual league, and the Rye Seahawks became a dominant force in the area. Valley ended up joining the team at the age of 14 for a two year stint towards the end of the team's existence. While the outdoor version of the game was drawing to a close, Valley continued to make hockey a critical part of his life and passion. Thru his eyes, you see a side of the game lost to today's youth, and a piece of history that was played out every winter in small towns all over the Northeast part of the country.
I really liked this book. Valley writes with a clarity that puts you right on the ice, temperatures close to zero, picking up the shovel to clear the ice for the next day's games. He supplements his stories with scans of actual news clippings that reported the game results, treating the team and the games as high-profile sports entertainment. All in all, it's an introspective look into what the game of hockey means to someone, coupled with a step back into nostalgia.

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Seahawk is a history of a championship New England town hockey team composed of WWII veterans, and a memoir of a boy's lifelong connection to hockey. At the age of fourteen, the author became the Seahawks' goaltender. The Rye, NH Seahawks were a dominant club, and played for a New Hampshire Class B state championship and a New England Class B championship in the venerable Boston Garden. Explores aging while playing contact sports.

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Wilt, 1962: The Night of 100 Points and the Dawn of a New Era Review

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(More customer reviews)I loved this book! Initially I thought -- no way would I read a book on Wilt and basketball history. Then, I stumbled across a two page preview in Parade Magazine and thought-this guy can write! Pomerantz' interesting storytelling immediately captivated me. The most compelling for me, a non basketball afficianiado, is how he took me right into the heart of the historical, cultural and race sensibilities through sports in the fifties and 60's and through this truly unparalleled player, Wilt. Add to this, now I have some sports legend history at my fingertips for conversations.

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Babe: The Legend Comes to Life Review

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(More customer reviews)Although I suspect that most people who will read this book already know how BIG Babe Ruth really was to Americans, I wish those who do NOT realize his profound inlfluence on modern culture would take the time to check this out.
Creamer has fashioned an extraordinarily readable, concise yet fully detailed biography of this great ball player. There is enough journalism here to satisfy those seeking accuracy, enough analysis for those interested in perspective, and enough elegant writing to please pretty much everybody else.
Beginning at the beginning, and ending, abruptly, at the end, Ruth's life is presented within a vivid portrayal of early 20th century America. His tenacity, exuberance, lust for life is all here, including many unflattering incidents. Warts and all.
If I had to single out the best things about this book, I'd have to start with how Creamer places Ruth's achievements into context. Staggering and astonishing are the two words I keep coming up with. Winning the Home Run Crown is one thing. Winning it over and over again for nearly two decades is another. Setting a home run record is one thing. Doubling the record is entirely another thing.
It took forty years for Maris to break Ruth's record by one. When Ruth broke the record the first time, in 1919, he broke the old record by three or four, hitting 29. The next year, 1920, he hit 54. He averaged 40 a year for SEVENTEEN years.
Before Babe, the all-time home run king hit 136 homers. Ruth passed that in his first few seasons as a full-time (non-pitching) player. Every homer he hit after that extended it...when he hit 700, only 2 other players were in the 300's.
And don't get me started on his pitching. Wait till you read about how good he was. I had always known he was a pretty good pitcher...I didn't know he was THIS good.
The name Babe Ruth is synonymous with "legend", and there are hundreds of legendary tales surrounding his exploits. Creamer sorts of fact from fiction, and most of time, the fact is the legend.
For example, the "called shot" may or may not have happened. The events that we are certain that occurred during that game are still amazing.
Plus, I prefer to believe that he hit a ball so hard that it went between a pitcher's legs AND over the center fielder's head. I just love that mental image.
There is a lot of sadness in Ruth's life, from his relative abandonment as a child, to his inability to become a big league manager, to his vitality-robbing cancer...his life had ups and downs like only true epic characters can have.
The book also gets Ruth's media domination right. At least it feels right. I wasn't there. Most of us weren't. But baseball was the only entertainment for the majority of the country, along with those relatively recent upstarts, radio and film...there is nothing today that really compares. There is really no one person whose personality captivated a country like his did.
And it sounds like he loved every second of it.
After reading this book, I would give anything to see Babe Ruth play just once...

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"I swing big, with everything I've got. I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can." -- Babe Ruth Babe Ruth is without a doubt the most famous character ever produced by the sport of baseball. A legendary player, world-famous for his hitting prowess, he transcended the sport to enter the mainstream of American life as an authentic folk hero. In this extraordinary biography, noted sportswriter Robert W. Creamer reveals the complex man behind the sports legend. From Ruth's early days in a Baltimore orphanage, to the glory days with the Yankees, to his later years, Creamer has drawn a classic portrait of an American original.

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Penske Racing Team: 40 Years of Excellence Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is the first history of the Penske Racing organization (outside of Mark Donohue's autobiography "The Unfair Advantage") that I know of. According to the author of this book, Roger Penske has turned down several opportunities to have "official" histories written. This history comes from a fan of the team, and it shows - sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad.
Early in the book, the author leans too heavily on quotes from other books. Mr. Hummel's writing style, however, is good and he usually keeps the reader interested in the story. The book also covers all the series that Penske Racing has been involved in from the very beginning, not just Indy Car and NASCAR as they are best known for today. It also contains what I think is the best explanation of driver/engineer Donohue's crash in an F1 car that eventually led to his death. But there is much missing information and many, many errors.
The section on the team's Trans-Am days is shorter than I expected. A lot of interesting and rule skirting things went on back then but not much is discussed. While their elevated fueling rig is mentioned, their rig which used dry ice to shrink the fuel (allowing more into the car's gas tank) is not. Using the same Camaro to qualify for two cars at the same race goes unmentioned. In another instance, their Camaro with a vinyl roof is discussed but the reason for it having said vinyl roof is not - they were cheating and had to cover up an over-acid-dipped roof.
But the biggest flaws are the inaccuracies in the book, such as saying that Mario Andretti in 1978 was the only American F1 champion in "over half a century." Well, what about Phil Hill in 1961? Stating that Peter Revson replaced Dan Gurney with Team McLaren in 1970 when he did not drive for them until 1971 and was with Lola in 1970. Peter Gethin replaced Gurney and Revson replaced Gethin.
The author has Denny Hulme exiting the 1972 Road Atlanta Can-Am race with a "mechanical problem." Yes, there was a problem, his car flipped over backwards while cresting a hill, but that would be aerodynamic - and catastrophic - not merely "mechanical."
A pair of photos of a Penske Mercury NASCAR stockcar are mislabeled as a Chevrolet. Tony Stewart is said to have driven in CART when he never did. The book states that Helio Castroneves got his nickname "Spiderman" from climbing the fence at Indy after winning the 500 when in reality that nickname came a year earlier when he won his first CART race and climbed the fencing at that venue.
Shall I go on? What worries me are the errors I wouldn't catch in the sections of the book I don't know a lot about, such as the team's F5000 and NASCAR days.
Another annoying error in the book is the constant misuse of the prefix "ex-", as in ex-US, to refer to a race outside the United States. That should be "non-US" as "ex-US" means the race was previously in the US and now is not.
Many of these errors must also be blamed on the publisher, Iconograph. Are there no editors working there? A good (heck, a mediocre) editor would have caught most, if not all, of these errors.
I really wanted to like this book, right up to finishing the last page, but I can't really recommend it. Certainly not for the seasoned or older racing fan. If you have only recently become a fan of auto racing and would like to know more about the Penske organization besides what they presently do in the IRL and NASCAR, this is a decent book to read. You'll learn about the team's roots. You'll learn about incredibly important former team members such as Mark Donohue and Rick Mears. But you won't have it all. And you unfortunately will also have a lot of incorrect information.
We'll have to continue to wait for a good history of what is one of, if not the most, successful and innovative teams in American racing history.


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From its modest beginnings behind a Philadelphia-area watchmakers shop some 40 years ago, the Penske Racing Team, more than any other organization, has influenced the development, growth and direction of auto racing in the United States as both a sport and a business. Led by former race driver turned "Fortune 500" business mogul Roger Penske, this team has won more than 250 major auto races around the world, captured 19 national championships (including 12 Indy-Car titles), and have enjoyed success in all forms of racing--Indy-Cars, sports cars, Formula-1, endurance racing and NASCAR. Penske Racing Team...40 Years of Excellence documents the fascinating history of this unique organization, focusing on the talented drivers and innovative engineering that have been responsible for the teams spectacular and enduring success. This bookalso highlights the key events that have defined American motorsports during this timeframe; including the rise and fall of U.S. sports car racing in the 1960s and 1970s; the politics of the USAC-CART split in the late 1970s; the CART-IRL battle that unfolded 20 years later; and the phenomenal transformation of NASCAR from its moonshine roots into the mainstream commercial phenomenon that it is today.

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Champions: The Lives, Times, and Past Performances of the 20th Century's Greatest Thoroughbreds Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a big coffee-table book for the parimutuel bettor in your life, in my case, me. There is a chapter for each decade of the 1900s, recounting a few horses' careers and several memorable races, accompanied by pictures of horses in action and at rest. Most of the photos are in black-and-white, and while many are simple side shots of great horses, some of the race photos are stirring, and anyway, the reason for the book's existence is to celebrate and honor the greatest achievements of the thoroughbred bloodline. The bast part of the book, then, is the list at the end of each chapter of the full, career past performances of each of the horses mentioned. And that alone is worth the price of admission. For those of us who appreciate the illustrative, succinct, descriptive nature of the Daily Racing Form, what better use for the power of a single entry than as a vessel for recounting the career of a great thoroughbred? And there are hundreds of them here. We all know how amazing it is to look at the sadly abbreviated line for Ruffian, say, or the now more nostalgic one for Man O' War, but there are so many other great horses here to get reacquainted with. And through them, and the decade summaries, the history of racing. Well done, DRF.

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This book is a groudbreaking and encyclopedic compendium of the greatest racehorses of the last 100 years.

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Champions: The Lives, Times, and Past Performances of America's Greatest Thoroughbreds, Revised Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)I don't know how to describe how wonderful this book is other than to say that after reading through this book for a week, I declared to my wife that I could spend an hour a day for the rest of my life reading this and be happy doing it. If you are a fan of the game, this is something you absolutely must have. It not only covers the champion horses organized by decade, but each horse's lifetime past performances are included. Anyone who has ever picked up a racing form should delight to see the history of the game in this format.

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Each chapter tells the story of each champion's racing career, decade by decade, followed by past performances of these Thoroughbred legends. There is a chapter for each decade, recounting a few horses' careers and several memorable races, accompanied by pictures of horses in action and at rest, to celebrate and honor the greatest achievements of the Thoroughbred bloodline.

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Mad Seasons: The Story of the First Women's Professional Basketball League, 1978-1981 Review

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(More customer reviews)Very interesting since I was one of the Owners of a team and I mentioned in this book. It brought up a lot of memories and tells the story of how this league was formed and the problems it incurred.

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The Only Game in Town: Sportswriting from The New Yorker Review

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(More customer reviews)Some amazing writers from various disciplines have contributed to the pages of The New Yorker in the magazine's 80-plus-year history. More than 30 of them are included in this wonderful anthology of the best from the world of sports, in itself a competition of sorts.
One would not find these pieces in the back pages of a local newspaper. These are thoughtful, long pieces that go beyond the box score and records, or the simple accomplishments on the various fields of play. Some --- like "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu," John Updike's chronicle of Ted Williams's final game --- have become part of the larger time capsule of sports' legendary figures, both subject and author (a 50th anniversary edition of "Hub Fans" was published earlier this year by the Library of America). Others --- such as Lillian Ross's "El Unico Matador," perhaps the only profile ever written about a gay Jewish-American bullfighter --- offer people, places and events they otherwise would never discover.
It is fitting that New Yorker staple Roger Angell "leads off" the collection with his famous report of a classic 1-0 extra-inning 1981 college contest between Frank Viola of St. John's and Ron Darling of Yale. (And if you want to know the details, in the words of the eminent baseball philosopher Casey Stengel, "you could look it up.") Adding to the enjoyment of Angell's tale: the presence and commentary of "Smoky Joe" Wood, a standout of the early 1900s and later a college coach himself. Other notable writers include John Cheever on fathers, sons and baseball; Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on Michael Jordan; A. J. Liebling on the 1955 Marciano-Moore fight; and John McPhee on Princeton basketball star (and later U.S. senator) Bill Bradley.
But is good writing on its own enough of a draw? While there are five essays on baseball, it seems editor David Remnick tries perhaps a bit too hard to be democratic as he includes so many sports/games/activities. Maybe that's the point. In what other mainstream publication would you find so much thoughtful prose on such diverse topics as surfing (William Finnegan), snowmobiling (Calvin Trillin), dog sledding (Susan Orlean), ping-pong (Nancy Franklin), and parkour (Alec Wilkinson; parkour is a jumping "sport" that seems more applicable to cinematic stunt work than athletics). Oddity for oddity's sake? Or is it perhaps a "snob factor" the historic magazine is after?
Regardless, sports fans who hold The New Yorker in the same regard as The Sporting News or Sports Illustrated will no doubt welcome this edition into their library.
--- Reviewed by Ron Kaplan


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Lessons of the Locker Room: The Myth of School Sports Review

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(More customer reviews)Lessons of the Locker Room
Sports build character. At least, that's what we've always heard. Why else would our schools invest so much time, effort, and money in student athletics? Andrew W. Miracle, Jr. and C. Roger Rees aren't so sure.
Historically, sports were introduced to public schools to attract students who would otherwise attend private schools. After public schools became the norm, as they are today, sports continued to be valued as an opportunity for community involvement and positive publicity for schools.
The authors suggest that sports serve other, less obvious purposes as well. Sports encourage conformity by requiring players to act as group. Sports may also promote submissiveness, in that players do as they are told, taking orders rather than making their own decisions. Sports also increase the authority of those in charge. They are the experts, and credit or blame for success or failure goes to coaches as much as or more than to players.
Research shows that, while many athletes have more positive attitudes towards school than other students, they also have decreased independence and self-control. So, what is touted as an opportunity for individual achievement may actually produce better followers than leaders.
Morality and sports is an issue as well. "Game reasoning" refers to a sense of right and wrong that changes according to the situation and a belief that the winner is morally superior to the loser. In some cases, game reasoning seems to flow over into everyday life.
Rees and Miracle propose that game reasoning accounts for many incidents of violence among athletes. Tests of moral reasoning of athletes show a willingness to believe that aggressive behavior is okay in any situation, if it serves the purpose at hand. What begins as a friendly rivalry can degenerate into violence if it is not checked by that slippery value called sportsmanship.
Miracle and Rees, while definitely on the side of classroom education over sports, present a fair assessment of school sports, presenting benefits as well as problems, and raising some interesting questions. The conclusion? Sports do not build character, they reveal it.

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Anthropologist Andrew W Miracle Jr and sociologist C Roger Rees explore the fascinating underpinnings of school sports and examine the evidence to support the prevailing assumption that sport is an ennobling experience.

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The Mad Dog 100: The Greatest Sports Arguments of All Time Review

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(More customer reviews)As an avid listener of the mad dog's radio program, I really wanted to read his book. After all, he plugged it at every possible moment on air for three months. It must be good, right? Not really.
This book is not for the hard core sports fan. At the same time, I can't imagine a casual sports fan picking it up either. At every turn of the page there was one big problem - no depth. There was no subject that grabbed a hold of me and consequently, I found the book boring.
Too much SF Giants and NY Yankees. He had no thoughts that made me even remotely interested. How would mad dog change the NHL? Everyone knows the dog doesn't even watch the NHL! Not even in the playoffs. Get rid of the blue line! Why didn't I think of that? I was really looking for the fire that makes his radio show special. Maybe all of those years being bored having to listen to Mike have finally taken their toll. About the only chapter I found interesting was the one where he recommends his favorite sports books. I plan on reading the ones on his list that I missed. I doubt this book will make anyone's list.
Sorry Doggie.

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The essential book for any sports fan, from one of the reigning kings ofsports talk radio, Christopher "Mad Dog" RussoSports fans

Which was the greater achievement, Ted Williams's .406 season or Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak?Who would dominate the ultimate Pebble Beach showdown? Ben Hogan or Tiger Woods?Who was really the most important athlete of the twentieth century?If you love sports, there's only one thing better than a good game—and that's a good argument.Who's the best ever? The worst ever? Underrated? Overpaid? Now, in his long-awaited and completely original book—updated for the 2003 sports season—Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo sets up and breaks down the hundred greatest sports arguments of all time. In classic Mad Dog style, each chapter tackles a classic sports debate and takes sides with the lively and authoritative opinions that have made him one of the top radio personalities in the country.Whether you agree with The Dog—or agree to disagree with the book's often controversial conclusions—The Mad Dog 100 is the perfect companion for any sports fan.

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Shaping College Football: The Transformation of an American Sport, 1919-1930 (Sports and Entertainment) Review

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(More customer reviews)Looking for a good read? Hooked on college football? Interested in knowing how college football matured into today's national spectacle?
If so, you have to read Raymond Schmidt's history of football in the 1920s (college football because the NFL was still in its infancy). Whether it's the Haskell Indians, traditionally African-American schools, or the rising Catholic powers, Schmidt ranges far and wide. He portrays a gridiron landscape no longer dominated by the traditional eastern schools (think Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Penn, and Army). The Midwest flanked by the South and West Coast now became the regions that produced big-time coaches,teams,and star players.
Schmidt's research is truly remarkable. No doubt most of us know something of the Golden Age of Sport--the age of prosperity and consumerism that produced sports legends like Knute Rockne and Red Grange. Yet how many are familiar with the bitter controversies that raged after Grange quit college to join the Chicago Bears? Or the national football machine created by Knute Rockne consisting of former players turned coaches who fed him insider information. Or the forward passes (just legalized in 1906) like burgeoning aircraft that filled the gridiron stratosphere.
Not that there weren't controversies and scandals. Schmidt airs the endless disputes and the conniving by teams for whom winning had become obsessive. The University of Iowa, a flagrant example, accumulated a slush fund that brought the wrath of today's Big Ten down on its head--not a conference team, many of them also tainted, would play the Hawkeyes. In 1929, the Carnegie Commission catalogued the numerous sins against the "amateur ideal." Unfortunately for the Commission, the report was released the same week as the stock market crash.
By 1930, the world of football, as Schmidt views it, was far closer to today's game, practices, and strategy than the pre- or immediately post-World War I version. As if to bookmark the end of an era, Knute Rockne died in an airplane crash after the 1930 season. Schmidt shows how Rockne personified the myth and reality of big-time football--and how the outpouring of tributes to Rockne illustrates the enormous power of its transformation.
"Indeed, that period from 1919 to 1930," Schmidt writes," had served to radically reshape the sport and lay the groundwork for most of what has transpired within intercollegiate football since that time, and it was truly the game's age of Transormation."

Click Here to see more reviews about: Shaping College Football: The Transformation of an American Sport, 1919-1930 (Sports and Entertainment)

A thorough examination of the sport's "Golden Era," a time when factors both on and off the field combined to transform the game.Shaping College Football is the story of the intercollegiate gridiron sport in the years immediately after World War I when the game underwent monumental changes that transformed it into one of America's fundamental sporting attractions and a commercial entity that would be recognizable to any twenty-first century fan. Raymond Schmidt examines the many factors that were a part of college football's reshaping in the 1920s as universities became dependent upon the revenue being generated by football, and the sport increasingly became identified as a commercialized, big business activity. Offering the most detailed examination ever undertaken of college football's "Golden Era," Schmidt covers issues ranging from the shift of power away from the game's pioneering schools, through the real evolution of forward passing, to stadium building and the decade-long struggle over the game's growing over-emphasis that culminated in the legendary Carnegie Report of 1929.

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City Games: The Evolution of American Urban Society and the Rise of Sports (Sport and Society) Review

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(More customer reviews)The book has hard-to-find information on Industrial League games. I was delighted to find the content that I did and will be featuring the book in an August exhibit on Industrial Games.

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Good Game: Christianity and the Culture of Sports Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a very long (300+ pages), dense and thoughtful book. I didn't always agree with the arguments Hoffman set forth, but he does an excellent job at thinking critically about a topic needs further exploration - namely the intersection between Christian faith and sports. A point that Hoffman often comes back to is that Christians have been influenced by sports more than the other way around.
The first half of this book is a history of the church's relationship with sports. This was an important section, though I found it hard to get through at times. It felt more like a book I would read for class rather than for pleasure. The second half of the book was more contemporary and tackled topics such as the killer instinct and prayer on the athletic field. I enjoyed this section much more and would recommend reading it first if you are interested in this treatise, but don't have time to go through the whole thing.
Overall, I found this book well-researched (the bibliography is massive) and necessary. Hoffman is an expert on the topic of faith and sports. He uses many stories and anecdotes across generations that I had either never heard or were buried in my mind and does a masterful job weaving it all together. Sports need to be brought into the conversation between Christ and culture. Hopefully, this book will open some much-needed dialogue regarding some insidious aspects of sports and competition. It gets into some solutions at the end, but just being aware and surfacing issues is an important first step.
(The book was provided for review by the publisher.)

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