Heart Stoppers and Hail Marys: The Greatest College Football Finishes (since 1970) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Doug Flutie (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"Heart Stoppers and Hail Marys makes you realize why college football is part of America's DNA. These games are the type that cause heartache, tears, and joy . . . all-in-one!" - Beano Cook, ESPN "If college football is the greatest sport - and it is - then Heart Stoppers and Hail Marys is one of the greatest books on the subject." - Tampa Tribune. Do you remember where you were when your favorite college team kicked the last-second game-winning field goal, made the impossible goal-line stand, caught the unthinkable touchdown pass?

Heart Stoppers and Hail Marys chronicles over three decades of astounding, improbable, heart-wrenching, college football finishes in 116 vividly detailed chapters. From east coast to west coast, Division I-A to Division III, all your favorite schools are covered. Each game comes alive as author Ted Mandell sets the scene, recounts the drama of the decisive play, and captures all the post-play emotion and impact.

But it's not enough to just read about the games. Listen to the two-disc audio CD set included with the book! It's packed with the actual broadcasts of the most spine-tingling endings exactly as they were relayed by the great radio voices of college football from around the country. You're right there with the crowd at the thrilling moment of victory or the wrenching pain of defeat.

Heart Stoppers and Hail Marys was a great-selling clothbound work when it was first published in 2000. Now in high-quality paperback for the first time, Mandell has updated the book, adding sixteen new chapters, and a bundle of breathtaking new recordings to the original, plus an index. And one of the best additions is the new Top Ten Heart Stoppers selections, showing the poll results from scores of the most esteemed football journalists around the country. Ten seconds left. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Here we go with the kickoff, the ball comes loose and the Bears have to get out of bounds... David Gordon to win it for Boston College... Flutie takes the snap, scrambles away from one hit... Dropping back McNabb, the heat is on, this is the last play of the game... The snap back to Scott Frost... Time has run out, Stewart throws it for the end zone... Oh, the band is out on the field!... A miracle catch!... Oh my God, Carter scored!... Van Tiffin has kicked a 52-yard field goal and the state of Alabama is crimson!... It's an Iowa touchdown, it's an Iowa touchdown! I can't believe it!... There's a mob scene on the field... Listen to this crowd! Pandemonium!... Colorado has won the game! Can you believe it?!... He did it, he did it, Flutie did it!... Holy cow, Matt Davison!... The Bears have won! The Bears have won! Excuse me for my voice, but I have never, never seen anything like it!

About the Author

Ted Mandell is a faculty member in the Department of Film, Television, and Theatre at the University of Notre Dame, where he teaches film and video production. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Notre Dame in 1986 and Master of Arts in Broadcasting and Film from the University of Iowa in 1989. Although Ted spent four years as a member of the Notre Dame Marching Band, he has never set foot on the gridiron as a player. Which means that, at age 41, he still has four years of college eligibility remaining. Ted lives a Hail Mary's throw from the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana, with his wife KeriAnn, their two sons Joel and Riley, and new daughter Emma.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Hardwood Press (September 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0896515591
• ISBN-13: 978-0896515598
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,096,086 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

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0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great!, January 11, 2007

By	S. Kraska - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This was purchased as a gift and it arrived in a very timely manner and was in perfect condition. I would definitely order from Amazon again!