A dozen of the twentieth-century's greatest and most courageous athletes show how they overcame difficult obstacles to make a lasting impact not only in their sport but also on society. Veteran author and journalist Ken Rappoport showcases some lesser-known athletes such as Junko Tabei, the first woman to climb Everest, as well as famous athletes like Jackie Robinson, the first Black American to play in Major League Baseball, and race car pioneer Janet Guthrie, the first woman to qualify for the Indy 500. Each dramatic, action-packed profile shows how these talented athletes overcame such serious challenges as racism, sexism, and severe illness. Young readers will find in each of these inspiring men and women the bravery, perseverance, and dedication that made them outstanding athletes during their own times and strong role models for today.
From an AP sports writer and author, a history of Pennsylvania State University’s Nittany Lions, with personal stories from coaches and players. In Tales from Penn State Football, Ken Rappoport puts you on the fifty-yard line and sometimes gets you a seat on the bench or a stall in the locker room. From the first team in the 1880s to the celebrated Joe Paterno teams of the 20th century, Penn State’s most entertaining—and legendary—football stories are chronicled here. And there is plenty to tell, considering the history of the Penn State football program. Penn State football started in 1881. These early pioneers could hardly envision the future popularity of the game, where crowds of more than 100,000 would fill Beaver Stadium to see Paterno’s nationally ranked powers play in the second-largest football stadium in America. In between, there have been plenty of colorful stories and characters at Penn State to fill a book. There was a coach who held up a Rose Bowl game over a violent argument and another who credited a mule for his success. Also, a player who impersonated the legendary Jim Thorpe and another nicknamed “Riverboat Richie” for his gambling instincts on the football field. For many of the stories in this book, Rappoport went right to the source. In an earlier interview at the Nittany Lion Inn, Joe Paterno talked about his famous “Grand Experiment.” At about the same time, Rip Engle discussed his most treasured moments at Penn State. Football aficionados will relish every tale. The perfect gift for college football buffs and Penn State fans.
Profiles the NBA's young Goliath, whose playing style and personality have made him a rising star in Orlando and across the nation, using interviews with the basketball star's teachers and coaches.
Immerse yourself in the greatest moments in football history. Barry Wilner and Ken Rappoport charge through every Super Bowl, covering the most intense moments in sports history. Revisit some of America’s classic and current football heroes, including: Bart Starr, Dave Robinson, Max McGee, Chuck Howley, Johnny Unitas, Jim O’Brien, Duane Thomas, “Mean” Joe Greene, Marcus Allen, Matt Millen, Phil Simms, David Tyree, Ray Lewis, Peyton Manning, and more.
The second book in the Game Changers sports series answers the questions: What were the 50 most revolutionary personalities, rules, pieces of equipment, controversies, organizational changes, radio and television advancements, and more in the history of football? And how, exactly, did they forever change the game? Football’s Game Changers offers fascinating, detailed explanations along with a ranking system from 1 to 50 that is sure to inspire debate among professional and college gridiron aficionados. Ranging from each sport’s beginnings to today and tackling on-the-field and off-the-field developments, the Game Changers series is entertaining, quick-hitting history of sport through its turning-points and innovations. Full-color, and including photos, pull-outs, and sidebars throughout, books within the Game Changers series are must-have additions to every sports fan’s library.
Wearing borrowed uniforms, practicing on obscure college campuses, and led by a former Marine Corps W.W. II fighter ace as commissioner, the American Football League (AFL) debuted in the Fall of 1960 to challenge the monopoly of the well-established National Football League. Within ten years it had won two Super Bowls and had forced a merger with its rival, splitting the NFL into the National and American Football Conferences. This colorful history of the AFL and its unforgettable cast of characters, from Billy Cannon to Joe Namath to its "Foolish Club" of team owners, arrives on the 50th anniversary of the AFL's first season to recount the startling success of an upstart league that prevailed against long odds.
Throughout the twentieth century, athletic heroes have altered their respective sports with spectacular achievements, renewing their fans' confidence and surpassing their expectations with pioneering fearlessness, powerful expertise and unforgettable performances. In They Changed the Game, authors Ken Rappoport and Barry Wilner profile professional sports' trailblazing champions, from boxing great Muhammad Ali to runner extraordinaire Jesse Owens, from stock-car racer Richard Petty to incomparable sportswoman Babe Didrickson.
When he scrambles out of the pocket, Tim Tebow makes incredible things happen on the football field. In Ken Rappoport's biography of Tebow, readers will see that he does even more amazing things off the field. Having started a foundation while still in college, Tebow has continued his good works as a professional.
A collective biography of the top 10 home run hitters, both past and present, which includes accounts of game action, career statistics, and more"--Provided by publisher
Ken Rappoport’s Tales from the North Carolina Tar Heels Locker Room is a compilation of the best notes, quotes, and anecdotes from North Carolina lore. Meet a coach nicknamed “Bloody Neck,” a player called “The Blind Bomber,” and a team known as the “White Phantoms.” And, of course, there is the extraordinary Michael Jordan. Tales from the North Carolina Tar Heels Locker Room captures the anecdotes and memories that have defined this team from the early twentieth century up through their incredible success in the 2000s and beyond. A must-have for any Tar Heels fan!
Crazyball is a look at the wild, unusual, unimaginable, funny, and downright strange occurrences in sports. Barry Wilner and Ken Rappoport take us from the worst teams in history to sports’ craziest superstitions, wackiest pranks, and ultimate blown calls. This book is filled with moments that will make you laugh, shake your head in wonderment, lose your breath, or simply ask: “Really?!”
Covered by four networks, allowing every game to be televised, “March Madness” has become an American phenomenon as anticipated as the Super Bowl. This is the story of the tournament from its beginnings seventy-three years ago as just an eight-team “bracket” to today’s sixty-eight-team format. From the “Cinderella” teams like Butler and Gonzaga to perennial powerhouses such as UCLA and Kentucky, covering buzzer-beaters, upsets, and dynasties, the story of one of the most-followed sporting events in history is comprehensively told here.
When Harvard came back from a 16-point deficit with less than a minute to go to tie Yale in their now-famous 1968 gridiron tilt, the headline in the Harvard Crimson the following Monda proudly boasted, "Harvard Beats Yale, 29-29." This and nineteen other improbable comebacks are the subjects of Wilner and Rappoport's latest volume of extraordinary achievements from the world of sports, and include the 1914 "miracle" Braves, Billy Casper's incredible rally to beat Arnold Palmer in the 1966 U.S. Open, the New York Giants' magical playoff run in 1951, and others. Also included are sidebars on individual athletes whose "combacks" included overcoming disease (i.e. Lance Armstrong) and reviving a career (i.e. Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali).
Consistently ranked among the top ten college football rivalries by fans and pundits alike-and often ranked among the top five-the annual Army-Navy game is the one rivalry that, as one commentator has noted, "stops the most powerful men and women in the world in their tracks for one day a year." It is also quite possible that it is the only rivalry to raise over $58 million in war bonds (1944 game), have an outcome so contentious that the game had to be suspended for six years by the President (1893), or be played in the Rose Bowl (1983), requiring a military "airlift" of nine thousand cadets and midshipmen to California. But Army-Navy is first and foremost about football, and as Barry Wilner and Ken Rappoport relate in this engaging history, it may be college football in its purest form-and not just as a "training ground for the NFL." Though struggling for national ranking, the service academies have done surprisingly well over the years given their recruiting handicap, producing five Heisman Trophy winners and a number of national champions. The rivalry's most successful player may have been Roger Staubach, Heisman winner and Hall of Fame quarterback, who led the Dallas Cowboys to two Super Bowls in the 1970s following his four-year mandatory service in the U.S. Navy. The Army-Navy rivalry is also about traditions, and in a concluding chapter on the 2004 game, the authors take us through the pageantry: the march into the stadium by the student bodies of both schools; freshman push-ups after each score; and the final, moving show of sportsmanship following the game as thousands of cadets and midshipmen stand at attention while the alma mater of each school is played by their respective bands. A rivalry like no other, Army versus Navy receives due recognition in this colorful, thorough history.
When the game is on the line and time is running out, there's one quarterback who always leads his team to victory: Peyton Manning. The Colts' superstar has been thrilling football fans for many years. He is the prototype quarterback. Big and strong, he shreds defenses with his powerful arm and deadly accuracy. And nobody works harder than Peyton Manning. Throughout his career, Manning has compiled Hall-of-Fame statistics and individual awards, but he is most proud to be called a Superbowl champion. Author Ken Rappoport highlights the career of this gridiron great.
Who throws down the best dunks? What are the most important qualities of the best slam dunkers? Size? Strength? Agility? From stars of the past like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the greatest players today like LeBron James, Ken Rappoport lists the ten best basketball players to have ever rattled a rim. Other players included in this title are Vince Carter, Darryl Dawkins, Julius Erving, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Bill Russell, and Dominique Wilkins.
A collective biography of the top 10 pitchers, both past and present, which includes accounts of game action, career statistics, and more"--Provided by publisher
Derek Jeter stood at the plate with the count full, anticipating the next pitch. With a mighty wallop, he smashed the ball over the left-center field fence. Home run! But this was not an ordinary home run. It was hit number 3,000 for the New York Yankees shortstop. This is just one of many milestones Derek Jeter has achieved during his remarkable career. The Captain has led the Yankees to five World Series titles and has won several individual awards. Author Ken Rappoport details the amazing career of this baseball champion.
Sports are unpredictable. They?re wacky. They can be totally off-the-wall! This title highlights some of the most memorable tales and traditions from sports history and is brought to life with exciting detail. Informative sidebars offer even more stories. You can also find a glossary, additional resources, and more! This title is a must-read for any sports fan. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. SportsZone is an imprint of ABDO Publishing Company.
Alex Rodriguez unleashed a powerful swing, launching the ball over the center-field fence. New York Yankees fans erupted, rocking the stadium. Home run. Although A-Rod had peppered the seats with hundreds of home runs during his career, this long ball was special. Rodriguez became the youngest player in major-league history to reach 600 home runs. In a career full of incredible feats, A-Rod has slugged his way into the record books. From his home run heroics to his World Series championship, author Ken Rappoport highlights the career of this baseball superstar.
Hail to the victors! This fight song can be heard ringing throughout Ann Arbor celebrating the Michigan Wolverines. Much like a young rookie hoping to have a chance to make it on to the field, this title brings that same hope and inspiration in the form of colorful, fact-filled storytelling that details the history, legacy, and the prestige of the University of Michigan college football program. They may not have adamantium claws, but these maize and blue wolverines still know how to fight! Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. SportsZone is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.
Scottie Pippen, the star forward for the Chicago Bulls, was virtually unknown when the Bulls made him their first pick in the National Basketball Association (NBA) draft. Playing in the shadow of the legendary Michael Jordan, Pippen has had to work hard to make a name for himself and to prove himself as one of the NBA's top stars. Author Ken Rappoport follows Pippen's emergence from Jordan's shadow, to his present status as one of the NBA's living legends.
This book tells the story of 20 of the greatest upsets in sports, from the Miracle on Ice 1980 USA Olympic hockey team, to Cassius Clay's knockout of Sonny Liston in 1964, to the New England Patriot's Super Bowl victory over the St. Louis Rams in 2002.
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