Football History

The most popular college football team in the early 20th century belonged to an institution called the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. Its story begins with Lt. Col. Richard Henry Pratt, a fierce abolitionist who believed that Native Americans deserved a place in American society. In 1879, Pratt made a treacherous journey to the Dakota Territory to recruit Carlisle's first students. Years later, three students approached Pratt with the notion of forming a football team.

Today, sports arenas have been transformed into staging grounds for American patriotism and the hero worship of law enforcement. Teams wear camouflage jerseys to honor those who serve; police officers throw out first pitches; soldiers surprise their families with homecomings at halftime. Sports and politics are decidedly entwined. But as journalist Howard Bryant reveals, this has always been more complicated for black athletes, who from the start were committing a political act simply by being on the field.

By 2002, The Streak - a historic 13-year run of consecutive wins by the Spartans, a high-school football team from Concord, California, that couldn't be beat - was still going strong. In this revised edition of When the Game Stands Tall, author Neil Hayes, who had unrestricted access to the De La Salle team, writes from the inside about the games, the players, and their visionary coach, Bob Ladouceur, who managed to amass the highest winning percentage in football history (.995) through standing for something greater than winning.

In this fascinating and exhaustively researched book, the first of its kind in the English language, Tom Williams brings to life French football’s chequered coming of age over the last 40 years. Featuring exclusive interviews with great figures of the French game such as Alain Giresse, Jean-Pierre Papin, Emmanuel Petit and Blaise Matuidi, and with a cast of characters that also includes Michel Platini, Thierry Henry, Karim Benzema, Chris Waddle and Lionel Messi, it's a book no football fan will want to miss.

The authors of the New York Times best seller 50 Years, 50 Moments celebrate the first 100 years of the National Football League, interweaving history, personal stories, memories, and observations of some of its greatest players, coaches, and advocates to chronicle football’s amazing evolution from a fledgling regional fly-by-night operation into a multi-billion global brand and one of America’s leading franchises.

* Which England player found a way to cheat in the fat testing before the 1987 World Cup? * How did Fiji manage to get themselves to the World Cup despite all the planes in and out of the country being grounded? *Which French player sat on the bench smoking a cigarette while his team won a place in the 1999 final? Real Men Drink Aftershave is the behind-the-scenes story of the first 20 years of the Rugby World Cup: the funny, the irreverent and the quite unbelievable players' tales about what really happened. It tells the story of the biggest change in the history of modern sport - as rugby...

Any number of writers could spend an entire season with an NFL team, from the first day of training camp until the last pick of the draft, and come up with an interesting book. But only Roy Blount Jr. could capture the pain, the joy, the fears, the humor - in short, the heart - of a championship team.

This newly revised edition of Tales from the Wisconsin Badgers Sideline weaves together a series of anecdotes, personal recollections, and research to bring listeners a taste of the stories that make Badgers football so interesting. There are the Heisman Trophies hard-earned by running backs Alan Ameche and Ron Dayne, the tumult of a 23-game winless streak broken with a victory over archrival Iowa in 1969, the bizarre tale of "Kangaroo Kicker" Pat O’Dea, and so much more. Without a doubt, Tales from the Wisconsin Badgers Sideline is a must-have for any Wisconsin fan!

The New Orleans Saints Super Fan Trivia Book: A Fun-Filled Book of Facts and Quizzes Are you a die-hard Saints fan who lives and breathes Black & Gold? Think you know everything about the New Orleans Saints? Put your knowledge to the test with The New Orleans Saints Super Fan Trivia Book—the ultimate challenge for Saints faithful! This jam-packed book is filled with hundreds of trivia questions, fascinating facts, and fun quizzes covering every aspect of Saints history, including: 🏈 Legendary Players & Coaches – From Drew Brees to Archie Manning, test your knowledge of the greatest ...

The US Women’s National Soccer Team has won three World Cups and four Olympic gold medals, set record TV ratings, drawn massive crowds, earned huge revenues for FIFA and US Soccer, and helped to redefine the place of women in sports. But despite their dominance, and their rosters of superstar players, they’ve endured striking inequality: low pay, poor playing conditions, and limited opportunities to play in professional leagues.

What if Babe Ruth had not been sold to the Yankees in 1920 and instead played his entire career in Boston? What if Muhammad Ali had lost or quit in his first fight against Sonny Liston? What if the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants had never moved to the West Coast? What if Vince Lombardi had become head coach of his hometown Giants instead of heading to Green Bay? How would sports history, and our perception of it, be different today?

It was the end of an era in professional football. After years of competing against each other, the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL) merged to form one football powerhouse in 1970. After the merger, the league split into two conferences: the AFC and the NFC. In the year 1970, 13 teams would battle in each conference to meet in Super Bowl V. After a history of tough losses in big games, two teams rose to the top—the Dallas Cowboys and the Baltimore Colts.

Voices of Michigan Stadium—the yells, the cheers, the whispers—they’ve filled Michigan Stadium for nearly a century. You can still hear them today. Stories of triumph, surprise, and disappointment are all part of this collection. You can hear Bo Schembechler giving his team an emotional pregame message. You can hear Kip Taylor telling his surprising tale on how he scored the stadium’s first ever touchdown in 1927. You can listen to Kramer, Chappius, Wistert, Canham, Johnson, Howard, Leach, and many more.

Penn State fans will finally get the chance to walk onto the field with their favorite Nittany Lions in Game of My Life Penn State Nittany Lions. In this newly updated edition, Penn State alum Jordan Hyman asks over 20 of the school’s greatest football legends to share their favorite memories and most poignant moments while wearing the white and blue. A must-listen for any Nittany Lions fan.

From Darkness to Dynasty tells the unlikely history of the New England Patriots as it has never been told before. From their humble beginnings as a team bought with rainy-day money by a man who had no idea what he was doing, to the fateful season that saw them win their first Super Bowl, Jerry Thornton shares the wild, humiliating, unbelievable, and wonderful stories that comprised the first 40 years of what would ultimately become the most dominant franchise in NFL history.

Auburn Tigers football legends recall their greatest moments - newly updated to include the Tigers' recent BCS championship. What creates a championship team? Spirit, determination, and a legacy that refuses to die. Game of My Life: Auburn Tigers is a collection of the greatest Tigers moments from past and present as seen through the eyes of the players themselves. In this vivid collection of sports moments, Mark Murphy has brought together passionate Auburn football players to share their fondest experiences and memories.

Once upon a time football was run by modest local businessmen. Today it is the plaything of billionaire oligarchs, staggeringly wealthy from oil and gas, from royalty, or from murkier sources. But who are these new masters of the universe? Where did all their money come from? And what do they want with our beautiful game? In The Billionaires Club James Montague delves deeper than anyone else has dared, to tell this story for the first time.

The Colts came to basketball country in 1984. For more than 30 years, the team has laid claim to the hearts of sports fans all over the Hoosier state. With controversial stars like Dickerson and George and Hall of Famers like Faulk and Harrison, the Indianapolis Colts have built a fan base that bleeds blue. From Bob Irsay to Jim Irsay, from Jason Belser to Bob Sanders, from Bill Brooks to T.Y. Hilton, this is the story of the love affair between Indianapolis Colts and their fans. Perfect for the die-hard tailgater and the casual fan alike, Blue Blood covers the history of the Colts from the...

Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are perhaps the two greatest quarterbacks of all time. They are living legends who have come to embody the quarterback position and shape an entire generation of the NFL. They have also been fierce rivals every step of the way, and their many epic duels have not only ranked among the best and most exciting games ever played; they have fundamentally shaped the lives and careers of both men.

Get ready to kick back, relax, and indulge in a laughter-filled journey through the world of soccer's funniest moments. In Kicks and Giggles: Interesting Stories from Soccer History, prepare to be entertained as we explore the lighter side of the beautiful game. From bizarre world records that defy logic to comical mishaps on the pitch, this book is a delightful collection of side-splitting stories and amusing anecdotes that will leave you in stitches. Discover the mischievous pranks played by players, uncover the peculiar traditions and superstitions of the sport, and relish in the ...