The Pride of Minnesota

The Pride of Minnesota PDF Author: Thom Henninger
Publisher: U of Nebraska Press
ISBN: 1496227115
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 393

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Book Description
The 1960s were a heady time to come of age. The British Invasion transformed pop music and culture. The fledgling space program offered a thrilling display of modern technology. The civil rights movement and Vietnam War drew young people to American politics, spurring them to think more critically about the state of the nation. And the assassinations Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy in 1968 shook the United States to the core. During these turbulent times the Minnesota Twins were the pride of the North Star State--an elite team that advanced to the World Series in 1965 and played in dramatic pennant races in the years thereafter. After an uneven 1964 season the Twins set themselves up for a turnaround that would last the rest of the decade. At the end of his playing career with the Twins, Billy Martin was hired as third base coach in 1965, giving them a more aggressive base-running style. Mudcat Grant became the first African American pitcher to win at least twenty games in the American League, and Tony Oliva won his second batting title to help lead the Twins to the World Series, which they lost in seven games to the Dodgers. In 1967 rookie Rod Carew joined the Twins as they engaged in a historic pennant race but finished second to the Red Sox during their "Impossible Dream" season. In 1969 Martin took over as manager, and both Carew and Harmon Killebrew led the Twins to the American League Championship Series, only to lose to the Orioles, after which Martin was fired in part for a now-legendary bar fight. Bill Rigney took the helm in 1970 and steered the Twins to a second-straight division title and ALCS loss to the Orioles. In The Pride of Minnesota Thom Henninger details these pennant races, from the key moments and games to the personalities of the players involved, in the context of state and world events. Although the Twins won only one AL pennant in this stretch and failed to win the World Series, these memorable seasons, played in remarkable and compelling times, made for an important first decade in the team's early history.

Last Kings of the Old NFL

Last Kings of the Old NFL PDF Author: Pat Duncan
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781497457591
Category : Minnesota Vikings (Football team)
Languages : en
Pages : 428

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Book Description
Before there was artificial turf on the field-before Monday Night Football and the corporate culture that swallowed the game-there were players playing simply for love of the sport, and they were dedicated to making a name for their team, despite any and all odds. Last Kings of the Old NFL carries readers back to the golden age of football to follow the Minnesota Vikings' rise from last place to titans of the league in the two years from 1967 to 1969. From the team's struggles without a head coach, a quarterback, or direction to the acquisitions and lineups that were their saving grace, it chronicles the 1969 season that launched the Vikings into a Homeric journey of amazing triumphs and unfortunate finishes over the next thirteen years. A must-read for serious football fans, especially those who cheer for the purple and gold, Last Kings of the Old NFL captures the essence of a bygone era and tells an inspiring story about one team's swift rise to the top. Full of information gleaned from interviews with members of the 1969 Vikings, opponents, coaches, and other expert sources, it's sure to entertain and enlighten anyone interested in learning more about the history of America's most beloved sport.

The Pride of Minnesota

The Pride of Minnesota PDF Author: Thom Henninger
Publisher: U of Nebraska Press
ISBN: 1496227115
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 393

Get Book Here

Book Description
The 1960s were a heady time to come of age. The British Invasion transformed pop music and culture. The fledgling space program offered a thrilling display of modern technology. The civil rights movement and Vietnam War drew young people to American politics, spurring them to think more critically about the state of the nation. And the assassinations Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy in 1968 shook the United States to the core. During these turbulent times the Minnesota Twins were the pride of the North Star State--an elite team that advanced to the World Series in 1965 and played in dramatic pennant races in the years thereafter. After an uneven 1964 season the Twins set themselves up for a turnaround that would last the rest of the decade. At the end of his playing career with the Twins, Billy Martin was hired as third base coach in 1965, giving them a more aggressive base-running style. Mudcat Grant became the first African American pitcher to win at least twenty games in the American League, and Tony Oliva won his second batting title to help lead the Twins to the World Series, which they lost in seven games to the Dodgers. In 1967 rookie Rod Carew joined the Twins as they engaged in a historic pennant race but finished second to the Red Sox during their "Impossible Dream" season. In 1969 Martin took over as manager, and both Carew and Harmon Killebrew led the Twins to the American League Championship Series, only to lose to the Orioles, after which Martin was fired in part for a now-legendary bar fight. Bill Rigney took the helm in 1970 and steered the Twins to a second-straight division title and ALCS loss to the Orioles. In The Pride of Minnesota Thom Henninger details these pennant races, from the key moments and games to the personalities of the players involved, in the context of state and world events. Although the Twins won only one AL pennant in this stretch and failed to win the World Series, these memorable seasons, played in remarkable and compelling times, made for an important first decade in the team's early history.

Every Day Is Game Day

Every Day Is Game Day PDF Author: Fran Tarkenton
Publisher: Triumph Books (IL)
ISBN: 9781600782534
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Taking readers through Fran Tarkenton's life--from the alleys of Washington, DC, to his college career in Athens, Georgia and on to the National Football League--this autobiography is an exciting and inspiring journey that explains in detail what has driven him to become so extraordinary during and beyond his football playing days. Tarkenton reveals for the first time details about the infamous 1975 playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys, specifics about the personal tragedy he experienced after the infamous 1975 game, his love for New York City and what it meant to play for the New York Giants, why to this day it's still hard for him to return to the Twin Cities, and why he has thrived in business after leaving football. Every Day is Game Day delves into Tarkenton the entrepreneur, the friend, the father as well never-before-told stories about his closest friendships, favorite players, and most influential people to cross his path. This is not just a book about football or a great athlete, but also a book about a genuine and inspiring leader who has touched the hearts and souls of many.

Kings of the North

Kings of the North PDF Author: Chad Israelson
Publisher: Lake 7 Creative
ISBN: 9781940647593
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Book Description
Get the beautiful book that presents the history of the Minnesota Vikings football team, with full-color photography and fascinating text. The Minnesota Vikings are a proud and storied franchise. Some of the NFL's all-time best players--and all-time great teams--have donned the purple and gold. Each season is precious to the fans, whether we won three games or thirteen, because it reminds us of special memories: trips to the stadium with parents and children, watching on TV with neighbors and friends, shared camaraderie with strangers, and more. Author, historian, and lifelong Vikings fan Chad Israelson presents the perfect gift for Minnesota sports fans. Kings of the North collects the team's rich history and pairs it with professional, full-color photography to create a stunning book for any coffee table or bookshelf. It presents a season-by-season summary, which includes the team's schedule, starting lineup, and statistical leaders. Chad also takes a closer look at a few of the best players and greatest wins. The book is rounded out with Chad's picks for every all-decade team. It truly has it all for anyone who loves Minnesota's favorite team! Book Features Fascinating summary of every Minnesota football season Schedules, starting lineups, and statistical leaders The author's picks for every all-decade team Full-color photography from throughout the Vikings' history

When Lions Were Kings

When Lions Were Kings PDF Author: Richard Bak
Publisher: Wayne State University Press
ISBN: 0814334288
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 433

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Book Description
An in-depth look at one of the most storied dynasties in Detroit sports history. During the 1950s, the Detroit Lions were one of the most glamorous and successful teams in the National Football League, winning championships in 1952, 1953, and 1957, and regularly playing before packed houses at Briggs Stadium. In When Lions Were Kings: The Detroit Lions and the Fabulous Fifties, journalist and sports historian Richard Bak blends a deeply researched and richly written narrative with many rare color images from the decade, re-creating a time when the Motor City and its gridiron heroes were riding high in the saddle. Representing a city at its postwar peak of population and influence, coach Raymond "Buddy" Parker and such players as Les Bingaman, Bob "Hunchy" Hoernschemeyer, Yale Lary, Joe Schmidt, Jack Christiansen, Jim Doran, Lou Creekmur, and Leon Hart helped sell the game to a country discovering the joys of watching televised football on Sunday afternoons and Thanksgiving Day. Quarterback Bobby Layne and halfback Doak Walker were celebrity athletes during this golden age of pro football—a decade when the game first started to replace its slower-paced cousin, baseball, as the national pastime. While the quietly modest Walker was a darling of Madison Avenue advertisers, the swaggering Layne became the first NFL player ever to grace the cover of Timemagazine. Along with detailed profiles of the players, coaches, and games that defined the Lions' only dynastic era, Bak explores such varied topics as the team's languid approach to desegregation, the wild popularity of bubble gum trading cards, and the staggering physical cost players of the period have suffered in retirement. When Lions Were Kingsis a lively portrait of the golden age of professional football in Detroit that will delight younger fans and inform die-hard followers of one of the NFL's oldest franchises.

The 1994 Information Please Sports Almanac

The 1994 Information Please Sports Almanac PDF Author: Mike Meserole
Publisher: Thomas Allen Publishers
ISBN: 9780395665633
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 874

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Book Description


The Last Cowboy: A Life of Tom Landry

The Last Cowboy: A Life of Tom Landry PDF Author: Mark Ribowsky
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0871407485
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 621

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Book Description
“An eloquent, honest tribute to a sports genius.” —Publishers Weekly, Best 100 Books of 2013 As the coach during professional football’s most storied era, Tom Landry transformed the gridiron from a no-holds-barred battlefield to the highly-technical chess match it is today. With his trademark fedora and stoic facade, he was a man of faith and few words, for twenty-nine years guiding “America’s Team” from laughingstock to well-oiled machine, with an unprecedented twenty consecutive winning seasons and two Super Bowl titles. Now, more than a decade after Landry’s death, acclaimed biographer Mark Ribowsky takes a fresh look at this misunderstood legend, telling us as much about our country’s obsession with football as about Landry himself, the likes of whom we’ll never see again.

Why Football Matters

Why Football Matters PDF Author: Mark Edmundson
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 110163572X
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 166

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Book Description
Acclaimed essayist Mark Edmundson reflects on his own rite of passage as a high school football player to get to larger truths about the ways America's Game shapes its men Football teaches young men self-discipline and teamwork. But football celebrates violence. Football is a showcase for athletic beauty and physical excellence. But football damages young bodies and minds, sometimes permanently. Football inspires confidence and direction. But football instills cockiness, a false sense of superiority. The athlete is a noble figure with a proud lineage. The jock is America at its worst. When Mark Edmundson’s son began to play organized football, and proved to be very good at it, Edmundson had to come to terms with just what he thought about the game. Doing so took him back to his own childhood, when as a shy, soft boy growing up in a blue-collar Boston suburb in the sixties, he went out for the high school football team. Why Football Matters is the story of what happened to Edmundson when he tried to make himself into a football player. What does it mean to be a football player? At first Edmundson was hapless on the field. He was an inept player and a bad teammate. But over time, he got over his fears and he got tougher. He learned to be a better player and came to feel a part of the team, during games but also on all sorts of escapades, not all of them savory. By playing football, Edmundson became what he and his father hoped he’d be, a tougher, stronger young man, better prepared for life. But is football-instilled toughness always a good thing? Do the character, courage, and loyalty football instills have a dark side? Football, Edmundson found, can be full of bounties. But it can also lead you into brutality and thoughtlessness. So how do you get what’s best from the game and leave the worst behind? Why Football Matters is moving, funny, vivid, and filled with the authentic anxiety and exhilaration of youth. Edmundson doesn’t regret playing football for a minute, and cherishes the experience. His triumph is to be able to see it in full, as something to celebrate, but also something to handle with care. For anyone who has ever played on a football team, is the parent of a player, or simply is reflective about its outsized influence on America, Why Football Matters is both a mirror and a lamp.

A Few Seconds of Panic

A Few Seconds of Panic PDF Author: Stefan Fatsis
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 9781594201783
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 376

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Book Description
The "New York Times"-bestselling author of "Word Freak" chronicles his attempts to become a placekicker in the NFL. As he sharpens his skills, he gains surprising insight into the daunting challenges--physical, psychological, and intellectual--that pro athletes must master.

Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings

Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Kings PDF Author: Tony Merida
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
ISBN: 0805496718
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 218

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Book Description
Edited by David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida, this new commentary series, projected to be 48 volumes, takes a Christ-centered approach to expositing each book of the Bible. Rather than a verse-by-verse approach, the authors have crafted chapters that explain and apply key passages in their assigned Bible books. Readers will learn to see Christ in all aspects of Scripture, and they will be encouraged by the devotional nature of each exposition.