Synopses & Reviews
Why do fans live and die with their teams? For Yankee, Cowboy, and Laker fans the answer is fairly clear: the return on investment is relatively high. But why do people root so passionately for tragically inept teams like the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs, and the Philadelphia Phillies? Why do people organize their emotional lives around lackluster franchises such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, the San Diego Padres, and the Phoenix Suns, none of whom have ever won a single championship in their entire history? Is it pure tribalism? An attempt to maintain contact with one's vanished childhood?
In True Believers, humorist and lifelong Philly fan Joe Queenan answers these and many other questions, shedding light on--and reveling in--the culture and psychology of his countless fellow fans.
Review
"[W]ithin the sarcasm and the self-criticism, Queenan reveals a universal truth: sports fans are hope junkies....Great reading for fans who want a few insights into their personal demon and a few laughs, too." Wes Lukowsky, Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
"[I]n its heart [the book] is a paean to the spirit of the author's hometown....Queenan aptly identifies, pathologizes and lampoons every form of loutish and insufferable behavior that plagues big-time athletics today." Tobin Harshaw, The New York Times Book Review
Review
"In this hilarious and strangely erudite book, Queenan doesn't overwrite his subject for a diehard fan knows what to do when the buzzer sounds: go home." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Queenan unleashes his accustomed wit....Queenan's no philosophical Roger Kahn or David Halberstam, but he's got game, especially if cussing and yelling are involved. A fan's overstated memoir and undeniably funny, if as protracted as regular season extra innings." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Hilarious." John Rezek, Playboy
Review
"Yes!!! Every sports fan in America will enjoy Joe Queenan's wild and wacky take on the world of sports." Marv Albert
Review
"If it weren't for fans, I'd be out of a job. And if it weren't for Joe Queenan, I'd be clueless on exactly what makes fans tick. When you read True Believers you can't help but think back to those moments when a ball game, a player, or a telecast had a lifelong impact. When I finished it I wanted to call that old Phillies' catcher Clay Dalrymple and tell him I still haven't forgotten that he once tossed me a ball on his way to the dugout." Ernie Johnson
Review
"Queenan is at his best when ranting....Unfortunately, he sometimes goes painfully over the top....But shock is a component of humor, and Queenan is nothing if not humorous." Library Journal
Review
"A riveting inside look at sports fans in America a terrific book." Tim McCarver
Synopsis
Why do fans live and die with their teams? For Yankee, Cowboy, and Laker fans the answer is fairly clear: the return on investment is relatively high. But why do people root so passionately for tragically inept teams like the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs, and the Philadelphia Phillies? Why do people organize their emotional lives around lackluster franchises such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, the San Diego Padres, and the Phoenix Suns, none of whom have ever won a single championship in their entire history? Is it pure tribalism? An attempt to maintain contact with one's vanished childhood?
In True Believers, humorist and lifelong Philly fan Joe Queenan answers these and many other questions, shedding light on and reveling in the culture and psychology of his countless fellow fans.
Synopsis
Bestselling author Joe Queenan's True Believers explores the world of sports fans in an attempt to understand the inexplicable: What does anyone get out of it?
For Yankee, Cowboy, and Laker fans the answer is fairly clear: the return on investment is relatively high. But why do people root so passionately for formerly inept teams like the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs, and the Philadelphia Phillies? Why do people organize their emotional lives around lackluster franchises such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, the San Diego Padres, and the Phoenix Suns, of whom decades passed with only winning a single championship in their entire history? Is it pure tribalism? An attempt to maintain contact with one's vanished childhood?
In True Believers, humorist and lifelong Philly fan Joe Queenan answers these and many other questions, shedding light on--and reveling in--the culture and psychology of his countless fellow fans. Making pilgrimages to such cradles of competition as Notre Dame Stadium, Fenway, and Wrigley Field, Queenan delves into every aspect of fandom in such illuminating chapters as Fans Who Love Too Much (men, like the author, who actually resort to psychotherapy to deal with their unhealthy addiction), Fans Who Run in Front (which meticulously delineates the differences between Retroactive, Municipal, and Vicarious Frontrunners), and Fans Who Misbehave (those who spill beer on women, moon other fans, or throw half-eaten sandwiches at innocent bystanders simply because they look like the current coach of the New York Jets).
True Believers is a hilarious but also heartfelt look into the world of those fans who realize that it is, in fact, more than just a game.
About the Author
The author of the bestselling
Balsamic Dreams,
Joe Queenan is a contributing editor at
Men's Health, Smart Money, and
Movie Line. He lives in Tarrytown, New York.
Table of Contents
Prologue 1
1 Fans Who Love Too Much 19
2 Fans Who Know the Score 39
3 Fans Who Run in Front 65
4 Fans Who See Green 89
5 Fans Who Misbehave 113
6 Fans Who Are Short 135
7 Fans Who Get an Earful 155
8 Fans Who Just Enjoy It 175
9 Fans Who Walk Away 195
10 True Believers 213