Sports Essays

In the four biggest American sports leagues, 124 franchises vie for the crown of greatest of all. Only one can sit atop the throne. Now for the first time ever, Got Your Legends ranks all of the franchises and explains which teams are legendary, or unique, or exciting, or tragic . . . or laughable.

Sports radio legend Stugotz rewrites the record books, taking rings away from undeserving champions and giving them to the rightful winners. “I’ve been accused of rooting against every team in America, but I am rooting FOR Stugotz’s Personal Record Book.”—Joe Buck Without Tom Brady...

What's it like to be a trail angel and can romance truly blossom from first meeting to marriage on the Pacific Crest Trail? How do trail names get bestowed and what does it mean when you find yourself roaring back at a mountain lion? How have climate change, technology, and the sheer number of hikers affected life on the PCT? Find the answers to all these questions, and so many more, in the diverse writings gathered in Crossing Paths, an anthology of stories and poems written by PCT hikers.

El audiolibro cuenta la meritoria historia del Deportivo de La Coruña, el equipo de fútbol que en los años noventa se ganó el cariño de los aficionados españoles por sus heroicas gestas en la Liga y en la Copa del Rey. El equipo, gracias a la ambiciosa gestión de su presidente, incluso llegó a codearse con la realeza del fútbol europeo.

In the autumn of 2020 Ned Boulting (ITV head cycling commentator and Tour de France obsessive) bought a length of Pathé news film from a London auction house. All he knew was it was film from the Tour de France, a long time ago. Once restored it became clear it was a short sequence of shots from stage 4 of the 1923 Tour de France. No longer than 2.5 minutes long, it featured half a dozen sequences, including a lone rider crossing a bridge. Ned set about learning everything he could about the sequence – studying each frame, face and building – until he had squeezed the meaning from it.

Meet John Richardson, a typical weekend golfer who enjoys the game but can’t break 100. But Richardson differs from the average 24-handicapper in one crucial way. He’s determined to break par within a year at the local golf course while working in a demanding full-time job and trying his best to remain a good husband and father. Famed Scottish golfer/commentator Sam Torrance advises John to “dream on” and PGA Tour pro Darren Clarke tells him that three years would be a more realistic time frame.

In 1943, while the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals were winning pennants and meeting in that year's World Series, one of the nation's strongest baseball teams practiced on a skinned-out college field in the heart of North Carolina. Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, and Johnny Sain were among a cadre of fighter-pilot cadets who wore the Cloudbuster Nine baseball jersey at an elite Navy training school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Many of us grew up scoring a thousand glorious NHL goals in our minds, and on our streets and corner rinks. We won the Stanley Cup over and over in our imaginations. What happened to those childhood heroics? We packed them in a box with our hockey cards and forgot them. Growing Up Hockey uses the heartwarming and comical exploits of a house-league third-liner to prompt us to re-live our memories of hockey glory.

Do lobsters feel pain? Did Franz Kafka have a funny bone? What is John Updike's deal, anyway? And what happens when adult video starlets meet their fans in person? David Foster Wallace answers these questions and more in essays that are also enthralling narrative adventures. Whether covering the...

My Life on the Run chronicles the heatstroke and frostbite, heartache and triumphs he's experienced while competing in more than 1,000 competitive races on all seven continents. With the wit and wisdom of a seasoned insider, Yasso tells runners what they need to know to navigate the logistics of running in an unfamiliar country. He also offers practical guidance, such as 5-K, 10-K, half-marathon, and marathon training schedules, including his innovative technique known as the Yasso 800s for beginner, intermediate, and advanced runners.

نشجع الأطفال على ممارسة الرياضة كي نغرس فيهم فضائل مثل العمل الجماعي والمثابرة والانضباط، لكن في كثير من الأحيان تثير الرياضة مشكلات أخلاقية شائكة، وهو ما يتضح لنا من الفضائح المتواصلة التي تنقلها لنا عناوين الأخبار. فهل يهدد الجانب الفاسد من الرياضة قدرتها على غرس الفضائل الأخلاقية في حياتنا؟ وهل هذه الفضائل مؤكَّدة من الأساس؟ يقدم روبرت إل. سايمون في هذا الكتاب استقصاءً شاملاً وعميقاً لموضوعات واسعة النطاق تتراوح من أخلاقيات المنافسة، إلى تعاطي العقاقير واستخدام التقنيات المُعزِّزة للأداء، وصولاً إلى المساواة بين الجنسين. إنه كتاب مهمّ ينفذ إلى عمق أسئلة أخلاقيات الرياضة المعقدة، ويستكشف الصلة المنطقيـة بين الفعل الذي يقوم به الرياضيُّ في اللعبة والقواعد الموضوعة المنظمة لتلك اللعبة، ثم يربط الإجابات بالشواغل اليومية حيال القيم والعدالة واللعب النظيف.

On the Water is a gorgeously written collection of essays that all take place on or near the water and pay tribute to the flora and fauna associated with those ecosystems. There are essays about the finer points of tickling rainbow trout in the streams of Normandy, and of eagles and ospreys fishing for bass while barely breaking the surface of the water. There are stories of droughts and floods, of dogs and boats, of worms and rattlesnakes, and even of catching and cooking soft-shell turtles that taste like osso-bucco.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s deeply personal essay explores racial conflict through the prism of his childhood and the influence of his father, a police officer who walked the beat between two worlds.

Hearing about hockey is not the same as being at the rink on game night, but these stories present a portrait of a small city’s team, playing a sport that has been ever-changing and always exhilarating.

Bernhard von Limburger (1901-1981) war ein erfolgreicher Amateurspieler, Golfplatzarchitekt und Deutschlands erster Golf-Schriftsteller. Diese Sammlung seiner Essays erschien 1956 unter dem Titel "Geliebtes Golf". Die innersten Gefühle, die seltsamsten Situationen, die unglaublichsten Mitspieler und die sensationellsten Schläge - nichts entgeht Limmys Erzählfreude. Für ihn ist Golf nicht einfach nur ein Spiel oder ein Sport, sondern eine Lebensweise: "Des Golfers Leben ist stets ein Ringen mit sich selbst.

In Circling the Bases, leading sports economist Andrew Zimbalist continues his discussion and analysis of the major issues and challenges confronting the sports industry in the second decade of the 21st century. Presenting a general overview of the sports business at the college and professional levels, this volume places concerns such as the antitrust status of sports leagues, the stalled progress of gender equity in college sports, and the control of performance enhancing drugs in historical context.

New York has long been both America’s leading cultural center and its sports capital, with far more championship teams, intracity World Series, and major prizefights than any other city. New York Sports collects the work of 14 leading sport historians, providing new insight into the social and cultural history of America’s major metropolis and of the United States.

The ethos of East Texas is especially embodied in the story of Jeff Traylor, former head coach of the Gilmer Buckeyes, and his long-time coaching staff. A native son, Traylor and his band of brothers transformed the Buckeyes into champions, and in doing so help tell the story of the entire region's obsession with high school football, and undeniable influence on all levels of the sport. This is the story of the coach, the team, and the region.

Un libro ideal para padres de familia que promueven el deporte en sus hijos y que, por diferentes circunstancias, se encuentran ante la posiblidad de que ellos o ellas sean potenciales deportistas de élite. Este libro es escrito por un entrenador y profesional del coaching quien entrenó a grandes estrellas del tenis para llevarlos al número uno del mundo. Son consejos y el paso a paso para padres de familia que quieren que sus hijos sean deportistas de alto rendimiento sin que el proceso se vuelva tormentoso, engorroso y sin una ruta clara.

Hangin’ Tough is a collection of essays and short stories that celebrate boxing. Jawed Akrim, a lifelong scholar and fan of the noble sport, answers an individual question with each essay or story, such as: Were people scared to fight Muhammad Ali? Filled with colorful personalities, the audiobook also highlights trainers and other sports figures with a connection to the ring. Prepare to be shocked, amazed, and even horrified as you take a walk on the wilder side of boxing history.