Gospel According to ESPN, The: Saints, Saviors, and Sinners [Hardcover]

Jay Lovinger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 6, 2002

Following the success of the New York Times bestseller ESPN SportsCentury comes a new collection of essays, illustrations, and photographs that explores a completely original concept: sports as the American secular religion. Far more than a compendium of photos, illustrations, and essays--this is a cohesive, insightful, and instructive examination of America's top sports figures and their position in society.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This illustrated collection of essays offers profiles of leading sports figures from players to coaches, representing the eponymous saints, saviors and sinners. With an introduction by Thompson, the book features essays by Robert Lipsyte, George Plimpton, Ralph Wiley, Le Anne Schreiber and Peter Carlson along with many photographs. While some of those profiled-Billie Jean King, Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods and Babe Ruth-have already been extensively written about, here is a fresh perspective. Each piece profiles the person not only in terms of his or her individual achievements but in light of their respective sport, as well as world events at the time. The photographs are also not simply standard glamour shots; they're more unusual, including several police mug shots. The entertaining trivia sidebars will appeal to sports fans: for instance, the section on Mark "The Bird" Fidrych, the one-time Detroit Tiger pitcher, is accompanied by a list of others who were also "one season" wonders, such as boxer Buster Douglas, who defeated Mike Tyson.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This book is not about ESPN, though it was put together under its auspices. Nor is it a staid, scholarly interpretation of sports as a secular religion but a lively pop take (gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson contributed the introduction) on that subject. Heavyweights such as George Plimpton and the New York Times's Robert Lipsyte offer essays showing us athletes who have personified various aspects of the sport-as-religion school. Some of the book's choices are no-brainers: Larry Bird/Magic Johnson (presented, fittingly, as a duo) and Jackie Robinson as saviors; Vince Lombardi as a god; Pete Rose, O.J. Simpson, and virtually all of the notable sinners. But we are also introduced to some figures about whom we know very little or who surprise us by their presence here: Heisman winner Nile Kinnick of the University of Iowa, pitcher Mark "The Bird" Fidrych, and the horse Ruffian as saints (as in religion, martyrdom oils the way to sainthood) and Avery Brundage as a prophet. The sports-as-religion angle isn't new, but this is an entertaining, informative, often funny collection of essays, spiced with many interesting sidebars, that is a pleasure to read. For the public library with a few extra bucks in the budget, a word of advice: try it, your readers will like it.
Jim Burns, Jacksonville P.L., FL
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; 1ST edition (November 6, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078686754X
• ISBN-13: 978-0786867547
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 9.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,319,205 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Gospel According to ESPN, March 10, 2010

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Mr. Phelps - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Gospel According to ESPN, The: Saints, Saviors, and Sinners (Hardcover)

This is a pretty interesting book. I'm not in love with the guy who wrote the introduction (nor the introduction itself), but the book targets a few
well-known athletes and gives some excellent insight into them. I like the
book, and right now, Amazon connects you with some vendors who have some really good (and I mean REALLY GOOD) prices on the book. I recommend the
book.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Brand overextension, July 29, 2005

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Ebay's Modor1 "--Mod" (Marshalltown, IA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gospel According to ESPN, The: Saints, Saviors, and Sinners (Hardcover)

"Saints, Saviors, and Sinners" is another meek attempt by ESPN/Disney to use their brand name in an effort to coerce the buyer into purchasing something, simply because the ESPN name is on it. I found the book to be lacking in content, and uninteresting overall. I received the book as a Christmas gift in 2003, and have read about six pages in it. Certainly not worth the $40.00 cover price.

If you want a decent book profiling sportsmen, pick up one of Sports Illustrated's year-end books.