Product Description
This digital document is an article from Notable Sports Figures, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 2631 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Takes a close look at the people in sports who have captured attention because of success on the playing field, or controversy off the playing field. This work features biographies on more than 600 people from around the world and throughout history who have had an impact not only on their sport, but also on the society and culture of their times. It also includes not only the record-breakers that dominated and changed their sport, but also the controversial figures that made headlines even apart from athletic events. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: O. J. Simpson, Joe Namath, Larry Csonka, Billy Cannon, Lance Alworth, Gene Upshaw, Bill Stanfill, Buck Buchanan, Earl Faison, Matt Snell, Greg Cook, Eldridge Dickey, Ed Budde, E. J. Holub, Larry Elkins, Ron Burton, Miller Farr, Pete Beathard, Elbert Dubenion, Chris Burford, Scott Appleton, Larry Grantham, Harry Schuh, Aaron Brown, Ron Sellers, Steve Delong, Dave Behrman, Art Thoms, Haven Moses, Marty Domres, Mo Moorman, Bob Johnson, Jim Marsalis, Russ Washington, Hoyle Granger, Ron Pritchard, Rodger Bird. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 146. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson (born July 9, 1947), nicknamed "The Juice", is a retired American football player, football broadcaster, spokesman, actor, and convicted felon. Originally attaining a public profile in sports as a running back at the collegiate and professional levels, Simpson was the first NFL player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season, a mark he set during the 1973 season. While five other players have passed the 2,000 rush yard mark he stands alone as the only player to ever rush for more than 2,000 yards in a 14-game season (the NFL changed to a 16-game season in 1978). He also holds the record for the single season yards-per-game average which stands at 143.1 ypg. Simpson was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. In 1995, Simpson was acquitted of the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman after a lengthy, internationally publicized criminal trial the People v. Simpson. A 1997 judgment against Simpson for their wrongful deaths was awarded in civil court in a case which he did not actively defend, but to date he has paid little of the $33.5 million judgment. His book, If I Did It (2006), related to the murders, purports to be a first-person fictional ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=8955445 ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Jack Kemp, Sid Gillman, Al Davis, Joe Namath, Bud Adams, Lamar Hunt, Hank Stram, George Blanda, Lou Saban, Len Dawson, Billy Cannon, Lance Alworth, John Rauch, Gene Upshaw, Ralph Wilson, Lou Rymkus, Tom Flores, Cookie Gilchrist, Mike Garrett, Jim Otto, Barron Hilton, Daryle Lamonica, Sonny Werblin, Wally Lemm, Earl Faison, Johnny Robinson, Ron Mix, Jim Norton, Tommy Brooker, Sherrill Headrick, Fred Arbanas, Billy Shaw, Ben Davidson, Tom Sestak, Tom Keating, Gerry Philbin, Wray Carlton, Booker Edgerson, Ernie Warlick, Larry Grantham, Wayne Hawkins, F. Wayne Valley, Dave Kocourek, Jacque Mackinnon, Bill Mathis, Ray Abruzzese, Chuck Allen, Sherman Plunkett, Frank Buncom, Glenn Bass, Harry Jacobs, Jacky Lee, Tom Day, Warren Wells, Bill Hull, Jack Spikes, Stew Barber, Wendell Hayes, Pete Banaszak, Charlie Tolar, Al Bemiller, Bill Baird, Tom Janik, Sonny Bishop, Dalva Allen, Ike Lassiter, Tom Pennington, Bill Laskey, Bud Abell, Don Norton, Bobby Smith, Bake Turner, Hagood Clarke, Bobby Ply, Charley Ferguson, George Gross, Mike Eischeid, Gus Otto. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 333. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Jack French Kemp (July 13, 1935 May 2, 2009) was an American politician and a collegiate and professional football player. A Republican, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 198993, having previously served nine terms as a Congressman for Western New York from 1971-89. He was the Republican Party's nominee for Vice President in the 1996 election, where he was the running-mate of presidential nominee Bob Dole. Kemp had previously contended for the presidential nomination in the 1988 Republican primaries. Before entering politics, Kemp was a professional quarterback for 13 years. He played briefly in the National Foot...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=16200 ... Read more

Product Description
1972 - Signet - #Y4308 - 1st Edition - Paperback - I can't wait until tomorrow...'cause I get better looking everyday - By Joe Willie Namath with Dick Schaap - 8 Pages of photos - The Bombshell Bestseller - Good Condition - Collectible ... Read more

Product Description
Sportscaster Curt Gowdy once said that “the story of the AFL, how the league grew and became popular, is one of the best sports stories of all-time.” This is that story.

It was 1959 and professional football was gaining popularity faster than a Marilyn Monroe pin-up. The National Football League had reached new heights when its dramatic 1958 championship game between the Baltimore Colts and New York Giants went into overtime on national television. Looking to ride that wave of momentum was a young man from Dallas named Lamar Hunt, but when his inquiry about NFL expansion was rebuffed by NFL commissioner Bert Bell, and his subsequent attempt to purchase a struggling NFL franchise was denied, what did the son of one of the richest men in America, millionaire oil magnate H.L. Hunt, do? He decided to form his own professional football league, and when he found seven other wealthy men willing to join the risky but exciting venture, the American Football League was born.

It was considered “a joke” by longtime Chicago Bears’ patriarch George Halas, and other NFL luminaries predicted a rapid demise for the AFL. Instead, the rebel league gained a strong foothold in the pro football marketplace with its entertaining style of play, and ultimately it forced the NFL - albeit grudgingly – to accept the AFL as its equal. The two leagues merged in time for the 1970 season, and it wasn’t long before this superpower entity created a seismic shift in this nation’s sporting passions as pro football surpassed Major League Baseball as our national pastime.

As part of the merger deal, it was agreed that starting with the 1966 season the champions of both leagues would meet in a world championship game which quickly became known as the Super Bowl. And after NFL powerhouse Green Bay easily won the first two of these showdowns, the Joe Namath-led New York Jets delivered to the AFL its long-awaited respect with a shocking defeat of the mighty Colts in Super Bowl III. It was one of the defining moments in pro football history and it forever altered the course of the sport.

“If You Can’t Join ‘Em, Beat ‘Em.” Hunt and his cronies were told they couldn’t join the NFL, so in the end, they simply beat them.

In 2009 the NFL is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the birth of the AFL, and in these pages you will be afforded an opportunity to re-live some of the greatest games in AFL history including all 10 championship games. Further, you will meet a wonderful cast of characters who shepherded the AFL from the humblest of beginnings to Super Bowl glory, the likes of which includes Namath, Len Dawson, Cookie Gilchrist, Billy Cannon, Ernie Ladd, Gino Cappelletti, Billy Shaw, Jack Kemp, Paul Lowe, Ron Mix, Willie Lanier, Don Maynard, George Blanda, Abner Haynes, Lance Alworth, Daryle Lamonica, Buck Buchanan, Bobby Bell, Al Davis, Lou Saban, Weeb Ewbank, Hank Stram, Sid Gillman and John Madden.

It is now known as the American Football Conference within the confines of the National Football League, but its roots in the American Football League forever remain part of sports lore.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Bold Enough to Start Their Own League
Sal Maiorana has captured the spirit(s) of the men who were shut out by the NFL as they sought to bring professional football to their cities.

"Rebel Leagues" always attract a unique group of owners, players, and fans, and the American Football League was one of the few that went on to join the establishment. It's important that fans know that it many times takes outside forces for such expansion to occur. ... Read more

Product Description
Magazine published monthly ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from American Decades: Primary Sources, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1548 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.American Decades Primary Sources provides fresh insight into the decade's most important events, people, and issues. Entries representing a diversity of views that provide insight into the seminal issues, themes, movements and events from the decade. Also included are concise contextual information, notes about the author and further resources. American Decades Primary Sources includes chapters on the arts, medicine and health, media, education, world events, religion, government and politics, lifestyles and social trends, law and justice, religion, business and the economy, and sports. Included to provide unique perspectives and a wealth of understanding are first hand accounts that include oral histories, songs, speeches, advertisements, TV, play and movie scripts, letters, laws, legal decisions, newspaper articles, cartoonsand recipes. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Where's the copy editor when you need one?
I became a New York sports fan just after the Mets won the World Series, and just in time to be captivated by the Knicks and their championship season. So this book was already a winner with me.

Much of the stuff here I'd heard already, but it was still fun to revisit.And while the book's promise to examine the three New York championships against the backdrop of what was going on in the rest of the nation and world at the time doesn't draw any deep conclusions (most everybody says the same thing--it was good for the people), overall it is a fun read.

What's not so good is that the book is in bad need of a copy editor.Some of a copy editor's job is to question statements that don't make sense or are missing information, and to eliminate redundant information.For example, in recounting the second playoff game against the Braves, we learn that the final score was 11-6, but we're not told who won.Twice we're told that Ron Taylor never got the recognition he deserved. Gaul Papelian is identified as Red Holzman's daughter several times, when once would have been enough. And a famous story about Frank Robinson calling Rod Gaspar "Ron Stupid" is mis-told and incomplete.

What I also found annoying is the propensity to put words in quotation marks to emphasize them; "the whole shootin' match; "magnificent seasons"; "threesome."Such folksiness is unnecessary and stops the reader dead in his tracks.

I think this is a good book; with proper copy editing, it could have been that much better. ... Read more

Product Description
Colorful, witty, and hilarious-more than 1500 memorable quotes from football coaches, players, and personalities.Flaky players, cantankerous coaches, jocular journalists and befuddled fans - they 're all here, speaking their minds on topics ranging from blocking to bowl games, heavy hitting to Hail Marys, linebackers to labor disputes, rookies to recruiting, winning to losing, and back again. ... Read more

Product Description
The stunning victory of the upstart New York Jets over the stalwart Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III transformed the NFL and established the Super Bowl as America s premier sporting event.

While attending a banquet at the Miami Touchdown Club honoring his selection as the AFL s MVP, the brash Joe Nameth guaranteed a Jets victory in the forthcoming Super Bowl III and invoked a maelstrom of media attention. His bold personality, confidence, and strategic passing and play-calling during the game made good on his guarantee and gave the rebellious AFL its historic first Super Bowl victory over the rival NFL.

The game had no shortage of heroes. Jets fullback Matt Snell rushed for a then-Super Bowl record 121 yards and scored the Jets lone touchdown. Ranked No. 1 in the AFL, New York s defense forced five turnovers and held a Colts offense averaging 30 points per game against NFL opponents scoreless through three quarters.

Baltimore called forth its share of heroics, as well. League MVP Earl Morrall turned over quarterback duties to Johnny Unitas in the third quarter. The injured legend is still possessed a touch of magic in his passing arm, and teammates hoped his leadership could save the Colts and the NFL from a humiliating defeat.

Johnny U vs. Broadway Joe turned Super Bowl III into a classic matchup that still defines the football careers of the men who took the field in the Orange Bowl that fateful day. From Baltimore to Broadway is their story- told for the first time from the perspective of the players who graces both sidelines. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A compelling telling of a great story - that could have been even better told
Ed Gruver is a good, often great, story teller, and that's the strength of this book.Whether giving a brief history of the Jets and the Colts, recounting the 1968 season, or especially the game itself, he leaves the reader enjoying every word and eager for the next paragraph.

But there is a sloppiness to the book that leaves me wondering where the editor was.A small number of examples:

* Namath and Unitas both so frequently have their uniforms described, in unnecessary detail (paraphrasing: "Unitas stepped onto the field wearing his blue jersey with numeral 19, UCLA-style shoulder loops, and shiny white helmet with the familiar Colts horseshoe logo on the side"), that it's like they had a reputation for switching into loungewear midgame and the author wants to refute it.Yes, fine, describe the uniforms - but just once.

* Tom Matte and Matt Snell both went to Ohio State and both wore 41.Why do we need to be told that three or more times?

* Same with Joe Namath's hair and lifestyle.

* Namath is quoted saying "Chicken ain't nothing but a bird, and this ain't nothing but a football game" - without mentioning that it was punter Curley Johnson who popularized the expression on the team.

Although I had known quite a few things about the Jets-Colts Super Bowl, the book has several other great stories and facts that I'd not known.Except there are no footnotes, so I have no idea where Gruver got the information or how factual it is.

The best book I ever read about this game was Dave Anderson's "Countdown to Super Bowl," written in the months after the game, by a reporter who had covered the Jets and traveled with the team all season, and spent the whole two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl embedded with them."From Broadway to Baltimore" seems to borrow much of its best stuff from this book - with little or no attribution - while not adding enough "rear view mirror" perspective from those who participated in the game to make it as good as Anderson's effort.

Anyone interested in football, the Jets or Colts, the AFL, football in the 1960s will enjoy "From Broadway to Baltimore."But if they are sticklers for good writing and accuracy, they'll also lament how much better it would have been with tighter editing and good sourcing.

A spectacular touchdown of a book
Author Ed Gruver does a superb job of telling a comprehensive, multi-layered story about the New York Jets upset of the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III on Jan. 12, 1969, in his book "From Baltimore to Broadway."

Gruver tells the story from the perspective of both the Jets and the Colts.He captures the atmosphere that surrounded the game that took on new dimensions once Jets quarterback Joe Namath guaranteed that the AFL club would defeat the highly respected Colts of the NFL.

The Colts were favored by 18 points over Jets and they were supremely confident.Forty-nine of 55 national football writers also favored the Colts.The AFL, losers of the first two Super Bowls, was seen as a vastly inferior league to the NFL.Gruver does a good job of chronicling how much the NFL, and many of its fans, disrespected the AFL.

The Colts compiled a 15-1 record in 1968, allowing just 10.3 points per game.Quarterback Earl Morrall, filling in for an injured Johnny Unitas, was voted the league MVP.The Colts blanked the Cleveland Browns, 34-0, in the NFL championship game.They had a chance to be known as one of the NFL's greatest teams.All they had to do was to beat the Jets in the Super Bowl.

Gruver sets up his account of Super Bowl III with chapter profiles of Namath and Unitas as well as a recap of the regular season for the Jets and Colts.He also presents interesting profiles and tidbits about other players.

Namath and Unitas, like their teams, were contrasting figures.Namath was outspoken, flamboyant, cocky and a darling of the media.Unitas was tough, gutsy, courageous and graceful under pressure.Both were extremely talented.Gruver writes that the signing of Namath in 1964, who became the first quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards (1967), saved the Jets, the AFL and led to a merger of the two warring leagues.

Gruver's 80-page game account of Super Bowl III is an exciting recreation filled with lots of strategy and insight.You can feel the Jets' confidence, the Colts' frustrations mount and the tide turn.Although the Colts were scoreless in the first half, they conceivably could have scored 27 points.Trailing 13-0 with 3:51 left in the third quarter, Unitas, the embattled veteran, entered the game, hoping to save the Colts from one of football's greatest upsets.

This is a great football book for several reasons.Gruver is a knowledgeable football historian who understands and explains the game's strategy; he's a talented writer; he interviewed many of the players involved; and this was no quick, slapdash effort--it was 19 years in the making.

Harvey K
This is a superb book. Both the content and writing style are first rate. The detailed research is obvious as the author has brought out many heretofore unknown facts about this historic game. The book is a must read for the avid football fan who will be fascinated by the cerebral aspects and gamesmanship of Superbowl III.

Great read!!
For the first time ever, a balanced look at the most important game in Super Bowl history.Finally gives credit to the Colts as well as the Jets.Current interviews with players and coaches from both teams gives fresh insight into why the Jets were able to pull off pro football's biggest upset.All in all an enjoyable story!! ... Read more

Product Description
Professional football today is an $8 billion sports entertainment industry and the most popular spectator sport in America, with designs on expansion across the globe. In this astute field-level view of the National Football League since 1960, Michael Oriard looks closely at the development of the sport and at the image of the NFL and its unique place in American life. New to the paperback edition is Oriard's analysis of the offseason labor negotiations and their potential effects on the future of the sport, and his account of how the NFL is dealing with the latest research on concussions and head injuries. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Brooke, OSU Comp Student 2010
I read Brand NFL for a paper I had to write in my Comp 2 class at Oklahoma State University. I read this book becasue Marketing in the NFL is what I am wanting to go into. This boook was very interesting when it came to what the NFL was back in the old days tho what it is today. The money aspect of the book and how much money the professional teams make are interesting and when Oriard goes into detail different players and he talks about how these specific players are very marketable, I think that is what we look at today when watching the NFL. We look at different players and not only how they play but if they are popular or not. This book was a great read and very interesting.

A rather dry history of the NFL
The author is a college professor and the book reads like a term paper. He quotes other sources to the point where there are so many footnotes is disrupts the reading. And even though he is a former player he gives precious little info about his personal experience and opinions. The colorful characters and mud-splattering drama you associate with the NFL are mostly absent. A great case study and historical text if that's what you want. But not entertaining.

very solid, with an exception
Michael Oriard explores an area relatively uncovered in the vast flow of information about football. And that is the establishment of the NFL as a business, especially a media and entertainment enterprise instead of a simple sport played by romanticized warriors.

Oriard is first-rate on the history of the game and its development from a minor sport to the top tier starting in the late 1950s and 1960s. He nicely balanced football and its personalities, such as Lombardi, with the awakening of football as a business, primarily under the timely leadership of Pete Rozelle. People who remember the 1960s should enjoy the history, and young fans could find much to learn. The author is informative and concise.

He then moves into the next wave, with Joe Namath as one of the anchors, with his free spirit and large contract as indicators that, in retrospect, were seminal that seem almost quaint by now. Wow, long hair and white shoes! Here again, the personalities and the business evolved as parallel trends, influencing each other. Pete Rozelle began to lose his grip and the stakes got too high as football became America's #1 sport and the media coverage meant problems became public. Financial visionaries such as Jerry Jones of Dallas were about to open another whole dimension.

Oriard writes extensively about the beginning of the labor movement within football, all the way to the current relative peace. This is possibly both one of the strongest and weakest parts of the book. The strength is that the topic is relatively unfamiliar and normally underestimated in its importance, plus Oriard the ex-player has that insider's perspective. The weakness may be that it may be more than many fans wanted to know, and Oriard certainly is not impartial. Even so, the one-sided nature of owner-player relationship in the old days is almost appalling to read now. Younger fans may also be shocked to hear how little revenue football had and how little players made.

Oriand tackles one of the third rails of sports, that of why black athletes dominate, black cultural issues as they relate to football, and both subtle and obvious racism. He makes some reasonable observations, while also hemming and hawing around specifics where you cannot really win. The "exception" in my title is that he really should have stayed away from intelligence, other than the obvious history of blacks being kept from so-called skill positions that allegedly needed mental skills beyond their capacity. Wading into general intelligence controversies served no purpose, and Oriand misrepresented the famous "Bell Curve" book anyway. In this case, stick to your knitting.

Oriand closed with the transition from Paul Tagliabue to Roger Goodell as the new commissioner, naturally a time to re-assess the state of the business. To Oriand, Goodell fits football's continued growth in complexity that demands far more than Pete Rozelle the PR man. Oriand is very optimistic about football's future, yet he doesn't shy from some of the risks.

That attitude helps the general tone and credibility of the book. A breathless "homer" would have been uninteresting. A negative beat-down would have been unrealistic and pointless. As he said near the end, "Is the NFL become primarily a media company, or, is it still, above all, a national *football* league? It is both, of course, but the balance has been shifting, and how the commissioner will manage that balance over the coming years will be the story of the post-new NFL, whatever it will be called."

I can't argue with that. What I hope Oriand and Goodell realize is that excessive commercialization is itself a major risk. Major sporting events already are flirting with unwatchability with all the commercials and side shows. It's one area that could have gotten a bit more attention here. Why exactly is it that people like me watch less football than before, why don't I want to pay for the NFL Network, and why don't I like being shaken down at every opportunity by Dan Snyder? ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Mike Dubose, Bear Bryant, Terrence Cody, John Mitchell, Bobby Bowden, Brodie Croyle, Joe Namath, Shaun Alexander, Greg Mcelroy, Jackie Sherrill, Frank Howard, Andre Smith, Sylvester Croom, Charley Pell, Forrest Gump, Mike Shula, Ken Stabler, Pat Trammell, Riggs Stephenson, Mike Riley, Julio Jones, Bart Starr, Chris Samuels, Derrick Thomas, Glen Coffee, Steve Sloan, Don Hutson, Danny Ford, Leon Fuller, Dabo Swinney, Steve Patton, Mark Ingram, Jr., William C. Marland, Alonzo Ephraim, Derrick Pope, Amos Jones, Lee Roy Jordan, Dixie Howell, Ray Perkins, Demeco Ryans, Antwan Odom, John Parker Wilson, Rolando Mcclain, Cornelius Bennett, John Hannah, Kenneth Darby, Richard Todd, Neil Callaway, Harry Gilmer, Trent Richardson, Ozzie Newsome, Mark Anderson, Butch Hobson, Mal Moore, Dont'a Hightower, Johnny Mack Brown, Joey Jones, Albert Means, Shaud Williams, Ramzee Robinson, Bill Battle, Tommy Brooker, Jay Barker, Mark Barron, Leigh Tiffin, Nico Johnson, D. J. Fluker, Bob Trocolor, Tyrone Prothro, Woodrow Lowe, Le'ron Mcclain, Dre Kirkpatrick, James Carpenter, Jeff Rutledge, Antoine Caldwell, Del Pratt, Tony Nathan, Bobby Humphrey, Nautyn Mckay-Loescher, Mickey Andrews, Patrick Hape, Dwight Stephenson, Jarret Johnson, George Teague, Deshea Townsend, Michael Myers, Trevis Smith, Jerrell Harris, Richard Williamson, Siran Stacy, Fernando Bryant, Dwayne Rudd, Kerry Murphy, Don Mcneal, Allison Hubert, Anthony Madison, Wallace Gilberry, Antonio Langham, Vaughn Stewart, Leroy Cook, Bob Baumhower, Ahmaad Galloway, E. J. Junior, Riley Smith, Chris Mohr, Wesley Britt, Matt Caddell, Keith Mccants, Javier Arenas, Buddy Aydelette, Kenny Smith, Roman Harper, Jeremy Clark, Marty Lyons, Ray Abruzzese, Byron Braggs, Kareem Jackson, Don Whitmire, Ray Ogden, Rashad Johnson, Leroy Monsky, Joe Domnanovich, Cornelius Griffin, Saleem Rasheed, Chuck Deshane, David Palmer, Fred Sington, Jeremiah Castille, Evan Mathis, Van Tiffin, Eric Schumann, An...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=4411069 ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Jack Kemp, O. J. Simpson, Joe Namath, Bob Griese, Willie Lanier, George Blanda, Jim Kiick, Len Dawson, Ernie Ladd, Billy Cannon, Fred Williamson, Lance Alworth, Tobin Rote, Gino Cappelletti, Gene Upshaw, Bill Stanfill, Curley Culp, Art Shell, Nick Buoniconti, Emmitt Thomas, Tom Flores, Cookie Gilchrist, Dave Webster, Ken Houston, Abner Haynes, Bob Trumpy, Floyd Little, Charlie Hennigan, John Hadl, Jan Stenerud, Bobby Bell, Mike Garrett, Jim Otto, Buck Buchanan, Fred Biletnikoff, Daryle Lamonica, Willie Brown, Babe Parilli, Pete Gogolak, Don Maynard, Jerry Levias, Frank Tripucka, Curtis Mcclinton, Earl Faison, Clem Daniels, Matt Snell, Emerson Boozer, Johnny Robinson, Larry Kaminski, Paul Lowe, Ron Mix, Otis Taylor, Jim Norton, George Webster, Dick Felt, Jim Tyrer, Jerrel Wilson, Art Powell, Tom Addison, Jim Nance, Ed Budde, Sherrill Headrick, Al Dorow, Larry Little, E. J. Holub, Fred Arbanas, Jon Morris, Bill Bergey, John Bramlett, Elvin Bethea, Dave Grayson, Billy Shaw, Ben Davidson, Tom Sestak, Fred Bruney, Rich Jackson, Paul Costa, Jim Lynch, Keith Lincoln, Ed Rutkowski, George Saimes, Ron Mcdole, Tom Keating, Miller Farr, Billy Joe, Gerry Philbin, Volney Peters, Reggie Carolan, Bud Mcfadin, Wray Carlton, Booker Edgerson, Don Floyd, Winston Hill, Elbert Dubenion, Jim Lee Hunt, Pete Lammons, Chris Burford, Mike Dukes, Cotton Davidson, Mike Stratton, George Atkinson, Jim Dunaway, Ernie Warlick, Houston Antwine, Jim Turner, Larry Grantham, Wayne Hawkins, Carl Garrett, Dave Costa, Bill Atkins, Dave Kocourek, Bob Dee, Jacque Mackinnon, Rick Redman, Goose Gonsoulin, Gene Mingo, Harry Schuh, Len St. Jean, Bill Mathis, Butch Byrd, Lionel Taylor, Dick Christy, Alan Miller, Bob Talamini, Paul Robinson, Al Atkinson, Jim Colclough, Bill Groman, Chuck Allen, Ernie Wright, Sherman Plunkett... ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Javon Ringer, Ben Roethlisberger, Dan Marino, Zoltan Mesko, Joe Montana, Steve Slaton, Joe Namath, Kerry Collins, Scott Zolak, Charles Woodson, Matt Millen, Marty Schottenheimer, Dave Wannstedt, Lavar Arrington, Jim Kelly, Ted Ginn, Jr., Steve Breaston, Orlando Pace, Josh Mcdaniels, Barry Alvarez, Monte Kiffin, Chad Henne, Bob Sanders, Grant Wiley, Raghib Ismail, Matt Schaub, Lesean Mccoy, Russ Grimm, Archie Griffin, Dan Mozes, Major Harris, Paul Posluszny, Joe Jurevicius, Robbie Gould, Po James, Jeff Hostetler, Curtis Martin, Marc Bulger, Frank Reich, Tony Dorsett, Chris Snee, Jim Covert, Ricky Watters, Kyle Brady, Gus Frerotte, Keilen Dykes, Lecharles Bentley, Brian Jordan, Ty Law, Tony Stewart, Herb Adderley, Eric Wicks, Mario Manningham, A. J. Hawk, Ken Karcher, Marlin Jackson, Artie Owens, Brandon Short, Jimmy Cefalo, Sean Mchugh, Darnell Dinkins, Kevin Jones, Steve Bono, Tim Massaquoi, Jon Ritchie, John Cappelletti, Antonio Freeman, Tim Lewis, Jeff Smoker, Blair Thomas, Justin Zwick, Gene Mruczkowski, Jermaine Lewis, Brian Hoyer, Lee Evans, Ed Mccaffrey, Hank Poteat, Pierre Woods, Sean Lee, Ron Powlus, Mike Mcmahon, Chase Blackburn, John Frank, Dan Kreider, Nick Goings, David Kimball, Matt Bahr, Jared Odrick, Mike Logan, James Mungro, Anthony Gonzalez, Bill Fralic, Maurice Stovall, Dan Koppen, Rodney Bailey, Tyoka Jackson, Keith Dorney, John Thornton, Mickey Shuler, Chris Doleman, John Gilmore, Terry Hanratty, Richie Anderson, Mitch Frerotte, Bruce Perry, Dave Elmendorf, Kevan Barlow, Curtis Enis, Kevin Mitchell, Justin Kurpeikis, Jim Braxton, Antoine Winfield, Brian Robiskie, Mike Munchak, Brian Hartline, Andre Coleman, Tyler Everett, Dave Ragone, Harry Schuh, Kevin Houser, Ted Kwalick, Chris Hovan, Kim Herring, Mark Stepnoski, Jeff Christy, Mickey Shuler, Jr., Mike Archie, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Andy Katzenmoyer, Mark Kelso, Jon Condo, Rian Wallace, Chris Harrell, Jim Ritcher, Adrien Clarke, Brad Bens...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=17434567 ... Read more

Product Description
The story of the Pro Football Game of the Century, the upset by the New York Jets of the heavily-favored Baltimore Colts. The Jets were led by the brash and cocky quarterback, Joe Namath, who famed prediction of victory will live forever in pro football annals. Cover by well-known artist, Leroy Neiman. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Winning View Of A Changing Era
I just finished reading this book a second time and I wanna contact a producer to do a movie of it. Maybe the NFL would be interested in bankrolling a movie about the 1969 Superbowl Champion New York Jets and the road they took to get there. This paperback signet version of the book was published just eight months after the Superbowl and still carries a freshness of the event. It's a moment frozen in time for us to hold in our hands and look at from different angles. And for me a six year old growing up in New York at the time it's a nostalgic piece of my childhood. I remember when Broadway Joe was king of New York. The High Karate and Hanes commercials. Joe was the first sports commodity marketing products on television. Probably the only male sports figure ever to don a pair of nylons on television and have women wanting him even more for it. I remember, I was there. But this book isn't about Joe Namath alone, it's about a time and place and the team that made the place and time memorable.

One paragraph beginning on the second to last page sums up why this story is so relevant to Professional Football: "Nobody realized what the Jets had accomplished. Their victory had not only been an historic upset, but another milestone in pro football. More than four decades earlier, Harold "Red" Grange was its missionary in the major cities during a barnstorming tour with the Chicago Bears following his famous college career. In 1940, the Bears proved that the "T" formation was the most potent offense with a 73-0 rout of the Washington Redskins in the NFL championship game. And in 1958 the Colts hypnotized the nation's television viewers in the 23-17 sudden-death victory over the New York Giants that lifted pro football toward its popularity."

The author, Dave Anderson, had traveled with the team throughout their entire season, through the playoffs and on to Ft. Lauderdale for what would become known as Superbowl III. The book gets you well acquainted with the Jets players, coaches and staff and also reveals why the Jets had so much to prove individually, as a team and as a representative of the newer American Football League.

Everyone today knows of Joe Namath's Guarantee but few have heard the context in how it was said or the audience it was said to. As I began reading the book, which has an artist's rendition of Joe Namath holding up the number 1 sign, I assumed the highlight would be Joe's guarantee and I couldn't wait to get to that part. But early on in my reading I found myself becoming a part of the team and getting as nervous and finicky as the players during the two-week buildup to the big game.

The author did a fantastic job of expressing the mood of the Jets players. He told the stories of the players past football rejections that led to their being on the upstart Jets team. Many of the players, as well as the head coach himself, were on the powerhouse Baltimore Colts team at one time. And all the Jets players with ties to the Colts were unceremoniously released for not being good enough to play football for them. The mistake the colts made when releasing players was to refer them to the AFL upstart New York Jets franchise where the former colt coach, Weeb Ewbank, had been put to pasture.

So when you look at how the Jets won a game where their opponent was favored by 18 points you have to think maybe revenge played a big part in the outcome. Speaking of odds, I like that the author gave Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder a little part in the book. Long before the Greek would throw his career down the toilet with a racially tainted comment on national television, the book captures him in his heyday of game predictions and betting odds. Though the Greek would say afterwards that the Colts poor play from their quarterback missing receivers cost them the game and that he'd give a 12 point spread favoring the Colts if they play again tomorrow, he was just as shocked as the rest of the world.

The book shows the leadership of Joe Namath without making Joe the hero that he was to the Jets. Joe was a team player and a good guy per his teammates and a few of the opponents who met him. There were no tabloid-like revealing details of Joe's partying or female companionships, but you did get just a tasteful touch of his desire for both. The Jets stuck with their coach Weeb Ewbank's season long rally cry for "poise and execution" and were rewarded with a Championship.

The reason I feel this would make such a good movie is the political and social changes of the time period and how those changes impacted the players; the importance the Jets win had on the eventual merger of the two leagues; the young star quarterback with his brash guarantee of a win; the arrogance of the NFL and old school football analysts who gave the New York Jets no chance of winning; the David vs. Goliath triumph. I think most people like a story where the underdog comes out as the victor.

Me being an Oakland Raiders fan enjoyed the many positive references to the Raiders of old. One other comment Joe Namath made to the newspapers that caused a stir was that the Oakland Raiders team, who they'd beat in the AFL Championship game, was a better team than the Colts. There was even an ironic bit that referenced the now infamous Heidi Bowl; a regular season game between the Oakland Raiders and the New York Jets, which the Raiders won in the last 45 seconds. NBC pulled the plug on the game to air the regularly scheduled Sunday Night movie "Heidi" and most of the east coast was blacked out from seeing the final minutes of the miraculous Raiders comeback. Or as Jets fans would like to forget, their bumbling loss. That game is historic in itself in that the networks changed their programming rules after that game and would never again interrupt a game to switch to a regularly scheduled program.

The time, 1969, was a time of change. Television, Hippies, Civil Rights, Women's Rights, Long Hair & Sideburns, Bra Burning, Vietnam Protests/Peace, Rock & Roll, Man on the Moon, Nixon Inauguration, IBM. Wow, how can you not find something to enjoy in a movie from that era. Oh, and Mini-Skirts.

It's not just a book about football; it's about people and an era of changing ideas. But if you're a sports fan and you get bored reading political and social novels, you'll stay up reliving the late sixties and the people who were there. And you'll relive it while witnessing one of the greatest moments in sports history, Joe Namath and the New York Jets two week buildup in Florida before slaying the monster that was the Baltimore Colts and proving their detractors wrong. You'll love this book, "I Guarantee It."

From Back Cover
Here is the whole story of the Game of the Century, told by the man who followed every movement of the Jets form the first kick-off of the season; who lived, breathed and agonized with them for the ten nerve-tingling days before the Colts went down to defeat in the Super Bowl.Here, by Dave Anderson of the New York Times, is the play-by-play, moment-by-moment saga of how Super Joe and the Jets made good Namath's boast that they would humble the NFL and vanquish the invincible Colts. ... Read more

Product Description

• Covers all the action of Favre's 2008 season
• Packed with insights from author and longtime New York Post columnist, Steve Serby
• Gets inside the final game showdown against the quarterback Favre replaced, the Dolphin's Chad Pennington
• Covers playing highlights, such as the Arizona Cardinals game, in which Favre threw six touchdowns, a personal best and one fewer than the NFL record

A fascinating look at a season filled with hope, exhilaration, compelling drama and, ultimately, disappointment and despair, this book is essential reading for Favre and Jets fans, and anyone who loves football.Amazon.com Review
Product Description

One of New York's top sports columnists chronicles the ups and downs of Favre’s bold, brief tenure with the Jets, a cautionary tale for Viking fans, a told-you-so tale for Packer fans.

When future Hall of Famer Brett Favre came out of retirement and the Packers traded him to the Jets on August 7, 2008, it was one of the biggest stories in sports annals-and the most exciting news championship-starved Gang Green fans had to cheer about in a long time. Favre's record is unparalleled: he holds records for everything from the most career touchdown passes and the most consecutive starts among NFL quarterbacks to the most career victories as a starting quarterback. This book captures the ups and downs of his bold, brief tenure with the Jets and what seemed to be the swansong season of Favre's legendary NFL career.

Photo and Caption Excerpts from No Substitute for Sundays

Favre soaks up the sights and sounds in warm-ups before his first - and only - Jets-Giants preseason game.	Favre awaits the start of the Jets-Giants preseason game with rookie offensive tackle Nate Garner.	Favre uncorks one over the middle during the 28-24 victory over the Chiefs.
Favre rolls right before hitting Laveranues Coles across the field against the Patriots in Foxboro.	Favre celebrates a touchdown pass to Laveranues Coles to give Jets 6-0 lead against the Dolphins.	Favre's stunning 27-yard naked bootleg sets up the first Jet score against Bills.

Customer Reviews (3)

Substitute a better book
As a die-hard New York Jets fan I hoped that this book would give insight and unknown information about a season that started so well and ended so drastically horribly.Unfortunately the book is nothing more than a simple play-by-play review of each game and Favre's post-game press conferences written into story form.Critically little new or surprising details are revealed and I didn't feel as if I knew the "characters" involved any more because athletes tend to be somewhat guarded during press conferences.

On a positive note, the book is considerably better in the early chapters before the season begins as the details of Favre's trade to the Jets is interesting.The book also is a very easy read.

Great in some aspects, lukewarm in others
This book talked about Brett Favre's 2008 with the Jets (which didn't go so well for him).

Pluses- The buildup to the trade was top notch and had plenty of quotes from insiders. Also talked about his injury to an extent and how it limited him.

Negatives- Didn't really discuss game plans week by week and was more a narrative of the game. Also underdiscusses Mangini getting canned. The author missed the point about saying Favre needed to quit (like many other critics).

Overall- If you are a hardcore Favre fan, read it for the insight on last year. If you are a casual fan, pass. Favre's legacy continues on this year with an MVP year in Minnesota.A ultimate Favre bio is due when he FINALLY decides to retire.

Thorough in capturing Favre
I was eager to read this book since I wondered about the inside story of Brett's year in New York. Serby is a New York reporter. He relies mostly on Favre's press conferences for a narration of how the year is going. I am a big Favre fan and I think had already heard each press conference so I was not surprised by anything, but it was interesting to read it all in one place. Confirms that Favre believed he was being traded to the Bucs when the trade to the Jets appeared on TV. He made the best of it and warmed to his teammates and did the best he could in a foreign offensive system. Favre speaks highly of Jet management and coaches, as well as players, but confesses the move was harder than he expected it to be. He had right of refusal but did not want to create even a bigger scene so went ahead to the Jets. Woody Johnson was eager to show him New Jersey was not the city and this helped Favre with his transition. The book does not have extensive interviews with players or management so there is not the insider information that might give the book more meat.We do get the public statements Favre made throughout the year. Interesting read but not groundbreaking news. ... Read more