Book picks similar to
The Last Hockey Game by Bruce McDougall
sports
hockey
hockey-books
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Blue Blood: Duke-Carolina: Inside the Most Storied Rivalry in College Hoops
Art Chansky - 2005
Duke and Carolina will be here forever." ---Mike KrzyzewskiFor fifty years the rivalry between Duke and Carolina has featured famous brawls, endless controversy, long-nurtured hatred---and some of the best basketball ever played in the history of the sport. For Duke and UNC players and fans, the competition is not about winning a prize, trophy or title---it's about bragging rights and raw pride.Blue Blood is a thrilling chronicle of the Duke-Carolina rivalry as it has evolved over the last fifty years. With unparalleled insider access, veteran journalist and author Art Chansky details the colorful, revered, and respected rivalry---for the first time ever. The Duke-Carolina rivalry has fostered more than thirty former players from the two schools playing or coaching in the NBA; it has enchanted a nation of spectators to watch games between the archrivals---garnering some of the highest regular-season TV ratings in history. Blue Blood celebrates the history of this rivalry, the traditions, the heritage, and, most importantly---spectacular basketball."You can see the beads of sweat on coaches' and players' faces as the tale by this former sports editor for the Durham Morning Herald unfolds."---News & Record (Greensboro, NC)"A book on this rivalry was long overdue, and Chansky does it justice. This is sure to become a staple of every Tar Heel or Blue Devil fan's library."---InsideCarolina.com"A holy text for both sides of the rivalry. . . . This book is a coffee table necessity for anyone that claims to have a background in college basketball . . . you need to read this book cover to cover as many times as possible until you can recite from it."---The East Carolinian"I'm biased, but I think this is the greatest rivalry, not just in college basketball, but in all of sports."---Dick Vitale, ESPN"Art Chansky has more than learned what Duke-Carolina is all about; he's lived it for more than thirty years. His columns, commentaries, and characterizations have long been on the money, and Blue Blood puts them all together in an anticipated and entertaining work that reads more like a novel. But truth is stranger than fiction, and Chansky tells it just like it is."---Curry Kirkpatrick, who has covered Duke-Carolina for Sports Illustrated, ESPN, and ESPN the Magazine
Catch 22: My Battles, in Hockey and Life
Rick Vaive - 2020
He did it three years in a row (only two others have scored 50 since) before being unceremoniously stripped of his captaincy and traded out of town, and he did it for a promising team that was nonetheless largely stuck at the bottom of the standings. So why isn't his number 22 hanging from the rafters of the Leafs' rink and his name as revered in Leafs lore as Gilmour, Sundin and Clark?You could blame it on a team that lost far more than it won. You could blame Harold Ballard and his erratic ownership. You could blame the fans, the media...Rick Vaive doesn't blame anybody. Sometimes, life just doesn't go your way. He'd know. Growing up in a household plagued by alcoholism, the gifted young hockey player took shelter in the company of his grandmother and a blind and severely disabled uncle. Rick learned quickly that there are more valuable things in life than hockey. Even after his promising coaching career stopped dead when it ran into Don Cherry in Mississauga--one of the worst seasons in Ontario junior hockey history--he still doesn't point fingers. Life is too sweet for regrets, but learning that lesson can be one hell of a ride.
Offside: My Life Crossing the Line
Sean Avery - 2018
And the most respected of these is the code of silence. For the first time, a hockey player is prepared to reveal what really goes on in the NHL, in the spirit of what Ball Four did for baseball. The money, the personalities, the adultery, and the drugs--and also the little things that make up daily life in the league. Most athletes have little to say, but Sean doesn't have that problem. Yes, he tells us about the guys he's fought and the guys he's partied with, and he tells us where to find the best cougar bars in various NHL cities and what it's like to be hounded by the media when you're dating a celebrity. But Sean's job on the ice was always to get inside the heads of the guys he played against, and that insight on human nature is on full display in Offside.What makes millionaire athletes tick? What are their weaknesses? And in the end, what makes Sean Avery--once called the most hated player in the NHL--who he is? What is it like to make people hate you for a living? Sean Avery's misdeeds on and off the ice are well-documented, and he certainly has his detractors. But on the other hand, he has a lot of supporters, in part for things like being the first North American athlete to come out in favour of marriage equality, and in part just for being an interesting guy. Love him or hate him, he is one of the best-known players of the past few decades, and certainly one of the most colourful and outspoken. In Offside, he meets his accusers head-on, and gives them something to think about.
Transformation
Bill Phillips - 2010
. . with the book that goes beyond 12 weeks, and then some: TRANSFORMATION: How to Change EVERYTHING. Within these pages, Phillips delivers on the title's promise. In a unique fusion of art, science, common sense, and the wisdom of the life experience itself, TRANSFORMATION illuminates the right way to making significant, meaningful, and healthy changes. Specifically, Phillips guides readers step-by-step through his 11 Transformation Tenets, which, when practiced daily, "energizes authentic and lasting change, beginning deep within your heart and then radiating out into every aspect of your life, and are reflected in everything you see, do, feel and experience. Truly . . . the Transformation is the way to change everything . . . beginning within your Self, but only beginning there."
The Rochester Riot Digital Boxed Set: The Slot - The Crease - The Rebound
Colleen Charles - 2017
From the moment we met over powdered sugar, I yearned to melt the icicles dripping from her wool tailored tweed. I have to have her and I always get what I want.Even if it means giving up my playboy ways. I'm the most badass center the NHL has ever seen and my plus/minus ratio is inspiring. Almost as impressive as my chiseled body and ahem...other huge assets. I can fire a shot from any angle that will make the opposing goalie scream for his mother. When it comes to pucks and f*cks, I'll always light the red light. But my desire for Eloise puts my Hall of Fame career on the line. That and her secrets. The ones I never wanted to know. I'ma rich, famous hockey player--she's a front office exec. On paper we don't fit.But there's one place where we fit. Like a glove. I have a stellar career and other obligations so I know I shouldn't get involved with her. It's too perilous. I can't fall...risk losing my heart. But for the first time, I woman sees me. The real me. Not some millionaire playboy that leaves panting women stranded in the stands. And I sure as hell want her. Her tempting curves beg me to take it all. But Eloise has been hiding something from me.She has a secret that threatens to destroy us both. And so this soaring NHL superstar is actually worried. Because if she lets it see the light of day,we're over. Done. The Crease She's unique. Different. The moment we met I was gone. Long gone. From her pink hair to her vintage Converse sneakers. I have to have her and I always get what I want. Even if it means my dark secret could be exposed. My addiction to her might ruin my career. Maybe even my life. I'm the most badass goalie the NHL has ever seen and my save percentage is inspiring. Almost as impressive as my chiseled body and ahem...other huge assets. I can snag any explosive rebound, any one-timer from the point and anything else that flies my way. I'll lead my team to the Stanley Cup or die trying. But my desire for Kylie puts my Hall of Fame career on the line. That and him. A vicious sociopathic blast from the past that I thought I'd never have to see again. And never wanted to. I'm a rich, famous hockey player--she's a personal assistant. On paper we don't fit. But there's one place where we fit. Like a glove. I have a stellar career and family obligations so I know I shouldn't get involved with her. It's too perilous. I can't fall...risk losing my heart. But for the first time, I woman sees me. The real me. Not some walking wallet that distributes Benjamins like a malfunctioning ATM. And I sure as hell want her. Her tempting curves beg me to take it all. But she's been hiding something from me too. She has a secret that threatens to destroy us both. Even worse than mine. And so the superstar goalie is actually afraid. Because if either of those secrets see the light of day, it's over. Done.
They Don't Play Hockey in Heaven: A Dream, A Team, and My Comeback Season
Ken Baker - 2003
. . colorful descriptions make this a fun read." -Los Angeles Times "One of the best sports books of the year." -Booklist Ken Baker wanted nothing more than to play ice hockey with the pros-until a brain tumor cut his dreams short while in college. After surgery and several years of rehab, Baker, who in high school was a top prospect for the U.S. Olympic team, put his successful journalism career on hold to attempt the seemingly impossible: a comeback. He moved away from his family to become the third-string goalie for the Bakersfield Condors, an AA-level minor-league team in the dusty oil town of Bakersfield, California. At the age of thirty-one, Baker became the oldest rookie in all of pro-hockey, facing 100-m.p.h. slap shots and long bus rides, hostile fans and cheap motel rooms, body bruises, and battle-worn teammates. From his visit to an NHL training camp to his first nerve-rattled minutes as a pro, Baker joins the rookies who still dream of making it to the Show, the veterans long past their prime, and the obsessive fans who keep them going. When the season is over, Baker's pro-hockey adventure ends up teaching him nearly everything he will ever need to know about life.
Gordie: A Hockey Legend: An Unauthorized Biography of Gordie Howe
Roy MacSkimming - 1994
Signed by the Detroit Red Wings at 16, Gordie became a six-time leading scorer, a six-time Hart Trophy winner as the most valuable player, and he surpassed Rocket Richard's NHL goals record to reach an amazing total of 801--unmatched for years until Gretzky finally caught up to his mentor and idol. Gordie also includes a new introduction.
Greatest Hockey Stories Ever Told
Bryant Urstadt - 2004
You'll hear Mike Richter talk about seeing the ice, tag along with Peter Gzowski as he tries to decode the magic that was Wayne Gretzky, follow Red Fisher on a last visit to the legendary Toe Blake, and hear from the players who made the Miracle on Ice happen at the 1980 Olympics.
The Happiness of Pursuit: A Father's Courage, a Son's Love and Life's Steepest Climb
Davis Phinney - 2011
He won two stages at the Tour de France and an Olympic medal. But after years of feeling off, he was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s. The body that had been his ally was now something else: a prison. The Happiness of Pursuit is the story of how Davis sought to overcome his Parkinson’s by reaching back to what had made him so successful on the bike and adjusting his perspective on what counted as a win. The news of his diagnosis began a dark period for this vibrant athlete, but there was also light. His son Taylor’s own bike-racing career was taking off. Determined to beat the Body Snatcher, Davis underwent a procedure called deep brain stimulation. Although not cured, his symptoms abated enough for him to see Taylor compete in the Beijing Olympics. Davis Phinney had won another stage. But the joy, he discovered, was in the pursuit. With humor and grace, Phinney weaves the narrative of his battle with Parkinson’s with tales from his cycling career and from his son’s emerging career. The Happiness of Pursuit is a remarkable story of fathers and sons and bikes, of victories large and small.
The Game
Ken Dryden - 1983
Intelligent and insightful, former Montreal Canadiens goalie and former President of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ken Dryden captures the essence of the sport and what it means to all hockey fans. He gives us vivid and affectionate portraits of the characters—Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson, Guy Lapointe, Serge Savard, and coach Scotty Bowman among them—that made the Canadiens of the 1970s one of the greatest hockey teams in history. But beyond that, Dryden reflects on life on the road, in the spotlight, and on the ice, offering up a rare inside look at the game of hockey and an incredible personal memoir. This commemorative edition marks the 20th anniversary of "The Game's" original publication. It includes black and white photography from the Hockey Hall of Fame and a new chapter from the author. Take a journey to the heart and soul of the game with this timeless hockey classic.
Gretzky's Tears: Hockey, Canada, and the Day Everything Changed
Stephen Brunt - 2009
Wayne Gretzky’s tears, unlike Orr’s, announced not an ending but another beginning. Gretzky’s Edmonton Oilers had four Stanley Cup victories, but Gretzky may then have had other goals in mind.Beginning with his dad, Walter, and continuing with Nelson Skalbania, Peter Pocklington, Bruce McNall, Jerry Buss — and with the CBC’s Peter Gzowski as chronicler for the eager masses — the enormity of Gretzky’s talent attracted all sorts of people who were after a variety of vicarious thrills.
Mr. Met: How a Sports-Mad Kid from Jersey Became Like Family to Generations of Big Leaguers
Jay Horwitz - 2020
As the beloved, longtime PR director for the New York Mets, he has witnessed and quietly shaped some of the most memorable moments in team history, becoming a trusted friend and mentor to generations of players, from Darryl Strawberry to Jacob deGrom. In this fascinating memoir, Horwitz tells the unlikely story of a childhood dream come true, offering an unparalleled insider's perspective on four dynamic and unpredictable decades of Mets baseball. Featuring reflections and anecdotes only Horwitz can tell, on subjects ranging from clubhouse hijinks to the chaotic New York media scene to navigating moments of greatness and defeat, Mr. Met is a remarkable behind-the-scenes ride that fans will not want to miss.
The Giants of The Polo Grounds: The Glorious Times of Baseball's New York Giants (Revised Expanded Edition)
Noel Hynd - 1988
The Giants of The Polo Grounds is the definitive work on baseball’s New York Giants and their tenure in New York City. An “Editor’s Choice” of The New York Times when it was first published more than 20 years ago, the book was also a Spitball Magazine nominee for the Best Baseball Book of the year. Author Noel Hynd, a former contributor to Sports Illustrated, has now created a new edition that maintains all the previous text, but expands the work to more than 600 pages from the original 375. Included this time are more stories about McGraw, Ott, Durocher and Mays and their opponents, plus more on the men and women from other sports and various fields of entertainment who also were ‘giants’ of the Polo Grounds: from boxers Jack Dempsey and Sugar Ray Robinson to entertainers Annie Oakley and Tallulah Bankhead to football’s Red Grange and soccer’s Béla Guttmann. The Giants of The Polo Grounds is the story of a famous team, a renowned ball park, an invincible spirit and America’s most vibrant city from the 1880’s to the 1950’s. The new edition is packed with remarkable anecdotes about Broadway, New York politics, good guys and bad guys who made the Giants' era in New York unique and memorable. The new edition, practically the equivalent of two volumes, also features more than 100 photos and illustrations, most of them new, some rarely seen. Critical Praise for The Giants of The Polo Grounds “A compelling and comprehensive history of an extraordinary ball club.” -New York Times “Grandly digressive! The owners, stars like Mathewson and Mays, various eccentric players are all here in this vivid history by Sports Illustrated contributor Hynd.” - Publishers’ Weekly “Fans of all ages will treasure the crazy quilt text for its stylish recall of the game’s summer roots.” -Kirkus Library Journal “Just plain enjoyable as baseball is supposed to be.” - The Pennsylvania Gazette Think of it as a grand slam into the center field bleachers in the bottom of the 9th!
Sole Influence: Basketball, Corporate Greed, and the Corruption of America's Youth
Dan Wetzel - 2000
One cool new sneaker. For a company like Nike, the combination can equal millions of dollars in profits. That's why the shoe companies are engaged in a frantic full-court press to find and sign the next generation of hoop stars -- before the competition does. The result: America's playgrounds, high schools, and junior high schools have become corporate battlegrounds for the hearts, minds, and feet of young athletes. This shocking expose shows how money is driving the amateur basketball world, even attempting to control coaches, teams, and whole universities -- and how young men and women with a little talent and a dream are being tempted to sacrifice their future for glittering promises and a new pair of shoes.
The Best Seat in the House: Stories from the NHL--Inside the Room, on the Iceand on the Bench
Jamie McLennan - 2012
Sort of. As the back-up for several legendary goalies, he saw everything - except much playing time. In this book, McLennan looks back on his career, from breaking into the NHL, to working with the legends, to life on the road and in the league.