She's Got Game: The Woman's Guide to Loving Sports (or Just How to Fake It!)

by Melissa Malamut

Overview

She's Got Game is the perfect resource for women who have it all together but just don't understand the rules—when it comes to professional and college sports, that is.

Does baseball boggle your mind? Is football completely confusing?

You're the kind of woman who can adapt to every situation. You know just what to wear and what to say. Nothing flusters you—except going to a game. Sporting events raise so many questions. What is March Madness all about? What on earth is a pop fly? If they just had the fourth down, then why is it the first down now and not the fifth? What's a down anyway? What do I wear? Will I wipe out if I wear heels? Should I wear makeup? And how do you say that player's name?

Don't you wish you had a smart girlfriend who could explain it all without making you feel like an idiot? One who could tell you what's going on, what to wear to the game, and even when it's a good time to go to the ladies' room or get another beer? Now you do. Melissa Malamut brings a lifelong love of sports, a girly-girl's sensibility, and insight from fashion editors, friends and her own experiences to She's Got Game.

The ultimate guide to enjoying yourself (and looking smart) at any sporting event, She's Got Game, is packed with all the rules and history of the games, personal anecdotes, and do's and don'ts. In this incredibly well-researched and engaging book, Melissa gives you everything you need to feel at ease and fall in love with sports.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780312598969
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	06/08/2010
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	8.26(w) x 5.68(h) x 0.95(d)

About the Author

MELISSA MALAMUT has worked in PR for the NHL and the PGA of America. She was Editor-in-Chief of Touchdown Illustrated magazine and a researcher for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN Books. She held a weekly sports beat for Tribune newspapers while simultaneously working as a beauty editor for an upstart fashion magazine. Malamut has been writing sports, beauty, fashion and lifestyle pieces for 10 years.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Girlie Girl's Guide to the Games xi

1 The Best White After Labor Day (Home Whites): Major League Baseball (MLB) 1

The Game 3

The Season 9

The Teams 14

Game Structure 17

Balls and Strikes 23

Chicks Dig the Long Ball: Hitting 27

Baserunning 32

Playing the Field 38

Pitching 42

History, Drama, Curses, and Legends 51

Who to Know in History: The Best of the Best 71

Stitches and Seams: Baseball Fashion 78

Do the Math 90

The Girlie Girl's Baseball Glossary 93

2 The Monday-Morning Quarterback Versus the Football Widow: The National Football League (NFL) 98

The Game 99

The Season 101

The Experience 105

Inside the Huddle 109

Basics to Know 118

Points 119

Overheard: Penalties 121

History 123

Drama: NFL Rivals 125

Historic NFL Games and Moments 127

The Best and Most Talked-About Players in History 133

NFL Draft Basics 136

The Other Leagues 138

Football Fashion and Fandom 139

The Girlie Girl's Football Glossary 145

3 The NBA Has a Dress Code; Why Shouldn't You? The National Basketball Association (NBA) 149

The Game 152

Offense 163

Defense 165

History of the Game 168

Decades and Dynasties: What to Know 175

Who to Know in History 176

Who to Know Now: Future Legends 180

Courtside Chic 181

The Girlie Girl's Basketball Glossary 188

4 Hockey and Heels: The National Hockey League (NHL) 194

The Game 196

The Skaters 203

Basic Rules to Know 205

Points and Standings 209

History and Drama 210

The NHL 213

The Miracle on Ice 217

Who to Know in History 218

NHL Trophies: End-of-the-Season Awards 222

Fashion and Fandom 223

The Girlie Girl's Hockey Glossary 225

5 College Football and College Basketball 228

College Football 228

College Football Versus the NFL 232

Divisions and Conferences 233

The BCS 236

The Polls 237

The Other Bowls 237

The Season 239

The Heisman Trophy 240

History of College Football 243

The Programs 244

Rivals and Drama 245

College Football Legends 249

College Football Traditions and Lore 251

Tailgating: College Football Edition 255

Fashion 257

College Basketball 259

College Basketball Versus the NBA 261

March Madness 262

Rivals 268

College Basketball Coaching Legends 270

The Game Experience 272

6 The World's Games 274

Tennis 275

The Game 275

The Grand Slams 280

Noteworthy Retired Players 281

Who to Know Now 284

Going to a Tennis Match 286

Tennis Terms to Know 289

Golf 290

The Course 291

Par 292

The Majors 293

Who to Know 294

Going to a Golf Tournament 296

Golf Terms to Know 299

Major League Soccer (MLS) 300

Nascar 301

7 Quick Guide: The Girlie Girl's Cheat Sheet for Information on the Fly 305

Acknowledgments 321

References and Suggested Reading 323

Editorial Reviews

In this entertaining and comprehensive guide on sports, Malamut is helping millions of women finally understand what the sports fans in their lives have been talking on and on about — a social good, indeed.” —Erik Barmack, author of Why Fantasy Football Matters

From the Publisher