An in-depth and behind the scenes to explore the history of football's unspoken expectations of all who are involved with the game each Sunday, this engaging look the inner workings of the sport of football includes interviews with more than 100 current and former NFL players, coaches, front office employees and media personalities to examine how players go about their business on the field of play. They explain why various "rules" are expected among players and what tactics are used durin...

The ultimate record of a great franchise's greatest season as told by none other than Da Coach himselfIn Ditka's own words, this 30th anniversary volume of The '85 Bears is packed with special features that make it the ultimate must-have treasure for every Bears fan. This updated edition features the authors' reflections on the incredible championship season as well as recaps and statistics for every regular- and post-season game, bringing the entire 1985 campaign ...

The '85 Bears: We Were the Greatest is Coach Mike Ditka's memoir of a season Chicago will never forget and opponents would rather erase from their minds. Packed with unforgettable behind-the-scenes stories and exhilarating moments including the dominating win over the Patriots in Super Bowl XX, Walter Payton phoning Ditka's office pretending to be a woman named Yolanda, Jim McMahon's enduring regard for the healing power of acupuncture, and how a rookie named William Perry turned ...

A small area of western Pennsylvania around Pittsburgh has produced almost 25 percent of the modern era quarter- backs enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. That percentage is wildly disproportionate to the number of superstar quarterbacks any one state might claim, let alone a mere sliver of a state—an area representing just one-fifth of one percent of the total country.The list of the greats starts with George Blanda, the “old man” of the game, and continues with the incomp...

Chicago’s five major professional sports teams have put their fans through hell, reached incredible heights, and been graced by some of sports’ greatest stars. And that’s only part of the story of Chicago sports. Divided during the summer and united for the rest of the year, the Chicago sports scene has a unique culture. The win-loss records can only say so much about the Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs, and White Sox. Each team has a rich history filled with characters and settings a write...

From its humble beginnings in 1884 as a one-story frame building with one bay to house Hose Company 4 and its team of horses, Engine Company 78 has been the firefighting sentinel at the end of Waveland Avenue, sitting in the shadow of Wrigley Field. Using vintage photographs and moving stories from firefighters themselves, Karen Kruse captures the spirit and heroism of this historic Chicago landmark. Captain Robert F. Kruse served the Chicago Fire Department for 30 years, half of those at ...

Whether in football or in the law, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Robert Thomas has always had the "best view from the bench."Bob Thomas got his start in football at the University of Notre Dame, kicking for the famed "Fighting Irish" in the early 1970s. Claimed off waivers by the Chicago Bears in 1975, Thomas helped to take the franchise from their darkest days to their brightest. Yet, on the cusp of the team's greatest moment, he was struck with a shocking blow that challenged hi...

PRAISE FOR LEWIS GRIZZARD“So this is what’s happened to the South since William Faulkner left! Lewis Grizzard, a great American, gives us the best collection of stories about a mother’s love, old folks, railroad trains, going home, and the No-Name Bar in Willacoochee, Georgia.”- The Chicago Sun-Times“If you’ve ever owned a truck, a good dog, or had to kiss a good woman good-bye, you need to be reading Lewis Grizzard.”- United Press International“Funny ...

This "rollicking newspaperman's memoir" offers a personal tour of Chicago's cultural history and makes "a strong case for Second City exceptionalism" ( The New York Times).In 1952 the New Yorker published a three-part essay by A. J. Liebling in which he dubbed Chicago the "Second City." From the skyline to garbage collection, nothing escaped Liebling's withering gaze. Among the outraged responses from Chicago residents was one that Liebling descri...

A century before Lance Armstrong captured headlines around the world by winning a record seventh consecutive Tour de France, another American dominated the world of competitive cycling. His name was Bobby Walthour, and in the early 1900s he was one of the world's most famous and highly paid athletes.Life in the Slipstream chronicles Walthour's rise from a lowly bicycle messenger in Georgia to a two-time national and international cycling champion who was nearly as popular i...

An unorthodox history of baseball told through the enthralling stories of the game's objects, equipment, and characters.One of ESPN's Best in Baseball BooksNo sport embraces its wild history quite like baseball, especially in memorabilia and objects. Sure, there are baseball cards and team pennants. But there are also huge balls, giant bats, peanuts, cracker jacks, eyeblack, and more, each with a backstory you have to read to believe. In

Long before the Hamptons became famous for its posh parties, paparazzi, and glitterati, it was a sleepy backwater of fishing villages and potato farms, literary luminaries and local eccentrics. As the editor and publisher of the area’s popular free newspaper, Dan’s Papers, Dan Rattiner, has been covering the daily triumphs, community intrigues, and larger-than-life personalities for nearly fifty years.A colorful insider’s account of life, love, scandal, and celebrity, ...