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Franklin Foer

Marc Tracy

Jewish Jocks: An Unorthodox Hall of Fame Hardcover – October 30, 2012

by Franklin Foer (Editor), Marc Tracy (Editor)

55 ratings

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A collection of essays by today's preeminent writers on significant Jewish figures in sports, told with humor, heart, and an eye toward the ever elusive question of Jewish identity.
Jewish Jocks: An Unorthodox Hall of Fame is a timeless collection of biographical musings, sociological riffs about assimilation, first-person reflections, and, above all, great writing on some of the most influential and unexpected pioneers in the world of sports. Featuring work by today's preeminent writers, these essays explore significant Jewish athletes, coaches, broadcasters, trainers, and even team owners (in the finite universe of Jewish Jocks, they count!).

Contributors include some of today's most celebrated writers covering a vast assortment of topics, including David Remnick on the biggest mouth in sports, Howard Cosell; Jonathan Safran Foer on the prodigious and pugnacious Bobby Fischer; Man Booker Prize-winner Howard Jacobson writing elegantly on Marty Reisman, America's greatest ping-pong player and the sport's ultimate showman. Deborah Lipstadt examines the continuing legacy of the Munich Massacre, the fortieth anniversary of which coincided with the 2012 London Olympics. Jane Leavy reveals why Sandy Koufax agreed to attend her daughter's bat mitzvah. And we learn how Don Lerman single-handedly thrust competitive eating into the public eye with three pounds of butter and 120 jalapeño peppers. These essays are supplemented by a cover design and illustrations throughout by Mark Ulriksen.

From settlement houses to stadiums and everywhere in between, Jewish Jock features men and women who do not always fit the standard athletic mold. Rather, they utilized talents long prized by a people of the book (and a people of commerce) to game these games to their advantage, in turn forcing the rest of the world to either copy their methods -- or be left in their dust.

Print length

304 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Twelve
Publication date

October 30, 2012
Dimensions

6.25 x 1 x 9.25 inches
ISBN-10

1455516139
ISBN-13

978-1455516131
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Marc Tracy and Franklin Foer have compiled JEWISH JOCKS: An Unorthodox Hall of Fame, essays on 'the most influential Jews in sports,' from athletes, coaches, and owners to broadcasters and statisticians. David Remnick, David Brooks, Jonathan Safran Foer, Jane Leavy, and Steven Pinker are among the heavyweight contributors. You'll laugh, you'll cry."―Publishers Weekly, Top 10 Sports Books Fall 2012

Editor's Choice: "Fifty well-written brief portraits."―The New York Times Book Review

"Jewish Jocks' ends up convincing you of its theme: The history of Jews in sports is, in important ways, the history of sports."―Will Leitch, Wall Street Journal

"A must for the bookshelf of any Jewish sports fan."― Kirkus Reviews

"Belies the cheap punch line [to] prove that the Jewish sporting tradition is as rich as it is varied. Jewish Jocks features notable writers in peak form."―Sports Illustrated

"A skillful collection... through its sheer comprehensiveness, JEWISH JOCKS also makes the argument that the Jewish athlete isn't an anomaly."―Los Angeles Times

About the Author

Franklin Foer is editor of the New Republic and a Schwartz Fellow at the New America Foundation. He is the author of How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization.

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at the New Republic. Previously, he was a staff writer at Tablet magazine; the blog he edited there, The Scroll, won the 2011 National Magazine Award.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Twelve; 1st edition (October 30, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1455516139
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1455516131
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.11 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,535,247 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #738 in Sports Humor
- #1,765 in Sports Essays (Books)
- #5,652 in Jewish History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
55 ratings

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5 star		62%
4 star		28%
3 star		7%
2 star		3%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Rick Shaq GoldsteinTop Contributor: Baseball

RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "THE BIG LEBOWSKI: 3,000 YEARS OF BEAUTIFUL TRADITION: FROM MOSES TO SANDY KOUFAX"

Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2012

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"Jewish Jocks" is the perfect formula for all that is special in modern Jewish literature... history past and present... more sorrow than any one people deserve to be burdened with... denigration that many don't... won't... and shouldn't put up with... writing that from paragraph to paragraph can range from poetic... to humorous... to agonizingly emotional if you are a true member of the tribe... role models in areas you may not have thought to look for them in... and the beautiful sense of family and pride over the centuries... and yes... more and more Jewish idols and role models in sports!

The very short stories that range from Sid Luckman to Sandy Koufax... and from Mose Soloman (whose signing by John McGraw and the Giants led to the following headline in the Sporting News: "McGRAW PAYS 50K FOR ONLY JEWISH BALLPLAYER IN CAPTIVITY.") to boxing champion Barney Ross whose story written by Buzz Bissinger is probably the most powerful six page story you'll read in many a year!

The multiplicity of authors with subjects ranging from boxers from over 250 years ago to ping pong players to a basketball coach named Auerbach who never paid "retail" for the stars he acquired through trades, in what history has proven to be almost always one-sided in *THE-RED*... also include members of the tribe of Israel that are infamous as well. Including Arnold Rothstein who was part of the throwing of the 1919 World Series as well as Jack Molinas who helped throw basketball games from all sides of the court. What makes each short story provide a larger impact to the reader than the mere total of the pages... is that you can feel the personal heartfelt feelings in almost every writer's story.

In my opinion this book is not unlike a top athlete who can hit, field, run, throw and hit with power. This book can make you laugh... and make you want to cry. You are reminded of the Holocaust... and really what human being should ever forget that... with facts such as: "Three quarters of Dutch Jewry was murdered in the Holocaust, a higher proportion than anywhere else in western Europe"... it motivates you when the great Hank Greenberg said about all the anti-Semitic attacks: "IT DROVE ME TO DO BETTER, TO PROVE THAT A JEW COULD BE A BALLPLAYER." And the humor... "G-d made the Gentiles because someone had to buy retail."

There are so many great stories in this one book... and I'd be amiss to not make note of the one on the great prideful Al Rosen who fought back on and off the baseball field against the despicable anti-Semitism he faced and it "only intensified Rosen's Jewish identity."

There's a lot to be learned for both Jews and Gentiles in this book... from the fact "Between the two world wars, there were twenty-six Jewish boxing champions, including two of the greatest fighters of the era, Benny Leonard and Barney Ross"... to the tough as nails Jewish quarterback who changed the game by the name of Sid Luckman... "Sid (changing yet another stereotype) is remembered less for his brain than for his brawn. It was impossible to keep Sid Luckman out of a crucial contest. Like Moshe Dayan or Bugsy Siegel, he was the big Yid who tells the world, "YOU THINK YOU KNOW US, BUT YOU'RE WRONG."

P.S. And a little humor for the road: "Arnold Rothstein is the price we pay for Albert Einstein."

10 people found this helpful

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Good book for Jewish sports-junkies...

Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2012

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"Jewish Jocks" is a compilation of short essays about Jews in the sports world. While the famous athletes - Sandy Koufax, Hank Greenberg, Mark Spitz - are accounted for in the book, editors Franklin Foer and Marc Tracy add many less acknowledged Jewish sportspeople, including gambler Arnold Rothstein, fantasy-baseball founder Daniel Okrent, and Jack Molinas, a basketball "point-shaver" from the early 1950's.

Each of the 50 or so essays highlight a part of the subject's life. Most are based on their careers in sports or collateral industries, but a few concentrate on their lives outside sports. All the essays tie their subjects to their religion. The writing is uniformly good throughout; the only exception was Buzz Bissinger's essay on boxer Barney Ross. He writes in a stream-of-concienceness way, which may be how he normally writes. I don't know but I found it basically unreadable. Many of the authors have personal ties to the subject they're writing about; Jane Leavy writes about inviting Sandy Koufax to her daughter's bat mitzvah, for instance.

"Jewish Jocks" is basically a thought-provoking look at many Jewish sportspeople. I was prompted to look up many of the subjects to find out more about them. And, in a few cases, I looked on them in a different light than before I read the book.

5 people found this helpful

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seahorse 50

More Than Sports

Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2012

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This is a rich and erudite review of Jews as citizens as well as athletes. Not all of the Jews are jocks and not all of them are white hats (Arnold Rothstein). This is a work of history and anthropology. The heroes here had to overcome bigotry and stereotypes, yet were allowed to walk with Kings. We are also reminded that Jews were not truly emancipated until well into the middle of the 20th century. It suggests that Sports is The Great Emancipator.
Take a look at Kinsler playing second base for the Texans: a five skill athlete. Then look over into the dugout at his boss. Then look at the Dallas NBA franchise. The individual struggles of Jewish Jocks have had societal impacts far beyond their intentions.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Arthur Wortman

An Enjoyable Anytime Read

Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2014

Verified Purchase

The book has 50 separate essays about Jewish figures in all realms of sporting--athletes, managers, journalists, etc.--
and so you can sit down and just read one or two essays and then pick up the book again whenever you have time
for more. They all seem to be very well written. I've already given one as a gift, and it was much enjoyed by the
recipient. I anticipate at least one or two more such gifts.

Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2013

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Great read even if you are not Jewish,I think most members of any ethnic group feels pride when one of them excells at anything positive and this book brings to light many things I was unawhere of,a good solid read with a lot of info and brings to light just how difficult it is for any minority to excell when you have to overcome things that should not even have an impact.

Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2013

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Though the first story isn't the best, this book is chock full of charming and delightful tidbits that make it great for gift giving to any one of any age group. Young adults as well as the older generation who have a bit of curiosity will enjoy learning the role Jews play both in front and behind the scenes in many sports. It isn't even necessary to know the names of the sports figures, though I'm sure that adds to the enjoyment. I had bought the book intending it as a gift for one of my adult sons but I have been reading it and enjoying it myself.

Helpful

Badger75

Great read and would make a terrific holiday gift for ...

Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2014

Verified Purchase

Great read and would make a terrific holiday gift for the older sports fan. As most of the bios are athletes of a bygone era (Sid Luckman, Red Auerbach) younger reader might find it less compelling. Well researched.

Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2017

Verified Purchase

Fun book

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