Other books that might interest you

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  Playing The Field - Why Sports...

  Charles C. Euchner

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  “Details how owners . . . have shamelessly played cities against one another to get sweetheart deals for their stadiums.” —Sports Illustrated 
   
  Can a sports franchise “blackmail” a city into getting what it wants—a new stadium, say, or favorable leasing terms—by threatening to relocate? In 1982, the owners of the Chicago White Sox pledged to keep the team in Chicago if the city approved a $5-million tax-exempt bond to finance construction of luxury suites at Comiskey Park. The city council approved it. A few years later, when Comiskey Park was in need of renovation, the owners threatened to move the team to Florida unless a new stadium was built. A site was chosen near the old stadium, property condemned, residents evicted, and a new stadium built. “We had to make threats,” the owners said. “If we didn't have the threat of moving, we wouldn’t have gotten the deal.” 
   
  Sports is not a dominant industry in any city, this book points out, yet it receives the kind of attention one might expect to be lavished on major producers and employers. In Playing the Field, Charles Euchner examines the relationships between Los Angeles and the Raiders, Baltimore and the Colts and the Orioles, and Chicago and the White Sox, arguing that, in the absence of public standards for equitable arbitration between cities and teams, the sports industry has the ability to steer negotiations in a way that leaves cities vulnerable. He reveals what lies behind this leverage—and what that says about the urban political process.

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  The WBA Quiz Book - 1000...

  Mart Matthews

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  Sleeping giant West Bromwich Albion are looking on course to gain promotion from the Championship under new head coach Carlos Corneran.
  Quiz master Mart Matthews - a regular contributor to 'The Footballer' – has compiled 1000 teasing questions to test the most knowledgeable Baggies fan.
  Mart's latest batch of new quiz books for G2 include Aston Villa, Leeds United, Manchester City, Newcastle United, Portsmouth, Blackburn Rovers, Southampton and The Real Footy Fan Quiz Book.

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  NFL Confidential - True...

  Johnny Anonymous

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  A current pro player takes fans on a pseudonymous trip through one of the most infamous years of football—the very long, sometimes funny, often controversial 2013-2014 season—sharing raucous, behind-the-scenes, on-the-field, and in-the-locker-room truth about life in the National Football League. 
  “Well, to hell with being safe. I’m going to be honest.” 
  Johnny Anonymous' life goal was to be nothing greater or less than the Best NFL Back-Up of All Time™. For two years, he was content earning hundreds of thousands of dollars to stand on the sidelines doing absolutely nothing. But early in his third year, a starting lineman is injured, and he suddenly finds himself on the field. 
  For most players, this moment is a dream come true. But not so for our author, one of the incredibly rare birds in football who reach the highest echelons, but who actually hate America’s favorite game. That’s right. Johnny Anonymous hates football. He hates what it does to his body, his brain, his life. Luckily, he can see the humor in his own situation, but also in the machinations of the NFL. 
  Part truth-telling narrative, part whip-smart commentary that only a true insider could bring, part hilarious, NFL Confidential gives football fans a look at a world most would give anything to see, and gives non-fans a wild ride through the strange, and sometimes disturbing customs and realities of football today. Here is a truly unaffiliated look at the nation’s biggest, most lucrative pastime over the course of one of its most transformative seasons. 
  From hard-to-stomach diets, showdowns in the weight room, shenanigans in the locker room, the looming dread of being cut from the team, the racial issues that still exist in modern-day football, the rock-star lifestyle that players find themselves able to afford and sometimes enjoy a little too much, the notion of being lauded in a league plagued by controversy and the sharp contrast between the love/hate of the game and the reality of the job, Johnny reveals a never-before-seen side of the NFL.

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  Shuttler's Flick - Making Every...

  Priya Kumar, Pullela Gopichand

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  'But the return is not always easy, especially when the world has moved on without you, when the people who were rooting for you have now found other heroes to sup­port.'   When Pullela Gopichand had to undergo a risky arthroscopic surgery, chances of his full recovery were not great. His return to the badminton court seemed a far-fetched dream. The odds were stacked against him. Then, in 1998, he won the bronze in the Commonwealth Games. His biggest win was yet to come. In 2001, Pullela became the second Indian to win the All England Championship.  This is the story we know. From not being able to walk to winning the most prestigious title in badminton, this is Pullela the player. But his success hasn’t stopped at just him. The Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy, set up in 2008, boasts of a host of World No. 1s including Saina Nehwal and Srikanth Kidambi and World Badminton Champion PV Sindhu. What is it about his teachings that propels players right to the top?  In his official autobiography, we meet Pullela the coach. Through his own voice, as well as those of his students, mother, and wife, we get a look at the mind that revolutionised the game. We are shown not only what it takes to get to the top, but also, and more importantly, how to stay there.  With the principles of his play laid bare, we are invited to apply them to our own everyday lives. In doing so, we ask questions, take accountability for our actions and perhaps find the answer to the greatest question of all—what does it take to become a champion? 

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  Should the Tent Be Burning Like...

  Bill Heavey

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  The popular Field and Stream columnist shares the many joys—and even more numerous pains—of his hilarious outdoor antics in this essay collection.   For more than twenty years, Bill Heavey—a three-time National Magazine Award finalist—has staked a claim as one of America’s best sportswriters. In his Field & Stream column, “A Sportsman’s Life,” and feature stories for that magazine and others, he takes readers across the country and beyond to experience his triumphs and failures as a suburban dad who happens to love hunting and fishing.   This new collection gathers a wide range of Heavey’s best work. He nearly drowns attempting to fish the pond inside the cloverleaf off an interstate highway four miles from the White House. He almost destroys a houseboat on a river in Florida and bravely buys pantyhose to save his legs on a long horseback ride into the Wyoming mountains. Whether he’s hunting mule deer in Montana, draining cash on an overpriced pistol, or ruminating on the joys and agonies of outdoor gear, Heavey’s tales are odes to the notion that enthusiasm is more important than skill.   “Readers don’t have to hunt or fish to appreciate Mr. Heavey’s essays, which . . . are more complicated than they first appear. The title of his book evokes the knee-slapping comedy of the campfire, a promise that his peculiar brand of farce frequently fulfills. But he also displays a gift for the sublime.” —Wall Street Journal

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  Leadership Lessons From 22 Yards...

  Srikanth Ram

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  Be it any field, it is surprisingly easy to identify good leaders; however, it’s a monumental effort to define what constitutes good leadership. 
  Two grieving brothers, Sandeep and Sanju, one budding entrepreneur and the other, a cricketer, are inspired by the words of their dying father to hold onto their goals of becoming successful entrepreneurs in their respective fields. They are resilient in the face of obstacles and to overcome it they seek directions from their heroes, both cricketers, and corporate leaders. This exciting journey gives us remarkable tips to refine our mindset and skillset to become an exceptional leader, to build a high-performance team, and weave a winning work culture. 
  It does so by taking learnings from something we love in India-CRICKET 
  Wouldn’t it more helpful if cricket could also help inspire us to reach our goal of becoming a successful leader? 
  Read the book to find out.

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