ESPN: The Mighty Book of Sports Knowledge

by Steve Wulf (Editor)

Overview

In The ESPN Mighty Book of Sports Knowledge, Steve Wulf, acclaimed author and founding editor of ESPN The Magazine, delivers an arena’s worth of sporting wisdom, trivia, best-of lists, curiosities, legendary feats, and sacred objects–from the magic of Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech to the lore of hockey’s Stanley Cup to the art of the perfectly thrown Wiffle Ball pitch. Written to remind us all why we love the games, this indispensable reference features contributions from the finest minds at ESPN, as well as guidance from actual professionals. Inside you’ll discover

• twenty-five of the greatest sporting nicknames
• the keys to being a mascot
• what happens during a pit stop
• the five best (worst?) on-field temper tantrums
• a tour of Donovan McNabb’s locker
• how Wayne Gretzky tapes his sticks
• the unbeatable secret of rock-paper-scissors
• how to tape an ankle, fold a paper football, hit a hole in one, whistle with your fingers, throw a knuckleball, jump rope like a champ, and oil a baseball glove
• advice from star athletes–learn to run routes like Jerry Rice, take a penalty kick like Landon Donovan, fake opponents out like Chris Paul, and put on your socks the John Wooden way

The ESPN Mighty Book of Sports Knowledge is the perfect antidote to our video-game culture and an essential gift for any fan who ever dreamed of throwing a tight spiral in a Super Bowl, closing out a World Series game, or lining up a putt to win a major. In other words, it’s a book for the young and the young at heart.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780345513083
Publisher:	Random House Publishing Group
Publication date:	06/09/2009
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	31 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Steve Wulf is the coauthor (with Daniel Okrent) of the bestseller Baseball Anecdotes and (with Buck O’Neil) I Was Right on Time. A founding editor of ESPN The Magazine, Wulf has also been on the staffs of Time and Sports Illustrated. He has written for Entertainment Weekly, Life, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. A father of four, he lives in Westchester County, New York.

Read an Excerpt

Introduction
BY STEVE WULF
 
ABabe Parilli leather helmet. A program autographed by Babe Ruth. A Mickey Mantle Louisville Slugger bat. A bowling pin signed by members of the PBA tour. A Jerry West figurine. An empty bag of 4 Bagger chewing tobacco. A Bo Belinsky button. A Bo Jackson Raiders jersey.
 
Those are just some of the things I’ve acquired over time. A lot of stuff, most of it scattered about my office, much of it having to do with baseball: a Carl Yastrzemski McDonald’s glass, an ancient catcher’s mask, two seats from Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, a Russian baseball poster, a sanitary sock once worn by Doc Gooden, a ball autographed by the members of the 1936 Washington Senators, an old portable typewriter, a lineup card from the 1993 World Series, a T-shirt that reads I COVERED THE PINE TAR GAME. And a lot of years, most of them spent as a sportswriter who’s often on the lookout for something that evokes the past or celebrates the moment.
 
My secret vice is pulling over at antiques stores or flea markets. I once tried to buy a Duke Snider bat at an antiques store in Westmoreland, New York, only to be told it was not for sale. “That’s what I use to confront shoplifters,” said the lady proprietor. No bat, but I did get a San Francisco Giants calendar with all three Alou brothers (Felipe, Matty, and Jesus) on the cover.
 
In its own way, this book is kind of a flea market. A lot of stuff. A lot of years. There are anecdotes, arguments, quotes, quizzes, lists, lessons, histories, mysteries, speeches, facts, curios. It’s haphazard enough that you can drop in anywhere. But it also has a logic to it that will become apparent as you leaf through the pages.
 
I should point out that I am not the sole proprietor of the book. Most of these items were suggested or written by others: colleagues at ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Books, and Ballantine; friends and family; fellow youth coaches; professional acquaintances. What they all had in common was a curiosity about sports: these are some of the things they wanted to know more about. There are 101 entries here, as well as an almost equal number of random oddities and quotes.
 
As for the title, the “Mighty” is meant to be both playful and folksy. You may have noticed a spate of sports books out there that assert to be about “The Greatest” game, or “The Last” season, or “The One True” athlete. We make no claim that this is an omnipotent, all-encompassing book. The sports world is so huge, so old, so fascinating, that no one book could pretend to be definitive. We just think this book is mighty interesting.
 
Within its pages are a lot of things you may not already have in your grasp. Ways to jump rope like Sugar Shane Mosley, or run pass patterns like Jerry Rice, or tape a hockey stick like Wayne Gretzky. Food for arguments about the best sports books, the worst sports movies, the greatest athlete to wear the number 32. Stories about the woman most responsible for Title IX, the fight that broke out among Santa Clauses, the clubhouse attendant who scored a touchdown. Tours of Donovan McNabb’s locker, the Seven Wonders of the Sports World, Phil Mickelson’s golf bag. The truth about the Gipper, the chances of becoming a pro, the reason why the Tour de France leader wears yellow. And while you’re browsing, you’ll encounter Yogi Berra, Chris Paul, Carol Channing, Wilt Chamberlain, Bobby Jones, Cal Ripken, Jim Valvano, John Wooden, Gertrude Ederle, Michael Phelps, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig …
 
Among my most prized possessions is the wooden frame that once housed Carl Hubbell’s original Hall of Fame plaque. Back in the late ’70s, before memorabilia became a business, the Baseball Hall of Fame revamped its gallery and simply discarded the frames. Some of them ended up with the proprietor of the batting cage adjacent to Doubleday Field, who sold them for modest prices based on the inhabitant’s fame. (If I recall correctly, Candy Cummings went for $12.)
 
The plaque has been replaced by a mirror, not for the sake of vanity, but for the purpose of reflection. Think of Hubbell, then think of all the athletes who came before and after him. Think of the time Ty Cobb cut Hubbell from the Detroit Tigers, then think of all the similar surprises offered by sports. Think of that screwball of his, then think about all the tricks of the trades. Think of the 1934 All-Star Game in which Hubbell struck out, in succession, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, and Joe Cronin, then think about all the great athletic feats.
 
That’s what we call mighty.
—STEVE WULF
 
SOCK IT AWAY
JOHN WOODEN ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HOSIERY
 
It starts with the socks. That’s what longtime (1948-75) UCLA basketball coach John Wooden believed, so that was the first thing he taught his incoming Bruins. As one of his players, Bill Walton, recalls, “Here we are, these eager young men ready to learn the key that will unlock it all from the greatest college basketball mind the world has ever known, and he says, ‘I’m going to show you how to put on your socks.’ And now we’re saying to ourselves, ‘I’m a high school All-America. Who is this antique?’
 
According to Wooden, “I personally demonstrated how I wanted the players to put on their socks: Carefully roll the socks down over the toes, paying special attention to having the seam going horizontally over the toes. Then proceed with bringing the sock over the ball of the foot, arch, and around the heel; then pull the sock up snug so there will be no wrinkles of any kind.”
 
Actually, there were two pairs of socks. The coach wanted the first pair turned inside out so that the softer part would be against the skin. The outer sock would go on normally over the first sock. “I would then have the players carefully check with their fingers for any folds or creases in the sock. I paid special attention to the heel because this is where the wrinkles are most likely.… This may seem like a nuisance, trivial, but I had a very practical reason for being meticulous about this. Wrinkles, folds, and creases can cause blisters. Blisters interfere with performance during practice and games.”
 
As for shoes, Wooden wanted them to fit snugly, with very little room at the toe, and he wanted them tied tightly—“start at the bottom of the laces, snug, snug, snug”—with a double knot.
 
“We came to realize,” says Walton, “that the simple process of putting on your socks the right way led to everything else. He never told us the answers, just how to get there. To this day, though, I can’t lose the image of him, barefoot in the locker room. Coach Wooden, I’m afraid, had very ugly feet.”
 
 
UNTOUCHABLE
JERRY RICE ON HOW TO RUN A PASS PATTERN
 
What if you were going out for a pass in touch football and had the benefit of the experience, if not the talent, of someone who had caught 1,549 passes for 22,895 yards and 197 touchdowns in the NFL? What route would you run?
 
Meet Jerry Rice.
 
First of all, touch football is fantastic. It’s all about quickness and being elusive. You can really focus on your routes and on catching the ball without worrying about getting killed.
 
The number one thing is, don’t let them get their hands on you. If you can get off the line cleanly, there’s nothing they can do to stop you. I’d run a post route in the middle of the field, then, once I got to the red zone, put a double move on and run a post corner. That’s like taking candy from a baby.
 
Pick routes are also great. If you can have your second WR come across the middle and reroute that linebacker a little bit, the number one guy will be wide open in the flat. It’s just up to the QB to get him the ball.
 
Rice says that just as in pro football, the QB and his receivers have to be on the same page in touch football.
 
If your QB is having a bad day, run a couple of safer routes and build his confidence back up. Then you can go for the home run ball. And stay positive. Bill Walsh used to tell us, ‘If you don’t feel like you have a chance of winning, then you’re already defeated.’ That’s just as true in touch as it is in tackle.”