Pigeon expert, countryman and MENSA member Jim Emerton has been a leading light in the pigeon world for several decades. In retirement, his main aim is to share his experience and skill with fellow pigeon enthusiasts young and old. Jim In Conversation is a collection of his interviews with other prominent figures from the Fancy, interspersed with some profound personal thoughts of his own.

America's most popular sports media figure tells it like it is in this surprisingly personal book, not only dishing out his signature, uninhibited opinions but also revealing the challenges he overcame in childhood as well as at ESPN, and who he really is when the cameras are off. Stephen A. Smith has never been handed anything, nor was he an overnight success. Growing up poor in Queens, the son of Caribbean immigrants and the youngest of six children, he was a sports-obsessed kid who faced a number of struggles, from undiagnosed dyslexia to getting enough cereal to fill his bowl. As a basketball player at Winston-Salem State University, he got a glimmer of his true calling when he wrote a newspaper column arguing for the retirement of his own Hall of Fame coach, Clarence Gaines. Smith hustled and rose up from a high school reporter at Daily News (New York) to a general sports columnist at The Philadelphia Inquirer in the 1990s, before getting his own show at ESPN in 2005. After he was unceremoniously fired from the network in 2009, he became even more determined to fight for success. He got himself rehired two years later and, with his razor-sharp intelligence and fearless debate style, found his role on the show he was destined to star in: First Take, the network's flagship morning program. In Straight Shooter, Smith writes about the greatest highs and deepest lows of his life and career. He gives his thoughts on Skip Bayless, Ray Rice, Colin Kaepernick, the New York Knicks, the Dallas Cowboys, and former President Donald Trump. But he also pulls back the curtain and talks about life beyond the set, sharing authentic stories about his negligent father, his loving mother, being a father himself, his battle with life-threatening COVID-19, and what he really thinks about politics and social issues. He does it all with the same intelligence, humor, and charm that has made him a household name. Provocative, moving, and eye-opening, this book is the perfect gift for lovers of sports, television, and anyone who likes their stories delivered straight to the heart.

The "New York Times" bestseller, now in paperback. America's most visible sports commentator recounts some of the most dramatic moments in American sports and pays tribute to the man who inspired him-his beloved father
As vivid as an instant replay, "Always by My Side" gives readers an insider's look into an unprecedented sixty-three- day stretch from February through April of 2007, when Jim Nantz became the first broadcaster to call the Super Bowl, the Final Four, and the Masters. Though Nantz was unable to share the voyage with his dad, the devoted son felt his father's presence every step of the way, and used this championship odyssey to celebrate the people, venues, and moments that tapped into all the goodness that his dad-and his dad's generation- represent.
In recounting the highlights of more than two thrilling decades with CBS Sports, Nantz recalls legendary voices of his youth-such as Jim McKay, Chris Schenkel, Pat Summerall, Jack Whitaker, and Dick Enberg-who sparked his imagination and shaped his style.
"Always by My Side" traces Nantz's life and career, and along the way readers are treated to an array of memories, including Nantz's special relationship with former president George H. W. Bush and his friendships with such sports royalty as Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Peyton Manning, Tony Dungy, Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, Mike Krzyzewski, John Wooden, and many others. "Always by My Side" turns every day into Father's Day.

A New York Times bestseller Foreword by Doris Kearns Goodwin The longtime Commissioner of Major League Baseball provides an unprecedented look inside professional baseball today, focusing on how he helped bring the game into the modern age and revealing his interactions with players, managers, fellow owners, and fans nationwide. More than a century old, the game of baseball is resistant to change--owners, managers, players, and fans all hate it. Yet, now more than ever, baseball needs to evolve--to compete with other professional sports, stay relevant, and remain America's Pastime it must adapt. Perhaps no one knows this better than Bud Selig who, as the head of MLB for more than twenty years, ushered in some of the most important, and controversial, changes in the game's history--modernizing a sport that had remained unchanged since the 1960s. In this enlightening and surprising book, Selig goes inside the most difficult decisions and moments of his career, looking at how he worked to balance baseball's storied history with the pressures of the twenty-first century to ensure its future. Part baseball story, part business saga, and part memoir, For the Good of the Game chronicles Selig's career, takes fans inside locker rooms and board rooms, and offers an intimate, fascinating account of the frequently messy process involved in transforming an American institution. Featuring an all-star lineup of the biggest names from the last forty years of baseball, Selig recalls the vital games, private moments, and tense conversations he's shared with Hall of Fame players and managers and the contentious calls he's made. He also speaks candidly about hot-button issues the steroid scandal that threatened to destroy the game, telling his side of the story in full and for the first time. As he looks back and forward, Selig outlines the stakes for baseball's continued transformation--and why the changes he helped usher in must only be the beginning. Illustrated with sixteen pages of photographs.

How did a young boy born into poverty become not only an international soccer star but a celebrity who visited and dined with kings and presidents? Where did the passion that fueled his success originate? This book examines the life of Pele to find the answers. Pele is not simply an extraordinarily talented athlete who achieved incredible success on the soccer field; his performances inspired millions of soccer fans as well as individuals outside the sport around the world. During the peak of his career, Pele was arguably the most famous person in the world-at a time when there was no Internet or social media to help build sweeping international awareness of a pop star. This work is the most up-to-date examination of Pele's life, covering his personal history from childhood, his star-studded career as a multi-time World Cup champion playing for Brazil, his experiences in the United States playing for the New York Cosmos, as well as Pele's more recent, current, and future activities as ambassador for Brazil when it hosts the World Cup in 2014 and the Summer Olympics in 2016. All readers-ranging from the completely uninitiated who do not even recognize Pele's name, to die-hard soccer fans and players-will gain a full appreciation of the greatest soccer player of all time. Provides detailed information about Pele's life and amazing career that reveals the unique mindset that was instrumental to his success, allowing readers to fully appreciate how special and inspirational this athlete's accomplishments were Supplies insights into how Pele singlehandedly brought more worldwide attention to soccer and helped spawn professional soccer-and generate a true fanbase for the sport of soccer in general-in the United States

On the 50th anniversary of American Track and Field icon Steve Prefontaine’s tragic death comes an essential reappraisal of his life and legacy, a powerful work of narrative history exploring the forces and psychology that made Prefontaine great and separating the man from the myths.

In the fifty years since his tragic death in a car crash, Steve Prefontaine has towered over American distance running. One of the most recognizable and charismatic figures to ever run competitively in the United States, Prefontaine has endured as a source of inspiration and fascination—a talent who presaged the American running boom of the late 1970s and helped put Nike on the map as the brand’s first celebrity-athlete face.

Now on the anniversary of his untimely death, author Brendan O’Meara, host of the Creative Nonfiction podcast, offers a fresh, definitive retelling of Prefontaine’s life, revisiting one of the most enigmatic figures in American sports with a twenty-first-century lens. Through over a hundred and fifty original interviews with family, friends, teammates, and competitors, this long-overdue reappraisal of Prefontaine—the first such exhaustive treatment in almost thirty years—provides never-before-told stories about the unique talent, innovative mental strength, and personal struggles that shaped Prefontaine on and off the track. Bringing new depth to an athlete long eclipsed by his brash, aggressive running style and the heartbreak of his death at twenty-four, O’Meara finds the man inside the myth, scrutinizing a legacy that has shaped American sports culture for decades.

What emerges is a singular portrait of a distinctly American talent, a story written in the pines and firs of the Pacific Northwest back when running was more blue-collar love than corporate pursuit—the story of a runner whose short life casts a long, fast shadow.

The autobiography on one of cricket's best-loved characters. With his trademark bow tie, his distinctive rich, plumy voice and his eccentric observations Henry Blofeld is one of Britain's prized experts. He has been close to the heart of the game for over 40 years. As a leading commentator on Test Match Special and cricket writer, at home and abroad, he has informed and entertained wide audiences with his extensive knowledge and perception of cricket at the very highest level. Last year Henry Blofeld was forced by major heart surgery to take stock of his life and here in this autobiography he offers sharp pictures and vivid memories, a few sad, and many humorous.

A compelling resource for sports enthusiasts, Jesse Owens: A Life in American History places the life and athletic accomplishments of Jesse Owens within the context of race and American history in the early 20th century. The year 2020 marks the 40th anniversary of the death of one of the greatest track and field athletes in intercollegiate and Olympic history. This book examines Jesse Owens' upbringing, religious and spiritual life, and collegiate years and includes an examination of race, politics, and Nazi Germany as a backdrop to the 1936 Olympics. It also considers Owens' personal economic hardships after his triumph at the Olympic Games, his death, and his legacy. This biography series title will appeal to general readers, history buffs, and sports enthusiasts. Chapters are organized around the major developments in Jesse Owens' life, from his birth in Oakville, Alabama in 1913 to his death in Tucson, Arizona in 1980, and all of his groundbreaking athletic achievements in between. Primary source documents, sidebars, a timeline, and a bibliography provide valuable additional information for readers. The final chapter, "Why Jesse Owens Matters," explores his cultural and historical significance. Provides readers with an understanding of race, politics, amateur athletics, and the 1936 summer Olympic Games Demonstrates how pivotal moments in the life of Jesse Owens worked together to make him a champion Shows the importance of family, coaches, and friends in Owens's life and career Illustrates the importance of Owens's performance in the Berlin Olympics and how it created a platform for other African American athletes

At a time when the sporting world seems to be losing its perspective, author John Clendening provides another viewpoint. In "Love Letters to Sports," he celebrates sports at its best-its moments in time that capture our hearts and remind us of the role it can play as a touch point in our lives. In this memoir, Clendening narrates his special sports moments, such as his first-ever road trip with his eight-year-son and how his son's sports obsession at a young age reminds him of his own. He tells of going to a football game in Texas and falling in love all over again with a certain cheerleader, and how his favorite announcer brought him to tears on the night his youngest daughter was born. This collection of 19 personal essays pays tribute to our own moments in time and moments in life when sports play a supporting role in creating memories never to be forgotten. From football to tennis, from baseball to golf, from the fields of youth to the armchair of middle age, this is not a book about love, nor is it one about sports. It's about the many times and places the two have met in one man's life.

The remarkable biography of a small-town athlete who became one of the greatest players in NFL history. Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski was a superstar for the NFL in the 1930s and one of the pioneer players of the league. He led the Chicago Bears to success on the gridiron as a larger-than-life personality, helping raise the popularity of the NFL during the Great Depression. In Bronko: The Legendary Story of the NFL's Greatest Two-Way Fullback, NFL Films historian Chris Willis tells the remarkable story of how Bronko became an NFL legend. Throughout his nine-year NFL career, Bronko's name became synonymous with power football. While the new league fought to gain respect and recognition, Bronko immediately captured the attention of sports fans in Chicago and across the country. The bruising fullback could do everything: run, block, tackle, and even throw the occasional pass. With the complete cooperation of the Nagurski family and unlimited access to personal letters, family scrapbooks, and photos, Bronko is the definitive biography of a true sports pioneer and NFL great.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER A unique, unfiltered memoir from the NBA champion and fifteen-time all-star ahead of his induction into the Hall of Fame.Kevin Garnett was one of the most dominant players the game of basketball has ever seen. He was also one of its most outspoken. Over the course of his illustrious twenty-one-year NBA career, he elevated trash talk to an art form and never shied away from sharing his thoughts on controversial subjects. In KG A to Z, published ahead of Garnett's induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame, he looks back on his life and career with the same raw candor. Garnett describes the adversity he faced growing up in South Carolina before ultimately relocating to Chicago, where he became one of the top prospects in the nation. He details his headline-making decision to skip college and become the first player in two decades to enter the draft directly from high school, starting a trend that would be followed by future superstars like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. He shares stories of playing with and against Bryant, James, Michael Jordan, and other NBA greats, and he chronicles his professional ups and downs, including winning a championship with the Boston Celtics. He also speaks his mind on a range of topics beyond basketball, such as fame, family, racism, spirituality, and music. Garnett's draft decision wasn't the only way he'd forever change the game. His ability to play on the perimeter as a big man foreshadowed the winning strategy now universally adopted by the league. He applies this same innovative spirit here, organizing the contents alphabetically as an encyclopedia. If you thought Kevin Garnett was exciting, inspiring, and unfiltered on the court, just wait until you read what he has to say in these pages.

Also availabe as an eBook

Those who waved to us across fairways saw the idyllic tableau of father and son, side by side in shared golf passion. Beneath that façade, however, was a boy struggling to grow up and away-and a father searching for a way to help rather than hinder...
-From Playing Partners

If there's one thing as mysterious and powerful as the bond between a father and son, it's the bond between the game of golf and those who fall in love with it. In this beautifully told memoir, George Peper, coauthor of the runaway bestseller Cinderella Story, tells a story of fathers, sons, and golf-and how the three magically came together.

A young father and hardworking editor in chief of GOLF Magazine, George Peper desired nothing more than to hear his son someday say: "Want to go out and hit a few, Dad?" But when that day finally arrived, and Peper's young son Scott joined him on the links, Peper soon discovered that how he looked at and felt about golf would change forever.

The two became companions and competitors-a man and a boy finding out about themselves and each other on the deceptively tranquil stage of an eighteen-hole course. At the local golf club and on courses around the world, Scott progressed as a player, and Peper watched him learn how to hit shots, manage a course, and face the pressure and pain that comes to everyone serious about the game. When Scott's scores began to drop perilously close to his own, Peper saw himself reflected in his son's eyes. Once idol and mentor, he had turned into Scott's quarry-his son's first and foremost opponent.

As he chronicles their odyssey, Peper reflects on his relationship with his own father and all they left unsaid. He faces his expectations of his son and of himself. By the time Scott moves to the edge of manhood-and into the competitive ranks of amateur golf-Peper has grown older, and PLAYING PARTNERS becomes a bittersweet ode to mortality in all its richness and complexity. This marvelous, heartfelt story beautifully explores our capacity to care: about the joy in a boy's face, about the shot that lies ahead, and about what it means to win in life and in this unique and much loved game.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest ever sportspeople, Roger Federer is a global phenomenon. From his humble beginnings as a temperamental teenager to becoming symbol of enduring greatness, The Master is the definitive biography of a global icon who is both beloved and yet intensely private. But his path from temperamental, bleach-blond teenager with dubious style sense to one of the greatest, most self-possessed and elegant of competitors has been a long-running act of will, not destiny. He not only had a great gift. He had grit. With access to Federer's inner circle, including his wife, Mirka, his longtime trainer and based on one-on-one interviews with Federer, legendary sports reporter Chris Clarey's account will be a must read retrospective for the loyal sports fans, and anyone interested in the inner workings of unfaltering excellence. The Master tells the story of Federer's life and career on both an intimate and grand scale.

So, who’s the best of 'em all? Tiger Woods? Jack Nicklaus? Bobby Jones? Ben Hogan? Golf fans will disagree until the end of time, but one thing is certain: For well over 100 years, the sport has provided its share of spectacular careers and indelible moments. And what about fan favorites such as Phil Mickelson, Nancy Lopez, and Lee Trevino? Where do they rank on the list? Or modern players like Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, Nelly Korda, and Justin Thomas. Did they make the final cut―and if so, where?

In a joyride through golf history itself, New York Times bestselling author Michael Arkush establishes a ranking system that places a heavy emphasis on the game’s major championships and profiles the most accomplished and impactful golfers ever―men and women, known and unknown. Arkush captures the flair, as well as the flaws, of athletes who are intensely competitive, funny, peculiar, or larger-than-life. Crafted from hundreds of interviews and longtime relationships developed over a quarter century, The Golf 100 is an immensely entertaining read.