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As unflinching, candid, and tough as the man himself, The Final Season is Bill Parcell's swan song as head coach in the NFL. During 1999, a grueling, difficult season, Parcell's found his resolve and coaching ability tested at every turn.
It wasn't supposed to be like that, though.
The two-time champion coach who had guided two different teams to the Super Bowl was expected by fans and pundits to drive the New York jets all the way. After all, they had reached the AFC Championship the year before. But fate would not allow it. In the preseason, respected and longtime owner Leon Hess died, casting a season-long pall of uncertainty over the organization. During training camp, two players were arrested after a bar fight. In the final game of the preseason, Wayne Chrebet one of their top receivers, was injured. Then a huge blow-in the season opener Vinny Testaverde, the Pro Bowl quarterback, ruptured his Achilles tendon and was out for the year. Things grew progressively worse-at one point Parcells had lost nine starters. He also endured personal suffering when his dear friend and agent Robert Fraley died in the same plane crash that killed Payne Stewart.
Parcells struggled to keep his team on track, trying to maintain their confidence in the face of enormous odds. "When you're losing, you coach better. You're on top of every detail. You scrutinize yourself, your coaches, your players, and the system you're using." He became his own fiercest critic: "No matter how long you have coached, no matter how many games you have won, no matter how many playoff games, conference championships, Super Bowls you've won, it's all irrelevant. You are not winning now and that's what counts. You think you suck. You are a loser as a coach."
Things hit rock bottom when the team went 1-6. But
Parcells the coaches, and the players would not lie down. "If you don't play to win, then you shouldn't play at all." Parcells called up every strategic and motivational ploy he could dream up, and through sheer force of will and a great amount of pride, the jets won seven of their last nine games.
In The Final Season, readers will not only get an unsparing look inside one of football's greatest minds and a champion's philosophy but also Parcells frank take on good owners; his battles with "owner-operators"; the greatest "warriors" he's coached for and against; the players who are "dogs"; the game's most challenging coaches; and his seasons with the Giants and the Patriots. Parcells also provides the reasons for retiring from coaching as well as his perspective on Bill Belichick's controversial resignation and eventual departure for New England.
A rare, behind-the-scenes football memoir, The Final Season brims with insights and revelations, a testament to a great competitor and future Hall of Famer.
Charlie Moore was married with two kids (and one on the way) when his Massachusetts bait-and-tackle shop sank without a trace. A skilled fisherman and a savvy entrepreneur trained in his father's cigar shop, Charlie decided to support his family by starring on his own TV fishing show.
After all, the ones playing on the TV in Charlie's shop all day had one thing in common: they were dull. As a rule, people called Charlie many things, but never, ever dull. In fact, when he told friends about his television idea, they called him crazy.
Today, everyone calls him the Mad Fisherman.
"The Mad Fisherman " is the incredible story of how Charlie cold-called his way into doing short spots for no money for a regional outdoors show while working odd jobs to pay for diapers. When the TV station refused to pay up once the show was a hit, he hooked show sponsors himself, turning "Charlie Moore Outdoors "into a profitable enterprise.
Charlie's success opened doors at ESPN and gave birth to the groundbreaking "Beat Charlie Moore," an entirely new kind of outdoors show on which Charlie goes mano y mano with pro fishermen and celebrities alike. Charlie's very competitive, but he still pays more attention to amusing his audience than beating his competitors. But he usually does both, anyway.
Guest fishermen on Charlie's boat have included NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe, Massachusetts governor and presidential hopeful Mitt Romney (who waterskiied off the back of Charlie's boat), Rickey Medlocke of Lynyrd Skynyrd, UConn basketball coach Jim Calhoun, Ted Nugent, Adam West (TV's Batman), and Darryl McDaniels of Run-DMC. No matter how famous they are on dry land, they turn into ordinary guys when Charlie hands them a fishing pole. Well, except Ted Nugent.
With unflagging energy, a wild sense of humor, and a sheer love of the outdoors, Charlie Moore entertains and amuses a million and a half people every week.
In 1968, two remarkable pitchers would dominate the game as well as the broadsheets. One was black, the other white. Bob Gibson, together with the St. Louis Cardinals, embodied an entire generation's hope for integration at a heated moment in American history. Denny McLain, his adversary, was a crass self-promoter who eschewed the team charter and his Detroit Tigers teammates to zip cross-country in his own plane. For one season, the nation watched as these two men and their teams swept their respective league championships to meet at the World Series. Gibson set a major league record that year with a 1.12 ERA. McLain won more than 30 games in 1968, a feat not achieved since 1934 and untouched since. Together, the two have come to stand as iconic symbols, giving the fans "The Year of the Pitcher" and changing the game. Evoking a nostalgic season and its incredible characters, this is the story of one of the great rivalries in sports and an indelible portrait of the national pastime during a turbulent year--and the two men who electrified fans from all walks of life.
You've just flushed an upland bird. What do you do next? Hunting upland birds, such as pheasants, quail, and grouse, requires quick thinking and accurate shooting skill. These birds fly away at the smallest sound, so you need to be ready to take your shot. If you're prepared, you'll have a great time hunting in woodlands, fields, and thick brush for upland birds.
Enter the Great Outdoors Sports Zone to learn about the history, gear, rules, and best techniques connected to upland bird hunting. You'll discover:
- What the best dog breeds are to train as bird dogs.
- What gear you need to become an expert upland bird hunter.
- How conservation groups have helped increase and preserve upland bird populations.
- How to prepare and cook your birds.
Are you into sports? Then get into your favorite zone!
Updated edition of the book Vespa 70 Years: The complete history from 1946, published in 2011 to celebrate Vespa's 65th anniversary. April 1946 was the debut date of the revolutionary little two-wheel vehicle, which, as well as leaving an indelible mark on the history of transport, became a real cultural phenomenon to successive generations. Simple and elegant, practical and comfortable, these are some of the characteristics that have ensured the popular scooter an unrepeatable success, with 35,000 of them built in 1949 alone. Seventy years after its birth, the Vespa has affirmed itself throughout the world. This book covers the fascinating epic of the Vespa, from its debut to the present day, through hundreds of pictures and invaluable documents of its various epochs. The work includes a systematic cataloguing of all the models that have appeared in those 70 years, each one accompanied by a detailed technical specification.
"If you are a real soccer player--then this is the book for you to read . . . Inspiring and uplifting. "--GoalNation
In 2015, the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team won its first FIFA championship in sixteen years, culminating in an epic final game that electrified soccer fans around the world. It featured a gutsy, brilliant performance by team captain and midfielder Carli Lloyd, who made history that day, scoring a hat trick during the first sixteen minutes. But there was a time when Carli almost quit the sport. In 2003 she was struggling, her soccer career at a crossroads. Then she found a trusted trainer, James Galanis, who saw in Carli a player with raw talent, skill, and a great dedication to the game. Together they set to work, training day and night, fighting, grinding it out. Despite all the naysayers, the times she was benched, the moments when her self-confidence took a nosedive, she succeeded in becoming one of the best players in the world.
From the moment these two players took the court on opposing sides, they engaged in a fierce physical and psychological battle. Their uncommonly competitive relationship came to symbolize the most compelling rivalry in the NBA. These were the basketball epics of the 1980s -- Celtics vs Lakers, East vs West, physical vs finesse, Old School vs Showtime, even white vs black. Each pushed the other to greatness -- together Bird and Johnson collected eight NBA Championships, six MVP awards and helped save the floundering NBA at its most critical time. When it started they were bitter rivals, but along the way they became lifelong friends.
With intimate, fly-on-the-wall detail, When the Game Was Ours transports readers to this electric era of basketball and reveals for the first time the inner workings of two players dead set on besting one another. From the heady days of trading championships to the darker days of injury and illness, we come to understand Larry's obsessive devotion to winning and how his demons drove him on the court. We hear him talk with candor about playing through chronic pain and its truly exacting toll. In Magic we see a young, invincible star struggle with the sting of defeat, not just as a player but as a team leader. We are there the moment he learns he's contracted HIV and hear in his own words how that devastating news impacted his relationships in basketball and beyond. But always, in both cases, we see them prevail.
A compelling, up-close-and-personal portrait of basketball's most inimitable duo, When the Game Was Ours is a reevaluation of three decades in counterpoint. It is also a rollicking ride through professional basketball's best times.
Willie is perhaps best known for "The Catch"--his breathtaking over-the-shoulder grab in the 1954 World Series. It is a classic visual that represents a transcendent figure who ushered in a new era of baseball, received standing ovations around the globe, and--during the turbulent civil rights era--advocated understanding and reconciliation. However, the years of racial attacks, the stress of celebrity, and the mental and physical demands of the game also took a toll. Meticulously researched and drawing on lengthy interviews with Mays, as well as with close friends, family, and teammates, Hirsch presents a complex portrait of one of America's most significant cultural icons..
Pete Carroll is one of the most successful coaches in football today. As the head coach at USC, he brought the Trojans back to national prominence, amassing a 97-19 record over nine seasons. Now he shares the championship-winning philosophy that led USC to seven straight Pac-10 titles. This same mind=set and culture will shape his program as he returns to the NFL to coach the Seattle Seahawks.
Carroll developed his unique coaching style by trial and error over his career. He learned that you get better results by teaching instead of screaming, and by helping players grow as people, not just on the field. He learned that an upbeat, energetic atmosphere in the locker room can coexist with an unstoppable competitive drive. He learned why you should stop worrying about your opponents, why you should always act as if the whole world is watching, and many other contrarian insights.
Carroll shows us how the Win Forever philosophy really works, both in NCAA Division I competition and in the NFL. He reveals how his recruiting strategies, training routines, and game-day rituals preserve a team's culture year after year, during championship seasons and disappointing seasons alike.
"Win Forever" is about more than winning football games; it's about maximizing your potential in every aspect of your life. Carroll has taught business leaders facing tough challenges. He has helped troubled kids on the streets of Los Angeles through his foundation A Better LA. His words are true in any situation: "If you want to win forever, always compete."
- A "game of the year"
- A description of unusual and interesting happenings in the ballpark
- A quote from the year that best captures its essence
Supplementing the year-by-year approach are nine chapters that divide Wrigley Field's storied history into nine "innings," along with informative appendixes that will delight every Cubs fan, from the casual to the obsessed. The book's easy-to-use format and wealth of information make it a resource that readers will turn to again and again. 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.
In this highly entertaining and insightful memoir, one of television's most respected broadcasters interweaves the story of his life and career with lively firsthand tales of some of the most thrilling events and fascinating figures in modern sports.
No sportscaster has covered more major sporting events than Al Michaels. Over the course of his forty-plus year career, he has logged more hours on live network television than any other broadcaster in history, and is the only play-by-play commentator to have covered all four major sports championships: the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, and the Stanley Cup Final. He has also witnessed first-hand some of the most memorable events in modern sports, and in this highly personal and revealing account, brings them vividly to life.
Michaels shares never-before-told stories from his early years and his rise to the top, covering some of the greatest moments of the past half century--from the "Miracle on Ice"--the historic 1980 Olympic hockey finals--to the earthquake that rocked the 1989 World Series. Some of the greatest names on and off the field are here--Michael Jordan, Bill Walton, Pete Rose, Bill Walsh, Peyton and Eli Manning, Brett Favre, John Madden, Howard Cosell, Cris Collinsworth, and many, many more.
Forthright and down-to-earth, Michaels tells the truth as he sees it, giving readers unique insight into the high drama, the colorful players, and the heroes and occasional villains of an industry that has become a vital part of modern culture.