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Sports books

Discussion in 'Archive: The Arena' started by Armenian_Jedi, Oct 17, 2009.

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  1. Krusty_the_Clone

    Krusty_the_Clone Jedi Padawan star 3

    Registered:
    Jul 4, 2006
    Fatso by Art Donovan was pretty good.
     
  2. Nevermind

    Nevermind Jedi Knight star 6

    Registered:
    Oct 14, 2001
    "The Lost Dogs" is about the rehabilitation of the dogs used in Michael Vick's dog-fighting ring.
     
  3. Rogue...Jedi

    Rogue...Jedi Administrator Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jan 12, 2000
    Read a book on Joe Paterno (Lion in Autumn) recently (was only $1 in the bargain pile) which was pretty interesting. Worth the dollar, at least :p

    Also have one by Cal Ripken (likewise found cheap) which I'll probably read fairly soon.
     
  4. Darth McClain

    Darth McClain Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 5, 2000
    Has anyone read Mike and Mike's Book of Rules for Sports and Life? I've been thinking of getting that as a gift, but haven't had a chance to read through it.
     
  5. Rogue...Jedi

    Rogue...Jedi Administrator Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jan 12, 2000
    Haven't read it, but I could see that being pretty good.
     
  6. Darth McClain

    Darth McClain Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Feb 5, 2000
    I think it has some potential...I suppose I should go to a bookstore and skim through it there.
     
  7. darthdrago

    darthdrago Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 31, 2003
    A few months back I read Open by Andre Agassi. Great read. It's managed to change the way I look at professional tennis. It really makes you wonder if all those young prodigies that we see in pro sports are truly there because of their love of the sport, or if they're more likely just being used as the mealticket to support greedy and/or vicarious parents, coaches, or other "benefactors".
     
  8. DarthMak

    DarthMak Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jan 4, 2001
    The Fix Is In by Brian Tuohy. Talking about the showbiz manipulations in pro sports. Read it with an open mind. You might be surprised...
     
  9. Nevermind

    Nevermind Jedi Knight star 6

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    Oct 14, 2001
    I've read "Open"...it is indeed very good.
     
  10. darthdrago

    darthdrago Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 31, 2003
    Question: did your impression of Agassi improve or worsen after finishing the book? I've read several reviews on Amazon where people seem to think he's quite the d-bag...
     
  11. KnightWriter

    KnightWriter Administrator Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 6, 2001
    I haven't read it as yet, but Agassi is my favorite athlete. The way he bookended his career at the U.S. Open is telling, having gone from hearing a fan call out to Jimmy Connors, "He's a punk, you're a legend!" to being cheered on at deafening levels near retirement as he made that last finals run in 2005 and then the last go in 2006.

    He came clean about the lousy stuff he did and that's a decision he made. If various other athletes did the same, I don't think they would be much better off for it than Agassi. He chose a terrific co-author and turned it into real literature, not a self-congratulatory victory lap.
     
  12. Nevermind

    Nevermind Jedi Knight star 6

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    Oct 14, 2001
    It improved. He owned his behaviour.
     
  13. WookatMe

    WookatMe Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 22, 2010
    "How Football Explains America" - By Sal Palantonio was a fun read. Not too long either.

    It basically talks about how American culture and beliefs shaped the game of football into the game we play today. It jumps around to some of footballs history and some more of the present stuff.
     
  14. New_York_Jedi

    New_York_Jedi Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Mar 16, 2002
    Just received Pro Basketball Prospectus 2010-2011 , should be a good read over the next couple weeks to prep for the season.

    I didn't realize the Heat were tied for 4th best defense last year; it reaffirms my belief they'll dominate the regular season (I'm still worried about Howard, Bynum/Gasol, the Celtics gaggle of bigs eating their lunch in the playoffs).
     
  15. New_York_Jedi

    New_York_Jedi Force Ghost star 6

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    Mar 16, 2002
  16. Darth McClain

    Darth McClain Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Feb 5, 2000
    That sounds like it could be a really, really good read.
     
  17. Rogue...Jedi

    Rogue...Jedi Administrator Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jan 12, 2000
    Recently read Cal Ripken's book about his streak... quite interesting. Lots of parallels between his career and that of Gehrig.
     
  18. Nevermind

    Nevermind Jedi Knight star 6

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    Oct 14, 2001
    Al Strahan's has a book out called "I am Not Making This Up" and though he always a terrible Habs man, so far it's funny.
     
  19. Rogue...Jedi

    Rogue...Jedi Administrator Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jan 12, 2000
    Got a book on Bobby Bowden for Christmas... haven't read too much of it yet but so far its pretty good.

    I was quite amused when Ron Morris (now a columnist for the paper here in Columbia) got mentioned... I didn't realize he used to be sports editor of the Tallahassee paper - that explains why he went after FSU so harshly before the bowl game [face_laugh] He's got a well-earned reputation for being exceptionally negative (more than a few people absolutely refuse to read anything he writes because its so frequently just garbage) particularly about South Carolina, but since he was in Tallahassee previously, that explains why that was such a target for him too. He doesn't usually go after Carolina's opponents so much [face_laugh]
     
  20. Raven

    Raven Administrator Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 5, 1998

    Big Hair and Plastic Grass: The Story of Baseball in the 1970s.

    It was win.
     
  21. rechedelphar

    rechedelphar Jedi Master star 6

    Registered:
    Mar 29, 2004
    It is very evident that he believes himself to be a good person on the inside. He thinks of himself as a better man than Sampras because of his failures and his rise from the failures. Never was it more plain than when he called out Sampras's cheapness when it comes to tipping. Not only in his book but in that insanely awkward exhibition doubles match.

    Agassi was the most gifted pure striker of the ball from the ground the game has ever seen and the book Open is really one of the best sports books I have ever read. It was eye-opening and shows how hard it is to be a top pro in tennis(THE hardest sport to go pro and remain pro in).
     
  22. Darth McClain

    Darth McClain Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 5, 2000
    I got my stepdad and cousin (who's majoring in journalism and does some play-by-play stuff for the university) Just Play the Game by John Staggerwald for Christmas. Staggerwald was a long time sports columnist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in addition to working for the local ABC and CBS stations for a long time. He was essentially forced out of the CBS affiliate a few years ago because of budget issues, but his book was really good, and not that bitter. A lot of cool behind the scenes stories about Bob Princes (the legendary Pirates broadcaster) and other Pittsburgh legends.
     
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