Sporting Chance Press Publishes McCaskey's Fifth Sports and Faith Book in 2020

In 2020,  Americans fought hard times. It was an uphill climb and is still going on this month as we are seeing plans to start administering vaccines for the general public to defeat the Coronavirus. It was a pleasure to publish four books at Sporting Chance Press this year and those efforts kept me close to home. 

Our first book this year was Sportsmanship, which was our fifth book in the Sports and Faith Series. Author Patrick McCaskey, Vice President of the Chicago Bears, lives a life that is one of sports and faith. Working with the Chicago Bears Football Club, managing programs that honor exemplary players and coaches, participating in charitable events and programs that give back to the community, and much more are all part of Pat's existence. I can't think of anyone better to write about sports and faith than Pat. 

Besides stories of players, coaches, and contests, Sportsmanship includes a literary portion that features a section on the author's favorite authors, a collection of his Biblical-inspired poems, and a collection of speeches that he has given over the years. Certainly, those who have seen McCaskey in person these past many years will find these works a valuable keepsake.

Who is author Pat McCaskey? McCaskey is a grandson of Papa Bear George Halas, a brother of Chicago Bears Chairman George McCaskey, and son of the guiding spirit of the Bears today, Virginia McCaskey.  McCaskey has been working for the Bears for over 45 years and he is the Chairman of Sports Faith International and Catholic Radio WSFI. 

Image: James Thurber House released to public domain by Nyttend. 

BASEBALL'S WINNING WAYS PUBLISHES

 We are happy to announce publication of our new book, BASEBALL'S WINNING WAYS by J. D. Thorne. BASEBALL'S WINNING WAYS is written for enjoyment, inspiration, and information. The author explores baseball history and high-profile players both current and past.  The drama of the game, baseball superstitions, statistics, and the story of trading cards (baseball cards) are featured. For all fans from age 12 and up, the central theme is baseball's winning ways, those principles that promote baseball values that parents, grandparents, teachers, and coaches want to see passed down. 

BASEBALL'S WINNING WAYS offers interesting reading for the fan at home. Special features also make Winning Ways a wonderful book for schools, home-schooling, and libraries.  Rounding out the book's attractions are "Curveball Quiz" Illustrations by artist Bill Potter that are reminiscent of classic baseball cards that entertain and challenge readers' knowledge. Parents and grandparents will enjoy this book as much as their children and grandchildren. Available here. 

Positive Athletes Help Us All

 I sometimes think of the comedians that make fun of sports with silly  stories about people chasing after little balls on the golf course and confusion about just "who is on first!" Some sports fans might give these routines a little laugh, but for me they were never that funny. Oh, certainly there is a lot of emotion that goes into being a fan and sometimes things do get out of hand. But the truth is that real life can just be very difficult for many people. Sometimes the difficulties go on and on. And while many of us get down on our knees and ask for God's help, sports offers a great time-out from our worries and makes us feel young at any age, if only for a short time. Saint Paul used sports as a metaphor for not just life, but life well-lived. I think Saint Paul would have been a sports fan. 

I know young sports fans enjoy playing sports more than anything. Watching sports is the next best thing.  And then there is clothing, memorabilia, signage for our cars, sports bars, branded sports drinks and foods, sports programs, sports news feeds, and today all types of gambling promotions. And of course, there are books on sports! That's where I come in. 

Certainly, not all athletes are role models, but many of them do make great sacrifices to work as a member of a team to achieve wonderful results. They work through all kinds of setbacks and tough times. And if we are patient enough, our teams usually come though at one time or another. When Mike Cameron wrote our Public Bonehead, Private Hero about baseball's Fred Merkle, Mike's favorite team the Chicago Cubs were still lovable losers who had not won a World Series in over 100 years. Then in 2016, Mike's Cubs led by Joe Madden and a great group of young talent won the World Championship. Each year we see amazing turn-arounds that keep fans engaged. 

You can complain about the sports in 2020 with the fits and starts, the lack of real fans at games, etc., because of Coronavirus, but I am one of those who is very happy to have something--some semblance of the sports life we love. Many of the contests and results may be recorded with asterisks and footnotes, but there is something wonderful about the positive athletes, coaches, refs, management and owners who are giving their best.  

If you look back at the history of professional sports, you will see there were many times where seasons were seriously affected by tough times. Many times, the game carried on regardless and for most people the message was enlightening: we will get through this and better times will follow. 

New Winning Ways Series Features Three Pillars

 Papa Bear and the Chicago Bears' Winning Ways by Chicago Bears Vice President features three great parts from which young readers will benefit:

One part Bears history with highlights of important events and players.

One part American history that took place while the Bears were getting going. 

One part of self help that will encourage habits of virtue. 

PAPA BEAR AND THE CHICAGO BEARS' WINNING WAYS reviews the exciting story of George Halas and his dynamic role in professional football. Halas who was present in the first days of the National Football League (NFL) all the way into the modern age of football. Author Patrick McCaskey, a Chicago Bears Vice President and Director, is a grandson of Papa Bear George Halas. McCaskey highlights his grandfather's life with key events from the 20th century. McCaskey follows Halas as a student, athlete, soldier, coach, team owner—a man of commerce and community. Halas’s 20th century path is laid out before readers. PAPA BEAR AND THE CHICAGO BEARS' WINNING WAYS includes some of the coach’s important words of wisdom that young people need today to achieve success. These “winning ways” are used in exercises that were originally devised by Ben Franklin that readers will find helpful and interesting. A glossary, special exercises, a quiz and discussion questions help readers expand their interest and learning experiences. Readers are taken on a short journey through history that helps them expand their understanding of our world. The book introduces Halas quotes and the methods of one of America’s founding fathers and original self-help gurus, Ben Franklin.

Specifications:

Papa Bear and the Chicago Bears' Winning Ways

Paperback, 5.5 x 8.5; 130 pp

historical photographs, topical index

Available on Amazon 

Inspired by Pillars of the NFL: Papa Bear Book for Kids

As a publisher if you are doing things right, every book you produce has some connection to others you've done. Pillars of the NFL is certainly a book that I love as much as a book reader as a publisher. Written by Patrick McCaskey, Pillars is a classic that should be in every football fan's library. A crazy amount of research went into Pillars and it was not easy, although quire rewarding.  

In Patrick McCaskey's Sports and Faith Series, he also talked about some NFL Pillars in those books. And now we are producing a new series for middle grades and older that we are calling our Winning Ways Series. Papa Bear and the Chicago Bears' Winning Ways takes things from our Sports and Faith Series and the Pillars of the NFL. 

PAPA BEAR AND THE CHICAGO BEARS' WINNING WAYS reviews the exciting story of George Halas and his dynamic role in professional football. Halas who was present in the first days of the National Football League (NFL) all the way into the modern age of football. Author Patrick McCaskey, a Chicago Bears Vice President and Director, is a grandson of Papa Bear George Halas. McCaskey highlights his grandfather's life with key events from the 20th century. McCaskey follows Halas as a student, athlete, soldier, coach, team owner—a man of commerce and community. Halas’s 20th century path is laid out before readers. PAPA BEAR AND THE CHICAGO BEARS' WINNING WAYS includes some of the coach’s important words of wisdom that young people need today to achieve success. These “winning ways” are used in exercises that were originally devised by Ben Franklin that readers will find helpful and interesting. A glossary, special exercises, a quiz and discussion questions help readers expand their interest and learning experiences. Readers are taken on a short journey through history that helps them expand their understanding of our world. The book introduces Halas quotes and the methods of one of America’s founding fathers and original self-help gurus, Ben Franklin.

Specifications:

5.5 x 8.5 paperback,

130 pp., ISBN:

9781734586312

With illustrations, 

learning aids, TOC, 

and topical index. 

Pillars and Scapegoating

Pillars is the term we used for our book about the coaches who went on to create the top winning programs in professional football. A coach has to have all his players doing well as a team for a winning program. I know from my own modest coaching experience, as you move up in age and level of competition any weaknesses can often be exploited by your opposition. You might be able to hide a poor outfielder in right field in the early stages of Little League, but the more advanced teams will start hitting to right at every opportunity.  As a coach, you learn that the program you  put in place has to spend time focusing on improving your weakest players. 

Sometimes in the cruelest of ways, a very good player fails in a critical moment and the public comes to scapegoat him or her although other team members were certainly part of the loss. You often see a coach or group of players expound on the importance of playing as a team and teamwork.  That doesn't mean however, that everyone shares that opinion after a loss. 

We recently saw that Bill Buckner passed away. Buckner is remembered by some for his missed ground ball in the 1986 World Series between Boston Red Sox and the New York Mets. Similar to other players who have been scapegoated in Major League Baseball, there was plenty of blame to go around for the loss, but Buckner took it on the chin. Buckner was injured, and many believe he should not have been in the game at the time. Regardless, the mistake was a small footnote in a splendid career--the error has been exaggerated in its importance. With the Boston Red Sox now winning 4 World Series Championships in the 21st century, you hope to see more spirited positive coverage of Buckner's career. 

Our book, Public Bonehead, Private Hero, covered the baseball life of Fred Merkle. Merkle played in the pre-radio time when the newspapers followed baseball very closely. Merkle's mistake was not tagging second base when a player on his team lined a hit to the outfield and Merkle got off the field as many of his contemporary baserunners would have done in the same circumstance. Tagging the next base was the rule on a game winning hit with men on base, but the rule was generally ignored. Merkle was only 19 at the time, but the press was merciless and raked Merkle over the coals in the press. Fans picked up on the write ups and let Merkle have it at home and away--for DECADES. 

Preseason Reminder: NFL Approves New Rule to Allow for Reviews of Pass Interference

The NFL ownership approved a new rule in March that allows for offensive and defensive pass interference (including non-calls)  to be subject to review. According to the NFL, coaches can challenge those calls in the first 28 minutes of each half. In the final two minutes of each half, those calls will be subject to a booth review. This rule change is made on a trial basis only for the 2019 season.

The one play that was the most egregious non-call last year took place in the NFC Championship game. The Saints and Rams were tied late in the game (1:49 remaining); the Saints had the ball on third and 10. Drew Brees from just beyond the 20 yard line threw to his receiver Tommylee Lewis who was down field at about the 5 yard line. Clearly, Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman tackled Lewis and made helmet-to-helmet contact before the football arrived. Two penalties could have been called. If pass interference was called, the Saints would have had the ball roughly a yard away from the end zone. Brees could have used up more clock and scored late in the game leaving the Rams with no time or very little time. The Rams went on to win the game in overtime. 

Based on that game, Saints owner Gayle Benson wrote a letter expressing her dissapointment: “No team should ever be denied the opportunity to reach the title game (or simply win a game) based on the actions, or inactions, of those charged with creating a fair and equitable playing field. As is clear to all who watched the game, it is undeniable that our team and fans were unfairly deprived of that opportunity yesterday."