The arena
Subtitle: inside the tailgating, ticket-scalping, mascot-racing, dubiously funded, and possibly haunted monuments of American sport
By: Rafi Kohan
Edition: First edition.
Publisher: Liveright Publishing Corporation
Published: 2017
Language: eng
Number of pages: 401
ISBN-13: 9781631491276
Subjects: Stadiums; Sports spectators; Sports
Description: "The American sports stadium, for all its raucous glory, is an overlooked centerpiece--a veritable temple--of our national culture. A hallowed ground for communal worship, this is where history is made on grass, artificial turf, hardwood, and even ice; where nostalgia flows as freely as ten-dollar beers; where everything thrills, from exploding fireworks to grinning cheerleaders. In The Arena, "an altogether new and riveting sports classic" (Josh Wilker), intrepid sportswriter Rafi Kohan crisscrosses the country, journeying from one beloved monument to the next. As he finagles access to the unexpected corners and hidden corridors of our most frequented fields, he discovers just what makes them tick--and what keeps us coming back time and time again."--Jacket flap.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Before we begin (or: Preface); title: Taking the oath (or: The old-timers); title: Super subsidize me (or: The newcomers); title: All the ticket men (or: Beyond these walls); title: "As far as the eye can see, toilets" (or: Straight to the dome); title: Ed Mangan's burden (or: Field of dreams); title: Extremely loud and incredibly gross (or: Fans behaving badly); title: Identity 101 (or: Col-lege!); title: The other side of the t-shirt cannon (or: Are you not entertained?); title: The secret life of stadiums (or: Let's get logistical); title: Sex. War. America. (or: For god and country); title: Ghost world (or: Life after sports).