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Fan Mail
by Nick HornbyA new collection of soccer writing by the bestselling author of Fever Pitch. After the phenomenal success of Fever Pitch, Nick Hornby tried to avoid writing about soccer, for fear that he'd be writing about it forever. But occasionally over the years he's found it impossible to turn down a particularly enticing assignment or, in the case of the 2012-13 Premier League, just unable to resist writing about that most spectacular of seasons. Fortunately for those who love great writing about soccer, all these fugitive pieces are collected in Fan Mail. You can follow the fortunes, as Hornby did, of a hopelessly out-of-their-depth Cambridge United in the old Second Division, discover why Perry Groves was an unlikely hero among Arsenal fans, enjoy Hornby trying to explain the World Cup to Americans, and share with him the pain of watching his national team.
Fanatic: 10 Things All Sports Fans Should Do Before They Die
by Jim GorantThe sport lover's ultimate road tripWhen Jim Gorant, a Sports Illustrated staffer and lifelong sports fan, discovered that he had never attended a single one of sports' most iconic events, he wondered, What kind of sports fan am I, anyway? And if he had to pick the top ten, what would those events be? The result was a growing obsession, first with determining the events that should make the list and then with actually attending all of them. A personal challenge quickly evolved into a yearlong journey into the heart of sports.From the Kentucky Derby to the Super Bowl, from a day game at Wrigley Field to a fortnight at Wimbledon, from the NCAA Final Four to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field, Gorant takes us along for the ride, evoking the best (and sometimes the worst) sports has to offer. He enters the inner sanctum of NASCAR, watching the decidedly American pomp and circumstance perched atop an RV. He encounters a fire-eating Patriots fan at the Super Bowl. He sees Jack Nicklaus tee off at the azalea-lined Masters for the last time. He walks a fine line between the football rivals Ohio State and Michigan. And in the process he reveals why sports can so affect our lives.Part adventure, part pilgrimage, Fanatic captures these ten unforgettable sports events in all their color and commotion. The perfect gift for sports enthusiasts, Fanatic is the next best thing to front row seats, and every bit as fun.
Fancy Nancy and the Mean Girl (I Can Read! #Level 1)
by Jane O'ConnorFancy Nancy has many talents, but running is not one of them. So when she is chosen for the Field Day relay team, she gets worried about letting her team down.
Fandom Analytics: Creating and Harnessing Consumer and Cultural Passion (Business Guides on the Go)
by Michael LewisThe success of modern sports, entertainment, political, and other cultural categories is driven by organizations’ ability to create and manage fandom. This book explores fandom from a marketing perspective providing a multidisciplinary framework for understanding, measuring, and growing fandom. It provides a fandom analytics framework for creating and managing fandom and identifies the macro forces (technology, demographics, etc.) that are changing fandom’s structure and societal role. The book goes beyond understanding the foundations of fandom by demonstrating how marketing tools may be employed to value and manage fandom assets. It is designed for existing and new generations of sports and entertainment professionals, as well as scholars, students, and academics interested in sports and entertainment marketing and analytics.
Fangio: The Life Behind the Legend
by Gerald DonaldsonJuan Manuel Fangio's name is indelibly inscribed in the record books and many consider him to be the greatest driver in history. It was 46 years before his record of five World Championships was beaten, but even now he is still remembered for an exceptional Formula 1 career which contained some of the greatest displays of skill and daring ever seen. Few though know of his almost super-human exploits in epic South American road races that made competition at the pinnacle of motor sport seem like child's play. Gerald Donaldson chronicles not only those arduous early competitions but also his long journey from humble origins in remote Argentina to the lofty heights of international celebrity.
Fangirl Down (Big Shots #1)
by Tessa Bailey#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey launches a super sexy sports romance duology with a rom-com about a bad boy professional athlete who falls for his biggest fan... <p><p> Wells Whitaker was once golf's hottest rising star, but lately, all he has to show for his "promising" career is a killer hangover, a collection of broken clubs, and one remaining supporter. No matter how bad he plays, the beautiful, sunny redhead is always on the sidelines. He curses, she cheers. He scowls, she smiles. But when Wells quits in a blaze of glory and his fangirl finally goes home, he knows he made the greatest mistake of his life. <p><p> Josephine Doyle believed in the gorgeous, grumpy golfer, even when he didn't believe in himself. Yet after he throws in the towel, she begins to wonder if her faith was misplaced. Then a determined Wells shows up at her door with a wild proposal: be his new caddy, help him turn his game around, and split the prize money. And considering Josephine's professional and personal life is in shambles, she could really use the cash... <p><p> As they travel together, spending days on the green and nights in neighboring hotel rooms, sparks fly. Before long, they're inseparable, Wells starts winning again, and Josephine is surprised to find a sweet, thoughtful guy underneath his gruff, growly exterior. This hot man wants to brush her hair, feed her snacks, and take bubble baths together? Is this real life? But Wells is technically her boss and an athlete falling for his fangirl would be ridiculous... right? <p> <b>New York Times Bestseller</b>
Fans First: Change the Game, Break the Rules and Create an Unforgettable Experience
by Jesse ColeThe Savannah Bananas should not exist. <p> You can't name any of their players. They play in a 1920s-era ballpark with no ads or billboards. They play in kilts, stilts, and stilettos. They even have an all-grandma dance team: the Banana Nanas. <p><p> Everything the Bananas do is unconventional. It shouldn’t work. <p><p> And yet they sell out every game, have a waitlist in the thousands, ship merchandise around the globe, and entertain millions of followers on social media. <p><p> ESPN calls the Bananas “the greatest show in baseball.” <p><p> How is this even possible? <p><P> Two words: Fans First. <p><p> Packed with behind-the-peel stories, hard-earned lessons, and a few other surprises, Fans First teaches you how to stand out in your marketplace, drive explosive growth, and inspire fanatical loyalty. <p><p> If this all sounds bananas, that’s the point. Normal leaders read normal books and get normal results. But if you’re ready to change the game, break the rules, and create your own unforgettable team, then it’s time to go Fans First.
Fans in the Stands (The Kicks)
by Alex MorganFrom FIFA World Cup Champion, Olympic gold medalist, and bestselling author Alex Morgan comes the twelfth and final book in an empowering and fun-filled middle grade series about soccer and friendship.There&’s only two games separating the Kicks from the regional championship title. And with the Kentville Kangaroos boys&’ team also on their way to the championship, Devin can&’t contain her excitement for her friends! That is until Steve, Devin&’s crush, admits that he doesn&’t think girl soccer players are as good as the boys. Devin&’s certain that the only want to prove him wrong is to work hard and player harder, like she&’s always done. Instead, the Kicks and the Kangaroos place a bet: Whoever can get the most fans in the stands at their games is clearly the better team. But when their plans to bring in spectators puts both of their championship games in jeopardy, Devin has to make a choice. Is beating the boys worth risking the title the Kicks have played so hard for?
Fans of the World, Unite!
by Stefan Szymanski Stephen F. RossRoss (law, Pennsylvania State U. ) and Szymanski (economics, City U. London, UK) have written this "manifesto" for sports fans who are perplexed and frustrated by the owners of sports teams who appear to make decisions out of greed instead of the spirit of competition. The authors propose a complete restructuring of sports leagues through the strict enforcement of rules, the reduction of conflicts of interest among owners and policies of promotion and relegation. This book also weighs the pros and cons of such organizational strategies as "closed" leagues, entry by merit, the "Contest Theory" and competitive balance. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc. , Portland, OR (booknews. com)
Fans: How Watching Sports Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Understanding
by Larry Olmsted&“Olmsted opens a window into a psychologically compelling world of passion and purpose.&” —Harvey Araton, author of Our Last Season: A Writer, a Fan, a Friendship Larry Olmsted&’s writing and research have been called &“eye-opening&” (People), &“impressive&” (Publishers Weekly, starred review), and &“enlightening&” (Kirkus Reviews). Now, the New York Times and Washington Post bestselling author turns his expertise to a subject that has never been fully explored, delivering a highly entertaining game changer that uses brand-new research to show us why being a sports fan is good for us individually and is a force for positive change in society. Fans is a passionate reminder of how games, teams, and the communities dedicated to them are vital to our lives. Citing fascinating new studies on sports fandom, Larry Olmsted makes the case that the more you identify with a sports team, the better your social, psychological, and physical health is; the more meaningful your relationships are; and the more connected and happier you are. Fans maintain better cognitive processing as their gray matter ages; they have better language skills; and college students who follow sports have higher GPAs, better graduation rates, and higher incomes after graduating. And there&’s more: On a societal level, sports help us heal after tragedies, providing community and hope when we need it most. Fans is the perfect gift for anyone who loves sports or anyone who loves someone who loves sports.
Fantasma (Track #1)
by Jason ReynoldsNow available in Spanish! A National Book Award Finalist for Young People&’s Literature Nominated as one of America&’s best-loved novels by PBS&’s The Great American Read Ghost wants to be the fastest sprinter on his elite middle school track team, but his past is slowing him down in this first electrifying novel of the acclaimed Track series from Newbery honoree Jason Reynolds.Ghost. Lu. Patina. Sunny. Four kids from wildly different backgrounds with personalities that are explosive when they clash. But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school track team—a team that could qualify them for the Junior Olympics if they can get their acts together. They all have a lot to lose, but they also have a lot to prove, not only to each other, but to themselves. Running. That&’s all Ghost (real name Castle Cranshaw) has ever known. But Ghost has been running for the wrong reasons—it all started with running away from his father, who, when Ghost was a very little boy, chased him and his mother through their apartment, then down the street, with a loaded gun, aiming to kill. Since then, Ghost has been the one causing problems—and running away from them—until he meets Coach, an ex-Olympic Medalist who sees something in Ghost: crazy natural talent. If Ghost can stay on track, literally and figuratively, he could be the best sprinter in the city. Can Ghost harness his raw talent for speed, or will his past finally catch up to him?
Fantastic Finishes: Great Last-Second, Come-from-Behind Victories
by Catherine WolfYou have probably watched a game that came down to the last play or the final few seconds. Maybe you have even played in one! You know what it feels like: Your hands sweat, your heart races, you can't breathe. What's going to happen? Who is going to win? The suspense is unbearable. It's also what makes playing or watching sports so much fun. Bottom-of-the-ninth home runs, sudden-death field goals, last-second baskets -- these are the moments that make magical memories for sports fans and players alike. They create Fantastic Finishes.
Fantastic Fishing Funnies
by Jonny HawkinsAny angler who has ever been annoyed by an overexcited beginner celebrating every lucky catch or who has ever wished the camera actually did add ten pounds to that freshly caught fish will be in good company here. Fantastic Fishing Funnies finds the absurd in every kind of fanciful fishing scenario. Flyfishers faced with gigantic flies at a "big fly sale," bass fishermen who catch more tires than bass, weekenders crowding into a secret fishing spot discovered on "Fishbook," and fanatical ice fishermen doomed to drill holes with chain saws and hair dryers are all represented. Jonny Hawkins's humor turns on hilarious wordplay and comical contradictions, celebrating the absurd in mundane situations. The next time your line gets so tangled you think a bird could nest in it or you drop your tackle box over the side of the boat, remember these cartoons and you may just find yourself chuckling instead.With more than three hundred original, beautifully illustrated, and playfully captioned cartoons, this collection of angling antics is sure to become a classic from syndicated cartoonist Jonny Hawkins. The perfect gift for anyone who has ever laughed at himself or a friend while fishing, Fantastic Fishing Funnies is page after page of laughs.
Fantastic Football Facts
by Nick CallowInprove your knowledge!Amaze your friends! Settly any pub argument!Fantastic Football Facts is packed full of facsinating feats, humorous anecdotes and entertaining trivia about the beautiful game.Featuring such topics as 'The Greatest Comebacks', 'Bizarre Injuries', 'Goal-scoring Feats', 'Classic Fantasy Xis' and many more. Fantastic Football facts is the essential book for any football fan.
Fantasy Baseball
by Alan GratzThe Wizard of Oz meets America's favorite pastime! Alex Metcalf must be dreaming. What else would explain why he's playing baseball for the Oz Cyclones, with Dorothy as his captain, in the Ever After Baseball Tournament? But Alex isn't dreaming; he's just from the real world. And winning the tournament might be his only chance to get back there, because the champions get a wish granted by the Wizard. Too bad Ever After's most notorious criminal, the Big Bad Wolf, is also after the wishes. And anyone who gets in his way gets eaten! From beloved baseball author Alan Gratz comes a novel in which classic literary characters are baseball crazy, and one real-world boy must face his fears and discover the surprising truth about himself. .
Fantasy Football For Dummies
by Martin A. SchulmanGet in the game and start building your dream team Millions of people worldwide play fantasy football, and you can join the fun with Fantasy Football For Dummies. We’ll teach you the basics and give you the skills you need to create and manage your ultimate fantasy team. Learn how to scout and draft players, use the best strategies to compete against other fantasy owners, and win your fantasy league championship. You can easily manage your team and stay up to date on player stats with the how-tos and insider tips in this book. Check out this fun and entertaining guide to fantasy football and you’ll be on your way to becoming a successful fantasy team owner, manager, and coach. Understand how fantasy football works Learn about the various fantasy league options Draft and manage your fantasy team, and change your roster effectively week to week Maximize your chances of winning with effective tips and strategiesThis Dummies guide—updated with the latest apps and rule changes—is for the millions of people who are already playing fantasy football today and want to improve their fantasy league performance, and it’s perfect for beginners interested in joining a league and learning the basics. Yes—that means you!
Fantasy Football for Dummies
by Martin SignoreFantasy football can be an addictive hobby. But if you've never played before, how do you start? Have no fear! This friendly guide explains the game to you from start to finish!
Fantasy League
by Mike LupicaFrom the #1 bestselling author of Heat, Travel Team and Million-Dollar Throw comes a story of every football kid's dream come true. 12-year-old Charlie is a fantasy football guru. He may be just a bench warmer for his school's football team, but when it comes to knowing and loving the game, he's first-string. He even becomes a celebrity when his podcast gets noticed by a sports radio host, who plays Charlie's fantasy picks for all of Los Angeles to hear. Soon Charlie befriends the elderly owner of the L.A. Bulldogs -- a fictional NFL team -- and convinces him to take a chance on an aging quarterback. After that, watch out . . . it's press conferences and national fame as Charlie becomes a media curiosity and source of conflict for the Bulldogs general manager, whose job Charlie seems to have taken. It's all a bit much for a kid just trying to stay on top of his grades and maintain his friendship with his verbal sparring partner, Anna. Like the best Disney film in book form, like Moneyball for kids, Fantasy League is every football kid's dream scenario.
Fantasy Life
by Matthew BerryNow a New York Times bestseller! Fantasy football, fantasy baseball, fantasy basketball, even fantasy sumo wrestling: the world of fantasy sports is huge, and still growing. Today, more than 35 million people in the United States and Canada spend hours upon hours each week on their fantasy sports teams. And as the Senior Fantasy Sports Analyst for ESPN, Matthew Berry is on the front lines of what has grown from a niche subculture into a national pastime. In Fantasy Life, Berry celebrates every aspect of the fantasy sports world. Brilliant trash talk. Unbelievable trophies. Insane draft day locations. Shake-your-head-in-disbelief punishments. Ingenious attempts at cheating. And surprisingly uplifting stories that remind us why we play these games in the first place. Written with the same award-winning style that has made Berry one of the most popular columnists on ESPN. com, Fantasy Life is a book for both hard-core fantasy players and people who have never played before. Between tales of love and hate, birth and death, tattoos and furry animal costumes, the White House Situation Room and a 126-pound golden pelican, Matthew chronicles his journey from a fourteen-year-old fantasy player to the face of fantasy sports for the largest sports media company in the world. Fantasy will save your life. Fantasy will set you free. And fantasy life is most definitely better than real life. You’ll see.
Fantasy Life
by Matthew BerryNow a New York Times bestseller! Fantasy football, fantasy baseball, fantasy basketball, even fantasy sumo wrestling: the world of fantasy sports is huge, and still growing. Today, more than 35 million people in the United States and Canada spend hours upon hours each week on their fantasy sports teams. And as the Senior Fantasy Sports Analyst for ESPN, Matthew Berry is on the front lines of what has grown from a niche subculture into a national pastime. In Fantasy Life, Berry celebrates every aspect of the fantasy sports world. Brilliant trash talk. Unbelievable trophies. Insane draft day locations. Shake-your-head-in-disbelief punishments. Ingenious attempts at cheating. And surprisingly uplifting stories that remind us why we play these games in the first place. Written with the same award-winning style that has made Berry one of the most popular columnists on ESPN.com, Fantasy Life is a book for both hard-core fantasy players and people who have never played before. Between tales of love and hate, birth and death, tattoos and furry animal costumes, the White House Situation Room and a 126-pound golden pelican, Matthew chronicles his journey from a fourteen-year-old fantasy player to the face of fantasy sports for the largest sports media company in the world. Fantasy will save your life. Fantasy will set you free. And fantasy life is most definitely better than real life. You'll see.
Fantasy Life
by Matthew BerryIncludes new chapters with small, easy-to-understand words. Bestselling words!Fantasy football, fantasy baseball, fantasy basketball, even fantasy sumo wrestling: the world of fantasy sports is huge, and still growing. Today, more than 35 million people in the United States and Canada spend hours upon hours each week on their fantasy sports teams. And as the Senior Fantasy Sports Analyst for ESPN, Matthew Berry is on the front lines of what has grown from a niche subculture into a national pastime.In his New York Times-bestselling Fantasy Life, Berry celebrates every aspect of the fantasy sports world. Brilliant trash talk. Unbelievable trophies. Insane draft day locations. Shake-your-head-in-disbelief punishments. Ingenious attempts at cheating. And surprisingly uplifting stories that remind us why we play these games in the first place.Written with the same award-winning style that has made Berry one of the most popular columnists on ESPN.com, Fantasy Life is a book for both hard-core fantasy players and people who have never played before. Between tales of love and hate, birth and death, tattoos and furry animal costumes, the White House Situation Room and a 126-pound golden pelican, Matthew chronicles his journey from a fourteen-year-old fantasy player to the face of fantasy sports for the largest sports media company in the world.Fantasy will save your life. Fantasy will set you free. And fantasy life is most definitely better than real life. You'll see.
Fantasy Life: The Outrageous, Uplifting, and Heartbreaking World of Fantasy Sports from the Guy Who's Lived It
by Matthew BerryAn inside look at the world of fantasy sports from America's most trusted name in the industry. Berry explores the increasingly ubiquitious world of fantasy sports. Every year, millions of people spend their time assembling, managing and obsessing over fantasy teams.
Fantasy Man: A Former NFL Player's Descent into the Brutality of Fantasy Football
by Nate JacksonThe New York Times bestselling author of Slow Getting Up chronicles his descent into the madness of early retirement and fantasy football. In Slow Getting Up--hailed by Rolling Stone as "the best football memoir of all time"--Nate Jackson told his story face down on the field. Now, in Hell Mary, he's flat on his back.Six years have passed since the former Denver Broncos tight end wore a helmet, and every day he drifts further from the NFL Guy, the sanctioned-violence guy, the psychopath who ran head first into other psychos for money. But Nate hasn't quite left the game. Bed-ridden by a recent surgery to remove bone fragments in his ankle, he's trying to defend his title as top dog in Bunny 5-Ball, one of the millions of leagues captivating America through modern fantasy football, the interactive human poker game started by rotisserie leagues, boosted by ESPN and Yahoo!, and now elevated to that rarefied world of vaguely-legal Internet gambling by FanDuel and DraftKings.com. And this time it isn't a 300-pound wall of flesh rushing to crunch his spine. It's worse.Exploring the fantasy--and the reality--of professional football after you've left the field, Killing Peyton is as funny, self-deprecating, and shockingly honest as Slow Getting Up.
Fantasyland
by Sam WalkerEvery spring, millions of Americans prepare to take part in one of the oddest, most obsessive, and most engrossing rituals in the sports pantheon: Rotisserie baseball, a fantasy game where armchair fans match wits by building their own teams. In 2004, Sam Walker, a sports columnist for the Wall Street Journal, decided to explore this phenomenon by talking his way into Tout Wars, a league reserved for the nation's top experts. The result is one of the most sheerly entertaining sports books in years and a matchless look into the heart and soul of our national pastime. .
Far Appalachia: following the New River north
by Noah AdamsThe host of NPR's All Things Considered and bestselling author of Piano Lessons takes us on a river journey through the heart of Appalachia-a journey shared by pioneers and preachers, white-water daredevils, bluegrass musicians, and an unforgettable cast of vivid historical characters. Following the New River North, Noah Adams has Appalachia in his blood. A native of eastern Kentucky, he comes to the headwaters of the New River not just in search of adventure but to better understand his own unique heritage. Following the New River from its mile- high source on North Carolina's Snake Mountain to its West Virginia mouth, Adams travels by canoe and by bicycle, by foot and, most thrillingly, by white-water raft to explore the history, natural beauty, and fascinating characters waiting around every bend and turn.