Beginning his writing career as a college freshman at Loyola University, Finney added his distinctly poetic voice to the sports pages of the States-Item (1945—80) and the Times-Picayune (1980—2013). This impressive time span placed the reporter on the sidelines of the most iconic moments in Louisiana sports history. This collection includes Finney's account of Billy Cannon's 89-yard punt return against Ole Miss in 1959; Tom Dempsey's 1970 NFL-record 63-yard field goal; and the Saints' 31—17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the 2010 Super Bowl. His interviews and profiles covered nearly every major sports figure of his time: Ted Williams, Jesse Owens, Joe DiMaggio, Muhammad Ali, Joe Namath, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, Billy Cannon, Pete Maravich, Lee Trevino, Rusty Staub, Archie, Peyton, and Eli Manning, Eddie Robinson, Doug Williams, Dale Brown, Billy Martin, Brett Favre, Nick Saban, Shaquille O'Neal, Mike Ditka, Sean Payton, Drew Brees, Sugar Ray Leonard, Skip Bertman, Les Miles, and Tom Benson, among many others.
The riveting moments and fascinating characters portrayed in this volume will delight both hardcore sports enthusiasts and casual fans, in stories told with Finney's characteristic grace, humility, and wit.
Product Details
ISBN-13: 9780807163061
Media Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Louisiana State University Press
Publication Date: 02-22-2016
Pages: 312
Product Dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.20(d)
About the Author
Peter Finney is a 17-time winner of the Louisiana Sportswriter of the Year Award from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. He is the author of The Fighting Tigers, 1893—1993: One Hundred Years of LSU Football and Pistol Pete: The Story of College Basketball's Greatest Star. Peter Finney, Jr., former sportswriter for the New York Post and New York Daily News, is the recipient of the St. Francis de Sales Award from the Catholic Press Association. Since 1993, he has served as the executive editor and general manager of the Clarion Herald, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of New Orleans.