Players: The Story of Sports and Money--and the Visionaries Who Fought to Create a Revolution
Written by Matthew Futterman
Narrated by George Newbern
4/5
()
About this audiobook
It started, as most business deals do, with a handshake. In 1960, a Cleveland lawyer named Mark McCormack convinced a golfer named Arnold Palmer to sign with him. McCormack simply believed that the best athletes had more commercial value than they were being paid for—and he was right. Within a few years, he raised Palmer’s annual income from $5,000 to $500,000, and forever changed the landscape of the sports industry, transforming it from a form of entertainment to a profitable and fully functioning system of its own.
“A remarkable saga…filled with insights not only into sports, but also into human nature” (The Dallas Morning News), Players features landmark moments, including the multiyear battle to free Palmer from a bad deal with the Wilson Sporting Goods Company; the 1973 Wimbledon boycott, when eighty-one of the top tennis players in the world protested the suspension of Nikola Pilic; baseball pitcher Catfish Hunter’s battle to become MLB’s first free agent; and how NFL executives transformed pro football from a commercial dud to the greatest show on earth.
“An entertaining, illuminating read” (New York Journal of Books), Players is a riveting, fly-on-the-wall account of the rise and creation of the modern sports world, and the people who made it happen. “No part of the media and entertainment industry has seen a more substantial economic transformation than sports….A half-century tour spanning a variety of widely recognized and lesser-known sports figures and competitions that have played roles in the industry’s development….Players could not be more timely” (The New York Times).
Matthew Futterman
Matthew Futterman is a senior special writer for sports with The Wall Street Journal. He has previously worked for The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Star-Ledger of New Jersey, where he was a part of the team that won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News in 2005. He lives in New York with his wife and children. Players: The Story of Sports and Money, and the Visionaries Who Fought to Create a Revolution is his first book.
Related to Players
Related audiobooks
The NBA Story: How the Sports League Slam-Dunked Its Way into a Global Business Powerhouse Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Built to Lose: How the NBA's Tanking Era Changed the League Forever Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/51996: A Biography - Reliving the Legend-Packed, Dynasty-Stacked, Most Iconic Sports Year Ever Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Cap: How Larry Fleisher and David Stern Built the Modern NBA Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Blood in the Garden: The Flagrant History of the 1990s New York Knicks Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Tough Luck: Sid Luckman, Murder, Inc., and the Rise of the Modern NFL Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5ESPN The Company: The Story and Lessons Behind the Most Fanatical Brand in Sports Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Blood Sport: A-Rod and the Quest to End Baseball's Steroid Era Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5America's Game: The NFL at 100 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Betaball: How Silicon Valley and Science Built One of the Greatest Basketball Teams in History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Black Market: An Insider's Journey into the High-Stakes World of College Basketball Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wish It Lasted Forever: Life with the Larry Bird Celtics Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Billion-Dollar Ball: A Journey Through the Big-Money Culture of College Football Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Club: How the English Premier League Became the Wildest, Richest, Most Disruptive Force in Sports Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Bracketology: March Madness, College Basketball, and the Creation of a National Obsession Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSo Many Ways to Lose: The Amazin’ True Story of the New York Mets—the Best Worst Team in Sports Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Barkley: A Biography Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Real Madrid Way: How Values Created the Most Successful Sports Team on the Planet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Russell Rules: 11 Lessons on Leadership from the 20th Century's Greatest Champion Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Badasses: The Legend of Snake, Foo, Dr. Death, and John Madden's Oakland Raiders Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Seventeen and Oh: Miami, 1972, and the NFL's Only Perfect Season Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWillie Mays: The Life, The Legend Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Game Changers: Dean Smith, Charlie Scott, and the Era That Transformed a Southern College Town Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Inside The Empire: The True Power Behind the New York Yankees Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Heisman: The Man Behind the Trophy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Glory Days: The Summer of 1984 and the 90 Days That Changed Sports and Culture Forever Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Memories from the Microphone: A Century of Baseball Broadcasting Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Sports & Recreation For You
Getting to Neutral: How to Conquer Negativity and Thrive in a Chaotic World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How Am I Doing?: 40 Conversations to Have with Yourself Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Right Call: What Sports Teach Us About Leadership, Excellence, and Decision-Making Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Cactus Jack: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A River Runs Through It Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It Takes What It Takes: How to Think Neutrally and Gain Control of Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Becky Lynch: The Man: Not Your Average Average Girl Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Peak: The New Science of Athletic Performance That is Revolutionizing Sports Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Confident Mind: A Battle-Tested Guide to Unshakable Performance Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to Read Nature: An Expert's Guide to Discovering the Outdoors You've Never Noticed Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mental Toughness Training For Young Athletes - Parent's Guide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sixty-One: Life Lessons from Papa, On and Off the Court Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Longest Race: Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike's Elite Running Team Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Pivots, Blockers, and Jammers: The History of Roller Derby Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Stay Alive in the Woods: A Complete Guide to Food, Shelter and Self-Preservation Anywhere Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/580/20 Running: Run Stronger and Race Faster by Training Slower Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Path Lit By Lightning Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Religion of Sports: Navigating the Trials of Life through the Games we Love Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Arthur: The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Just Tyrus: A Memoir Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for Players
6 ratings1 review
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Very well done. I now have a much better understanding of the money side of sports and how we got to where we are today.