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A review by canada_matt
Upon Further Review: The Greatest What-Ifs in Sports History by Mike Pesca
3.0
Enjoying alternate history discussions and the pull of organised sports, I was curious to read Mike Pesca’s collection of essays on ‘what if’ moments in sporting history. From the outset, Pesca explains, as editor, that he was not looking to have contributors focus too specifically on a single event and how that might have changed a game’s outcome, but more how an event might have led to a complete change in the sport or how the public came to accept this. Academic? To a point, but I like to think about the larger outcomes rather than the simple ‘Jenga block’ changes a single move would have made in an isolated game. Pesca calls on individuals to discuss such issues as: had Wayne Gretzky never signed with the Edmonton Oilers, had the National League agreed to adopt the Designated Hitter in gameplay, had (American) football never taken off in North America, and should a certain basketball winning team been able to travel back in time and played other superstar teams. True, these topics may not interest all sports fans, but the essays within offer the reader an opportunity to suspend belief while also analysing some of the facts that could have turned a league or a player onto a different path, thereby altering the game entirely. Not all essays were up my alley, but the thought-provoking nature left me intrigued and hoping to find more collections of this nature (or that Pesca will recruit more essays for another collection). While it is hard to find a group that might appreciate a recommendation, I suppose sports history buffs might enjoy this collection, even if they focus attention on a few essays.
Essays by a collective are much harder to review than a number of writings by a single author. The cross-section of thoughts and topics proved to be highly educational and entertaining, though I will be the first to admit that not all essays caught my attention. That being said, I also had no idea of Pesca’s story or life before I found this book, so I cannot say I was a fan and wanted to see how he fared as an editor. The essays were usually short and to the point, but did delve into interesting analysis on the topics at hand. Some, admittedly, were silly and could likely have found a better home on the cutting room floor (basketballs larger than hoop rims?), but I was able to suffer through these and get to some of the more historically controversial issues and focus my attention. I know which sports I enjoy and I have a decent grasp on their histories, but this one definitely opened up my mind and left me wondering ‘what if’ on countless occasions.
Kudos, Mr. Pesca, for editing such an interesting collection. I would love to read more from some of the contributors and leave others by the wayside. Well done for sure!!
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons
Essays by a collective are much harder to review than a number of writings by a single author. The cross-section of thoughts and topics proved to be highly educational and entertaining, though I will be the first to admit that not all essays caught my attention. That being said, I also had no idea of Pesca’s story or life before I found this book, so I cannot say I was a fan and wanted to see how he fared as an editor. The essays were usually short and to the point, but did delve into interesting analysis on the topics at hand. Some, admittedly, were silly and could likely have found a better home on the cutting room floor (basketballs larger than hoop rims?), but I was able to suffer through these and get to some of the more historically controversial issues and focus my attention. I know which sports I enjoy and I have a decent grasp on their histories, but this one definitely opened up my mind and left me wondering ‘what if’ on countless occasions.
Kudos, Mr. Pesca, for editing such an interesting collection. I would love to read more from some of the contributors and leave others by the wayside. Well done for sure!!
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons