{"product_id":"true-believers-joe-queenan-9780312423216","title":"True Believers: The Tragic Inner Life of Sports Fans","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBestselling author Joe Queenan's \u003ci\u003eTrue Believers \u003c\/i\u003eexplores the world of sports fans in an attempt to understand the inexplicable: What does anyone get out of it?\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFor Yankee, Cowboy, and Laker fans the answer is fairly clear: the return on investment is relatively high. But why do people root so passionately for formerly inept teams like the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago Cubs, and the Philadelphia Phillies? Why do people organize their emotional lives around lackluster franchises such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, the San Diego Padres, and the Phoenix Suns, of whom decades passed with only winning a single championship in their entire history? Is it pure tribalism? An attempt to maintain contact with one's vanished childhood? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eTrue Believers\u003c\/i\u003e, humorist and lifelong Philly fan Joe Queenan answers these and many other questions, shedding light on--and reveling in--the culture and psychology of his countless fellow fans. Making pilgrimages to such cradles of competition as Notre Dame Stadium, Fenway, and Wrigley Field, Queenan delves into every aspect of fandom in such illuminating chapters as Fans Who Love Too Much (men, like the author, who actually resort to psychotherapy to deal with their unhealthy addiction), Fans Who Run in Front (which meticulously delineates the differences between Retroactive, Municipal, and Vicarious Frontrunners), and Fans Who Misbehave (those who spill beer on women, moon other fans, or throw half-eaten sandwiches at innocent bystanders simply because they look like the current coach of the New York Jets).\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTrue Believers\u003c\/i\u003e is a hilarious but also heartfelt look into the world of those fans who realize that it is, in fact, more than just a game.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Joe Queenan\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0312423217\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780312423216\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e St. Martins Press-3PL\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/01\/2004\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 236\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.70lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.52h x 5.54w x 0.63d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/18\/2004 pg. 20","brand":"Joe Queenan","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43913662038271,"sku":"9780312423216","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/products\/img_35278c69-ec04-4714-8c95-16d851ae7fc6.jpg?v=1680621608","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/true-believers-joe-queenan-9780312423216","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}