In Ultimate Season, I created three fictional characters who tell the story of the incredible 1978 American League East title chase in 21st-century blog style fashion. Zack Lassiter is a 43-year-old New York City-born sports writer who is the AL East correspondent for the weekly magazine, The Baseball Times. Maria Martinez is a 19-year-old native of the Bronx, the latest in a long line of Martinez Yankee fans dating back to her grandfather who migrated from Puerto Rico to New York in the early 1920s and became a fan of the Babe Ruth/Lou Gehrig Yankees. Maria is a nursing student at New York University as well as a Yankee Stadium vendor who just may be the most passionate Yankee fan in her demographic. Finally, there is Jimmy O'Reilly, a ruddy-faced, beer-bellied, 58-year-old bartender who is the proprietor of O'Reilly's Pourhouse in the heart of South Boston. Since taking over the joint after the death of his father in 1960, Jimmy has been pouring drinks to his regular band of patrons and extolling the virtues of everything in Boston sports, with a special soft spot for his beloved Red Sox. Through the eyes of Zack, Maria and Jimmy, readers will be transported back to 1978, and thrust right into the middle of all the drama and excitement of a baseball season that captivated a nation at a time when baseball was still this country’s national pastime.
In 1901, Oak Hill Country Club opened on the Genesee River. There were only nine holes, and the clubhouse was a converted farmhouse, but for the members, it was a haven. In the 1920s, the club moved to Pittsford, where world-famous architect Donald Ross built two eighteen-hole courses. A stately Tudor-style clubhouse was added, and in 1949, Oak Hill’s reputation as one of the best courses in America was cemented when the USGA held the U.S. Amateur here. Golfing greats like Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods have competed in such tournaments as the 1956 and 1968 U.S. Open, the 2003 and 2013 PGA Championship and the 2008 Senior PGA Championship. Visit the most exciting moments on the legendary East Course and the history of one of America’s most historic golf meccas.
Casey Carter is a 15-year-old sophomore who is in line to become the starting quarterback of the championship-contending Eagles. However, his journey is a difficult one as a jealous and vindictive senior named Steve Northcutt, who has served as the backup quarterback the previous two years, staunchly believes he should be the starter. Northcutt plots a devious scheme to derail Casey, and the two boys engage in a season-long conflict that hinders the Eagles in their quest to win the conference title. In this fast-moving story that is loaded with thrilling high school football action, you will meet Casey and all his buddies - Kevin McDonald, Danny Valentine, Curtis Winthrop, Kyle Kozlowski, and the brothers Matty and Eddie Harkness - as they begin their varsity sports careers.
At a time when the Steelers were stamping themselves as one of the NFL's most successful franchises in history, the 1978 team may have been the best of the bunch, and Three Rivers, Three Rings, is the story of that team. After winning back-to-back Super Bowls following the 1974 and 1975 seasons, injuries sabotaged a potential three-peat in 1976, and the upstart Denver Broncos won the AFC title in 1977. Two years removed from a championship, the Steelers were driven to return to glory and it became obvious very early that 1978 - the year the NFL expanded to a 16-game schedule - was going to be a special season at Three Rivers Stadium. Sure enough, the Steelers won 17 of 19 games including a memorable 35-31 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XIII which gave the men from the city of three rivers their third NFL championship. It was a special time to be a Terrible Towel-waving Steeler fan, and on the heels of Pittsburgh's latest Super Bowl triumph in February 2009 - which now has doubled the franchise's ring count from three to an NFL-record six - this is the perfect time to reflect on the team's glorious history and Three Rivers, Three Rings is a great place to start.
October is baseball's greatest month, the month when legends are born, memories are forged, and champions are crowned, and October 2012 was certainly no different. In 31 Days in October - A Memoir of the 2012 Major League Baseball Postseason, I recount the drama, the excitement, and the stories of perseverance and achievement that provided a compelling conclusion to the 2012 season. During this 31-day journey, the reader will get an in-depth look at each day's most notable event. Adam Greenberg's heartwarming return to the game for one more major league at-bat; Miguel Cabrera's securing of the Triple Crown; the crash and burn of Bobby Valentine in Boston; the return of playoff baseball to the nation's capital; Derek Jeter's season-ending broken ankle in the ALCS; the benching of Alex Rodriguez; the epic offensive malfunction of the Yankees; the brilliance of Justin Verlander; the Giants remarkable run of staving off elimination; Pablo Sandoval's historic three-homer performance in Game 1 of the World Series; and the Giants impressively efficient sweep of the Tigers. And that's just a sampling of what's included.
Although the record wouldn't indicate it - four Super Bowl losses and two Stanley Cup Finals defeats - the city of Buffalo and the region of Western New York has enjoyed a long and storied sporting history. Game Night in Buffalo stirs those emotions and passions, chronicling some of the never-to-be-forgotten games and performances that Buffalo's devout fans have cheered and cursed; events that stirred memories that will be passed on for generations to come. There are 25 stories included in this collection, and the journey includes Scott Norwood and Wide Right; Brett Hull and No Goal; St. Bona's run to the 1970 Final Four; O.J. Simpson's quest for 2,000 yards; Bob McAdoo and the Buffalo Braves; and May Day, May Day! For anyone who has grown up a Buffalo sports fan, Game Night in Buffalo is a must have.
Pro football was ready to explode, but the established NFL simply wasn't interested in riding the wave. It was satisfied with its 12 teams, and had no plans to expand as the dawn of the 1960s approached. Lamar Hunt didn't like that, so he banded together with seven other multi-millionaires and these rebel businessmen started their own professional football league, the AFL. It started play in 1960 with eight mostly rag-tag teams in Boston, Buffalo, New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Dallas, Oakland and Denver, but by the middle of the decade, it had established such a strong and passionate following that the NFL decided it would be smart to merge with the AFL, rather than continue to fight it for players, for fan attention, and most importantly, for television money. In its 10 years of existence, the AFL became the most successful upstart sports entity in history, gaining recognition and acceptance never before or since achieved by a rival league. This is the story of those glorious 10 years when men like Joe Namath, Cookie Gilchrist, Jack Kemp, Gino Cappelletti, Len Dawson, Billy Cannon, Ernie Ladd, Paul Lowe, Don Maynard, George Blanda and Lance Alworth helped pro football on its journey to becoming America's favorite sport.
Covering the first 30 years of Sabres history of the Sabres, this is a collection of every essential piece of Sabres knowledge and trivia, as well as must-do activities, and they are ranked from 1 to 100. Most Sabres fans have taken in a game or two at the Key Bank Center, have seen highlights of a young Pat Lafontaine, and are aware that the Blizzard of 1977 caused the team’s first weather-related cancelation. But only real fans know who scored the first goal in franchise history, can name every member of the Sabres Hall of Fame, or can tell you the best place to grab a bite in Buffalo before the game. 100 Things Sabres Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die is the definitive resource guide for both seasoned and new fans of the Buffalo Sabres. Obviously, a few things have changed since the book was published, but it will certainly get you off to a good start if you want to learn about the history of the franchise.
This is a collection of 20 former Bills players (and one pretty special coach) who share what they believe is their personal game of their life. The result is 20 of the most memorable games in Buffalo Bills history, straight from the mouths of the men who participated, games and performances that have shaped Buffalo fandom and defined the parameters of bar room rants for generations to come. What game stands above all the others? Perhaps the 1964 AFL Championship Game at War Memorial Stadium, highlighted by Mike Stratton's tackle heard 'round the world. There was the 1973 season finale when O.J. Simpson became the first running back in NFL history to surpass 2,000 yards rushing. How about the glorious season-opener in 1980 when the Bills ended their NFL-record 20-game losing streak to hated rival Miami. Is there any doubt that the most dominating performance was the 1990 AFC Championship Game when the no-huddling Bills embarrassed the proud Raiders, 51-3, to earn their first Super Bowl berth? And will anyone ever forget where they were the January 1993 afternoon when the Bills pulled off the greatest comeback in NFL history, rallying from down 35-3 to defeat the Houston Oilers 41-38 in a wild-card playoff game? Game of My Life is a celebration of Bills football, and these pages accentuate the glory of their victories, reveal the heartbreak of their defeats, spotlight the men who have proudly worn the Buffalo on their helmets, and stir the emotions and passions of a fan base that has supported this franchise through good times and bad.
As much fun as I've ever had writing a book. For this project, I created a fictional character named Joe Kimmerle who takes the reader on a journey through and every one of the Yankees first 26 World Series championships through his direct involvement in one way or another. First as a young fan, later as a batboy, for most of his life as a sports writer, and lastly as a personal confidant of Joe Torre, Kimmerle is there for it all - Babe Ruth's 60-homer season in 1927, Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak, all 536 of Mickey Mantle's home runs, the George Steinbrenner/Billy Martin/Reggie Jackson melodrama, and the most recent Yankee dynasty in the late 1990s led by Derek Jeter. Everything in the book is real, except for Kimmerle and his interactions and storylines. It is a historical novel that every Yankee fan will thoroughly enjoy.
This was my most recent look at the history of the Bills, this in celebration of their 50th anniversary season. This a beautiful cofee-style book complete with photos, stats, and stories from a half century of Bills football. Starting from the early days as a charter member of the American Football League under the ownership of Ralph Wilson, through the first decade of the 21st century, the Bills have certainly provided their fans some tough times, but also some glorious times, and it's all captured here. The foreword is written by my friend, and Bills great, Steve Tasker.
This is my all-time best-selling book, the original Relentless which was published in 1994, fresh off four consecutive trips - albeit losing trips - to the Super Bowl. It was written to celebrate the team's 35th anniversary, and it is the definitive book on Bills history. There is an overview of the franchise history to that point, with extensive interviews with Jack Kemp, O.J. Simpson, Fred Smerlas, Jim Kelly, and Ralph Wilson, followed by an exhaustive recap of every game the team played in its first 35 seasons. I have received enough compliments from Bills fans to last a lifetime regarding this book. It's still out there in hard-copy form.
If you were a kid growing up in the 1970s as I did, the emergence of the Buffalo Sabres was wonderfully exciting for Western New York hockey fans. The team was founded in 1970, and after two predictably rugged seasons, the Sabres shocked everyone in hockey in their third season of existence when they qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs. That 1972-73 season was one of the most surprising, and exciting, in team history, and it's all captured in Thank You Sabres. Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin, and Rene Robert became the French Connection that season, Tim Horton came to Buffalo and helped lead a young club trying to find its way, big Jim Schoenfeld made the team as a rookie and became one of its chief enforcers, and Roger Crozier and Dave Dryden shared time in the net, helping drive the Sabres to their first-round playoff series with the mighty Montreal Canadiens.
There are games that stand the test of time. Performances that years, even decades later, bring a smile or in some cases a grimace, to a fan's face. They are indelible moments that, when strung together, give you a sense of a college's history. This is the essence of Slices of Orange, a collection of the most memorable stories in Syracuse University history. Sal Maiorana and Scott Pitoniak recapture the heroics of running back Jim Brown's 43-point performance against Colgate at old Archbold Stadium; the pain of Keith Smart's jumper that denied Syracuse a national title in 1987; and the joy of forward Carmelo Anthony's levitation act in the 2003 NCAA basketball championship game. They tell of the fierce SU-Georgetown basketball rivalry, and John Thompson's incendiary comments that ignited it. And how the Gait brothers, Paul and Gary, revolutionized the game of lacrosse and laid the foundation for a college sports dynasty.