|
|||
|
Looking back on a memorable career, Darren McCarty recounts his time as one of the most visible and beloved members of the Detroit Red Wings as well as his personal struggles with addiction, finances, and women and his daily battles to overcome them. As a member of four Red Wings' Stanley Cup-winning teams, McCarty played the role of enforcer from 1993 to 2004 and returning again in 2008 and 2009. His "Grind Line" with teammates Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby physically overmatched some of the best offensive lines in the NHL, but he was more than just a brawler: his 127 career goals included several of the highlight variety, including an inside-out move against Philadelphia in the clinching game of the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals. As colorful a character as any NHL player, he has arms adorned with tattoos, and he was the lead singer in the hard rock band Grinder during the offseason. Yet this autobiography details what may have endeared him most to his fans: the honest, open way he has dealt with his struggles in life off the ice. Whether dealing with substance abuse, bankruptcy, divorce, or the death of his father, Darren McCarty has always seemed to persevere. |
|
|||
|
The Princess of Darkness. Former NFL team executive Amy Trask has held many titles during her career - including chief executive, analyst, and author - but this nickname is what she is first and foremost known by to Raiders fans. Trask joined the Raiders as an intern during law school after the team moved from Oakland to Los Angeles - the position the result of a cold call she made to the team. From there, she worked her way up through the ranks of the organization, to the post she would eventually hold as chief executive. Along the way, Trask worked extremely closely with the late Al Davis, a man who treated her and others on his team without regard to gender, race, and age. Trask may have been the highest-ranking female executive in the NFL during her tenure with the Raiders, but in You Negotiate Like a Girl: Reflections on a Career in the National Football League, she shares how she found success by operating without regard to gender. Replete with insider tales about being part of the Raiders' front office, behind the closed doors of NFL owners meetings, and Davis himself, Trask's book is a must-read not only for football fans, but anyone who wants to succeed in business. |
|
|||
|
For strength, stability, core power, flexibility, and balance, Suspension Training® delivers results. Used by the best of the best, from professional trainers to the elite athletes they work with, Suspension Training is a respected and essential component of conditioning programs worldwide. Now, the ultimate Suspension Training expert shares the ultimate in Suspension Training exercises and programs. Complete Guide to TRX® Suspension Training® , from renowned strength and conditioning expert Dr. Jay Dawes, is the authoritative guide to Suspension Training. This resource is so thorough that it has earned the endorsement of TRX®. Look inside at the instruction, advice, and insights, and you’ll see why. This is a one-of-a-kind resource designed to take workouts to unprecedented levels. Complete Guide to TRX® Suspension Training® includes instructions for more than 115 exercises. Complete with photo sequences, variations, and safety recommendations, you’ll learn how to develop and integrate strength, power, core stability, flexibility, and balance with the use of a Suspension Trainer ™. In the gym, at home, or on the road, this guide is the ultimate training companion. With over thirty ready-to-use programs, you have options for any situation and every desire. It’s all here. If you want the best in exercise, training, and workouts, then look no further than Complete Guide to TRX® Suspension Training® . Discover why millions of athletes make Suspension Training the core of their program. |
|
|||
|
Bicycling magazine's resident Fit Chick delivers a weight-loss plan designed to help readers lose 30, 50, or even 100 pounds by riding a bike and eating sensibly. Forget gym memberships and running shoes. The best way to lose weight is on a bike. In Ride Your Way Lean , Bicycling magazine columnist Selene Yeager provides readers with a comprehensive cycling plan that allows them to shed fat, streamline their bodies, and hone their skills on a bike. Cycling is gentle on the joints, easy to do with friends and family, and burns literally thousands of calories without being a bore or cause for suffering. A weight-loss program for people who want to drop pounds of fat while learning a new sport, this book offers training plans that turbocharge metabolism along with complementary nutritional advice. Each chapter is seasoned with anecdotal tips, success stories, pitfalls, and other advice from real people who have ridden themselves lean. |
|
|||
|
“ Sidelined  is the feminist sports book we've all been waiting for.” — Jessica Valenti Shrill meets  Brotopia  in this personal and researched look at women's rights and issues through the lens of sports, from an award-winning sports journalist and women's advocate In a society that is digging deep into the misogyny underlying our traditions and media, the world of sports is especially fertile ground. From casual sexism, like condescending coverage of women’s pro sports, to more serious issues, like athletes who abuse their partners and face only minimal consequences, this area of our culture is home to a vast swath of gender issues that apply to all of us—whether or not our work and leisure time revolve around what happens on the field. No one is better equipped to examine sports through this feminist lens than sports journalist Julie DiCaro. Throughout her experiences covering professional sports for more than a decade, DiCaro has been outspoken about the exploitation of the female body, the covert and overt sexism women face in the workplace, and the male-driven toxicity in sports fandom. Now through candid interviews, personal anecdotes, and deep research, she's tackling these thorny issues and exploring what America can do to give women a fair and competitive playing field in sports and beyond. Covering everything from the abusive online environment at  Barstool Sports  to the sexist treatment of Serena Williams and professional women's teams fighting for equal pay and treatment, and looking back at pioneering women who first took on the patriarchy in sports media,  Sidelined  will illuminate the ways sports present a microcosm of life as a woman in America—and the power in fighting back. |
|
|||
|
An incredible but true account of achieving one of the most awe-inspiring midlife physical transformations ever On the night before he was to turn forty, Rich Roll experienced a chilling glimpse of his future. Nearly fifty pounds overweight and unable to climb the stairs without stopping, he could see where his current sedentary life was taking him—and he woke up. Plunging into a new routine that prioritized a plant-based lifestyle and daily training, Rich morphed—in a matter of mere months—from out of shape, mid-life couch potato to endurance machine. Finding Ultra recounts Rich’s remarkable journey to the starting line of the elite Ultraman competition, which pits the world’s fittest humans in a 320-mile ordeal of swimming, biking, and running. And following that test, Rich conquered an even greater one: the EPIC5—five Ironman-distance triathlons, each on a different Hawaiian island, all completed in less than a week. In the years since Finding Ultra was published, Rich has become one of the world’s most recognized advocates of plant-based living. In this newly revised and updated edition, he shares the practices, tools, and techniques he uses for optimal performance, longevity, and wellness, including diet and nutrition protocols. Rich reflects on the steps he took to shift his mindset and leverage deep reservoirs of untapped potential to achieve success beyond his wildest imagination, urging each of us to embark on our own journey of self-discovery. |
|
|||
|
In Playing With Fire, Theo Fleury takes us behind the bench during his glorious days as an NHL player, and talks about growing up devastatingly poor and in chaos at home. Dark personal issues began to surface, and drinking, drugs, gambling, and girls ultimately derailed a career that had him destined for the Hall of Fame. Fleury shares all in this raw, captivating, and honest look at the previously untold story of one the game's greatest heroes. |
|
|||
|
The instant #1 national bestseller Curtis Joseph, known affectionately to hockey fans around the world as Cujo, was an unlikely NHL superstar. The boy from Keswick, Ontario, didn’t put on a pair of skates until most kids his age were already far along in organized hockey, and he was passed over by every team in the NHL draft. Despite an unorthodox start, he would go on to play eighteen seasons with the St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Phoenix Coyotes and Calgary Flames; be ranked among the all-time greats in several key categories; and win an Olympic gold medal while representing Canada. Joseph is a legend in Toronto, where his fandom rivals that of other beloved Leaf greats, and he’s widely thought of as one of the best goalies of all time. For the first time, in this revealing memoir, Joseph talks about his highly unusual upbringing and what led him to put on his first pair of skates. Written by Kirstie McLellan Day, the world’s top writer of hockey books, this book surprises and entertains, and shares on- and off-the-ice tales no fan has heard before: the untold story behind the legend. |
|
|||
|
The astonishing national bestseller and hugely entertaining story that completely changed the way we run. An epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt?   Isolated by Mexico's deadly Copper Canyons, the blissful Tarahumara Indians have honed the ability to run hundreds of miles without rest or injury. In a riveting narrative, award-winning journalist and often-injured runner Christopher McDougall sets out to discover their secrets. In the process, he takes his readers from science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultra-runners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to a climactic race in the Copper Canyons that pits America’s best ultra-runners against the tribe. McDougall’s incredible story will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that you, indeed all of us, were born to run. |
|
|||
|
Shortlisted for the BC National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction A Globe and Mail Best Book From the bestselling author and Hall of Famer Ken Dryden, this is the story of NHLer Steve Montador—who was diagnosed with CTE after his death in 2015—the remarkable evolution of hockey itself, and a passionate prescriptive to counter its greatest risk in the future: head injuries.   Ken Dryden’s The Game is acknowledged as the best book about hockey, and one of the best books about sports ever written.  Then came Home Game (with Roy MacGregor), also a major TV-series, in which he explored hockey’s significance and what it means to Canada and Canadians. Now, in his most powerful and important book yet, Game Change , Ken Dryden tells the riveting story of one player’s life, examines the intersection between science and sport, and expertly documents the progression of the game of hockey—where it began, how it got to where it is, where it can go from here and, just as exciting to play and watch, how it can get there. |
|
|||
|
Improve your physique, build lean muscle, increase strength -- "Glute Lab" is the all-in-one glute training system that will teach you how to do all this and more. The gluteus maximus is the largest and most versatile muscle in the human body. In addition to being aesthetically appealing and controlling a wide range of functional movements, big, strong glutes set you up to lift heavier, jump higher, sprint faster, and swing harder and can even play a role in preventing knee, hip, and lower back pain and injuries. Your glutes influence every aspect of your physical life: from the way you look and how you feel to your ability to run, jump, cut, lift, and twist. Yet few understand how to properly build and develop this all-important muscle.   Enter "Glute Lab." In this book, Bret "The Glute Guy" Contreras -- PhD, personal trainer, and bestselling author -- lays out a glute training system that will help you reach your strength, performance, and physique goals. Through descriptive narrative, step-by-step images and illustrations, and easy-to-follow training programs, the Glute Guy distills the science and art of glute training into one comprehensive manual. Whether you're a bodybuilder, physique competitor, athlete, powerlifter, CrossFitter, personal trainer, physical therapist, or simply someone who wants to improve your physique, this book contains everything you need to know about building bigger, stronger, leaner, higher-performing glutes. In this book, you will learn:   - The fundamentals of optimal glute training - How to perform the most effective glute-building exercises - How to select exercises based on your goals and body type - Variations for the hip thrust, deadlift, and squat exercises - The science behind how muscle develops and grows - The anatomy and function of the glutes - How to design a customized glute-training program - Techniques and programs for sculpting rounder, stronger glutes - The importance of glute training for aesthetics, health, strength, and performance - How glute training can prevent knee, hip, and low back injuries and pain - Strategies for targeting different areas of the glutes and lower body - More than 30 glute burnout circuits and workouts. |
|
|||
|
Et si vous pouviez retirer encore davantage de vos sorties? Après avoir appris à bien courir sur le plan biomécanique à l'aide du tome 1, découvrez maintenant comment mieux courir à tous les autres niveaux. Que vous couriez pour vous qualifier pour Boston ou simplement parce que cela vous fait un bien fou, vous trouverez dans cet ouvrage une myriade de conseils et de trucs précis qui, mis ensemble, feront une énorme différence dans votre vie de coureur. La clé? L'approche des gains marginaux. En sachant identifier vos potentiels d'amélioration et appliquer les données des plus récentes recherches dans le domaine, vous détiendrez tous les éléments pour entamer une petite révolution de votre entraînement. Augmentez votre tolérance à l'effort, ajustez votre contenu d'entraînement, améliorez votre aisance en sentier ou même votre capacité de méditer en pleine action, et vous ne pourrez qu'être gagnant au fil d'arrivée! |
|
|||
|
For decades, distinct professional wrestling territories thrived across North America. Each regionally based promotion operated individually and offered a brand of localized wrestling that greatly appealed to area fans. Promoters routinely coordinated with associates in surrounding regions, and the cooperation displayed by members of the National Wrestling Alliance made it easy for wrestlers to traverse the landscape with the utmost freedom. Dozens of territories flourished between the 1950s and late ’70s. But by the early 1980s, the growth of cable television had put new outside pressures on promoters. An enterprising third-generation entrepreneur who believed cable was his opportunity to take his promotion national soon capitalized on the situation. A host of novel ideas and the will to take chances gave Vincent Kennedy McMahon an incredible advantage. McMahon waged war on the territories and raided the NWA and AWA of their top talent. By creating WrestleMania , jumping into the pay-per-view field, and expanding across North America, McMahon changed professional wrestling forever. Providing never-before-revealed information, Death of the Territories is a must-read for fans yearning to understand how McMahon outlasted his rivals and established the industry’s first national promotion. At the same time, it offers a comprehensive look at the promoters who opposed McMahon, focusing on their noteworthy power plays and embarrassing mistakes. |
|
|||
|
What Doesn't Kill Us, a New York Times bestseller, traces our evolutionary journey back to a time when survival depended on how well we adapted to the environment around us. Our ancestors crossed deserts, mountains, and oceans without even a whisper of what anyone today might consider modern technology. Those feats of endurance now seem impossible in an age where we take comfort for granted. But what if we could regain some of our lost evolutionary strength by simulating the environmental conditions of our ancestors? Investigative journalist and anthropologist Scott Carney takes up the challenge to find out: Can we hack our bodies and use the environment to stimulate our inner biology? Helping him in his search for the answers is Dutch fitness guru Wim Hof, whose ability to control his body temperature in extreme cold has sparked a whirlwind of scientific study. Carney also enlists input from an Army scientist, a world-famous surfer, the founders of an obstacle course race movement, and ordinary people who have documented how they have cured autoimmune diseases, lost weight, and reversed diabetes. In the process, he chronicles his own transformational journey as he pushes his body and mind to the edge of endurance, a quest that culminates in a record-bending, 28-hour climb to the snowy peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro wearing nothing but a pair of running shorts and sneakers. An ambitious blend of investigative reporting and participatory journalism, What Doesn’t Kill Us explores the true connection between the mind and the body and reveals the science that allows us to push past our perceived limitations. |
|
|||
|
Steve Bartylla has never relied on outfitter to put him on trophy bucks. Instead, he relies on his own scouting and hunting skills. Big Buck Secrets draws from Bartylla's years of successful do-it-yourself hunting for trophy whitetails on both public and private land. This book is grounded in that experience to help you take your deer hunting to the next level with comprehensive instruction on:    • Scouting new hunting areas    • Understanding mature buck behavior    • Hunting during the rut    • Utilizing decoys    • Aggressive and creative techniques to deal with hunting pressure    • And much more! All aimed to put you on the biggest bucks of your life! Hard work and in-depth knowledge of whitetails, understanding how they utilize terrain and seeking pockets where mature bucks exist, are the tools Bartylla relies on most--and shares with you in Big Buck Secrets . |
|
|||
|
Along with Sun Tzu's The Art of War, The Book of Five Rings is considered to be one of the most insightful texts on the subtle arts of confrontation and victory to emerge from Asia. Composed in 1643 by the famed duelist and undefeated samurai Miyamoto Musashi, The Book of Five Rings analyzes the process of struggle and mastery over conflict that underlies every level of human interaction. For Musashi, the way of the martial arts was a mastery of the mind rather than simply technical prowess—and it is this path to mastery that is the core teaching in The Book of Five Rings. This brilliant manifesto is written not only for martial artists but for anyone who wants to apply the timeless principles of this text to their life. |
|
|||
|
“It’s hard to believe Fleury survived his own life.” — The Globe and Mail Theo Fleury, who had walked away from hockey in 2003, leaving millions of dollars on the table and thousands of fans asking why, was determined to redeem himself. But how? With a comeback. Six years after his last NHL game, at age 41, weighing 215 pounds and with 25 per cent body fat, he had only seven months to get ready for the Calgary Flames training camp. His chance for redemption came in a pre-season game against the New York Islanders. The score was 4–4 going into a shootout when his coach leaned over and told him, “You’re up next.” In this fully up-to-date edition of Playing with Fire, Fleury gives readers the inside story on how his life has changed since this book was first published. Along with the original, fearlessly honest tale that captivated the nation, he now chronicles his NHL comeback. In the same frank, fast-paced style that made his book a blockbuster, Fleury shares fascinating new stories about life as a 41-year-old rookie, as an author on the road, and as a man in the spotlight following the disturbing news that his former coach Graham James had been pardoned for his horrific crimes. Playing with Fire is Theo Fleury’s journey to hell and back, a book no one can put down or will ever forget. Finalist for the 2010 CBA Libris Award for Non-fiction Book of the Year Hockey Book of the Year (Denver Post) |
|
|||
|
The Mamba Mentality: How I Play is Kobe Bryant’s personal perspective of his life and career on the basketball court and his exceptional, insightful style of playing the game—a fitting legacy from the late Los Angeles Laker superstar. In the wake of his retirement from professional basketball, Kobe “The Black Mamba” Bryant decided to share his vast knowledge and understanding of the game to take readers on an unprecedented journey to the core of the legendary “Mamba mentality.” Citing an obligation and an opportunity to teach young players, hardcore fans, and devoted students of the game how to play it “the right way,” The Mamba Mentality takes us inside the mind of one of the most intelligent, analytical, and creative basketball players ever. In his own words, Bryant reveals his famously detailed approach and the steps he took to prepare mentally and physically to not just succeed at the game, but to excel. Readers will learn how Bryant studied an opponent, how he channeled his passion for the game, how he played through injuries. They’ll also get fascinating granular detail as he breaks down specific plays and match-ups from throughout his career. Bryant’s detailed accounts are paired with stunning photographs by the Hall of Fame photographer Andrew D. Bernstein. Bernstein, long the Lakers and NBA official photographer, captured Bryant’s very first NBA photo in 1996 and his last in 2016—and hundreds of thousands in between, the record of a unique, twenty-year relationship between one athlete and one photographer. The combination of Bryant’s narrative and Bernstein’s photos make The Mamba Mentality an unprecedented look behind the curtain at the career of one of the world’s most celebrated and fascinating athletes. |
|
|||
|
New bullets, new powders, new cartridges and more! The 10th Edition Hornady® Handbook of Cartridge Reloading features over 1,000 pages of reloading data, techniques and bullet information. From 17 caliber varmint cartridges to large dangerous game loads, the hand loader has access to over 200 different calibers featuring a variety of loads for the full line of Hornady® bullets. The 10th Edition also features an impressive lineup of new and expanded data. New powders include: Power Pro 2000 MR, IMR 4451 and 7977, CFE Pistol, BE-86, Reloader 23, 26, 33 and 50, Accurate LT-30 and 32, and some offerings from Shooters World. Popular established powders like Reloader 17, Superformance,® and LeverEvolution® have also been expanded to more cartridges. The latest Hornady® bullets, such as the ELD-X® and ELD® Match line, have been incorporated into the data. Plus, we’ve added more GMX®, SST® and FTX® offerings. New cartridges include the 280 Ackley Improved, 7x64 Brenneke and the 338 Federal. Well over 1,300 load combinations were shot to update and expand the reloading pages in this edition. Like previous editions, the handbook offers explanations of internal, external and terminal ballistics. We have also highlighted some of our online tools including the Hornady® Standard Ballistic Calculator (ballistic coefficient based) and the patent pending 4DOF™ Ballistic Calculator (drag coefficient based). Whether you’re a novice or seasoned hand loader, these resources provide everything needed to successfully reload your favorite cartridges. Please be sure to check www.hornady.com/errata for corrections to the load data. |
|
|||
|
The third installment in the bestselling series—now featuring live-action video content. "The first volume in the 100 Deadly Skills series delivered clandestine hacks to help you escape and evade threats at home and abroad. The second book, Survival Edition, provided a blueprint for surviving fatal disasters. Now, with the Combat Edition, I've created the most comprehensive on-the-ground combat manual ever assembled—helping good people defeat evil, fight for their lives, and survive another day."—Clint Emerson Created by a retired Navy SEAL, this illustrated manual presents one hundred skills from some of the deadliest characters on Earth. Special ops. Outlaw bikers. Martial artists. Professional fighters. Drawn from an elite cadre of experts, each technique is broken down step by step to radically improve your chances of coming out on top—whether you're facing an active shooter or going toe to toe with a belligerent prick. Embedded videos let you visualize the skills and practice them in real time. These one hundred deadly skills include: · Weaponizing your non-violent posture · Delivering damaging body strikes · Accurately throwing a knife · Quick drawing and shooting a handgun · Tactically deceiving your enemy · Surviving a multi-threat ambush · Understanding non-lethal and lethal options Clint Emerson, retired Navy SEAL, spent twenty years conducting special ops all over the world while attached to SEAL Team Three, the National Security Agency (NSA), and a Special Mission Unit. Tom Mandrake has created and illustrated books, comics and graphic novels for over 40 years. Some of the titles he has worked on include Batman, The Spectre, The Martian Manhunter, The Punisher, The New Mutants, The X-Files, Creeps, To Hell You Ride and Kros: Hallowed Ground. |
|
|||
|
Whether he was scoring top-shelf goals or crushing an opponent into the boards, Jeremy Roenick—widely known as J.R.—was never shy about the way he played hockey. As much as he mixed it up in front of the net, J.R., an NHL veteran of twenty years with five different teams, often found himself in the middle of controversy off the ice as well. Above all else, J.R. was an entertainer, never afraid to dance on the blue line to liven up a game or to spend time with the fans. Now, as a hockey broadcaster and media personality, Roenick continues to inspire debate as he lights up call-in show phone lines with his rare mix of raw wit and cutting commentary. In J.R., Roenick reveals all, from his early hockey days commuting to games across the continent; to his time with the Chicago Blackhawks, the Philadelphia Flyers and his other teams; to skating with the American team in international competition; to acting as judge on Battle of the Blades. Elaborating on the events and opinions that he is known for, including his famous media battle with Patrick Roy, his claims of a bias against American players, his accusation that USA Hockey had “black-balled” him, and his thoughts on Wayne Gretzky and the Phoenix Coyotes, Roenick tells it as only he can, in his own words. |
|
|||
|
“In pursuing the mental side of endurance, Jurek uncovers the most important secrets any runner can learn.”—Amby Burfoot, author of The Runner’s Guide to the Meaning of Life For nearly two decades, Scott Jurek has been a dominant force—and darling—in the grueling and growing sport of ultrarunning. Until recently he held the American 24-hour record and he was one of the elite runners profiled in the runaway bestseller Born to Run . In Eat and Run , Jurek opens up about his life and career as a champion athlete with a plant-based diet and inspires runners at every level. From his Midwestern childhood hunting, fishing, and cooking for his meat-and-potatoes family to his slow transition to ultrarunning and veganism, Scott’s story shows the power of an iron will and blows apart the stereotypes of what athletes should eat to fuel optimal performance. Full of stories of competition as well as science and practical advice—including his own recipes— Eat and Run will motivate readers and expand their food horizons. “Jurek’s story and ideas should easily manage to speak to and cheer on anyone seeking to live life as fully as possible.”— Denver Post “A shockingly honest, revealing, and inspiring memoir.”— Trail Runner |
|
|||
|
Compiled from Bruce Lee’s notes and essays and originally published in 1975, this iconic volume is one of the seminal martial arts guides of its time. The science and philosophy behind the fighting system Lee pioneered himself—jeet kune do—is explained in detail, depicted through hundreds of Lee’s own illustrations. With the collaboration of Lee’s daughter, Shannon, and Bruce Lee Enterprises, this new edition is expanded, updated, and remastered, covering topics such as Zen and enlightenment, kicking, striking, grappling, and footwork. Featuring an introduction by Linda Lee, this is essential reading for any practitioner, offering a brief glimpse into the mind of one of the world’s greatest martial artists. |
|
|||
|
Compiled from Bruce Lee’s notes and essays and originally published in 1975, Tao of Jeet Kune Do is the best-selling martial arts book in the world. This iconic work explains the science and philosophy behind jeet kune do—the art Lee invented—and includes hundreds of Lee’s illustrations. Topics include Zen and enlightenment, kicking, striking, grappling, and footwork. With introductions by Linda Lee and editor Gilbert Johnson, Tao of Jeet Kune Do is essential reading for any practitioner and offers a brief glimpse into the mind of one of the world’s greatest martial artists. |
|
|||
|
One of hockey's most feared enforcers reveals his off-ice battle with alcohol and heroin. With a foreword by Serge Savard. Chris Nilan, who grew up in the blue-collar Irish neighbourhood of West Roxbury in Boston, was an intimidating player for the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers, and a Stanley Cup champion never afraid to go into the corners or take off his gloves. He was a valued teammate whose very presence on the ice affected the way the game was played. As a Montreal Canadien, the 231st overall pick in the 1978 draft played a key role on a team that featured all-time Hab greats Guy Lafleur, Guy Carbonneau and Larry Robinson, among many others. Always a colourful character, Nilan was married for many years to the daughter of the long-time girlfriend of Whitey Bulger, among the most notorious, ruthless and murderous gangsters in American history. Almost all of his fellow Habs attended the wedding. As an enforcer and as a teammate, Nilan ranks among the greatest of all time. When the cheering stopped, however, he did not do well. The same qualities—his aggressiveness and high-emotion style—that proved so valuable on the ice did not benefit him when his career ended. He turned to drugs and alcohol to dull his pain, and he nearly died from a heroin overdose. Nilan's story is a fascinating and troubling expose of the booze and drugs that destroy so many athletes after their time in the limelight is over. But it's also a story of triumph, as Nilan has become the victor in the fight against his demons. Fighting Back is a riveting, no-holds-barred look at a hard life, on the ice and off. |
