The American Football League, established in 1960, was innovative both in its commitment to finding talented, overlooked players particularly those who played for historically black colleges and universities and in the decision by team owners to share television revenues.

In Mavericks, Money and Men, football historian Charles Ross chronicles the AFL s key events, including Buck Buchanan becoming the first overall draft pick in 1963, and the 1965 boycott led by black players who refused to play in the AFL-All Star game after experiencing blatant racism. He also recounts how the...

The American Football League, established in 1960, was innovative both in its commitment to finding talented, overlooked players particularly those who played for historically black colleges and universities and in the decision by team owners to share television revenues.In "Mavericks, Money and Men, "football historian Charles Ross chronicles the AFL s key events, including Buck Buchanan becoming the first overall draft pick in 1963, and the 1965 boycott led by black players who refused to play in the AFL-All Star game after experiencing blatant racism. He also recounts how the success of...

Pro basketball player Rasheed Wallace often exclaimed the pragmatic truth Ball don t lie during a game. It is a protest against a referee s bad calls. But the slogan, which originated in pickup games, brings the reality of a racialized urban playground into mainstream American popular culture.

In Ball Don t Lie , Yago Colas traces the various forms of power at work in the intersections between basketball and language from the game s invention to the present day. He critiques existing popular myths concerning the history of basketball, contextualizes them, and presents an...

Pro basketball player Rasheed Wallace often exclaimed the pragmatic truth "Ball "don t lie during a game. It is a protest against a referee s bad calls. But the slogan, which originated in pickup games, brings the reality of a racialized urban playground into mainstream American popular culture.In "Ball Don t Lie , "Yago Colas traces the various forms of power at work in the intersections between basketball and language from the game s invention to the present day. He critiques existing popular myths concerning the history of basketball, contextualizes them, and presents an alternative...

In Distant Corners, his follow-up to Soccer in a Football World, David Wangerin details several of the people, places, and events that shaped American soccer history. Despite its struggle for popular acceptance, soccer in the United States has a rich history. Wangerin profiles Tom Cahill, the almost-forgotten "father of American soccer," and writes passionately about the 1979 North American Soccer League season, the high-water mark of the game in the twentieth century. Wangerin shows how the American appetite for soccer has ebbed and grown over the years, chronicling the game at the college...