True Believers

The Tragic Inner Life of Sports Fans

Nonfiction, Sports, Reference, Entertainment, Humour & Comedy, General Humour
Cover of the book True Believers by Joe Queenan, Henry Holt and Co.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Joe Queenan ISBN: 9781429932738
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. Publication: April 1, 2004
Imprint: Henry Holt and Co. Language: English
Author: Joe Queenan
ISBN: 9781429932738
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Publication: April 1, 2004
Imprint: Henry Holt and Co.
Language: English

Bestselling author Queenan explores the world of sports fans in an attempt to understand the inexplicable: What does anyone get out of it?

For Yankee, Cowboy, and Laker fans the answer is fairly clear: the return on investment is relatively high. But why do people root so passionately for tragically inept teams like the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs, and the Philadelphia Phillies? Why do people organize their emotional lives around lackluster franchises such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, the San Diego Padres, and the Phoenix Suns, none of whom have ever won a single championship in their entire history? Is it pure tribalism? An attempt to maintain contact with one's vanished childhood?

In True Believers, humorist and lifelong Philly fan Joe Queenan answers these and many other questions, shedding light on—and reveling in—the culture and psychology of his countless fellow fans. Making pilgrimages to such cradles of competition as Notre Dame Stadium, Fenway, and Wrigley Field, Queenan delves into every aspect of fandom in such illuminating chapters as Fans Who Love Too Much (men, like the author, who actually resort to psychotherapy to deal with their unhealthy addiction), Fans Who Run in Front (which meticulously delineates the differences between Retroactive, Municipal, and Vicarious Frontrunners), and Fans Who Misbehave (those who spill beer on women, moon other fans, or throw half-eaten sandwiches at innocent bystanders simply because they look like the current coach of the New York Jets). True Believers is a hilarious but also heartfelt look into the world of those fans who realize that it is, in fact, more than just a game.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Bestselling author Queenan explores the world of sports fans in an attempt to understand the inexplicable: What does anyone get out of it?

For Yankee, Cowboy, and Laker fans the answer is fairly clear: the return on investment is relatively high. But why do people root so passionately for tragically inept teams like the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs, and the Philadelphia Phillies? Why do people organize their emotional lives around lackluster franchises such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, the San Diego Padres, and the Phoenix Suns, none of whom have ever won a single championship in their entire history? Is it pure tribalism? An attempt to maintain contact with one's vanished childhood?

In True Believers, humorist and lifelong Philly fan Joe Queenan answers these and many other questions, shedding light on—and reveling in—the culture and psychology of his countless fellow fans. Making pilgrimages to such cradles of competition as Notre Dame Stadium, Fenway, and Wrigley Field, Queenan delves into every aspect of fandom in such illuminating chapters as Fans Who Love Too Much (men, like the author, who actually resort to psychotherapy to deal with their unhealthy addiction), Fans Who Run in Front (which meticulously delineates the differences between Retroactive, Municipal, and Vicarious Frontrunners), and Fans Who Misbehave (those who spill beer on women, moon other fans, or throw half-eaten sandwiches at innocent bystanders simply because they look like the current coach of the New York Jets). True Believers is a hilarious but also heartfelt look into the world of those fans who realize that it is, in fact, more than just a game.

More books from Henry Holt and Co.

Cover of the book Oracle Night by Joe Queenan
Cover of the book The Number Devil by Joe Queenan
Cover of the book Eggs over Evie by Joe Queenan
Cover of the book Wild Orca by Joe Queenan
Cover of the book Wildly Romantic by Joe Queenan
Cover of the book The Great Reformer by Joe Queenan
Cover of the book One Bright Ring by Joe Queenan
Cover of the book What's Your Favorite Color? by Joe Queenan
Cover of the book Necromancing the Stone by Joe Queenan
Cover of the book First Came the Owl by Joe Queenan
Cover of the book Why Women Have Sex by Joe Queenan
Cover of the book More Than True by Joe Queenan
Cover of the book I See a Pattern Here by Joe Queenan
Cover of the book Tecumseh by Joe Queenan
Cover of the book Ancestral Truths by Joe Queenan
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy