The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies: Featuring the 100 Greatest Sports Films of All Time [Paperback]

Ray Didinger (Author), Glen Macnow (Author), Gene Hackman (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 22, 2009

Guys love movies. Especially sports movies, where every underdog has his day, every team achieves glory, and every hero gets his moment of redemption. Next to watching Monday Night Football, there’s nothing more enjoyable than plopping down on the couch with the remote and a bottle of beer and firing up the special-edition DVD of Rocky, Hoosiers, Caddyshack, or any other fan favorite.

Now, two nationally renowned sports media personalities take on the task of ranking the top 100 sports movies of all time, including entertaining and informative lists, special features, and contributions from over 75 top sports figures. From drama to comedy to tragedy to documentary, all the greatest sports films are here, brought to life through detailed summaries, fun facts and trivia, behind-the-scenes revelations, plus images from the greatest moments in sports film history.

Original comments from some of the top personalities in sports and entertainment—including Peyton and Eli Manning, Charles Barkley, Tony Romo, James Gandolfini, Bill Parcells, Dennis Quaid, Arnold Palmer, and many more—provide further insight and marketing punch.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The Boston Globe, November 1, 2009
“…this book is great fun.”

The Oregonian, November 18, 2009
"…fun arguments and rental tips, and this book is full of all sorts of interesting facts."

Patriot-News, December 14, 2009
"…light and fun and can be busted open at any page. … The joy of any book like this is that is spurs friendly debate. This one should be on-hand at every bar in America. It's that good as a reference souce. But it's also speckled with bits of reporting and strewn with factoids and anecdotes that even devoted fans of these movies might not know. …a terrific casual read."

Bill Conlin, Philadelphia Daily News, February 2, 2010
“The 'Ultimate Book of Sports Movies' will be required reading in school - the famed UCLA School of Film, Theater and Television, that is…I am blown away by how good it is, how painstakingly researched, cleverly arranged and augmented by little sidebars and essays…. If you love sports and film, this is an irresistible and superbly crafted read, one of the best books written by any authors with local roots not named Bissinger, Dexter, Bowden or Poe.”

The Florida Times- Union, May 23, 2010
“…more than just a list. It’s a deeply researched book that summarizes each movie and gives fascinating background on how each was produced.”

About the Author

Ray Didinger won five Emmy® Awards as a producer and writer with NFL Films. He is a prolific author of nine books on sports, including his two most recent bestsellers: Eagles Encyclopedia and One Last Read. He is a Pro Football Hall of Fame sportswriter, and wrote for the Philadelphia Bulletin and Philadelphia Daily News for over 30 years. He is a host on 610-WIP all-sports talk radio in Philadelphia, and appears weekly on Comcast SportsNet TV as the primary analyst on Eagles Post-Game Live. He lives in Philadelphia.

Glen Macnow has been a popular sports-radio talk-show host at Philadelphia’s 610-WIP for over 14 years, following an award-winning career as a sportswriter for the Philadelphia Inquirer and Detroit Free Press. He is the author of three best-selling sports books, and is a frequent guest on local and national television sports shows. He lives outside Philadelphia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Running Press; Original edition (September 22, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762435488
• ISBN-13: 978-0762435487
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #643,237 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ray Didinger won six Emmy(R) Awards as a producer and writer with NFL Films. He is the author of ten books on sports, including his three most recent bestsellers: The Eagles Encyclopedia, One Last Read, and The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies.

Didinger wrote for the Philadelphia Bulletin and Philadelphia Daily News for more than 30 years. He was named Pennsylvania Sportswriter of the Year five times by the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. In 1995, he won the Dick McCann Award for long and distinguished coverage of pro football, and his name was added to the writers' honor roll in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Didinger is a host on 610-WIP all-sports talk radio in Philadelphia, and appears on Comcast SportsNet TV as the primary analyst on Eagles Post-Game Live. He lives in Philadelphia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars THE ULTIMATE BOOK OF SPORTS MOVIES, November 11, 2009

By 

R. Otoole (Berkely, Mi USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies: Featuring the 100 Greatest Sports Films of All Time (Paperback)

I AM TAKEN AWAY BY A GOOD SPORTS MOVIE. AFTER READING THIS BOOK, I WAS TAKEN AWAY WITH THE BOOK. THE AUTHORS, RAY DIDINGER AND GLEN MACNOW PUT THESE MOVIES IN THERE PROPER PRESPECTIVE WITH A GREAT ANALYSIS OF EACH MOVIE. THE SIDE COMMENT FROM WELL KNOWN ACTORS AND SPORTSTARS PROVE TO BE WELL WORTH YOUR TIME.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars top 100 greatest sports movies, July 10, 2010

By 

Maureen B. Gilligan "MaureenFerrie" (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies: Featuring the 100 Greatest Sports Films of All Time (Paperback)

This book was a great compendium of the best sports movies. My husband and I agree with many of the choices and this book has also made us aware of several movies which we have not seen, but are now eager to watch based on the recomendations made.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very highly recommended for any sports or movie general-interest library, March 18, 2010

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies: Featuring the 100 Greatest Sports Films of All Time (Paperback)

The Ultimate Book of Sports Movies features 100 sports films deemed the greatest of all time and adds in fun features, facts, and original contributions from over 100 superstars. The result is a survey that offers not just the top 100 films with movies from every sport in the field to synopsis and sidebars of information. Very highly recommended for any sports or movie general-interest library.