Jon Finkel

This is the untold story of the city of Seattle, their beloved Sonics, and how the legacy of their stolen team created a transcendent hoops culture and a pipeline of NBA All-Stars, champions and icons with roots in the Emerald City and the Pacific Northwest.Few cities in the history of modern sports had a visceral connection to a professional sports team like the citizens of Seattle and their Sonics. Beginning with their first season in 1967 through their last in 2008, the city's love affair with their team and players was unlike any other. From Lenny Wilkens, Spencer Haywood, Slick Watts, "Downtown" Freddie Brown and Jack Sikma, through Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp and the electric 90s era, all the way up to Ray Allen's run and Kevin Durant's single season, Hoops Heist explores the incredible impact of the Sonics locally and the importance of the franchise nationally.Featuring exhaustive research and exclusive interviews with Seattle legends, NBA Hall of Famers and the players who came of age in the Sonics' shadow, including Isaiah Thomas, Brandon Roy, Doug Christie, Jason Terry, Nate Robinson, Jamal Crawford and more, Hoops Heist captures the transcendence of the Pacific Northwest's basketball scene and its ongoing influence in today's NBA.

Seattle, the Sonics, and How a Stolen Team's Legacy Gave Rise to the NBA's Secret Empire

Hoops Heist

For the first time in US History, every single president's athletic ability has been researched, reviewed and ranked by acclaimed author Jon Finkel (GQ, Men's Fitness, Life of Dad, The Athlete). Which president saved 77 lives as a lifeguard? Which one's lucky handball is still sitting in the Smithsonian over a century after he last played with it? Which president invented a sport? Or practiced jiu-jitsu three afternoons a week while in office? Or was an NCAA champion? The answers to these questions (in order: Reagan, Lincoln, Hoover, T. Roosevelt, Ford) don't even scratch the surface of the awesome athletic information covered in Jocks in Chief. By combining his fitness and sportswriting backgrounds, Finkel takes a thorough, and often hilarious, look at the athletic resumes of every single Commander-in-Chief. From the good (George H.W. Bush played in the College World Series) to the bad (Donald Trump doesn't believe in exercise) to the ugly (Calvin Coolidge regularly rode an electric horse in the White House). In order to objectively rank each president, Finkel invented the White House Athlete Ranking (WH.A.R.), which gives a score of 1 - 10 across five categories, with each president receiving a total score from 0 to 50. The higher the score, the higher the president ranks athletically compared to his fellow POTUS's. The WH.A.R. Categories Are Executive Power - Ranks a president's overall physical strength. Running Ability - Ranks a president's physical fitness and cardio throughout their life (both before and after office). Fit for Office - Ranks how fit a president stayed once in office. Executive Experience - Ranks the athletic accomplishments of a president. Mettle of Honor - Ranks a president's athletic toughness and endurance.

Jocks In Chief: The Ultimate Countdown Ranking the Most Athletic Presidents, from the Fight Crazy to the Spectacularly Lazy

In THE DADVANTAGE, Jon Finkel applies the same humor and logic he made popular in his national magazine columns to prove to men that being in shape and fatherhood aren't mutually exclusive. Relying on his first-hand experience as a dad and his time as a writer for the world's largest fitness publications, Finkel's book is as much a real-world guide for men to follow about how to make wise health decisions post-baby as it is a playbook for men to maximize their minutes during the craziest time of their lives. The book is divided into four fast chapters: Chapter I: Stop the Dad Bod Before It Starts Chapter II: Exercise While Exhausted Chapter III: Yeah Baby - The Unconventional Fitness Guide Chapter IV: The Simplest New Dad Diet That Guarantees Weight Loss Chapters I and II of the book reveal why the mainstream expectations put on new fathers to set their health aside for the good of their wife and child is ridiculous, why men shouldn't feel guilty about taking care of themselves and how every guy absolutely has the time in his existing schedule to perform some practical, easy exercises throughout the day to stay in shape. Chapters III and IV take a unique look at how new dads can use the simple things around them to fit in short, one or two minute workouts. Exercises like "Car Seat Curls," "Baby Bjorn Lunges" and "Mailbox Intervals" transform everyday dad activities into calorie burners and muscle builders. The final chapter shows men how simple, subtle meal changes can have lasting and impressive effects on their diet and physique with minimal effort. The fact is, most men will probably gain weight during their wife's pregnancy. We don't want to, but we will. I did. Unfortunately, guys don't have access to the one-day miracle weight loss plan that women utilize called giving birth. One minute, a woman is bursting at the seams with child, the next minute; she's 15 pounds lighter. Three months later, she's 30 pounds lighter. For men, what was once affectionately called "sympathy weight" is now referred to as "being fat." Once a guy is fat for a certain amount of time, he has officially "let himself go." And once he's "let himself go," it's not easy to get himself back.

A Blueprint for New Fathers to Stay in Shape on No Sleep, with No Time and No Equipment

The Dadvantage

Chad Hennings

FORCES OF CHARACTER presents a series of conversations with extraordinary individuals have lived a life of high moral and functional character; people who demonstrate habits of excellence consistently, who elevate their performance toward a noble purpose, and who begin lifting others to their highest potential. Through candid interviews with the following luminaries, Chad Hennings explores the transfor- mational moments, the mentors and the mindsets that have shaped each person's life: ASTRONAUT - NFL HALL-OF-FAMER - HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR HEISMAN TROPHY WINNER - WHITE HOUSE HONOREE 5X NBA CHAMPIONSHIP COACH - HOMELESS WARRIOR - NFL HEAD COACH - NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM FIGHTER Chad Hennings had a nine-year NFL career and won three Super Bowl Championships with the Dallas Cowboys. He also flew forty-five successful combat missions flying A-10 jets with the Air Force, and is one of the most decorated college football players in NCAA history. Chad has taken his message of character and leadership across the world at the invitation of some of the most distinguished audiences across the country. He is the president of Hennings Management Corporation.

Conversations about Building a Life of Impact

Forces of Character

Joe Greene

Mean Joe Greene's memoir is a master class in determination, domination and perseverance. For the first time ever, the College and Pro Football Hall of Famer gives readers an unflinching look at his rise from high school bully-victim and bench warmer to North Texas legend and Steelers icon.

Built by Football

Mean Joe Greene

The complete, ultimate biography of Heisman Trophy winner, Florida State national champion and New York Knicks point guard Charlie Ward. The Athlete is a towering sports biography, epic in scope and triumphant in its portrayal of one of the greatest modern athletes the world has ever seen.

Greatness, Grace and the Unprecedented Life of Charlie Ward

The Athlete

On its 25th anniversary, relive the legend-stacked, dynasty-packed, most iconic sports year ever with the athletes, teams, and more whose collective influence affected every aspect of a generation of sports and pop culture fans—Jordan, Shaq, Iverson, Kobe, Gretzky, Tiger, Griffey, Jeter, Tyson, the Cowboys, the Yankees, the Bulls, The Rock, Stone Cold, Kentucky, Florida, Agassi, Graf, the Williams Sisters, Happy Gilmore, Space Jam, the Olympics in Atlanta, Muhammad Ali, the Magnificent Seven and more! Take a rollicking tour through the sports world of 1996, when debuts, comebacks, movies, and pop culture crossover changed the sports landscape forever. From college to the Olympics to the pros; from the NBA to golf, tennis, and boxing, 1996 was home to athletes and teams who were among the best marketed, most beloved, colorful, and greatest in history. In 1996: A Biography, sportswriter and author Jon Finkel uncovers the stories behind the stories while interviewing a who’s who of ’96ers to reveal in thrilling detail how their collective influence on sports and pop culture still resonates to this day. For those of us who remember when Iverson, Kobe, The Rock and Stone Cold, the MLS and the WNBA all debuted; when the US Women’s Olympic Gymnastics Team—the Magnificent Seven—won gold for the first time in history; when Mike Tyson and Magic Johnson made their comebacks; when MTV’s Rock n’ Jock, Michael Jordan’s Space Jam, and ESPN’s Dan Patrick and Stuart Scott were the bomb; when the Fun ’n’ Gun offense changed college football; when Ken Griffey Jr. ran for president (really! remember?); when Derek Jeter won Rookie of the Year, Favre marched to his first Super Bowl and Jerry Maguire had everyone saying “show me the money”. . . . 1996 is a sports time machine you’ve got to take for a spin.

A Biography — Reliving the Legend-Packed, Dynasty-Stacked, Most Iconic Sports Year Ever

1996

The Dadvantage - Stay in Shape on No Sleep, with No Time and No Equipment

Art Eddy

A heartwarming and enlightening collection of advice, wisdom, and practical skills featuring an all-star cast of fathers from the popular online community Life of Dad. Becoming a dad gives men a VIP pass into the greatest club on earth: fatherhood. Its rewards are unmatched, its challenges, uncharted. The experience can reach euphoric highs and gut-punching lows. For those moments (and everything in between), The Life of Dad has your back. The Life of Dad is an all-encompassing, entertaining distillation of the full dad experience, through a collection of interviews, podcasts, online chats, Facebook Lives, and more, dispensing collective wisdom from dads who have been in the trenches. From Shaquille O’Neal explaining how he’s taught his kids to be grateful, or Michael Strahan highlighting the importance of accountability, or Jim Gaffigan discussing the challenges of having a house full of kids, The Life of Dad has it all. Including thoughts from Ice Cube, Henry Winkler, Chris Jericho, Denis Leary, Freddie Prinze Jr, Charles Tillman, Mark Feuerstein, and many, many more, you’ll find plenty of camaraderie in the hardest—but most rewarding—job of your life!

Jon Finkel

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