-
Bad Sports
- How Owners Are Ruining the Games We Love
- Narrated by: Jones Allen
- Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Bad Sports
Buy for $17.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Winning Fixes Everything
- How Baseball’s Brightest Minds Created Sports’ Biggest Mess
- By: Evan Drellich
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 13 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 62
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 54
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 54
Baseball has been defaced and consumed by corporate America. As Moneyball-thinking and Ivy League graduates grabbed hold of the sport, the Astros set out to build a cost-efficient winning machine on the principles of the outside business world, squeezing every dollar out of every transaction, player and employee. In less than a decade, Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow helped revolutionize the game and create an environment that led to one of the worst cheating scandals in baseball history, a Shakespearean tragedy of innovation and failed change management.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The Houston Trashstros
- By DavidF on 02-20-23
By: Evan Drellich
-
What's My Name, Fool?
- Sports and Resistance in the United States
- By: Dave Zirin
- Narrated by: Aaron Abano
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 26
Here Edgeofsports.com sportswriter Dave Zirin shows how sports express the worst, as well as the most creative and exciting, features of American society. Zirin explores how Janet Jackson's Super Bowl flash-time show exposed more than a breast, why the labor movement has everything to learn from sports unions, and why a new generation of athletes is no longer content to "play one game at a time" and is starting to get political.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting read
- By sosnows8 on 08-16-20
By: Dave Zirin
-
Jim Brown
- Last Man Standing
- By: Dave Zirin
- Narrated by: Dave Zirin
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 34
Dave Zirin's book redefines an American icon, and not always in a flattering light. At 81 years old, Brown continues to speak out and look for fights. His recent public support of Donald Trump and criticism of Colin Kaepernick are just the latest examples of someone who seems restless if he is not in conflict. Jim Brown is a raw and thrilling account of Brown's remarkable life and a must-listen for sports fans and students of the Black freedom struggle.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Just Ok
- By MIGS on 01-06-24
By: Dave Zirin
-
Everything Trump Touches Dies
- By: Rick Wilson
- Narrated by: Rick Wilson
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,164
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,781
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,760
In Everything Trump Touches Dies, political campaign strategist and commentator Rick Wilson brings his darkly funny humor and biting analysis to the absurdity of American politics in the age of Trump. Wilson mercilessly exposes the damage Trump has done to the country, to the Republican Party he served for decades, and to the conservative movement that has abandoned its principles for the worst president in American history. No left-winger, Wilson is a lifelong conservative who delivers his withering critique of Trump from the right.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Everything Trump Touches Dies is a hard book to review
- By Amanda W. on 08-08-18
By: Rick Wilson
-
The Billionaires Club
- By: James Montague
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 34
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 32
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 31
Once upon a time football was run by modest local businessmen. Today it is the plaything of billionaire oligarchs, staggeringly wealthy from oil and gas, from royalty, or from murkier sources. But who are these new masters of the universe? Where did all their money come from? And what do they want with our beautiful game? In The Billionaires Club James Montague delves deeper than anyone else has dared, to tell this story for the first time.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
So boring! There is no cohesive story
- By Patrick Johnson on 02-15-22
By: James Montague
-
Ball Four
- The Final Pitch
- By: Jim Bouton
- Narrated by: Jim Bouton
- Length: 18 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,833
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,602
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,598
When Ball Four was published in 1970, it created a firestorm. Bouton was called a Judas, a Benedict Arnold and a “social leper” for having violated the “sanctity of the clubhouse.” Baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn tried to force Bouton to sign a statement saying the book wasn’t true. Ballplayers, most of whom hadn’t read it, denounced the book. It was even banned by a few libraries. Almost everyone else, however, loved Ball Four.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Three Ten Year Updates Give Bouton a 5th Star
- By Byron on 08-09-12
By: Jim Bouton
-
Winning Fixes Everything
- How Baseball’s Brightest Minds Created Sports’ Biggest Mess
- By: Evan Drellich
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 13 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 62
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 54
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 54
Baseball has been defaced and consumed by corporate America. As Moneyball-thinking and Ivy League graduates grabbed hold of the sport, the Astros set out to build a cost-efficient winning machine on the principles of the outside business world, squeezing every dollar out of every transaction, player and employee. In less than a decade, Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow helped revolutionize the game and create an environment that led to one of the worst cheating scandals in baseball history, a Shakespearean tragedy of innovation and failed change management.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The Houston Trashstros
- By DavidF on 02-20-23
By: Evan Drellich
-
What's My Name, Fool?
- Sports and Resistance in the United States
- By: Dave Zirin
- Narrated by: Aaron Abano
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 26
Here Edgeofsports.com sportswriter Dave Zirin shows how sports express the worst, as well as the most creative and exciting, features of American society. Zirin explores how Janet Jackson's Super Bowl flash-time show exposed more than a breast, why the labor movement has everything to learn from sports unions, and why a new generation of athletes is no longer content to "play one game at a time" and is starting to get political.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting read
- By sosnows8 on 08-16-20
By: Dave Zirin
-
Jim Brown
- Last Man Standing
- By: Dave Zirin
- Narrated by: Dave Zirin
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 34
Dave Zirin's book redefines an American icon, and not always in a flattering light. At 81 years old, Brown continues to speak out and look for fights. His recent public support of Donald Trump and criticism of Colin Kaepernick are just the latest examples of someone who seems restless if he is not in conflict. Jim Brown is a raw and thrilling account of Brown's remarkable life and a must-listen for sports fans and students of the Black freedom struggle.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Just Ok
- By MIGS on 01-06-24
By: Dave Zirin
-
Everything Trump Touches Dies
- By: Rick Wilson
- Narrated by: Rick Wilson
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,164
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,781
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,760
In Everything Trump Touches Dies, political campaign strategist and commentator Rick Wilson brings his darkly funny humor and biting analysis to the absurdity of American politics in the age of Trump. Wilson mercilessly exposes the damage Trump has done to the country, to the Republican Party he served for decades, and to the conservative movement that has abandoned its principles for the worst president in American history. No left-winger, Wilson is a lifelong conservative who delivers his withering critique of Trump from the right.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Everything Trump Touches Dies is a hard book to review
- By Amanda W. on 08-08-18
By: Rick Wilson
-
The Billionaires Club
- By: James Montague
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 34
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 32
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 31
Once upon a time football was run by modest local businessmen. Today it is the plaything of billionaire oligarchs, staggeringly wealthy from oil and gas, from royalty, or from murkier sources. But who are these new masters of the universe? Where did all their money come from? And what do they want with our beautiful game? In The Billionaires Club James Montague delves deeper than anyone else has dared, to tell this story for the first time.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
So boring! There is no cohesive story
- By Patrick Johnson on 02-15-22
By: James Montague
-
Ball Four
- The Final Pitch
- By: Jim Bouton
- Narrated by: Jim Bouton
- Length: 18 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,833
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,602
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,598
When Ball Four was published in 1970, it created a firestorm. Bouton was called a Judas, a Benedict Arnold and a “social leper” for having violated the “sanctity of the clubhouse.” Baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn tried to force Bouton to sign a statement saying the book wasn’t true. Ballplayers, most of whom hadn’t read it, denounced the book. It was even banned by a few libraries. Almost everyone else, however, loved Ball Four.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Three Ten Year Updates Give Bouton a 5th Star
- By Byron on 08-09-12
By: Jim Bouton
-
Republicans Buy Sneakers, Too
- How the Left Is Ruining Sports with Politics
- By: Clay Travis
- Narrated by: Clay Travis
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 635
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 555
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 551
Sports media superstar Clay Travis wants to save sports from the social justice warriors seeking to turn them into another political battleground. Having ruined journalism and Hollywood, far-left-wing activists have now turned to sports. Travis argues it’s time for right-thinking fans everywhere to put down their beers and reclaim their teams and their traditions. In Republicans Buy Sneakers, Too, he replays the arguments he’s won and lays out all the battles ahead. His goal is simple: to make sports great again.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Love or hate him you should love this book
- By Mike on 10-03-18
By: Clay Travis
-
50 Things Liberals Love to Hate
- By: Mike Gallagher
- Narrated by: Mike Gallagher
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 23
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 20
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 20
National radio talk show host Mike Gallagher provides a careful study into the psyche of the liberal mind, using humor and irony to both entertain and instruct. A recent Gallup/ USA Today Poll (not exactly Fox News Channel) revealed that 42 percent of Americans called themselves conservative, 35 percent moderate, while only 20 percent used the "L" word to describe themselves. Mike Gallagher uses his trademark humor to take the listener inside the life and mind of the American liberal, coming up with 50 definitive things liberals just love to hate.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Very funny
- By S. Tinajero on 10-10-12
By: Mike Gallagher
-
Sharing the Wealth
- My Story
- By: Alex Spanos
- Narrated by: David Brower
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 23
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 24
Sharing the Wealth is the incredible true story of how a $40 a week baker became a multi-millionaire owner of a Super Bowl NFL team and an unprecedented philanthropist. The road Alex Spanos took to riches was not a common one. Without the advantages of money, background, education, or connections, Spanos relied on his own heart and determination to achieve success. Spanos recounts how his first gamble was his hardest and most important.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Longing for less brag, more down to earth approach and business inner workings
- By david on 12-14-23
By: Alex Spanos
-
You Herd Me!
- I'll Say It If Nobody Else Will
- By: Colin Cowherd
- Narrated by: Colin Cowherd
- Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 506
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 459
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 457
In this age of billion dollar athletic marketing campaigns, “feel good” philosophy with no connection to reality, and a Sports Media echo chamber that’s all too eager swallow whatever idiotic notion happens to be in vogue at the moment, it’s tough to find people who aren’t afraid to say what they’re really thinking.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great book, Repeats majority of themes from radio
- By Troy on 01-20-14
By: Colin Cowherd
-
The Club
- How the English Premier League Became the Wildest, Richest, Most Disruptive Force in Sports
- By: Joshua Robinson, Jonathan Clegg
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 13 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 502
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 444
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 440
No one knew it when their experiment began, but without any particular genius or acumen, the motley cast of billionaires and hucksters behind the modern Premier League struck gold. Pretty soon, everyone wanted to try their luck, from Russian oligarchs to Emirati sheikhs, American tycoons, and Asian Tiger titans. Some succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. Some lost everything. Today, players are sold for tens of millions, clubs are valued in the billions, and games are beamed out to nearly 200 countries, all while the league struggles to preserve its English soul.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Read don't listen
- By JR3 on 01-23-19
By: Joshua Robinson, and others
-
The Heritage
- Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism
- By: Howard Bryant
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 199
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 173
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 175
Today, sports arenas have been transformed into staging grounds for American patriotism and the hero worship of law enforcement. Teams wear camouflage jerseys to honor those who serve; police officers throw out first pitches; soldiers surprise their families with homecomings at halftime. Sports and politics are decidedly entwined. But as journalist Howard Bryant reveals, this has always been more complicated for black athletes, who from the start were committing a political act simply by being on the field.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing read that is detailed and informative
- By Miller on 05-04-23
By: Howard Bryant
-
Big Game
- The NFL in Dangerous Times
- By: Mark Leibovich
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 312
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 267
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 269
Big Game is a chronicle of "peak football" - the high point of the sport's economic success and cultural dominance but also the time when the dark side began to show. It is an era of explosive revenue growth but also one of creeping existential fear. Players have long joked that NFL stands for "not for long", but as the true impact of concussions becomes inescapable background noise, it's increasingly difficult to enjoy the simple glory of football without the buzzkill of its obvious consequences.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Reader needs to learn names
- By Jim on 09-16-18
By: Mark Leibovich
-
Billion-Dollar Ball
- A Journey Through the Big-Money Culture of College Football
- By: Gilbert M. Gaul
- Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 41
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 40
In the spring of 2013, a study showed that despite huge economic problems, 27 states were awarding their highest salaries to college football coaches. College football has doubled in size in the last decade thanks to generous tax breaks, lavish TV deals, and corporate sponsors eager to slap their logos on everything from scoreboards to footballs and uniforms. In one recent year, the 10 biggest programs took in $800 million from football, with profit margins far surpassing those of Fortune 500 companies.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Much Better Books Out There On This Subject
- By Andrew N Dobson on 01-19-16
By: Gilbert M. Gaul
-
The Last Temptation of Rick Pitino
- A Story of Corruption, Scandal, and the Big Business of College Basketball
- By: Michael Sokolove
- Narrated by: Joshua Kane
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 59
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 54
From acclaimed New York Times Magazine author Michael Sokolove, the astonishing inside story of the epic corruption scandal that has rocked the NCAA and exposed the rot and hypocrisy at the heart of big-time college sports.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
More than we even imagined....
- By M. Feder on 10-03-18
By: Michael Sokolove
-
Trump Revealed
- An American Journey of Ambition, Ego, Money, and Power
- By: Michael Kranish, Marc Fisher
- Narrated by: Campbell Scott
- Length: 15 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 647
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 578
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 573
Trump Revealed offers the most thorough and wide-ranging examination of Donald Trump's public and private lives to date, from his upbringing in Queens and formative years at the New York Military Academy to his turbulent careers in real estate and entertainment to his astonishing rise as the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination. The book is based on the investigative reporting of more than two dozen Washington Post reporters and researchers.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
All You've Seen, Read, Heard--In One Place
- By Gillian on 08-25-16
By: Michael Kranish, and others
-
Better Off Without 'Em
- A Northern Manifesto for Southern Secession
- By: Chuck Thompson
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 180
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 165
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 164
Let’s talk about secession. Not exactly the most suitable cocktail party conversation starter anywhere in the country, but take that notion deep into the heart of Dixie and you might find yourself running from the possum-hunting conservatives, trailer-park lifers, and prayer warriors Chuck Thompson encountered during the two years he spent traveling the American South asking the question: Would we be better off without ’em?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
What can I say? I loved it.
- By Blake on 03-02-14
By: Chuck Thompson
-
Players
- The Story of Sports and Money - and the Visionaries Who Fought to Create a Revolution
- By: Matthew Futterman
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 47
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 43
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 43
For fans of Michael Lewis, the astounding untold story of how professional sports transformed, in the span of a single generation, from a cottage industry into a massive global business. In the cash-soaked world of contemporary sports, where every season brings news of higher salaries, endorsement deals, and television contracts, it is mind-boggling to remember that as recently as the 1970s elite athletes earned so little money that many were forced to work second jobs in the off-season to make ends meet.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Starts slow...
- By John on 08-09-16
Publisher's summary
Funny, engaging, and sharply pointed in his appraisal of the sports complex bankrupting our cities, the celebrated author of A People’s History of Sports in the United States returns with a hard-hitting indictment of big business and the corrupt practices that are ruining the sports we love.When attending a baseball game becomes a luxury reserved for the wealthy few and cities build multi-million dollar stadiums while letting their bridges crumble, the price of sports in this country demands reassessment.
Bad Sports cuts through the hype and bombast to give us a portrait of sports ownership as irresponsible as the financial shenanigans that drove the nation to the edge of economic ruin. From the outrageous use of public funds for stadium construction to the use of these spaces for religious and political platforms, Dave Zirin raises vital questions about misplaced priorities and moral abdications among the politicians we elect and the owners of the teams we root for.Speaking out in clear and passionate terms for the rights of any taxpayer and sports fan, Zirin returns America’s favorite pastimes back to where they belong - in the open and for the people.
More from the same
Related to this topic
-
The Billionaires Club
- By: James Montague
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 34
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 32
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 31
Once upon a time football was run by modest local businessmen. Today it is the plaything of billionaire oligarchs, staggeringly wealthy from oil and gas, from royalty, or from murkier sources. But who are these new masters of the universe? Where did all their money come from? And what do they want with our beautiful game? In The Billionaires Club James Montague delves deeper than anyone else has dared, to tell this story for the first time.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
So boring! There is no cohesive story
- By Patrick Johnson on 02-15-22
By: James Montague
-
What's My Name, Fool?
- Sports and Resistance in the United States
- By: Dave Zirin
- Narrated by: Aaron Abano
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 26
Here Edgeofsports.com sportswriter Dave Zirin shows how sports express the worst, as well as the most creative and exciting, features of American society. Zirin explores how Janet Jackson's Super Bowl flash-time show exposed more than a breast, why the labor movement has everything to learn from sports unions, and why a new generation of athletes is no longer content to "play one game at a time" and is starting to get political.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting read
- By sosnows8 on 08-16-20
By: Dave Zirin
-
You Herd Me!
- I'll Say It If Nobody Else Will
- By: Colin Cowherd
- Narrated by: Colin Cowherd
- Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 506
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 459
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 457
In this age of billion dollar athletic marketing campaigns, “feel good” philosophy with no connection to reality, and a Sports Media echo chamber that’s all too eager swallow whatever idiotic notion happens to be in vogue at the moment, it’s tough to find people who aren’t afraid to say what they’re really thinking.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great book, Repeats majority of themes from radio
- By Troy on 01-20-14
By: Colin Cowherd
-
The Club
- How the English Premier League Became the Wildest, Richest, Most Disruptive Force in Sports
- By: Joshua Robinson, Jonathan Clegg
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 13 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 502
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 444
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 440
No one knew it when their experiment began, but without any particular genius or acumen, the motley cast of billionaires and hucksters behind the modern Premier League struck gold. Pretty soon, everyone wanted to try their luck, from Russian oligarchs to Emirati sheikhs, American tycoons, and Asian Tiger titans. Some succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. Some lost everything. Today, players are sold for tens of millions, clubs are valued in the billions, and games are beamed out to nearly 200 countries, all while the league struggles to preserve its English soul.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Read don't listen
- By JR3 on 01-23-19
By: Joshua Robinson, and others
-
The Heritage
- Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism
- By: Howard Bryant
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 199
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 173
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 175
Today, sports arenas have been transformed into staging grounds for American patriotism and the hero worship of law enforcement. Teams wear camouflage jerseys to honor those who serve; police officers throw out first pitches; soldiers surprise their families with homecomings at halftime. Sports and politics are decidedly entwined. But as journalist Howard Bryant reveals, this has always been more complicated for black athletes, who from the start were committing a political act simply by being on the field.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing read that is detailed and informative
- By Miller on 05-04-23
By: Howard Bryant
-
Billion-Dollar Ball
- A Journey Through the Big-Money Culture of College Football
- By: Gilbert M. Gaul
- Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 41
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 40
In the spring of 2013, a study showed that despite huge economic problems, 27 states were awarding their highest salaries to college football coaches. College football has doubled in size in the last decade thanks to generous tax breaks, lavish TV deals, and corporate sponsors eager to slap their logos on everything from scoreboards to footballs and uniforms. In one recent year, the 10 biggest programs took in $800 million from football, with profit margins far surpassing those of Fortune 500 companies.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Much Better Books Out There On This Subject
- By Andrew N Dobson on 01-19-16
By: Gilbert M. Gaul
-
The Billionaires Club
- By: James Montague
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 34
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 32
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 31
Once upon a time football was run by modest local businessmen. Today it is the plaything of billionaire oligarchs, staggeringly wealthy from oil and gas, from royalty, or from murkier sources. But who are these new masters of the universe? Where did all their money come from? And what do they want with our beautiful game? In The Billionaires Club James Montague delves deeper than anyone else has dared, to tell this story for the first time.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
So boring! There is no cohesive story
- By Patrick Johnson on 02-15-22
By: James Montague
-
What's My Name, Fool?
- Sports and Resistance in the United States
- By: Dave Zirin
- Narrated by: Aaron Abano
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 26
Here Edgeofsports.com sportswriter Dave Zirin shows how sports express the worst, as well as the most creative and exciting, features of American society. Zirin explores how Janet Jackson's Super Bowl flash-time show exposed more than a breast, why the labor movement has everything to learn from sports unions, and why a new generation of athletes is no longer content to "play one game at a time" and is starting to get political.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting read
- By sosnows8 on 08-16-20
By: Dave Zirin
-
You Herd Me!
- I'll Say It If Nobody Else Will
- By: Colin Cowherd
- Narrated by: Colin Cowherd
- Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 506
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 459
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 457
In this age of billion dollar athletic marketing campaigns, “feel good” philosophy with no connection to reality, and a Sports Media echo chamber that’s all too eager swallow whatever idiotic notion happens to be in vogue at the moment, it’s tough to find people who aren’t afraid to say what they’re really thinking.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Great book, Repeats majority of themes from radio
- By Troy on 01-20-14
By: Colin Cowherd
-
The Club
- How the English Premier League Became the Wildest, Richest, Most Disruptive Force in Sports
- By: Joshua Robinson, Jonathan Clegg
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 13 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 502
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 444
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 440
No one knew it when their experiment began, but without any particular genius or acumen, the motley cast of billionaires and hucksters behind the modern Premier League struck gold. Pretty soon, everyone wanted to try their luck, from Russian oligarchs to Emirati sheikhs, American tycoons, and Asian Tiger titans. Some succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. Some lost everything. Today, players are sold for tens of millions, clubs are valued in the billions, and games are beamed out to nearly 200 countries, all while the league struggles to preserve its English soul.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Read don't listen
- By JR3 on 01-23-19
By: Joshua Robinson, and others
-
The Heritage
- Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism
- By: Howard Bryant
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 199
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 173
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 175
Today, sports arenas have been transformed into staging grounds for American patriotism and the hero worship of law enforcement. Teams wear camouflage jerseys to honor those who serve; police officers throw out first pitches; soldiers surprise their families with homecomings at halftime. Sports and politics are decidedly entwined. But as journalist Howard Bryant reveals, this has always been more complicated for black athletes, who from the start were committing a political act simply by being on the field.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Amazing read that is detailed and informative
- By Miller on 05-04-23
By: Howard Bryant
-
Billion-Dollar Ball
- A Journey Through the Big-Money Culture of College Football
- By: Gilbert M. Gaul
- Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 41
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 39
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 40
In the spring of 2013, a study showed that despite huge economic problems, 27 states were awarding their highest salaries to college football coaches. College football has doubled in size in the last decade thanks to generous tax breaks, lavish TV deals, and corporate sponsors eager to slap their logos on everything from scoreboards to footballs and uniforms. In one recent year, the 10 biggest programs took in $800 million from football, with profit margins far surpassing those of Fortune 500 companies.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Much Better Books Out There On This Subject
- By Andrew N Dobson on 01-19-16
By: Gilbert M. Gaul
-
Better Off Without 'Em
- A Northern Manifesto for Southern Secession
- By: Chuck Thompson
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 180
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 165
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 164
Let’s talk about secession. Not exactly the most suitable cocktail party conversation starter anywhere in the country, but take that notion deep into the heart of Dixie and you might find yourself running from the possum-hunting conservatives, trailer-park lifers, and prayer warriors Chuck Thompson encountered during the two years he spent traveling the American South asking the question: Would we be better off without ’em?
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
What can I say? I loved it.
- By Blake on 03-02-14
By: Chuck Thompson
-
Players
- The Story of Sports and Money - and the Visionaries Who Fought to Create a Revolution
- By: Matthew Futterman
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 47
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 43
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 43
For fans of Michael Lewis, the astounding untold story of how professional sports transformed, in the span of a single generation, from a cottage industry into a massive global business. In the cash-soaked world of contemporary sports, where every season brings news of higher salaries, endorsement deals, and television contracts, it is mind-boggling to remember that as recently as the 1970s elite athletes earned so little money that many were forced to work second jobs in the off-season to make ends meet.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Starts slow...
- By John on 08-09-16
-
Football for a Buck
- The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL
- By: Jeff Pearlman
- Narrated by: Joel Richards
- Length: 14 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 480
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 416
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 414
The United States Football League was the last football league to not merely challenge the mighty NFL but also to cause it to collectively shudder. It spanned three seasons, featured as many as 18 teams, secured multiple television deals, drew millions of fans, and launched the careers of legends - but then it died beneath the weight of a particularly egotistical and bombastic owner, a New York businessman named Donald Trump. Jeff Pearlman draws on more than 400 interviews to unearth all the salty, untold stories of one of the craziest sports entities to have ever captivated America.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Ahhh the USFL
- By Film Lover on 10-11-18
By: Jeff Pearlman
-
Republicans Buy Sneakers, Too
- How the Left Is Ruining Sports with Politics
- By: Clay Travis
- Narrated by: Clay Travis
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 635
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 555
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 551
Sports media superstar Clay Travis wants to save sports from the social justice warriors seeking to turn them into another political battleground. Having ruined journalism and Hollywood, far-left-wing activists have now turned to sports. Travis argues it’s time for right-thinking fans everywhere to put down their beers and reclaim their teams and their traditions. In Republicans Buy Sneakers, Too, he replays the arguments he’s won and lays out all the battles ahead. His goal is simple: to make sports great again.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Love or hate him you should love this book
- By Mike on 10-03-18
By: Clay Travis
-
Indentured
- The Inside Story of the Rebellion Against the NCAA
- By: Joe Nocera, Ben Strauss
- Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 52
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 54
The National Collegiate Athletic Association has come under fire. Fans have begun to realize that the athletes involved in the two biggest college sports, men's basketball and football, are little more than indentured servants. Millions of teenagers accept scholarships to chase their dreams of fame and fortune - at the price of absolute submission to the whims of an organization that puts their interests dead last.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An Armament agnst NCAA: Enlightening, Infuriating
- By W Perry Hall on 03-15-16
By: Joe Nocera, and others
-
The League
- How Five Rivals Created the NFL and Launched a Sports Empire
- By: John Eisenberg
- Narrated by: Daniel Thomas May
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 277
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 252
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 252
The National Football League's current dominance has obscured how professional football got its start. In The League, John Eisenberg reveals that Art Rooney, George Halas, Tim Mara, George Preston Marshall, and Bert Bell took an immense risk by investing in the professional game. At that time, the sport barely registered on the national scene. The five owners succeeded only because at critical junctures in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, each sacrificed the short-term success of his team for the longer-term good of the League.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
what a great book. loved it completely.
- By Daniel Mosca on 11-08-18
By: John Eisenberg
-
Endzone
- The Rise, Fall, and Return of Michigan Football
- By: John U. Bacon
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 16 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 201
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 186
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 184
Endzone tells the story of how college football's most successful and respected program nearly lost it all in less than a decade and entirely of its own doing. It is a story of hubris, greed, and betrayal, a tale more suited to Wall Street than the world's top public university.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Outstanding!
- By Justin on 12-21-15
By: John U. Bacon
-
The Extra 2%
- How Wall Street Strategies Took a Major League Baseball Team from Worst to First
- By: Jonah Keri
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 217
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 181
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 182
In The Extra 2%, financial journalist and sportswriter Jonah Keri chronicles the remarkable story of one team's Cinderella journey from divisional doormat to World Series contender. By quantifying the game's intangibles, they were able to deliver to Tampa Bay an American League pennant. This is an informative and entertaining case study for any organization that wants to go from worst to first.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
No Strategies or Insight
- By Victor Luera on 10-11-12
By: Jonah Keri
-
Mike Bloomberg
- Money, Power, Politics
- By: Joyce Purnick
- Narrated by: Mark Moseley
- Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 63
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 52
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 51
Michael Bloomberg is not only New York City's 108th mayor; he is a business genius and self-made billionaire. He has run the toughest city in America with an independence and show of ego that first brought him great success and eventually threatened it. Yet while Bloomberg is internationally known and admired, few people know the man behind the carefully crafted public persona.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Not the most captivating, but a decent summary
- By liz w on 03-06-17
By: Joyce Purnick
-
Forty Million Dollar Slaves
- The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete
- By: William C. Rhoden
- Narrated by: William C. Rhoden
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 357
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 306
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 303
From Jackie Robinson to Muhammad Ali and Arthur Ashe, African American athletes have been at the center of modern culture, their on-the-field heroics admired and stratospheric earnings envied. But for all their money, fame, and achievement, says former New York Times columnist William C. Rhoden, Black athletes still find themselves on the periphery of true power in the multibillion-dollar industry their talent built. Provocative and controversial, Rhoden's Forty Million Dollar Slaves weaves a compelling narrative of Black athletes in the United States.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Book and Narrator Review
- By Leonor on 12-26-17
-
The National Team (Updated and Expanded Edition)
- The Inside Story of the Women Who Dreamed Big, Defied the Odds, and Changed Soccer
- By: Caitlin Murray
- Narrated by: Andi Arndt
- Length: 11 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 182
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 160
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 158
The US Women’s National Soccer Team has won three World Cups and four Olympic gold medals, set record TV ratings, drawn massive crowds, earned huge revenues for FIFA and US Soccer, and helped to redefine the place of women in sports. But despite their dominance, and their rosters of superstar players, they’ve endured striking inequality: low pay, poor playing conditions, and limited opportunities to play in professional leagues.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
Too much swearing
- By Rebecca Sheldon on 01-23-20
By: Caitlin Murray
-
Beautiful Country Burn Again
- Democracy, Rebellion, and Revolution
- By: Ben Fountain
- Narrated by: Ron Butler
- Length: 14 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 85
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 79
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 79
Beautiful Country Burn Again narrates a shocking year in American politics, moving from the early days of the Iowa Caucus to the crystalizing moments of the Democratic and Republican national conventions, and culminating in the aftershocks of the weeks following election night. Along the way, Fountain probes deeply into history, illuminating the forces and watershed moments of the past that mirror and precipitated the present, from the hollowed-out notion of the American Dream, to Richard Nixon’s Southern strategy, to the cult of celebrity that gave rise to Donald Trump.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Must read
- By Gerald Moore on 11-01-18
By: Ben Fountain
What listeners say about Bad Sports
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- steve finkelstein
- 02-21-22
The book is great but the narrator is awful.
What kind of narrator doesn’t know how to pronounce the author of Ball Four’s name? I have to assume the narrator is not a sports fan or an idiot. Probably both. And why didn’t someone edit that out? Lazy bums.
Beyond the narrator rant, the book is a sad reflection of our society.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- mighty mac
- 08-22-19
Must listen for those interested in sports future
Fantastic listen. Listened to in August 2019. An older book now, originally released in 2010; the author captures both the time of its writing and many points remain prescient. If you are interested in the future of professional sports this book offers an excellent history of how we got we are and offers solutions to solve problems. Enjoy!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!