Thursday, December 26, 2013

The Opening Kickoff: The Tumultuous Birth of a Football Nation, by Dave Revsine

The Opening Kickoff: The Tumultuous Birth of a Football Nation, by Dave Revsine

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The Opening Kickoff: The Tumultuous Birth of a Football Nation, by Dave Revsine

The Opening Kickoff: The Tumultuous Birth of a Football Nation, by Dave Revsine



The Opening Kickoff: The Tumultuous Birth of a Football Nation, by Dave Revsine

Read and Download Ebook The Opening Kickoff: The Tumultuous Birth of a Football Nation, by Dave Revsine

Now in paperback, the New York Times Bestseller and Boston Globe Bestseller!It’s America’s most popular sport, played by thousands, watched by millions, and generating billions in revenues every year. It’s also America’s most controversial sport, haunted by the specter of life-threatening injuries and plagued by scandal, even among its most venerable personalities and institutions. At the college level, we often tie football’s tales of corruption and greed to its current popularity and revenue potential, and we have vague notions of a halcyon time—before the new College Football Playoff, power conferences, and huge TV contracts. Perhaps we conjure images of young Ivy Leaguers playing a gentleman’s game, exemplifying the collegial in collegiate. What we don’t imagine is a game described in 1905 as “a social obsession—this boy-killing, man-mutilating, education-prostituting, gladiatorial sport.”In The Opening Kickoff, Dave Revsine tells the riveting story of the formative period of American football between 1890 and 1915. In just a quarter century football spread across the nation, captivating people from coast to coast. It was a time that saw the game’s meteoric rise, fueled by overflow crowds, breathless newspaper coverage, and newfound superstars—including one of the most thrilling and mysterious the sport has ever seen. But it was also a period racked by controversy in academics, recruiting, and physical brutality that, in combination, threatened football’s very existence. A vivid storyteller, Revsine brings it all to life in this captivating narrative.

The Opening Kickoff: The Tumultuous Birth of a Football Nation, by Dave Revsine

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #686923 in Books
  • Published on: 2015-09-01
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Dimensions: 8.99" h x .83" w x 6.08" l, .0 pounds
  • Binding: Paperback
  • 328 pages
The Opening Kickoff: The Tumultuous Birth of a Football Nation, by Dave Revsine

Review "... a stirring survey of malfeasance, meticulously brought to life by Mr. Revsine.... The Opening Kickoff is a first-class account of football's turbulent origins, one that helps explain how a collision sport became the most conspicuous part of American higher education."--The Wall Street Journal"A new must-read book for fans of college football...[a] fascinating look at the origins of the game."--Forbes"[A] fascinating, well-researched college history [that] shows how money, eligibility, powerful coaches and bad actors corrupt."--Sports Illustrated"Revsine has written a rich and thorough book, backed by ample research. But he’s also a college football fan, who’s served up a tale laced with humor and suspense.”—The Boston Globe "...an eye-opening and compelling lesson for those looking for the complete story of the game."-Chicago Tribune"[I give] the strongest recommendation possible to "The Opening Kickoff: The Tumultuous Birth of a Football Nation."... It is fascinating - the best book [I have] read this summer... Revsine is a wonderful storyteller... If you like football and want to know how to first began its rise to become a national preoccupation, this is a must-read."--Pat Forde, Yahoo Sports“Dave Revsine’s work is filled with jaw-dropping, vividly detailed stories about football’s wild, woolly formative years. If you think America’s football obsession is a recent development, or that corruption in the money-driven college game is only a modern problem, you’ll be stunned by The Opening Kickoff. A great read. I loved it!” —Chris Fowler, host of ESPN’s Emmy Award-winning College GameDay “With the industry of college football currently at the center of questions about priorities, purity, and purpose, Dave Revsine’s lovingly crafted The Opening Kickoff is a remarkable and engaging account of the heroes, villains, successes, and scandals in the early years of this sport. The passion and the people of those early years, their feats, their foibles—all contribute to this game taking root in the American heart. No other sport matters as much to fans of each team—and Revsine’s keen eye for detail, and clear love of the game make this a fascinating journey through an important time. And with messages that resonate today.” —Bob Ley, host of ESPN’s Emmy Award-winning Outside the Lines and anchor of SportsCenter “Dave Revsine’s well-researched book on the early days of football is absorbing from opening kickoff to final gun. The stories are filled with historical romance, yet are not rosy-eyed. It is fascinating to see how all the glories and corruptions of football were there from the beginning.” —David Maraniss, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi “Before there was Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel, there was Wisconsin’s Pat O’Dea. Before Miami and Auburn found themselves embroiled in controversy, so did Yale and Princeton. Before the endless coverage of ESPN, the New York Sun had seventeen reporters at a game. In Dave Revsine’s fascinating read, The Opening Kickoff, we learn that college football’s nascent seasons were as wild, unpredictable, and controversial as the ones that unfold in front of us now. Revsine’s meticulous research and crisp storytelling bring us back to a long-ago era, where the themes and storylines are familiar.” —Pete Thamel, senior writer for Sports Illustrated“Reading the author’s heavily researched tale of the history of college football—specifically, the period between 1890 and 1915—is like watching an old-fashioned, dramatic movie newsreel…. [I]t is a vivid examination of the sport’s infancy…. Revsine’s descriptions of momentous games and quotes from published accounts give the narrative a storybook feel. He examines how numerous issues and ethical questions during the sport’s early years are still debated today…. An interesting demonstration of how athletics remains today what it was well over 100 years ago: big business.” —Kirkus Reviews

About the Author Dave Revsine has been the lead studio host of the Big Ten Network since its inception in 2007. Before that, he spent more than a decade as a studio anchor at ESPN. He lives in suburban Chicago with his wife and three daughters.


The Opening Kickoff: The Tumultuous Birth of a Football Nation, by Dave Revsine

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Most helpful customer reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. As revealing as Friday Night Lights By Dave I am not normally one who pays much attention to the Author’s Notes intro, yet this one grabbed me and pulled me into the book right away. At that point I was hooked, and did not want to put the book down. While I like and appreciate college football, I would not consider myself a devotee. Yet this story captivated me. It brought to life for me an era that I knew virtually nothing about. I was fascinated with the path of football from something that only slightly resembled the present-day game into what we now consider to be football. The insight into characters that I had heard of (such as Walter Camp and Amos Alonzo Stagg) as well as ones that I had never heard of (such as Pat O’Dea) was extremely revealing. The background of the founding of the University of Chicago was fascinating. I could go on and on with the stories and wonderful information that I gleaned from this book. It just made me hungry for more.I was quite impressed by the amount and thoroughness of the research that must have gone into this book. Yet it amazes me how well written it is. It is footnoted like a scholarly paper (probably better than most), yet it reads like a well-written novel. Mr. Revsine has pulled off a significant literary accomplishment. Every paragraph was packed with insight, information, and/or quotes. Yet I never felt as if I was reading a collection of facts. I was reading a story that I was thoroughly enjoying. Even his little side jaunts into such areas as the background of Yellow Journalism and Muckraking were extremely informative, and seemed to help, rather than hinder, the flow of the story.As you can tell from my other reviews and ratings, I am not one to heap false praise upon a book. Yet, I consider this to be one of the best-written books that I have ever read. I didn't have to “work” my way through the information that it presented. Rather the information flowed to me as I enjoyed reading it. If I had to raise a complaint, it would be that there wasn't enough. For example, I only got a little taste of the background of the Rose Bowl and insight into Southern football. I would have loved to have more of that, especially if it was as well-written and thoroughly researched as what was included.Any fan of football should love this book, and even its detractors can learn from what is presented here. The complaints about football today, especially college football, are not anything new. It is amazing how, as Mr. Revsine quotes, “There is nothing new under the sun.”

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. I recommend this book very highly By Seth L Davis I have been working in sports as a writer, author and broadcaster for more than two decades now (but who's counting), and I have rarely come across a piece of work as impressive and entertaining as this. Opening Kickoff had me riveted from the very first page. Dave Revsine's research was thorough, his writing crisp, his narrative compelling. He also explains how all these problems that seem new in college sports actually began at the beginning. I recommend this book very highly!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. The College Football You Never Knew By Anonym S. The College Football that you never knew! Well researched and well written history of the origins of the game from its beginning as "informal, gentlemanly pursuit between students of rival universities" thru its quick and surprising rise to "thrilling nationwide spectacle." These are definitely tales you have never heard, and they are intelligently put into the context of other events also occurring at the turn of the century. Don's skip the preface, epilogue or afterword either as they both also added to the overall package for this SEC fan.

See all 59 customer reviews... The Opening Kickoff: The Tumultuous Birth of a Football Nation, by Dave Revsine

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