The Nebraska-Northwestern game on
Saturday was a thriller. Except for the Huskers themselves, I don’t think
anyone cared more about a Nebraska win than I. After all, I spent nearly ten
years at Northwestern University Press and last year, hosted three of my former
colleagues at Memorial Stadium, only to see the Wildcats beat us. This year, I
opted to stay home rather than fly to Evanston for the game. I was certain we’d
beat them—but boy was my resolve tested! Alas, the team came through for me.
Those of you who know our Press
know we publish a wide range of sports history, from golf to running to
hiking to professional and collegiate sports such as baseball, basketball, and
football. In fact, we are becoming so well known for our sports books that we
received a surprise visit from Orlando Magic senior VP Pat Williams yesterday.
He was in town for a speech but wanted to stop by and meet the folks at UNP
because he loves our books. We loved meeting him. Thanks, Pat!
Sadly, though, it doesn’t take
someone who follows college or pro sports to know the troubles that have beset
individuals and teams in a culture singularly dedicated to winning. In a book
we published in 2010, Scoreboard, Baby,
Ken Armstrong and Nick Perry go behind the scenes of the University of
Washington’s 2000 football season to uncover a tale of corruption, complicity,
and crime. Buzz Bissinger said it was “the most harrowing book I have ever read
about college sports.” Of course, there are even more harrowing tales about
college football these days—we read about them in the paper every day, it
seems. But college football doesn’t have a monopoly on these tales.
Continue reading “The Director Dish: From the playbook to print”
