Overview

This narrative history of minor league football teams in Connecticut in the 1960s and 1970s is based on extensive newspaper and periodical research and interviews with nearly 70 former players, broadcasters and journalists. Only a few players--like Marv Hubbard, Lou Piccone and Bob Tucker--made it to the NFL, but many more played for as little as $25 per game in their quest to make it big or just have fun. Wealthy men like Pete Savin and Frank D'Addario owned teams in Hartford and Bridgeport. In the days before cable television saturated the media with live sports, small town fans turned out to support their local heroes, often men who worked on construction crews during the week and stopped by the diner Sunday morning to talk football. Now in their 60s, 70s and 80s, these men share their stories of a simpler era; the good times, like the Hartford Knights' 1968 ACFL championship season, and the long bus rides and missed paydays that were as much a part of minor league ball as first downs and interceptions.

Full Product Details

Author:   William J. Ryczek
Publisher:   McFarland & Co Inc
Imprint:   McFarland & Co Inc
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.00cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.517kg
ISBN:  

9780786478330

ISBN 10:   0786478330
Pages:   388
Publication Date:   29 October 2014
Recommended Age:   From 18 years
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Available To Order  
We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents Acknowledgments  ix Introduction: The Twenty-First Century  1 1. A Minor League Town  13 2. One Big Step from the NFL  19 3. That’s What They Do in the Fall  24 4. A Football Crazed Town: The 1962–63 Ansonia Black Knights  38 5. The 1962 Stamford Golden Bears  62 6. A Hopeful Beginning and a Rude Awakening: The 1964–65 Hartford Charter Oaks  70 7. It’s Hard to Be a Major League: The 1966–67 Hartford Charter Oaks  97 8. Two Steps from the Major Leagues: The Meriden Shamrocks and New Britain Bees  116 9. An Unhappy Relationship: The 1966–67 Waterbury Orbits  138 10. A New Team in Hartford  161 11. The Championship Team: The Right Place at the Right Time  179 12. The Championship Season: The 1968 Hartford Knights  201 13. The 1969 Hartford Knights  224 14. The Snow Bowl: The 1970 Hartford Knights  239 15. Hi Ho, Hi Ho, to Bridgeport We Go: The 1968–70 Bridgeport Jets  260 16. A Four-Team ACFL: The 1971 Hartford Knights and Bridgeport Jets  287 17. A Perfect Season in an Imperfect League: The 1972 Hartford Knights  302 18. Back in the ACFL: The 1973 Hartford Knights and Bridgeport Jets  320 Epilogue  335 Appendix: Scores and Records by Season  351 Chapter Notes  359 Bibliography  365 Index  367

Reviews

Author Information

William J. Ryczek is a finance professional from Wallingford, Connecticut, who writes about early baseball, football, the Yankees, and the Mets.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions