Synopses & Reviews
For the sports fan, this guide offers fascinating facts and tidbits on baseball, football, basketball, hockey, the Olympic Games, tennis, figure skating, soccer, and more. It contains special sections on women's sports, young people's sports, and the Special Olympics, and includes listings of winners of the World Series, the Super Bowl, the Stanley Cup, and other major competetions.
Synopsis
For the sports fan, this guide offers fascinating facts and tidbits on baseball, football, basketball, hockey, the Olympic Games, tennis, figure skating, soccer, and more. It contains special sections on women's sports, young people's sports, and the Special Olympics, and includes listings of winners of the World Series, the Super Bowl, the Stanley Cup, and other major competetions.
About the Author
Mike McGovern is a noted East Coast journalist, and currently is the sportswriter for the Allentown Times. He is the author of The Encyclopedia of Twentieth Century Athletes and, with his wife, Susan Shelly, The Quotable Athlete. He lives with his family in Shillington, PA.
Table of Contents
I. AMERICA'S FIRST GREAT SPORT. 1. Play Ball!
Before There Was Baseball. The Myth of Abner Doubleday. The Real Inventor. The Professional Leagues Are Born. Mixing It Up. The Big Breakthrough. 2. Baseball's Gold Standard.
The Sultan of Swat. Power to Spare. Hit Men. Call to Arms. Today's Best. 3. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
The Black Sox Scandal. Flood-ing the Market. The Day the Earth Moved. A Thorny Rose. 4. Game Time.
Twenty Questions. Twenty Answers. Bet You Didn't Know…. Say What? Classic Fall Classics.
II. FOOTBALL: AMERICA'S NEW PASTIME. 5. Pigskin Preview.
All-American Game. Big Game on Campus. Legendary Coaches. Welcome to the Club. 6. Playing for Pay.
Pro Football's Humble Beginnings. Pro Football's First Icons. The NFL Emerges. The Game That Became an Event. 7. Greats of the Game.
The Field Generals. Trench Warfare. The Good-Hands People. The Hit Men. Ground Assault. View from the Sidelines. 8. Gridiron Classics.
Skinned by the Bears. The Ice Bowl. The Heidi Game. Brash Broadway Joe. A Knock-Down, Drag-Out in Miami. The Immaculate Reception. The Longest Yard. The Greatest Game Ever Played. 9. Game Time.
Twenty Questions. Twenty Answers. Bet You Didn't Know…. Say What? Supermen in the Super Bowl.
III. HOOP DREAMS. 10. It Started with a Peach Basket.
Introducing Dr. Naismith. Hoops on Campus. Pro Leagues Come and Go. The NBA Takes Shape. 11. School Days.
Masters of the Game. Give These Players an A+. Monumental Upsets. The Greatest of All Time? 12. Basketball's Best.
Men in the Middle. Up, Up, and Away. On Guard. 13. Game Time.
Twenty Questions. Twenty Answers. Bet You Didn't Know…. Say What? Belles of the Ball.
IV. GOING IT ALONE: GOLF, TENNIS, AND BOXING. 14. Fore!
Birthplace of the Game. The Father of American Golf. Greats of the Game. Ladies Day. 15. Love of the Game.
Introducing Major Wingfield. The Grand Slammers. Under the Big Top. Fire and Ice. Fab Five. 16. Put Up Your Dukes.
The Opening Bell. Boxing Alphabet and Weighty Subjects. The Greatest. Powerful Figures. 17. Game Time.
Twenty Questions. Twenty Answers. Bet You Didn't Know…. Say What? Tiger's Excellent Adventure.
V. FROZEN PONDS, BIG KICKS. 18. The Frozen Pond.
Way Back When. Hockey in the U.S.A. The Defense Never Rests. He Shoots, He Scores! The Puck Stops Here. 19. Soccer: The World Game.
Kicking Off. The Big Show. One-Name Wonder. The Game in the U.S. Leading Ladies. 20. Game Time.
Twenty Questions. Twenty Answers. Bet You Didn't Know….Say What? Bowman's the Best.
VI. THE OLYMPIC SPRIIT. 21. Fun in the Summertime.
Let the Games Begin! Runners and Jumpers. Splish, Splash. Hooping It Up. Flipping for Gold. 22. Chills, Thrills, and Spills.
Let the (Winter) Games Begin! Compulsory Figures. On Your Mark….Miracle on Ice. Downhill Racers. 23. Game Time.
Twenty Questions. Twenty Answers. Bet You Didn't Know…. Say What? Profiles in Courage.
VII. SPEED THRILLS. 24. The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
Laying the Foundation. Stars of the Show. Why Can't We All Just Get Along? 25. Good Ol' Boys
The Great American Race. The Old Guard. The Heir Apparent. The Intimidator. 26. The Short and Winding Roads.
Drag Racing 101. Quarter-Mile Rush. Formula One. Kings of the Road. 27. Game Time.
Twenty Questions. Twenty Answers. Bet You Didn't Know…. Say What? And They're Off!
APPENDIXES. Appendix A. Glossary
Appendix B. Champions
Appendix C. Hall of Famers
Appendix D. Additional Resources
Index.