Dolich, Andy, and Newhouse, Dave. Goodbye, Oakland: Winning, Wanderlust and a Sports Town’s Fight for Survival. Chicago: Triumph Books. 2023. Pp. 256. No index or chapter notes. $28 (hardcover). Reviewed by Richard A. Macales “There are three sides to every story: your side, my side, and the truth. And no one is lying. Memories shared…
Trutor, Clayton. Loserville: How Professional Sports Remade Atlanta––and How Atlanta Remade Professional Sports. Lincoln: Nebraska University Press, 2022. Pp. 504. $34.95 hardback and ebook. Reviewed by Łukasz Muniowski A major American city––one that is either in development or dealing with social, economic, or environmental issues––never fully “arrives” or “emerges” on the national map until it lands a…
Conley, Sean. The Point After: How One Resilient Kicker Learned there was More to Life than the NFL. Lyons Press, 2020. Pp. 258. Acknowledgments, epilogue, index, photographs, pregame (prologue). $29.95 hardback. Reviewed by Bob D’Angelo There is nothing sentimental about the NFL. It is a business, and it chews up players and spits them out…
Wickersham, Seth. It’s Better to be Feared: The New England Patriots Dynasty and the Pursuit of Greatness. New York: Liveright Publishing Corporation, 2021. Pp. 506. $40.00 hardback and ebook. Reviewed by Łukasz Muniowski According to ESPN journalist Seth Wickersham, the Patriots dynasty began and ended with Tom Brady. That is how he constructs his book, It’s Better…
Coverdale, Miles Jr. The 1960s in Sports: A Decade of Change. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020. Pp. 371. Black and white photos, index, bibliography, and notes. $75 hardcover. Reviewed by Richard A. Macales “During the turmoil of the 1960s, the world of sports provided a positive distraction for the American people.” – Author Miles…
Woods, Paul. Year of the Rocket: John Candy, Wayne Gretzky, a Crooked Tycoon, and the Craziest Season in Football History. Toronto: Sutherland House, 2021. Pp. 325. $19.95. Reviewed by Łukasz Muniowski Judging by the number of championships, the Toronto Argonauts are, arguably, the best team in the history of the Canadian Football League (CFL), with a…
Editor’s Note: “Sport in American History” is excited to cross-post Richard C. Crepeau’s “Sport and Society” column. This post was originally published on December 4, 2018. A full archive of his Crepeau’s columns can be found by clicking here. Here we are once again at the end of the regular season in college football. The conference championship games have…
Gilden, Jack. Collision of Wills: Johnny Unitas, Don Shula, and the Rise of the Modern NFL. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2018. Pp. 328. Afterword, index and bibliography. $29.95 hardback. Reviewed by Bob D’Angelo The Baltimore Colts of the 1960s could be called the National Football League’s underachievers — or, more charitably, unlucky. From 1963…
By Timothy J. Lombardo A familiar refrain accompanied the Philadelphia Eagles’ unlikely trek toward Super Bowl LII. It was perhaps best explained by Ed Rendell. Predicting an Eagles victory, Rendell said, “This team reminds me of the 1993 Phillies, just a bunch of working stiffs, not glamourous whatsoever. So blue-collar.” Rendell was uniquely qualified to…
By Tanya K. Jones Whether one is playing or spectating, millions of people participate in one form or another. As springtime ends, it takes two sports in the U.S. with it; hockey and basketball. Despite the loss, American sports enthusiasts have baseball to lean on until the day comes when one sport rises above the…
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