Football for a Buck

Author: Jeff Pearlman
Publisher: Mariner Books
ISBN: 0544454383
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 397

Book Description
From a multiple New York Times bestselling author, the rollicking, outrageous, you-can't-make-this-up story of the USFL The United States Football League--known fondly to millions of sports fans as the USFL--was the last football league to not merely challenge the NFL, but cause its owners and executives to collectively shudder. It spanned three seasons, 1983-85. It secured multiple television deals. It drew millions of fans and launched the careers of legends. But then it died beneath the weight of a particularly egotistical and bombastic owner--a New York businessman named Donald J. Trump. The league featured as many as 18 teams, and included such superstars as Steve Young, Jim Kelly, Herschel Walker, Reggie White, Doug Flutie and Mike Rozier. In Football for a Buck, the dogged reporter and biographer Jeff Pearlman draws on more than four hundred interviews to unearth all the salty, untold stories of one of the craziest sports entities to have ever captivated America. From 1980s drug excess to airplane brawls and player-coach punch outs, to backroom business deals, to some of the most enthralling and revolutionary football ever seen, Pearlman transports readers back in time to this crazy, boozy, audacious, unforgettable era of the game. He shows how fortunes were made and lost on the backs of professional athletes and also how, thirty years ago, Trump was a scoundrel and a spoiler. For fans of Terry Pluto's Loose Balls or Jim Bouton's Ball Four and of course Pearlman's own stranger-than-fiction narratives, Football for a Buck is sports as high entertainment--and a cautionary tale of the dangers of ego and excess.

Buck Shaw

Author: Kevin Carroll
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476686904
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 274

Book Description
Blocking for the Gipper, Lawrence "Buck" Shaw was one of Knute Rockne's star players at Notre Dame during 1919 through 1921. However, it was his nearly four decades of college and pro coaching that earned him esteem. Viewed as a "player's coach," Shaw was talented at relating to young men and molding them into a winning team. His college teams won two Sugar bowls. Shaw's successful coaching with the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles also played an integral role in helping the NFL grow into a billion-dollar business. A contemporary of Vince Lombardi, Shaw's Eagles won the NFL championship in the pre-Super Bowl era. A member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Shaw never received serious consideration for enshrinement at Canton for his professional career. This complete biography tells the colorful story of Shaw's college and pro years, shedding light on Shaw's over-looked achievements in the professional ranks, which saw him earn a higher winning percentage a half-dozen Hall of Fame coaches.

Lucky Bastard

Author: Joe Buck
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101984570
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 306

Book Description
In this New York Times bestselling memoir, the announcer of the biggest sporting events in the country—including the 2017 Super Bowl and this century's most-watched, historic, Chicago Cubs–winning World Series—reveals why he is one lucky bastard. Sports fans see Joe Buck everywhere: broadcasting one of the biggest games in the NFL every week, calling the World Series every year, announcing the Super Bowl every three years. They know his father, Jack Buck, is a broadcasting legend and that he was beloved in his adopted hometown of St. Louis. Yet they have no idea who Joe really is. Or how he got here. They don’t know how he almost blew his career. They haven’t read his funniest and most embarrassing stories or heard about his interactions with the biggest sports stars of this era. They don’t know how hard he can laugh at himself—or that he thinks some of his critics have a point. And they don’t know what it was really like to grow up in his father’s shadow. Joe and Jack were best friends, but it wasn’t that simple. Jack, the voice of the St. Louis Cardinals for almost fifty years, helped Joe get his broadcasting start at eighteen. But Joe had to prove himself, first as a minor league radio announcer and then on local TV, national TV with ESPN, and then finally on FOX. He now has a successful, Emmy-winning career, but only after a lot of dues-paying, learning, and pretty damn entertaining mistakes that are recounted in this book. In his memoir, Joe takes us through his life on and off the field. He shares the lessons he learned from his father, the errors he made along the way, and the personal mountain he climbed and conquered, all of which have truly made him a Lucky Bastard.

The War on Football

Author: Daniel Flynn
Publisher: Regnery Publishing
ISBN: 1621571556
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 258

Book Description
We've all been hearing rumors about sacking America's beloved game of football—and it's time someone spoke out against the witch hunt. In The War on Football: Saving America's Game, Dan Flynn debunks the haters and tells us why America needs football.

Buck

Author: M.K. Asante
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 0812983629
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 274

Book Description
“A story of surviving and thriving with passion, compassion, wit, and style.”—Maya Angelou “In America, we have a tradition of black writers whose autobiographies and memoirs come to define an era. . . . Buck may be this generation’s story.”—NPR A coming-of-age story about navigating the wilds of urban America and the shrapnel of a self-destructing family, Buck shares the story of a generation through one original and riveting voice. MK Asante was born in Zimbabwe to American parents: his mother a dancer, his father a revered professor. But as a teenager, MK was alone on the streets of North Philadelphia, swept up in a world of drugs, sex, and violence. MK’s memoir is an unforgettable tale of how one precocious, confused kid educated himself through gangs, rap, mystic cults, ghetto philosophy, and, eventually, books. It is an inspiring tribute to the power of literature to heal and redeem us.

Bud Wilkinson and the Rise of Oklahoma Football

Author: John Scott
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
ISBN: 0806177012
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 512

Book Description
At the end of World War II, the top ten college football teams were largely the same as they are today—with one exception: Oklahoma. In 1947, Bud Wilkinson was named OU’s head football coach and became the architect of Oklahoma’s meteoric rise from mediocrity to its present status as a perennial powerhouse. Based on interviews with Wilkinson, former OU president George L. Cross, and numerous former players, author John Scott gives us the behind-the-scenes story of Wilkinson’s years at the University of Oklahoma. Scott takes us through the teams Wilkinson directed from 1947 to 1963, revealing the philosophies and tactics Wilkinson used to turn OU into one of college football’s elite programs. A close-up view of games—from strategy to execution—brings OU football and its cast of colorful characters to life. Scott details the Sooners’ 47-game winning streak as well as thrilling games against Notre Dame, Army, USC, and others. He also provides details of Wilkinson’s breaking of the color line in OU athletics and the infamous food-poisoning incident in Chicago in 1959. Before his death in 1994, Wilkinson reviewed the first draft of the book and wrote in a letter to the author, “The explanations of football strategies are concise and clear. They rank among the best I have ever read.” Including vignettes of Wilkinson’s closest coaching friends (Royal, Bryant, Leahy, Sanders, Blaik, Tatum), Bud Wilkinson and the Rise of Oklahoma Football captures all the drama of Oklahoma’s ascendance and serves as an authoritative and entertaining history of the sport that will appeal to all college football fans.

Gun T an RPO System

Author: Kenny Simpson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 160

Book Description
The Gun T RPO system is now available for coaches wishing to see Coach Simpson's offense. His playbook will provide the following for coaches wishing to see how the offense works: Formations and tags. Be as simple or complex as you want with simple tags.Motions and shifts. Confuse the defense by moving players pre-snap.Buck Sweep - All the flavors of buck sweep vs. any front the defense wants to throw out. Strong Belly - Coach Simpson's unique simple way to run strong belly will adapt to any front.Strong Belly Read - Making one blocking scheme into many is the goal of the Gun T RPO system.Jet Sweep/Quick Belly/Quick Belly Read - All 3 plays run with the same blocking rules and little adjustments.Counter Game - How to run a traditional wing-t counter and mix it with the RPO game.Passing game in the Gun T RPO systemHeavy SetAnd more...Review from Coachtube about the Gun T RPO System: "Coach Simpson's Gun T Offensive Overview is an excellent offensive resource. This course provides the foundation of Coach Simpson's offensive philosophy. Coach believes in the monikers that "Less is More" and the "Rule of 3", which both were evident in the explanation of the offense. His explanations were clear and concise, and the presentations were easy to follow." - Todd Knipp"This is absolutely amazing. Coach Simpson does an excellent job of explaining his system. Whether your a young coach or an experienced coach this is must see. You can easily see why he is a successful coach. His detail an organization is on point and I cannot wait to learn more from Coach Simpson." - Mike Kloes"I've been following coach Simpson for a while now and it's very clear to me that even though I may not be a HC, we have similar philosophies. If you are a Wing T guy looking for ways to "Modernize" your offense, or a Spread guy looking for an effective and efficient run game this is the offense you should be looking at!" - Coach Sheffer"The course by Coach Simpson was quite helpful. As the new Head Coach of a small school - the Gun T system is going to help us be successful right away. Being a spread coach for the last 8-9 years, this system easily blends the best of both worlds of spread and wing-." -Mike Wilson"Coach Simpson's Gun-T Offense is dynamic and efficient. This course gets into the foundation of building blocks of the Gun-T offense and what you are trying to do offensively to be as successful as possible." - Austin Pink"Amazing detail on numerous variations of attaching RPO's to your Bucksweep. Keeps it simple yet extremely informative. Great Job Coach Simpson, you made me a believer! Highly recommend!" - Mike Turso"Coach Simpson does a awesome job explaining his system, and he does it a way that people like myself who are not familiar with RPO's can understand!" - Coach Coleman

Fourth Down

Author: Dave Klein
Publisher: Forge Books
ISBN: 1466842873
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 290

Book Description
Once Ed Buck, sports reporter, and Adam Benson, star quarterback for the Chicago Bears, played football on the same college team. Years later, they are still close friends. In New York for a game against the Giants, Benson hands Buck the biggest story of his career. Gambling on football is one of the country's leading "industries," and the mob's been forcing Benson to throw games. The quarterback has had enough. Sunday, he tells Buck, he's playing to win, and to hell with the mob. After the game, Buck can run with the story. Adam Benson never makes it off the field alive, and Ed Buck suspects his friend was murdered. Buck knows barely enough to convince a police detective to look into Benson's death--but more than enough to set the mob on his tail. As Lt. Gerry Keegan probes the tangled connections between the dead quarterback and the head of an organized crime family, uncovering drug dealing, murder, blackmail, prostitution, and double- and triple-crosses, Ed Buck and his fiancee run for their lives. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

The United States Football League, 1982-1986

Author: Paul Reeths
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476627738
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 428

Book Description
One of the most ambitious (and short-lived) endeavors in professional sports history, the United States Football League was founded in 1982. Premiering with a spring schedule and an abundance of talent that included top rookies and National Football League veterans, the USFL gained national attention with broadcast and cable television contracts, controversial player signings, ownership battles and an unsuccessful billion-dollar lawsuit against the NFL. The USFL folded after four years yet represented the last major challenge to America's big four sports leagues--the NFL, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League and Major League Baseball. Based upon extensive research and interviews with owners, coaches, players and administrators, this book chronicles the league's formation, its three seasons of play and its long-term effects on pro sports.

Jack Buck

Author: Jack Buck
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1613216793
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 301

Book Description
In his forthright and honest autobiography, former St. Louis Cardinal, World Series, and Super Bowl broadcaster Jack Buck entertains all of his fans once more in a different setting. Jack Buck: "That's a Winner!" does more than entertain, however. It provides readers with an inside look at a man they listened to so often, they considered him part of the family. From the days of growing up working at the drive-in, to his time in the army, to his first stint on TV, and so much more, the reader learns about how he became the legendary broadcaster who fans came to adore. Buck also covers his time working with Harry Caray, the St. Louis Cardinals’ August A. Busch Jr. and Whitey Herzog eras, and all the way through the 1990s. A perfect gift for any fan of the legendary play-by-play announcer! Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.