Book Description

With an introduction by Hunter S. Thompson. Following the success of the New York Times bestseller ESPN SportsCentury comes a new collection of essays, illustrations, and photographs that explores a completely original concept: sports as the American secular religion. We've all seen the images: a stadium of fans performing the "we are not worthy" genuflection, a St. Vincent Lombardi medal, Michael Jordan being followed by a worshipful crowd of media members. And what room doesn't grow silent to absorb the words of the prophet-like Muhammad Ali, or to revel in footage of the miracle victory of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team Indeed, the parallels are unmistakable: Sports is America's secular religion, and its famous figures occupy a hallowed place in our culture. No one has ever captured this topic as cogently as the writers included in Saints, Saviors and Sinners. Each section of the book is accompanied by numerous photographs, which viscerally support the theme of each grouping. Le Anne Schreiber writes about "Saints," Ralph Wiley discusses "Saviors," Peter Carlson examines "Sinners," Robert Lipsyte explores the "Prophets," and George Plimpton delves into "God." Superbly designed by the prize-winning team behind ESPN SportsCentury, Saints, Saviors and Sinners is far more than a compendium of photos, illustrations, and essays -- it is a cohesive, insightful, and instructive examination of America's top sports figures and their position in our society.