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Some call them the Bad Boys, others just call them bad news—either way, few teams carry the passion, power, and determination exuded by the Detroit Pistons. A collection of incredible basketball talent revered in Detroit and despised throughout the rest of the NBA, the Pistons are anything and everything but boring. Now Perry A. Farrell will take fans into the locker room and onto the Pistons court in this newly revised edition of Tales from the Detroit Pistons Locker Room. With help from Pistons legends Rick Mahorn and Joe Dumars, Farrell shares stories that cover all the key characters, including Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, John Salley, Vinny Johnson, Dennis Rodman, and coach Chuck Daly. Mahorn discusses the wars with the Bulls, Celtics, and Knicks, and championship battles with the Lakers and Blazers.The book also examines the sorry state of the franchise before the two titles, their attempts to recapture their NBA magic with Grant Hill and Jerry Stackhouse, and the recent run of success that Dumars is having as the team’s general manager. Mahorn’s role as color analyst for Pistons radio broadcasts has kept him in the loop as Dumars has added players like Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, and Darko Milicic, along with coach Larry Brown, over the past few seasons. Sharing stories from his playing and announcing days is a part of what makes Tales from the Detroit Pistons Locker Room a must-have for any Pistons fan.

A fascinating guide to themes and films in the expanding Japanese megaverse.For fans, culture watchers, and perplexed outsiders, this expanded edition offers an engaging tour of the anime megaverse, from older artistic traditions to the works of modern creators like Hayao Miyazaki, Katsuhiro Otomo, Satoshi Kon, and CLAMP.Examined are all of anime's major themes, styles, and conventions, plus the familiar tropes of giant robots, samurai, furry beasts, high school heroines, and gay/girl/fanboy love. Concluding are fifteen essays on favorite anime, including Evangelion, Escaflowne, Sailor Moon, Patlabor, and Fullmetal Alchemist.

Who would have thought that an Asian American who majored in economics at Harvard would become the NBA’s most talked about star? While the story seems more like Hollywood fantasy, it has really happened.Undrafted out of college and waived in short order by the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets, Jeremy Lin was signed by the underachieving New York Knicks in December 2011. In his first twenty-three games, he played only fifty-five total minutes and was close to being cut again.Then, on February 4, 2012, with the Knick decimated by injury, he came off the bench against the New Jersey Nets and scored 25 points, leading the Knicks to victory. He started the following game and topped that with 28 points and eight assists. Linsanity was born!Here Lin’s full story—from the playgrounds of Palo Alto to a high school championship to the Ivy League to sleeping on his brother’s couch to stardom at Madison Square Garden. As he begins the 2012-2013 reason with a new contract totaling almost $30 million for four years, his story will entertain and inspire sports fans and non-sports fans alike.

Through all the pain, all the glory, and all the moments of absurdity, fans of the Atlanta Falcons have always had one thing in common—passion. Now those stalwart supporters will get to relive all the history of their favorite franchise in this newly updated edition of Tales from the Atlanta Falcons Sideline. Since their inauspicious beginnings in 1966, the Atlanta Falcons have risen to become one of the powerhouse teams of the NFC South. In this riveting collection of misbegotten woes and tireless efforts, Matt Winkeljohn captures an epic journey of athletic redemption. From the team’s miserable, mosquito-infested first training camp, to the shocking defeat of the Minnesota Vikings in the 1999 NFC Championship game, and up through their recent success, Tales from the Atlanta Falcons Sideline has it all.

Game of My Life Texas A&M Aggies describes, in colorful detail, the single-favorite game of some of Texas A&M’s greatest football legends. While each of these stars has different memories, they all certainly have a place in Texas A&M’s football history. Discover all the details surrounding these monumental moments—the unique aura of each game; where A&M stood at the time, both athletically and socially; plus a biographical sketch of each Aggie legend, including where he is now. Hear from A&M linebacker Dat Nguyen, the team’s all-time leading tackler, about the 1998 Big 12 Championship Game, plus such games as A&M’s 20–16 win over Bear Bryant-led Alabama in the 1968 Cotton Bowl. Jarrin’ John Kimbrough talks about leading the Aggies to their only national title in 1939 with a 14–13 defeat of Tulane in the 1940 Sugar Bowl. Other standouts include defensive end Ray Childress, quarterback Kevin Murray, linebacker Ed Simonini, quarterback Bucky Richardson, and running back John David Crow.

A. J. Hawk can isolate the game of his life, the 2006 Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame, not because of individual statistics, but because of what the game represented. “I think the fact that it was the end of an amazing four years—four big Bowl wins; three Michigan wins; lots of victories in those four years; and an amazing group of teammates and coaches—is why it felt like the game of my life,” Hawk said. Jan White has a different reason for the game of his life: He scored his first touchdown as a Buckeye, playing a position he didn’t necessarily want to play. “It became a footrace I was determined to win,” White says of his 72-yard reception from Rex Kern against Northwestern in 1968. Whoever they are and whatever the reason, there always is “the” game in a player’s memory bank. The folks, whose stories are chronicled in Game of My Life Ohio State Buckeyes, tell you why a certain game was the best, providing the detail, the color, and the emotion that only a player can share. Football fans, most especially those card-carrying members of Buckeye Nation, will be enlightened and entertained by these stories. Buckeye greats such as Archie Griffin, Cris Carter, Mike Lanese, and Bob Hoying relive their legendary moments—from the sidelines to the huddle, from the depths of impending defeat to the pinnacle of glory. It just doesn’t get any better.

What’s it like to hear the roar of the crowd, to feel the sweat dripping down your back, and to know that you’re at the center of it all? In Game of My Life Florida Gators, readers will step onto the field and re-live the greatest football moments through the eyes of thirty of the most famous Gators players.In this enthralling collection, Pat Dooley brings together Florida football players of the past and present to share their fondest single game experience and memories—some involve championship games, while others seem ordinary save for the extraordinary personal meaning. Heisman Trophy winners Steve Spurrier and Danny Wuerffel, along with many other legendary players like John Reaves, Larry Smith, Carlos Alvarez, Wilber Marshall, Kerwin Bell, Jack Youngblood, and Chris Doering all share their passion for the game within these pages. Game of My Life Florida Gators provides an in-depth look into the men and games that helped shape and build the Florida Gators football tradition and heritage. A must–read for any football fan and Florida alum!

Since 1883, the Philadelphia Phillies have been up, down, and all around. Most recently, thanks to Charlie Manuel, the Phillies have become a National League powerhouse, with four NL East titles, two pennants and the 2008 World Series championship to show for it. In Tales from the Philadelphia Phillies Dugout Rich Westcott takes readers behind the scenes into the glorious, quirky, and victorious stories that make this team the legend it is.

Forty-seven years of joyous celebrations after victories and crushing disappointments after defeats are encompassed in Marv Levy: Where Else Would You Rather Be?, but it is about more than just touchdowns and interceptions—it’s about how a person like Marv Levy, dedicated to his life’s work, can begin his career as the obscure assistant coach of a high school junior varsity team and decades later lead a team to the Super Bowl. Readers will learn about the character, persistence, and personalities of those incomparable Buffalo Bills of the 1990s who so resolutely pursued their impossible dream. Sports fans will look forward to each adventure contained in these pages, and will no doubt agree with the sentiment of the author: “Where else would I rather be than right here—right now!”

Shirley Muldowney not only broke the gender barrier in the National Hot Rod Association in the 1970s, but she also completely rewrote the record books in Top Fuel Eliminator, drag racing’s quickest and fastest category. She was the first woman to receive a Top Fuel license from the NHRA. Between 1977 and 1982, Muldowney won three NHRA Top Fuel championships—the first female ever to win a title in any professional motorsport. She won the prestigious NHRA US Nationals in 1982 and was recently inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. By the time she retired at the end of the 2003 season, Muldowney had become one of the most recognized and celebrated race car drivers in history.Tales from a Top-Fuel Dragster is an unabashed collection of stories, anecdotes, and opinions in Muldowney’s own unvarnished style of storytelling, laced with her straightforward, take-no-prisoners approach. She has spent her entire lifetime telling it like it is, standing up to the establishment, and refusing to do anything other than in her own way. Politically correct? Hardly. Readers are encouraged to strap themselves in when she shares her many tales. It’s the whole truth and nothing but the truth according to the legendary Shirley Muldowney.

The images are forever etched in the minds of Arizona basketball fans, from Miles Simon falling to the court clutching the basketball as Arizona won its first and only NCAA title in 1997, to Lute Olson’s hair being mussed in the process, to Jason Terry sleeping in his uniform for four consecutive games in the middle of all the madness. All are indelible in Wildcats history as Arizona calmly drove the winding and bumpy road to the Final Four and beyond. Before Simon, Terry, and Olson, however, there were the likes of Sean Elliott, Steve Kerr, Fred Enke, and Pop McKale—all pivotal figures in Arizona’s hoops history. There were also Fred Snowden, Mo and Stewart Udall, and a host of others who helped bring prominence to a school looking for respect first in the Southwest, and then in the rest of the nation. Arizona’s rise has made them one of television’s must-see teams and one of the country’s top winning programs over the past 25 years.In Tales from the Arizona Wildcats Locker Room, author Steve Rivera takes readers back to the time when James Pierce wanted to be more of a movie idol than a coach. They will learn about the troubled times of the 1950s and ’60s, when racial tensions were high, and how Arizona’s first black player, Hadie Redd, dealt with them. Rivera also details Arizona’s participation in the Border Conference, its switch to the Western Athletic Conference, and its current dominance of the Pacific-10 Conference. This book is sure to be a must-have for any true Arizona fan.

A Coach in Progress depicts the catastrophe of the Southern Airways flight that crashed en route to Huntington, West Virginia, in 1970, killing all seventy-five passengers on board: players, coaches, and boosters of the Marshall University football team, as well as the flight crew. From this tragedy, the foundation of the Marshall football program was laid, and it has thrived ever since, culminating with the Thundering Herd being the winningest team in the NCAA Division I program in the 1990s, portrayed in the hit movie We Are Marshall, and currently under the direction of head coach Doc Holliday.This book is written from the viewpoint of Red Dawson, a former Marshall assistant football coach, who was one of the few team members not on the plane. Still suffering from survivor’s guilt decades after the crash, Red has recovered enough to finally discuss the disaster in full. What’s more, Red helped build a team with mostly freshmen and walk-ons in 1971, and thus was recognized as bridging “the gap from tragedy to rebirth” of the Marshall football program.Red also reveals what he previously would not discuss: the seemingly insurmountable obstacles he faced prior to the plane crash and the difficulties that followed the tragedy, like the heated tension that persisted between school administrators and a harassed and confused Red as they all attempted to rebuild the devastated program.This book is the story of Red Dawson’s involvement with Marshall football during the last near half century spent living with the memories of the worst sports-related air tragedy in history. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team.Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Who was the first goaltender to wear a mask in a game? Who was the last to go without one? When did goalies start painting their masks?These are just a few of the questions that are answered in this definitive book on goalie masks. Saving Face looks at the development of the mask from its earliest days as a rudimentary face-saving device to its current high-tech design, bullet-proof construction, and cutting-edge artwork.The book offers a visual journey, too. More than 150 historic and modern photos, including thirty-plus full-page shots of some of the most famous masks ever created, support a text that weaves the tale of the mask’s development. Based on extensive archival research and exclusive interviews, Saving Face tells the story of the goalies behind the mask and their fight for the right to wear one. It also looks at the talented mask makers, artisans, and artists behind hockey’s modern masterpieces. This updated edition includes masks worn by some of the most exciting stars in the game today.While goaltenders the world over owe a debt of thanks to those who created, developed, championed, and continuously improved the mask, hockey fans everywhere are thankful, too. For the mask today has gone far beyond its original function—saving face—to become the most intriguing piece of equipment in sports.Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team.Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Let Stephen Curry, Charles Barkley, Grant Hill, Reggie Miller, and more, tell you what it was like to take the floor against one of the Greatest of All Time. With a Foreword by Jerry West, and a new tribute from the author about Kobe’s tragic death.When he entered the NBA in 1996 as a high-school star from Lower Merion, Pennsylvania, Kobe Bryant faced enormous expectations. No one can deny that he rose to the challenge. Today Bryant’s status as a future Hall of Fame player is assured. During his stellar career, Bryant won five NBA championships; was a seventeen-time All-Star, NBA MVP, and two-time NBA Finals MVP. He led the league in scoring in 2006 and 2007.Now for the first time, hear stories from opponents, teammates, and players about what it was like to go against Kobe in Remembering Kobe Bryant. Contributors include: Chris WebberJeff Van GundyRick BarryDoc RiversDwayne WadeDraymond GreenGiannis AntetokounmpoRussell WestbrookCarmelo AnthonyAnd many moreKobe Bryant was the greatest basketball player of his generation—a former schoolboy prodigy whose moves are now imitated in gyms and playgrounds around the world. Remembering Kobe Bryant provides an unprecedented glimpse into what it was like to play against one of the best of all time.Skyhorse Publishing and our Sports Publishing imprint is proud to publish a range of books for readers interested in sports—baseball, pro football, college football, pro basketball, college basketball, hockey, soccer, and more, we have a book about your sport or your team. Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

So You Think You’re a New York Mets Fan? tests and expands your knowledge of Mets baseball. Rather than merely posing questions and providing answers, this book will give you the details behind each—stories that bring to life players and coaches, games and seasons.This book is divided into multiple parts, with progressively more difficult questions in each new section. Along the way, you’ll learn more about the great Mets players and managers of the past and present, from Tom Seaver to Gary Carter, Keith Hernandez, Lee Mazzilli, Davey Johnson, Dave Kingman, Gil Hodges, Jerry Koosman, Jon Matlack, John Stearns, Darryl Strawberry, Mike Piazza, Edgardo Alfonzo, Matt Harvey, David Wright, and so many more. The many questions that this book answers include:• Who was drafted number one overall by the Mets in 1984?• Who was on deck when Mookie Wilson hit his famous ground ball to Bill Buckner?• There are two men enshrined in Cooperstown wearing Mets caps on their plaques, but there are 12 other Hall of Famers who played for the Mets at one point in their career. Name them.• What do the Mets' World Series MVPs from 1969 and 1986 have in common?• The two pitchers who were on the mound in 1969 and 1986 when the final out of each World Series was made were actually traded for each other. Name them.This book makes the perfect gift for any fan of the Amazin’s!

Peek into the mind of a champion swimmer Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time (28 medals, including 23 gold)In this candid memoir, Phelps talks openly about his battle with attention deficit disorder, the trauma of his parents’ divorce, and the challenges that come with being thrust into the limelight.Readers will relive all the heart-stopping glory as Phelps completes his journey from the youngest man to ever set a world swimming record in 2001, to an Olympic powerhouse in 2008, to surpassing the greatest athlete of ancient Greece, Leonidas of Rhodes, with 13 triumphs in 2016. Athletes and fans alike will be fascinated by insights into Phelps’s training, mental preparation, and behind-the-scenes perspective on international athletic competitions.A chronicle of Phelps’s evolution from awkward teenager to record-breaking powerhouse, Beneath the Surface is a must-read for any sports fan.

Fly Eagles Fly! Test and expand your knowledge of The Birds. Rather than merely posing questions and providing answers, you’ll get details behind each—stories that bring to life players and coaches, games and seasons.This book is divided into four parts, with progressively more difficult questions in each new section. The Rookie section contains the most basic questions. Next come the Starter and All-Pro sections, followed by the biggest challenge: the Hall of Fame.Also, you’ll learn more about the great Eagles players and coaches of the past and present, including Norm Van Brocklin, Steve Van Buren, Chuck Bednarik, Pete Retzlaff, Harold Carmichael, Dick Vermeil, Mike Quick, Randall Cunningham, Reggie White, Andy Reid, and Carson Wentz.. Some of the many questions that this book answers include:Who scored the winning touchdown in the 1960 NFL Championship Game?When Donovan McNabb became the starting quarterback during the 1999 season, who did he replace?Who threw the longest touchdown pass in Eagles history?Who are the only three Eagles players to lead the league in scoring?This book makes the perfect gift for any fan of Philadelphia football!

Take a journey from the infant stages of football in Minnesota up through the Vikings’ four Super Bowl appearances in Bill Williamson and Eric Thompson’s Tales from the Minnesota Vikings Sideline. For more than fifty years the Vikings have established themselves as one of the premier teams in the NFL. Perhaps the most successful team to never win a Super Bowl, the Vikings have nevertheless harbored a rich tradition of winning football. Now fans of this Midwest powerhouse will relive all the history, all the passion, and all the tantalizingly glory of Vikings football within these pages. Remember the bone-chilling days of old Metropolitan Stadium? Or the no-nonsense coaching style of Bud Grant? From Cris Carter to Fran Tarkenton, Randy Moss, Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, Jared Allen, Teddy Bridgewater and more, this newly revised edition of Tales from the Minnesota Vikings Sideline has it all!

Yankee fan? Red Sox fan? Dodger fan? Do you think you know everything about baseball from the Black Sox to the White Sox? Then test yourself . Every era of is represented from Cap Anson to Mike Trout, Cy Young to Clayton Kershaw, Ty Cobb to Jose Altuve, Babe Ruth to Giancarlo Stanton.Match wits with the father of baseball trivia, David Nemec, a ten-time national champion as he presents more than 200 baseball stumpers that are artfully designed to test the depth of the reader’s knowledge about the game since 1871, including.Who is the most recent major leaguer to compile 100 or more hits, 20 or more complete games, and 20 or more decisions in the same season? No, the answer is not who you think!Who is the only pitcher to hurl a minimum of 5,000 career innings and surrender fewer hits per 9 innings than Walter Johnson?What team had a record of 52–62 when the strike shut down the 1994 season but was on track to qualify for postseason play with the lowest winning percentage ever by a division or league first-place finisher?Incredible Baseball Trivia is the ultimate test for knowledgeable baseball fans!

Part reference, part trivia, part brain teaser, and absolutely the most unusual and thorough compendium of baseball stats and facts ever assembled—all verified for accuracy by the Baseball Hall of Fame.First created by legendary sportswriter Bert Randolph Sugar, and now updated, here are thousands of fascinating lists, tables, data, and stimulating facts. Inside, you’ll find all of the big name baseball heroes like Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Ernie Banks, Pete Rose, Denny McLain, Ty Cobb, and a lot of information that will be new to even the most devoted fans:Highest batting averages not to win batting titlesHome-run leaders by state of birthPlayers on last-place teams leading the league in RBIs, by seasonMost triples by position, seasonWinners of two “legs” of triple crown since last winnerOldest pitchers with losing record, leading league in ERACareer pitching leaders under six feet tallManagers replaced wile team was in first placeHall of Famers whose sons played in the majorsPlayers with palindromic surnamesAnd so much more!Not just a collection of facts or records, this is a book of glorious fun that will astound even the most bookish baseball fan. Read up and amaze your friends!

This Day in Philadelphia Sports, first published in 2014 and now newly updated in paperback to cover Super Bowl LII, Villanova basketball's latest championships, and more, offers a concise 366-day approach to looking back at the history of Philadelphia sports. Every day on the calendar is represented with a fun tidbit of information on what has happened on that specific day, over the years, in the history of one of the greatest sports towns in the world: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Every page is filled with accounts of specific events from the Phillies, Eagles, Flyers, and 76ers, as well as the local college and high school sports teams. The authors incorporate fun facts, specific information, and thoroughly researched statistical data into each entry.From the inception of the Penn Relays in 1895 to the Eagles' Nick Foles's record-tying performance in 2013, this book covers it all. Relive the evening in late October of 2008 when the Phillies captured their second World Series title or Allen Iverson's 55-point showing against the Hornets in the first game of the 2003 playoffs. The authors take you through the greatest moments in Philadelphia-sports history, as well as the moments when the pain of being a sports fan is in full force in the City of Brotherly Love. It's all here, in This Day in Philadelphia Sports.

The Red Sox are World Champions again. Their outfield of Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Mookie Betts, was one of the most productive in baseball history. Celebrate the superb outfielders who are known collectively as the "Killer B's," with this history of their 2018 season!Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Mookie Betts made up the Red Sox World Series-winning outfield in 2018, a season in which Betts was voted the American League MVP and received a Gold Glove, Bradley earned ALCS MVP accolades and also a Gold Glove, and Benintendi featured one of the smoothest swings seen in Boston since Ted Williams.In The Boston Red Sox Killer B's, veteran authors Jim Prime and Bill Nowlin team up to cover the young careers of all three players, with special emphasis on the 2018 season. Along the way, Prime and Nowlin incorporate on- and off-field stories and interviews with teammates to offer fans a better understanding of how this trio has transformed into New England folk heroes and how they have developed a chemistry unmatched by any other outfield around the league.This book serves as the perfect gift for any Red Sox fan!

A comprehensive trivia book that enables readers to compete as they answer questions!In The New Book of Baseball Trivia, experienced baseball author Wayne Stewart includes 500 fun and engaging questions and answers on everyone's favorite former and active players and coaches. Readers are awarded a single, double, triple, or homer based on the difficulty level of the question, with the goal to score as many runs as possible by the end of the book. They are kept on their toes by answers head-scratchers such as:Which team became the first one ever to have three of its players hit 40+ homers in a season?Who was the shortest man ever to appear in a big-league game?Which two brothers combined for more lifetime home runs than any other brother act?When Shane Bieber won the 2020 Cy Young Award, he became the fifth Cleveland Indian to capture that honor. Name three of the other four men to accomplish this.Which two men bashed more home runs while teammates than any other teammate combo?And many more!This book makes the perfect gift for the baseball-loving fan!

Learn the stories, history, and strategy of the sport's greatest champions—in their own words! Mixed martial arts (MMA) has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. With Dana White helping bring Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to prominence and respectability, as well as Conor McGregor becoming one of the sport’s biggest stars, fans are skipping the squared circle for the Octagon.In Champions of the Octagon, writer Fiaz Rafiq interviews many of the greatest MMA and UFC champions of all-time, including Georges St-Pierre, Holly Holm, Daniel Cormier, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Randy Couture, and many others. Readers will learn of their upbringings, their introductions to the sport, and how they worked their way to be the best ever.Spending decades covering the sport and building relationships with those who have fought in the Octagon, Rafiq shares never-before-seen interviews and intimate stories from these greats. Learn from Royce Gracie how his family helped bring Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to America, Anderson Silva on challenging boxing champion Roy Jones Jr., BJ Penn on how he got introduced to MMA, Brock Lesnar on using his skills from WWE and bringing them to UFC, Alexander Volkanovski on a quest to dominate his division, Holly Holm on dethroning Ronda Rousey, and so much more.From the early days of the sport and its rich history to today’s stars and the future of MMA, Champions of the Octagon pulls back the curtain on their lives and careers. Including interviews from thirty-six UFC champions (seventeen Hall of Famers), hear never-before-told stories from the fighters who helped build the sport to what it is today.

Bob Backlund began life as a poor farm boy in the little village of Princeton, Minnesota, with a population of just over 2,000 people. He was a below-average student with a lackluster work ethic and a bad attitude, who hung with the wrong crowd and made a lot of bad choices. He was a kid whose life was headed for disaster—until a local coach took interest in him, suggested that he take up amateur wrestling, and offered to work with him if he promised to stay out of trouble.It was in North Dakota that Bob Backlund had the first of several chance encounters that would shape his destiny. While working out at the YMCA gymnasium in Fargo, North Dakota, where he wrestled for North Dakota State, Backlund met a well-known professional wrestler, “Superstar” Billy Graham. The men talked, and at Graham’s suggestion, Backlund was inspired to pursue a career in professional wrestling.Less than five years from that day, on February 20, 1978, Backlund would find himself halfway across the country, standing in the middle of the ring at Madison Square Garden with his hand raised in victory as the newly crowned World Wide Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Champion. The man Backlund pinned for the championship that night was none other than Superstar Billy Graham.Featuring contributions from Bruno Sammartino, Harley Race, Terry Funk, Pat Patterson, Ken Patera, Sergeant Slaughter, The Magnificent Muraco, George “The Animal” Steele, “Mr. USA” Tony Atlas, The Iron Sheik, and many others, this book tells the incredible story of the life and nearly forty-year career of one of the most famous men to ever grace the squared circle.Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, is proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team.In addition to books on popular team sports, we also publish books for a wide variety of athletes and sports enthusiasts, including books on running, cycling, horseback riding, swimming, tennis, martial arts, golf, camping, hiking, aviation, boating, and so much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Now in paperback!Heaven Is a Playground was the first book on the uniquely American phenomenon of urban basketball. Rick Telander, a photojournalist and former high school basketball player, spent part of the summer of 1973 and all of the summer of 1974 in Brooklyn living the playground life with his subjects at Foster Park in Flatbush. He slept on the floor of a park regular’s apartment, observing, questioning, traveling, playing with, and eventually coaching a ragtag group of local teenagers whose hopes of better lives were often fanatically attached to the transcendent game itself. Telander introduces us to Fly Williams, a playground legend with incredible leaping ability and self-destructive tendencies that threatened to keep him earthbound. Another standout was Albert King, a fifteen-year-old phenom whose shy, quiet demeanor masked an otherworldly talent that eventually took him to the NBA. This edition also includes Telander’s perspectives on the arrival of an NBA team in Brooklyn. Heaven Is a Playground is one of a kind—a funny, sad, ultimately inspiring book about Americans and the roots of the sport that they love.