Rivals! The Ten Greatest American Sports Rivalries of the 20th Century

by Davies, Richard O.

• ISBN13: 9781444320800
• ISBN10: 1444320807
• Edition: 1st
• Format: eBook
• Copyright: 2010-03-02
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

Rivals! The Ten Greatest American Sports Rivalries of the 20th Century presents the most memorable rivalries in over a hundred years of American sports history.

• Examines ten of the greatest American sports rivalries of the past century, relating them to their broader historical context
• Includes the rivalries between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, Duke and North Carolina, Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, and more
• Draws upon the most recent works of sport historians, as well as hundreds of books, articles, and newspaper accounts
• Reveals a deep understanding of American sports history and American popular culture
• Features 30 images that bring the rivalries vividly to life

Author Biography

Richard O. Davies is Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he teaches courses in 20th-century American History, American Ideas and Values, and the History of American Sports. His books include Main Street Blues: The Decline of Small-Town America (1998), America’s Obsession: Sports and Society Since 1945 (1994), Betting the Line: Sports Wagering in American Life (2001), and Sports in American Life: A History (Wiley-Blackwell, 2007).

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

1 Fight Fiercely: Harvard and Yale Create the First Great Football Rivalry.

2 "We Hate Each Other's Guts": The Dodgers and the Giants.

3 Battle Along Tobacco Road: Duke and North Carolina Basketball.

4 Mayhem on the Midway: The Bears and the Packers.

5 Shootin' Irons: The Jack Nicklaus-Arnold Palmer Golf Rivalry.

6 Cross-Country Conflict: The Celtics and the Lakers.

7 The Bull and the Butterfly: The Never-Ending Rivalry Between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali.

8 Friendly Foes: Chrissie and Martina.

9 "Dearest Enemies": Michigan-Ohio State Football.

10 East Coast Baseball Rivalry: The Red Sox and the Yankees.

Further Reading.

Index.