Publishers Weekly
09/26/2016
Winning is often considered all that matters in sports, but the aftermath of defeat can be equally important according to Menefee, host of Fox’s NFL Sunday, and sportswriter Arkush. Menefee stresses the various aspects of losing and examines the moment when a life or a career unravels, often played out on a big stage with the unfortunate loser unable to recover from the event. He expertly interviews a group of former players and coaches on the critical outcomes of competition, including the 1986 World Series, in which the Boston Red Sox lifted the Bambino curse; the defenseless Cleveland Cavaliers’ Craig Ehlo facing Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan in the 1989 NBA finals; Colts kicker Lou Michaels’s missed kicks against Namath’s Jets in the 1969 Super Bowl; the cocaine scandal faced by Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington in 2009; and track favorite Mary Decker taking a spill at the 1984 Olympics. Richly illustrated, Menefee’s thoughtful account of loss in sports mirrors the real world. (Nov.)
From the Publisher
Gritty and humane, this is a winner about athletes who lost the game but found their souls.” — Robert Lipsyte, author of The Accidental Sportswriter
“In one inspiring story after another, we read about the athletes who will always be winners no matter what the scoreboard says.” — Don Mattingly
“This book offers a provocative look at both the good and bad sides of the competitive spirit. For all readers.” — Library Journal
“A fascinating look at how athletes rebound from the depths of career-defining moments. A terrific read.” — Al Michaels, New York Times bestselling author of You Can't Make This Stuff Up
“A compelling look at great competitors who have stared failure in the face and emerged stronger than ever.” — Charles Barkley
Don Mattingly
In one inspiring story after another, we read about the athletes who will always be winners no matter what the scoreboard says.
Al Michaels
A fascinating look at how athletes rebound from the depths of career-defining moments. A terrific read.
Charles Barkley
A compelling look at great competitors who have stared failure in the face and emerged stronger than ever.
Robert Lipsyte
Gritty and humane, this is a winner about athletes who lost the game but found their souls.
Library Journal
10/01/2016
Noted sports broadcaster Menefee here teams with Arkush (The Fight of the Century) to survey the other side of the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, in 15 of the most harrowing losses over the last 50 years of sports history. Four of the selected devastating defeats came in football, three in baseball, three in basketball, three in the Olympics, and one each in tennis and golf. The narrative pattern of every chapter is consistent; each opens with the protagonist on the brink of a big win. Then, the backstory of how the athlete got to this point is related, before the tale of the big game resumes with its sad denouement. With a "where are they now approach," chapters often focus on the participant deemed most responsible for the loss. Finally, the authors examine the personal aftermath of public downfall: the pain, the price paid, and the lessons learned. Ultimately, the book concludes that "losing is a big deal, but losing isn't everything." VERDICT Although a bit formulaic, this book offers a provocative look at both the good and bad sides of the competitive spirit. For all readers.—John Maxymuk, Rutgers Univ. Lib., Camden, NJ
