Classic Sports – serie

When it came to football in the 1930s, the college sport was king. But in 1933, former boxer and minor league baseball player Art Rooney, who had quarterbacked the squad at Duquesne University, purchased a team for Pittsburgh for $2,500. Thus began the legacy we know as "Steeler Nation."At the time, no one could have imagined that the Pirates, as they were originally named, would become a treasured possession for Pittsburghers. For the first 40 years, the franchise was a national joke. With only one playoff performance—a 21–0 defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles for the eastern division title in 1947—highlights were minimal for a team that regularly found itself at the bottom of the standings.Then in 1969, Art Rooney's son Dan hired Chuck Noll from the Baltimore Colts to coach his team. Noll replaced undisciplined players with future hall of famers. By 1974 the team won its first world championship and went on to capture four Super Bowl titles in six years. Noll's legacy for excellence continued with four more Super Bowl appearances and two championships in 2005 and 2008, garnering the franchise a league record of six Super Bowl wins.Classic Steelers includes these six championship tilts and takes citizens of the Steeler Nation on a play-by-play tour of the most memorable games in the team's history. Author David Finoli recounts in vivid detail the thrilling gridiron performances that have made the Steelers so special to their legions of fans.

Choosing the 50 greatest games is hard to do; ranking them is even harder. Now every Reds fan can relive memories of baseball before and after the Big Red Machine, debate about these choices, or make a list of their own. Highlighting these moments is a unique way of telling the great story of the Cincinnati Reds. While many fans will know about Frank Robinson, Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, and Tony Perez, how many will remember names like Bumpus, Bubbles, and Noodles, who each had their moments of glory in a Reds uniform? It’s easy for players and moments to disappear in a history that spans 150 years, but baseball roots run deep in Reds country. Classic Reds keeps those roots strong.

Who can forget the famous 'Freezer Bowl' AFC championship victory over the San Diego Chargers or the heart-stopping Super Bowl classic against the San Francisco 49ers and Joe Montana? Watkins and Maloney set the stage for these and other memorable games, detailing the big plays, stunning comebacks, and fantastic finishes and painting a picture that makes fans feel as though they were there.Classic Bengals: The 50 Greatest Games in Cincinnati Bengals History includes a list of the 50 greatest games by opponent, 'near misses' that almost made the list, stats on each game, and an insightful foreword from 'Mr. Bengal', Dave Lapham, who has played or broadcast games for the team in 42 of its 50 seasons.