Men in Blazers Present Encyclopedia Blazertannica
A Suboptimal Guide to Soccer, America's "Sport of the Future" Since 1972
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Narrated by:
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Roger Bennett
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Michael Davies
About this listen
Soccer has been America's Sport of the Future since 1972. Propelled by the rise of the World Cup, Premier League, the glory of the United States Women's National Team, Lionel Messi's demigod-esque talent and repeat exposure to Cristiano Ronaldo's preening abs, that future has finally arrived.
The Men in Blazers are two English-born, soccer-obsessed broadcasters who have savored the dizzying growth of the game along with millions of Americans, as if it was a rollicking, sporting telenovela playing out in real life. Written in such a way that fully immerses Americans in the history and culture of the world's game, their Encyclopedia Blazertannica relives the careers of such greats such as George Best, Maradona, Beckham...and Alexi Lalas. It examines fan culture, from the tactical variations of scarf tying, to the pathos of England's classic, yet doomed, World Cup theme songs, and explores the complex physics and ethics of both celebratory knee slides and fights between players, along with such burning questions as how professional footballers deal with hair loss. Any listener will feel as if they've had a front-row seat for the classic matches - seeing every dive and missed penalty kick, and hearing every vulgar chant - and will emerge with a deeper appreciation for the dodgy haircuts and ill-judged neck tattoos that populate world football.
Includes bonus material exclusive to the audiobook: an extended clip from the Men in Blazers podcast
©2018 Roger Bennett, Michael Davies (P)2018 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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- By James Trainor on 04-19-18
By: Shane Ryan
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Bloody Confused!
- A Clueless American Sportswriter Seeks Solace in English Soccer
- By: Chuck Culpepper
- Narrated by: Alex Hyde-White
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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After covering the American sports scene for 15 years, Chuck Culpepper suffered from a profound case of Common Sportswriter Malaise. He was fed up with self-righteous proclamations, steroid scandals, and the deluge of in-your-face PR that saturated the NFL, the NBA, and MLB. Then in 2006, he moved to London and discovered a new and baffling world - the renowned Premiership soccer league. Culpepper pledged his loyalty to Portsmouth, a gutsy, small-market team at the bottom of the standings. As he puts it, “It was like childhood, with beer.”
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Not for americans
- By Bernie Sepponan on 09-12-14
By: Chuck Culpepper
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Sweetness
- The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton
- By: Jeff Pearlman
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 18 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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At five feet ten inches tall, running back Walter Payton was not the largest player in the NFL, but he developed a larger-than-life reputation for his strength, speed, and grit. Nicknamed “Sweetness” during his college football days, he became the NFL’s all-time leader in rushing and all-purpose yards, capturing the hearts of fans in his adopted Chicago.
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Honest Accounting Of A Fascinating Life
- By RevInTampa on 08-19-15
By: Jeff Pearlman
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The Great Nowitzki
- Basketball and the Meaning of Life
- By: Thomas Pletzinger, Shane Anderson - translator
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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The seven-foot Dirk Nowitzki is one of the great players in basketball history. With a devastating fadeaway and unexpected agility, the Dallas Mavericks superstar helped to pioneer the modern three-shooting game and became a global ambassador for the sport. Award-winning novelist and sportswriter Thomas Pletzinger traveled with Nowitzki for more than seven years, seeking the secret of his success and longevity. In novelistic detail, Pletzinger tells the dramatic story of how a lanky kid from the German suburbs became a top-five all-time scorer and NBA champion.
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👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
- By Anonymous User on 08-22-24
By: Thomas Pletzinger, and others
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Dream Team
- How Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the Greatest Team of All Time Changed the Game of Basketball Forever
- By: Jack McCallum
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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In Dream Team, acclaimed sports journalist Jack McCallum delivers the untold story of the greatest team ever assembled: the 1992 U.S. Olympic men's basketball team that captivated the world, kindled the hoop dreams of countless children around the planet, and remade the NBA into a global sensation. As a senior staff writer for Sports Illustrated, McCallum enjoyed a courtside seat for the most exciting basketball spectacle on earth, covering the Dream Team from its inception to the gold medal ceremony in Barcelona.
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Great insight into the great basketball team ever.
- By James O'Brien on 09-04-12
By: Jack McCallum
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The Missing Ring
- How Bear Bryant and the 1966 Alabama Crimson Tide Were Denied College Football's Most Elusive Prize
- By: Keith Dunnavant
- Narrated by: Jay Snyder
- Length: 13 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Very few institutions in American sports can match the enduring excellence of the University of Alabama football program. Across a wide swath of the last century, the tradition-rich Crimson Tide has claimed twelve national championships, captured 25 conference titles, finished 34 times among the country's top ten, and played in 53 bowl games.
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Fantastic
- By John Rogers on 03-29-18
By: Keith Dunnavant
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Pistol
- The Life of Pete Maravich
- By: Mark Kriegel
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 12 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Pistol is more than the biography of a ballplayer. It's the stuff of classic novels: the story of a boy transformed by his father's dream and the cost of that dream. Even as Pete Maravich became Pistol Pete, a basketball icon for baby boomers, all the Maraviches paid a price. Now acclaimed author Mark Kriegel has brilliantly captured the saga of an American family: its rise, its apparent ruin, and, finally, its redemption.
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Extremely Good!
- By steve on 12-12-12
By: Mark Kriegel
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Play by Play
- Calling the Wildest Games in Sports - From SEC Football to College Basketball, the Masters and More
- By: Verne Lundquist
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner, Verne Lundquist
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Verne Lundquist's remarkable broadcasting career has placed him at the center of major sporting events in America for more than 50 years, from Jack Nicklaus' final victory at the 1986 Masters to Tonya Harding's attack on Nancy Kerrigan at the 1994 Olympics to the Auburn-Alabama shocker of 2013. In his first memoir, he replays highlights from his career, taking sports fans behind the scenes of some of the most dramatic moments in modern sports history.
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Decent Sorry, Bit Boring
- By Allena on 08-20-24
By: Verne Lundquist
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My Story
- By: Steven Gerrard
- Narrated by: Michael Ryan
- Length: 13 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of My Story by Steven Gerrard, read Michael Ryan. Steven Gerrard is the former captain of Liverpool football team and of the England national football team and is the only player ever to have scored in a FA cup final, a league cup final, a UEFA cup final and a champion's league final. His entire career, since 1998, has been spent at Anfield with Liverpool.
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Ohhhh, ya beautyyy!!
- By Gabriel on 09-29-15
By: Steven Gerrard
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Madden
- A Biography
- By: Bryan Burwell
- Narrated by: Mark Moseley
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Several years after his playing career was cut short by injury before it had a chance to really begin, John Madden was hired as an assistant coach by the Oakland Raiders, one of professional football's most iconoclastic franchises. Two years later he was named the team's head coach and proceeded to lead the Raiders to five championship games in his first seven seasons. Following years of heartbreaking losses in some of history's most memorable games.
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Essential For Raider And Madden Fans
- By MovieGuy on 03-08-16
By: Bryan Burwell
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Boys Will Be Boys
- The Glory Days and Party Nights of the Dallas Cowboys Dynasty
- By: Jeff Pearlman
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
They were America's Team - the high-priced, high-glamour, high-flying Dallas Cowboys of the 1990s, who won three Super Bowls and made as many headlines off the field as on it. Led by Emmitt Smith, the charismatic Deion "Prime Time" Sanders, and Hall of Famers Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin, the Cowboys rank among the greatest of all NFL dynasties.
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This is a football book right?
- By Aaron on 12-07-09
By: Jeff Pearlman
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I Think, Therefore I Play
- By: Andrea Pirlo, Alciato Alessandro
- Narrated by: Ric Jerrom
- Length: 4 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Andrea Pirlo is one of the finest footballers of his generation - a World Cup and Champions League winning playmaker who has redefined his position at the base of midfield, and one of the most deadly free-kick takers the game has known. This is his story, in his words. It is written with a level of humour and insight which confound his image as a dead-eyed assassin on the field of play.
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Short and Sweet
- By Gary Meenaghan on 01-07-24
By: Andrea Pirlo, and others
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- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
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Ruud Gullit knows better than anyone else that to understand soccer you have to understand strategy. When he started playing soccer, his only "strategy" was to get the ball, outrun everyone else to the other end of the field, and score. At first it served him well, but as he advanced through the sport, he learned that it takes much more than speed to make a winning team.
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Great book
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Masters of Modern Soccer
- How the World's Best Play the Twenty-First-Century Game
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- Narrated by: Grant Wahl
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In Masters of Modern Soccer, Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl asks: How do some of the game's smartest figures master the craft of soccer? By profiling players in every key position (American phenomenon Christian Pulisic, Mexican superstar Javier "Chicharito" Hernández, Belgium's Vincent Kompany, Spain's Xabi Alonso, Germany's Manuel Neuer) and management (Belgium coach Roberto Martínez and Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc), Wahl reveals how elite players and coaches strategize on and off the field and execute in high pressure game situations.
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Great for coaches!
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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
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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.
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Read don't listen
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By: Joshua Robinson, and others
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Net Gains
- Inside the Beautiful Game's Analytics Revolution
- By: Ryan O'Hanlon
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
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This in-depth examination of soccer takes listeners on a tour across the world and throughout history, introducing the many people who have attempted to shine a light onto and innovate a sport that, in many ways, is still stuck in the Dark Ages. This deep dive into the rise of analytics in soccer—a sport where tradition reigns supreme—shows how revolutionary tactics and underexplored metrics are breaking the beautiful game wide open.
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Must read!
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The Barcelona Inheritance
- The Evolution of Winning Soccer Tactics from Cruyff to Guardiola
- By: Jonathan Wilson
- Narrated by: Charlie Anson
- Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
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Barcelona's style of play—pressing and possessing—is the single biggest influence on modern soccer. In The Barcelona Inheritance, Jonathan Wilson reveals how and why this came to pass, offering an analysis of the evolution of soccer tactics and style. In the late 1990s, Johan Cruyff's Dream Team was disintegrating and the revolutionary manager had departed, but his style birthed to a new generation of thinkers, including Pep Guardiola and José Mourinho. Today, their teams top the Premier League, marking the latest installment in a rivalry that can be traced back 25 years.
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Too much about the “Special One”
- By Bob Seavers on 06-30-21
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Inverting the Pyramid
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- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Length: 18 hrs and 51 mins
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This pioneering soccer book chronicles the evolution of the sport and how it has affected the lives of players, coaches, and fans–perfect for those who adore the timeless game.
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How to Watch Soccer
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Ruud Gullit knows better than anyone else that to understand soccer you have to understand strategy. When he started playing soccer, his only "strategy" was to get the ball, outrun everyone else to the other end of the field, and score. At first it served him well, but as he advanced through the sport, he learned that it takes much more than speed to make a winning team.
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Great book
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By: Ruud Gullit, and others
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Masters of Modern Soccer
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- Narrated by: Grant Wahl
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
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In Masters of Modern Soccer, Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl asks: How do some of the game's smartest figures master the craft of soccer? By profiling players in every key position (American phenomenon Christian Pulisic, Mexican superstar Javier "Chicharito" Hernández, Belgium's Vincent Kompany, Spain's Xabi Alonso, Germany's Manuel Neuer) and management (Belgium coach Roberto Martínez and Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc), Wahl reveals how elite players and coaches strategize on and off the field and execute in high pressure game situations.
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Great for coaches!
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The Club
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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.
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Read don't listen
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This in-depth examination of soccer takes listeners on a tour across the world and throughout history, introducing the many people who have attempted to shine a light onto and innovate a sport that, in many ways, is still stuck in the Dark Ages. This deep dive into the rise of analytics in soccer—a sport where tradition reigns supreme—shows how revolutionary tactics and underexplored metrics are breaking the beautiful game wide open.
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Must read!
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By: Ryan O'Hanlon
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The Barcelona Inheritance
- The Evolution of Winning Soccer Tactics from Cruyff to Guardiola
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What listeners say about Men in Blazers Present Encyclopedia Blazertannica
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- NIcole S. Czelusta
- 08-03-18
outstanding!
Michael and Rog, you guys have done it again. Another incredibly entertaining collection of your crap football knowledge that left me rolling on the floor and having an even greater appreciation for 'Saka'.
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- 311Chopper
- 05-15-18
Suboptimal Crap
I disliked all of it. Complete crap. No highlights or photos of blazers wouldn’t send this to my arch-nemesis.
Great job guys!
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4 people found this helpful
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- Chris Aho
- 12-30-18
Peak Rog and Davo
This is what you would expect from Rog sand Davo. It’s funny, insightful, and also crap. Maybe I should not give it stars?
Courage.
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- Jarred Hess
- 06-04-18
I love the MIB and it was fun but really need to g
I love it, just recommend buying the hard copy as the audiobooks is truncated. Still fun and a joy.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Senor Guitar
- 08-04-18
Saaaaakerrr. American sport of the future
Buy this book even if you don't appreciate soccer. You will not regret it. Trust me.
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- Laurie Alberts
- 01-18-23
Fun listen
A very fun listen. If you like their podcast you will enjoy!
Not a ton of information, but silly.
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- Sean
- 08-07-18
Perfect gift for any GFOP!
Whether you're a fan of the Men In Blazers pod or not, this a perfect gift for the soccer fan as well as the new fan just finding their footing in the sport. Rog and Davo provide a great balance of humor and soccer nostalgia, all while acting as the fun, knowledgeable professor that you wish you had for history class. This is a must-listen for all fans alike!
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- Charles E. Abrahamsen
- 07-19-18
What every true American soccer fan needs
I fell asleep in high school history class . I laughed my way through this audiobook . No better way to learn important tid bits of the history & personalities of soccer. Very entertaining. Bless you Rog and Dave-o.
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- Mike Olsen
- 08-06-18
Excellent book
I am not a regular listener or watcher of the Men in Blazers but the World Cup was going on and I was in the mood for a soccer-related book and figured why not. The book itself was well done and well read, funny at times and sweet in others. I enjoyed it so much I decided to start listening to their shows more.
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- Aaron David Jamieson
- 06-14-18
100% Fecal disappointment
This book... while crap... was an enjoyable read. Blazers, soccer, What more could a guy ask for?
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1 person found this helpful