{"product_id":"rooney-a-sporting-life-paperback","title":"Rooney: A Sporting Life - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eRob Ruck\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eMaggie Jones Patterson\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eMichael P. Weber\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBorn to an Irish Catholic working-class family on the Northside of Pittsburgh, Art Rooney (1901-88) dabbled in semipro baseball and boxing before discovering that his real talent lay not in playing sports but in promoting them. Though he was at the center of boxing, baseball, and racing in Pittsburgh and beyond, Rooney is best remembered for his contribution to the NFL, in particular to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team he founded in 1933.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs Rooney led the team in the early years, he came to be known as football's greatest loser; his influence, however, was instrumental in making the NFL the best-run league in American pro sports. The authors show how Rooney saw professional football--and the Steelers--through the Depression, World War II, the ascension of TV, and the development of the NFL. The book also follows him through the Steelers' dynasty years under Rooney's sons, with four Super Bowl titles in the 1970s alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe first authoritative look at one of the most iconic figures in the history of the NFL, this book is both a critical chapter in the story of football in America and a thoroughly engaging in-depth introduction to a character unlike any other in the annals of American sports.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRob Ruck is a senior lecturer of history at the University of Pittsburgh and the author of \u003cem\u003eThe Tropic of Baseball\u003c\/em\u003e, available in a Bison Books edition. Maggie Jones Patterson is an associate professor of journalism at Duquesne University and coauthor of \u003cem\u003eBehind the Lines: Case Studies in Investigative Reporting\u003c\/em\u003e. Michael P. Weber (1936-2001) is the author of \u003cem\u003eDon't Call Me Boss: David L. Lawrence, Pittsburgh's Renaissance Mayor\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRob Ruck is a senior lecturer of history at the University of Pittsburgh and the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Tropic of Baseball\u003c\/i\u003e, available in a Bison Books edition. Maggie Jones Patterson is an associate professor of journalism at Duquesne University and coauthor of \u003ci\u003eBehind the Lines: Case Studies in Investigative Reporting\u003c\/i\u003e. Michael P. Weber (1936-2001) is the author of \u003ci\u003eDon't Call Me Boss: David L. Lawrence, Pittsburgh's Renaissance Mayor\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 704\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.81 x 8.7 x 5.86 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e September 01, 2011\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51757596672288,"sku":"9780803237674","price":34.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/fbf0e8bf7a1ac42e0c8316bb145f75f9.webp?v=1780106126","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/rooney-a-sporting-life-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}