From the hilarious to the surreal, from inside the huddle to inside the broadcast booth, 28-year Seattle Seahawks veteran Steve Raible takes fans to places they never knew existed. Readers have the chance to laugh along as Jack Patera trades Andre Hines to the Dolphins after warning Don Shula that a worse offensive lineman never existed. To marvel as Raiders legend John Matuszak becomes Seattle's offensive coordinator during the final minutes of the Seahawks' blowout win. To come along with Steve Largent as the Hall of Famer obliterates Broncos safety Mike Harden in the ultimate payback. To eavesdrop as Chuck Knox tells his staff to update their resumes after the team drafted Dan McGwire. And to scarf down shrimp platters with Wayne Cody in the parking lot at Jack Murphy Stadium--during the game. Tales from the Seahawks Sideline brings all the household names to life, names like Jim Zorn, Dave Krieg, Kenny Easley, Curt Warner, Brain Bosworth, Cortez Kennedy, Warren Moon, Mike Holmgren, Ricky Watters, Chad Brown, and Shaun Alexander. This insider's account also explores the lesser known characters who stories inspire laughter, tears, and lasting lessons. Do fans remember the time Largent showed up at the annual Halloween party dressed as Yoda? Raible does, and he has the pictures to prove it. How about when the coach in charge of bed check opened the door to find two of his players in bed together? Again, Raible has it covered. From deciphering Patera to remembering Pete Gross, Tales from the Seahawks Sideline is all about the people, proving through vivid anecdotes that the Seahawks are a storied franchise after all. Raible also tells why the current Seahawks, led precocious quarterbackMatt Hasselbeck, are poised for big things in 2004 and beyond.

From the hilarious to the surreal, from inside the huddle to inside the broadcast booth, twenty-eight-year Seattle Seahawks veteran Steve Raible takes fans to places they never knew existed. In this newly revised edition of Tales from the Seattle Seahawks Sideline, fans are offered an inside look at life in the locker room and on the sidelines of one of the NFL’s most beloved franchises. Readers will have the chance to laugh along as Jack Patera trades Andre Hines to the Dolphins after warning Don Shula that a worse offensive lineman never existed, to marvel as Raiders legend John Matuszak becomes Seattle’s offensive coordinator during the final minutes of the Seahawks’ blowout win, to come along with Steve Largent as the Hall of Famer obliterates Broncos safety Mike Harden in the ultimate payback, and so much more. This book brings all the Seahawks’ greatest players to life from Jim Zorn, to Dave Krieg, Kenny Easley, Curt Warner, Brian Bosworth, Cortez Kennedy, Warren Moon, Mike Holmgren, Ricky Watters, Chad Brown, Shaun Alexander, and more. This insider’s account also explores the lesser known characters whose stories inspire laughter, tears, and lasting lessons. Tales from the Seattle Seahawks Sideline is all about the people, proving through vivid anecdotes why the Seahawks are one of the most storied franchises in today’s NFL.

Relates the noteable and not so well known stories of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League's South conference.

The San Francisco 49ers shaped the NFL throughout the 1980s with their unique blend of precision, panache, and preparation. Two decades later, NFL teams are still copying the system and the methods that made the 49ers unlike any other organization in professional sports. Running back Roger Craig exemplified the qualities that have produced five Super Bowl titles for the franchise. Craig starred in three of the 49ers' Super Bowl wins, helping set the tone in practice with his nonpareil work ethic. During his eight seasons with the team he was one of the most productive players in franchise history. Roger Craig's combination of skills was something never before seen in professional football. In 1985 he became the first player in NFL history to top 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season. He used his knee-churning, eyes-wide-open style to earn four trips to the Pro Bowl and score a Super Bowl-record three touchdowns in one game. After finishing his career with the Raiders and Vikings, he signed a contract with the 49ers in 1994 so that he could retire as a member of the organization. To this day he remains a 49ers icon who is as well respected by the current team as he was more than a decade ago when he was charging through opposing defenses. In Tales from the San Francisco 49ers Sideline Roger Craig uses his trademark vision to capture some of the moments that defined the organization during its glory years. Included are stories about all of the men who shaped the direction of the franchise, including such luminaries as Bill Walsh, Joe Montana, Steve Young, Ronnie Lott, Jerry Rice, and George Seifert. Fans will relive all the great moments and read some never-before-toldstories from a man kept his eyes open to everything during his fascinating career.

Ohio coaching legend Paul Brown said he wanted to create the New York Yankees of pro football when he assembled the Cleveland Browns from scratch in 1946. Not even the future Hall of Fame coach, however, could have foreseen 10 league championship appearances and seven titles in the team's first 10 years. That excellence and professional dominance cultivated a national fan base that has since crossed international boundaries. Elvis Presley, President John F. Kennedy, and Hank Aaron counted themselves as Browns fans. More than 50 years later, Browns Backers Worldwide is the largest organized fan club in professional sports, with over 265 chapters and 27,000 members worldwide. In Tales from the Cleveland Browns Sideline, Cleveland native and veteran football writer Tony Grossi recalls the personalities that sowed one of the NFL's proudest traditions and the characters who have continued to grow it. Grossi discloses the unlikely origin of the Marion Motley trap play and the talents that Otto Graham never used on the football field. Fans can read the scout's inside story behind the mad dog in the meat market' and the general manager's insult that launched Brian Sipe's rise from a 13th-round draft pick to the league's Most Valuable Player. Tales from the Cleveland Browns Sideline reveals who first called his defensive teammates Dawgs and why teammates stayed as far away as possible from Steve Everitt's locker. From Jim Brown to Ben Gay, from Glue Fingers Lavelli to Turkey Jones, the colorful characters who wore the plain white uniforms and blank orange helmets are captured like never before.

With loyal fans supporting their major sports teams in the Seahawks (NFL), Mariners (MLB) - plus a rabid fan base for University of Washington jocks - Seattle is a great place for a sports debate. Local sports-radio talker Mike Gastineau teams up with longtime sportswriters Steve Rudman and Art Thiel to bring Seattle sports history to life with this provocative and enjoyable - not to mention debatable - book of lists. They also enlist list contributions by famous players, coaches, and Seattle celebrities including Mike Holmgren, Matt Hasselbeck, Ichiro Suzuki, George Karl, Pearl Jam, Kevin Calabro, Sir Mix-a-Lot, and more.

A de facto American national holiday and phenomenon, the Super Bowl claims a spot as one of the most significant sporting events in the world and the most widely celebrated, feasted and feasting event of the year— with $14+ billion at stake, commercials costing $7 million for a 30-second spot, record-setting broadcast ratings, and 113+ million viewers. More avocados (105 million pounds) are consumed, and more beer is drunk (325 million gallons) on the single day of Superbowl Sunday. But there is much more at play than partying at our annual sports extravaganza, as this scholarly researched yet readable volume demonstrates: Here you will read a historical perspective that includes discussions of the meta-event’s economics (stakeholders, host cities, advertising, gambling, and media), fandom, ratings, halftime entertainment, the roles of mythic spectacle and religion, football’s sexist, militaristic language, gender issues like cheerleaders and sex trafficking, the Puppy Bowl, medical concerns like concussions and violence, tailgating and foodie ideas—all along with tidbits about your favorite team(s) and player(s). Touchdown!