Synopses & Reviews
The exodus of the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers to the west after the 1957 season left a gaping hole in the fabric of the New York sports community. In 1962, the New York Mets stepped in to fill the void and#150; an impossible task for any expansion team, but especially for this band of lovable losers in a city spoiled by the success of the New York Yankees. Led by the inimitable Casey Stengel, the and#8217;62 Mets set the mark for futility in major league baseball, winning a mere 40 games while losing 120.
It didnand#8217;t get much better in the ensuing years and#150; until 1969. It was then that the Miracle Mets, just two years removed from losing 101 games, shocked the world, defeating the powerhouse Baltimore Orioles in the World Series, 4 games to 1. Seventeen years later, the bad boys of and#8217;86 pulled off one of the most remarkable comebacks in sports history when they defeated the cursed Boston Red Sox to win the Metsand#8217; second world championship. And in 2000, the Amazinand#8217; Mets fought their way into a Subway Series showdown with the crosstown rival Yankees.
Along the way, throughout the ups and downs, the cast of characters, both Hall of Famers and underachievers, has rarely failed to entertain. Through vintage and modern photos, baseball cards, memorable stories, and sports trivia, 101 Reasons to Love the Mets celebrates this one-of-a-kind team.
Synopsis
The Green Bay Packers are the last of the small-town teams that were once common in the NFL. The Pack and their fans, the devoted Cheeseheads, have won 13 league championships (more than any other team in the NFL), including 9 NFL championships prior to the Super Bowl era and 4 Super Bowl victories. Their stellar rosterand#8212;Bart Starr, Ray Nitschke, Paul Hornung, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, and of course, legendary coach Vince Lombardiand#8212;are all here, making history on the and#8220;frozen tundraand#8221; of Lambeau Field.
Synopsis
In South Bend, Indiana, home of Notre Dame University, football is a celebration. For more than 120 years, the success of the Fighting Irish football program has helped define the university and the sport of college football. A tradition and heritage exists here that is rivaled by few other institutions.With eleven consensus national championships and ten other shared titles, Notre Dame boasts an unmatched legacy of success. The list of Hall of Fame coaches and All-American player goes on and on: the legendary Four Horsemen, Jesse Harper, Knute Rockne, Ara Parseghian, Johnny Lujack, Joe Montana, Brady Quinn.Unforgettable games, historic moments, and larger-than-life personalities are all recounted here, accompanied by stunning vintage and contemporary photography and memorabilia. From the casual football fan to the most devoted Notre Dame alums,
101 Reasons to Love Notre Dame Football is a treasure for all.
Synopsis
There is football. There is college football. And then there is Alabama Crimson Tide football.
Perhaps more than any other athletic program, Alabama football reaches beyond the field and the scoreboard and into the lives and legacies of a region bound by its connection to the Tide. For decades, Alabama football has symbolized the mighty Southeastern Conference, coloring it crimson and white, and accenting it with the houndstooth majesty of the late Paul 'Bear' Bryant's enduring influence. With twelve national championships and nineteen players and coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame, the University of Alabama has secured its spot as one of the most successfuland#160;athletic institutionsand#160;in the history of American sports.and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;With a collection of striking illustrations that bring the past alive and celebrate the present, 101 Reasons to Love Alabama Football celebrates all that is Crimson Tide football.
About the Author
Ron Green, Jr., is a sportswriter for The Charlotte [North Carolina] Observer, and he lives in Charlotte. He is the author of five other books in the"101 Reasons to Love" series.