ESPN Quick Pitches: A Star-Studded Lineup of Original Sports Fiction

ESPN Quick Pitches: A Star-Studded Lineup of Original Sports Fiction Review

Get your red-hot sports fiction right here! ESPN QUICK PITCHES fires ten great pieces of short fiction right at the intelligent sports fan’s strike zone. Featuring authors as diverse as bestselling writer Dave Eggers and major league pitcher Miguel Batista, these stories demonstrate that sports in the post-ESPN world is no mere metaphor for life, but increasingly life itself. These tales—selected by the editors of ESPN The Magazine and McSweeney’s, and originally published in the inaugural Fiction Issue of ESPN The Magazine—range from whimsical to serious, from based-on-fact to surreal, but each one shares with the best sports literature a deep love for that place where games, memory and imagination intersect. ESPN QUICK PITCHES includes: Bleacher Couch Man by JESS WALTER Perfectly capturing the teasing, banged-up banter of a group of weekend warriors, Bleacher Couch Man chronicles the belated transformation of an unemployed 42-year-old divorcee. My Life in Baseball by DAVE EGGERS The autobiography of a surprisingly articulate beard, whose latest gig is working the face of a San Francisco relief pitcher. Angel Wings by SUSAN STRAIGHT A bold piece of experimental fiction, chronicling a mother’s heartbreaking lament for her hoops-star son, senselessly shot dead at a fast-food drive-thru, then mercilessly mocked by online trolls. Moto by WELLS TOWER An 11-year-old boy is pressed by fate into a doomed competition with a fearless but troubled neighbor. The Favorite by JOHN BRANDON A financial wunderkind fallen on hard times returns to his boyhood home and concocts a small-time scheme to rebuild his bank account by framing a local football star. What if… by JEFF PINKNER Five counterfactual premises demonstrate that the sports history we take for granted could just as easily have been a dream. The Kudzu League by CHRIS BACHELDER An elegy for an obscure baseball league with finances so shaky that even a boy’s circus catch of a foul ball affects the bottom line. The Bow-Tie Miracle by MICHAEL BIBLE With his girlfriend in tow, a high school junior under the influence breaks into the restricted areas of Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium during a Carolina Panther game. John Brisker’s Greatest Game by GARE JOYCE A journalist obsessed with ABA bad-ass and black separatist John Brisker—presumed dead years before at the hands of Idi Amin—tracks him down in Monrovia, Liberia. Or does he? The Family Business by MIGUEL BATISTA Sixty years after her father died in an airplane crash that killed his entire baseball team, a 73-year-old grandmother in the Dominican Republic decides to introduce her grandson to the family’s brilliant, tragic past.

The Everything Kids' Basketball Book: The all-time greats, legendary teams, today's superstars - and tips on playing like a pro (Everything Kids Series)

The Everything Kids' Basketball Book: The all-time greats, legendary teams, today's superstars - and tips on playing like a pro (Everything Kids Series) Review

Kids can dribble, shoot, and swish with hours of gaming fun in this new guide! Featuring thirty puzzles, this fun and educational book is a must-have for basketball players and fans. Children will learn the rules of basketball, the history of this popular sport, and tips for enhancing their game, as well as:

• The inspirational stories of basketball stars of yesterday and today
• Various offensive and defensive plays
• Up-to-date statistics and records of NBA teams
• The scoop on the NCAA, WNBA, and Olympic basketball
• Fun basketball alternatives like ?Around the World,? ?Street Ball,? and ?H-O-R-S-E?

Most importantly, this guide shows kids the importance of teamwork and motivates them to stay active and healthy. This book will score points with kids and parents alike!

Design for Sports: The Cult of Performance

Design for Sports: The Cult of Performance Review

If sports have become a new religion, then sporting equipment has become an object of devotion. Our cultural fascination with the icons of sports—from Michael Jordan to Rollerblades—and the technology of designs that push us to ever-higher levels of performance are the subject of this intriguing book.

Design for Sports examines both the equipment, showing how sports are changing as a result of advancements in design and materials, as well as the cultural implications of sports design through an investigation of advertising and popular culture.

Sports equipment has undergone radical changes in recent years, as technology has reshaped the way sports are played. New designs such as oversized tennis rackets, parabolic skis, titanium bats, and reconfigured golf clubs have altered the very nature of their respective sports, setting new standards of technical performance. Indeed, some professional sports organizations have banned certain kinds of equipment because they fear it could transform the nature of their games.

Design for Sports covers a range of cultural issues: how development of sports technology has heightened the visibility of and participation in women's sports; sports subcultures, revealed through the graphics of athletic footwear; and how sports equipment allows for a new relationship with the natural world, as it replicates outdoor conditions inside the gym.

The contributors include sports journalist Candace Lyle Hogan; Steven Skov Holt, former editor at I.D. Magazine and currently director of strategy at the firm frogdesign; and world-class swimmer, sports announcer, and National Public Radio columnist Diana Nyad.

Basketball For Dummies

Basketball For Dummies Review

The easy way to get the ins, outs, and intrigue on this beloved sport

The National Basketball Association (NBA), with 30 teams and an average attendance of more than 17,000 spectators per game, is the richest and most popular basketball league — and arguably the most viewed American sport — in the world. This new edition of Basketball For Dummies not only covers the rules and regulations of the NBA, but offers coverage on the WNBA, NCAA, and international basketball leagues.

Basketball For Dummies is a valuable resource to the many fans of this beloved sport, covering everything from players and personalities in the game to rules, regulations, and equipment. Completely updated with information and intrigue that's occurred in the sport since publication of the previous edition, Basketball For Dummies gets you up to speed on everything from NCAA Tournament brackets to college players en route to the NBA.

• Coverage of the rules and regulations of the NBA
• Interesting topics like LeBron the Phenom, ESPN'S influence on the NBA, and the UCONN women's basketball dynasty
• Digger's take on John Wooden

Whether you're a basketball player or a courtside spectator, Basketball For Dummies is a slam-dunk of information and intrigue for anyone who loves the sport.

Nike Culture: The Sign of the Swoosh (Cultural Icons series)

Nike Culture: The Sign of the Swoosh (Cultural Icons series) Review

This book is one of the first to take an in-depth look at how an advertising image works. It situates the Nike swoosh logo in terms of political economy, sociology, culture and semiotics.

Nike Culture describes and deconstructs the themes and structures of Nike's advertising, outlines the contradictions between image and practice, and explores the logic of the sign economy. In addition, by focusing on issues revolving around representations of race, class and gender, the desire for both community and recognition, and the construction of sport as a spiritual enterprise, the book offers insights into the cultural contradictions embedded in sports culture.

Sport, Culture and Advertising: Identities, Commodities and the Politics of Representation

Sport, Culture and Advertising: Identities, Commodities and the Politics of Representation Review

Despite the range of theoretical and methological positions adopted and the wide range of issues and topics related to advertising covered by cultural studies, relationships between sport and advertising have been largely overlooked.
Given its gobal popularity and its prevalence across the spectrum of cultural and commercial life it is not surprising that scholars interrogating the cultural politics of sport have begun to recognise advertising as an important site for the analysis of power relations, cultural politics and cultural repesentation.
Sport, Culture and Advertising presents a first step towards understanding the relationship between advertising and identity with a focus on sport. The book will be useful for scholars across a range of disciplines and will be of interest to students looking for a more critical examination of the commercial realm of sport.

A Drive to Win: The Story of Nancy Lieberman-Cline (Anything You Can Do... New Sports Heroes for Girls)

A Drive to Win: The Story of Nancy Lieberman-Cline (Anything You Can Do... New Sports Heroes for Girls) Review

A tomboy who was better at baseball and as fierce as any boy onthe football field, Nancy Lieberman had always been a sports nut. But when she discovered basketball, she knew she had found her sport. Overcoming her mother's objections and the other kids' taunts, Nancy played every chance she got. When the announcement went out that the U.S. Women's team was holding tryouts for the Olympic team, she snuck out to the tryouts - but even if she made the team, would her mom let 15-year old nancy play?

When Love Comes Back

When Love Comes Back Review

"The one thing that separates a good man from a bad one is the ability to admit his wrongs and, if given the opportunity, make them right."--Lorenzo T. Gladden, When Love Comes Back

When Love Comes Back is one man's struggle to finally find true love. André Marshall is a suave and debonair man that becomes employed by a black owned multi-media network. In taking the position, he has to move to Atlanta, Georgia, leaving behind the woman that loves him unconditionally, Alicia Burroughs. On the night that he arrives in Atlanta, Alicia expresses her undying love for him. After he realizes that he loves her as much as she loves him, they decide to try to overcome the obstacles of a long distance relationship. Now he has one year to either get things tightly bound between he and Alicia or let her go because it is all or nothing.

A newfound promotion pushes André to the top of the social scale. The position brings a huge increase in salary, which leads to a Cadillac Escalade and a fancy apartment in Downtown Atlanta. When the money starts rolling in he begins to meet more women. He tries to add the ladies into his life as friends but things get out of control when feelings get involved. What is a man to do when he has more than one woman that is willing to give him their all? Who does he choose or can he choose? You'll never be able to answer these questions until you hear his side of the story.

Fast Lane to Victory: The Story of Jenny Thompson (Anything You Can Do... New Sports Heroes for Girls)

Fast Lane to Victory: The Story of Jenny Thompson (Anything You Can Do... New Sports Heroes for Girls) Review

Fast Lane to Victory: The Story of Jenny Thompson (Anything You Can Do... New Sports Heroes for Girls) Feature

• ISBN13: 9781930546387
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

Fast Lane to Victory: The Story of Jenny Thompson Jenny Thompson grew up in a working class New England coastal town with a single mom and three older brothers. As her family struggled to make ends meet, Jenny found a bounty of good fortune and success in the swimming pool. The family folklore maintains that Jenny could swim before she could walk. This water baby went on to win eight Olympic Gold medals as one of the fastest female swimmers in the world. Jenny had to deal with some hardships, including wearing a brace for scoliosis and being teased about being so tall and strong. And she did it with her constant positive outlook and rugged determination to succeed. This story lets the young reader know that being competitive is okay for girls and that dreams really do come true.

Do You Believe in Magic?

Do You Believe in Magic? Review

After a bad relationship, Francie Stevens has decided to avoid any further involvements with computer wizard Clay Morgan, but the hacker plaguing her company's network forces her into an investigation led by Clay, who is determined to win Francie’s heart. Now Clay must convince Francie that magic exists in the form of an ancient force called the soulmate imperative that brings together practitioners and their destined mates. When Francie unexpectedly starts using the imperative itself against him, however, the destiny of their love is suddenly up for grabs.

Summer Madness: The Wild, Wacky, Wonderful World of the WNBA

Summer Madness: The Wild, Wacky, Wonderful World of the WNBA Review

The ultimate insider’s book by a WNBA champion and WNBA broadcaster. A must read for all girls’ and women’s basketball players, coaches, fans and wannabes.

Insiders' Guide to San Antonio, 5th (Insiders' Guide Series)

Insiders' Guide to San Antonio, 5th (Insiders' Guide Series) Review

Insiders' Guide to San Antonio is the essential source for in-depth travel information for visitors and locals alike to the Alamo City. Written by locals (and true insiders), Insiders' Guide to San Antonio offers a personal and practical perspective of San Antonio and its surrounding environs that makes it a must-have guide for travelers as well as residents looking to rediscover their hometown. The 5th Edition features a full-color insert.

The Compendium of Professional Basketball (Second Edition)

The Compendium of Professional Basketball (Second Edition) Review

Robert Bradley's The Compendium of Professional Basketball (Second Edition) is a must-have for all fans of professional basketball in North America! Detailing the rise of professional basketball from its earliest days in the late 1800s to the current day, The Compendium of Professional Basketball is every basketball fan's dream: an incredible collection of facts, standings, histories and statistics for all leagues, men's and women's, major and minor, defunct and active. This amazing book includes: Detailed chronologies of the men's and women's major leagues dating from the 1890s; The NBA, the ABA, the old BAA and ABL are included! Of the women's leagues, the WBL, the ABL and the WNBA are included; Capsules of each season including important dates, complete standings and playoff scores; Complete records for all major men's and women's teams; Complete history of the playoffs; Award winners and All-Star teams; Player movement and significant trades; All-time rosters, both men's and women's leagues; Complete coaching records and tenures; Game summaries to notable games; Attendance figures; Nicknames; The Amateur Athletic Union; Barnstorming teams including the Harlem Globe Trotters; Standings of the principal minor leagues; And so much more!

Strapped

Strapped Review

What do you get when you mix two sexy Atlanta studs, a basketball court, a pimp, a revealing game of Blackjack, a Mississippi redneck, a threesome, and a G-Spot? You get Strapped, the story of two friends with common interests who develop an uncommon friendship.Strapped discusses what happens when our sexual identity gets in the way of what we really want. Set in the heart of Bible country, Strapped takes an entertaining look at homophobia, religion, promiscuity, and family values in the Black community.

Fire of the Orange Ball: Born to Play, Called to Prophesy

Fire of the Orange Ball: Born to Play, Called to Prophesy Review

Fire of the Orange Ball is a spiritual odyssey and true story of a world traveling sports professional and of her faith encounters with the supernatural realm of God. As a life-long athlete, basketball was more of a personal identity than sport until the day the Lord opened her eyes to see beyond the natural and understand the world through His eyes. This compelling lifestory will challenge studied Christians and skeptics alike to dare to believe in the kingdom of God on earth.

All the Good in Sports: True Stories That Go Beyond the Headlines

All the Good in Sports: True Stories That Go Beyond the Headlines Review

Stories about athletes and coaches usually focus on their championships or their scandals. All the Good in Sports features 20 contemporary sports personalities who go beyond the headlines to candidly share how their relationship with Christ has helped them cope with a variety of difficulties, both professional and personal, and how in Christ they found victory in their personal lives. Many professing Christians in the sports world have achieved wealth and notoriety, but life’s luxuries do not exempt them from life’s difficulties. Name recognition and personal fortune cannot rescue one whose marriage is on the rocks, one facing substance abuse, or one facing disease or even death. The sports heroes featured in All the Good in Sports are not super human. They go through the same pendulum of emotions you and I do when life deals us a punch in the stomach. However, what they discover—or rediscover—is a God who is faithful and responsive in their time of need.

The Comprehensive Guide to Careers in Sports

The Comprehensive Guide to Careers in Sports Review

As more students enter the growing field of sports management, there is a greater need for information informing them about their career choices. The Comprehensive Guide to Careers in Sports provides an overview of what students should consider and expect from the varied career options available to them. This book answers the questions students are most likely to have, including what courses they should take, what areas are available to them, what salary can they expect to earn after graduation, and how they can get the job of their dreams. In the highly competitive field of sports management, it is important for individuals to prepare themselves well and to make the right decisions along the way. Although there are no guarantees of success, this book will increase students likelihood of finding success in the sports industry. Encouraging research and realistic expectations, this book has been developed by an author with many years of experience as a respected practitioner, teacher and internship coordinator.