“Fascinating, informative and hugely entertaining. This is a book I will return to again and again.”
–BILL BRYSON, author of A Walk in the Woods and A Short History of Nearly Everything
“”Josh Chetwynd’s study underscores the enormous influence that sports have had on our language … Chetwynd’s accomplishment is … his easy style, engaging storytelling, and charming tone, which moves from high to low culture faster than an Allen Iverson crossover dribble.”
–CHRISTOPHER J. SCALIA, The Weekly Standard
Introduction 1
Part 1. Team Sports
1. BASEBALL 7
2. BASKETBALL 43
3. FOOTBALL 55
4. HOCKEY 73
5. SOCCER 81
Part 2. Individual Sports
6. AUTO RACING 89
7. BILLIARDS (POOL) 95
8. BOWLING 103
9. BOXING 107
10. GOLF 129
11. HORSE RACING 137
12. TENNIS 163
13. TRACK AND FIELD (RUNNING) 169
14. WRESTLING 179
