Dick Friedman

A captivating memoir of New York sports radio from the legendary host who saw it all On July 1, 1987 The city that never sleeps debuted the first 24-7 all-sports radio station in the USA. Steve Somers was here--and perhaps you, there--in WFAN's earliest days, an anxious sports media journeyman who had accepted a minimum-paygrade contract and the nocturnal, six-hour time slot that came with it. It was here, overnight and under the covers, that he made a name for himself as Captain Midnight, the steadfast on-air companion to New York City's finest: its truck drivers, bartenders, students, partygoers, and insomniacs; butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers; those looking for after-dark quiet from noisy days; and, of course, those seeking the precious company that radio, being intimate and personal, can give. While Somers has been called the soul of WFAN, it was those listeners and callers that became the soul of his shows: Jerome from Manhattan, Short Al from Brooklyn, Doris from Rego Park, and Jerry from Queens (who knew a thing or two about making a show about nothing). In Me Here, You There, Somers reflects on life as a Schmoozer from San Francisco with a dream-come-true of working the concrete jungle. From a childhood calling play-by-play into a lightbulb he pretended was a microphone, to three decades in the WFAN studios, Somers details the luck, leaps of faith, and memorable characters that, for better and for worse, shaped his improbable career. By turns wry and enchanting, Somers has authored a must-read for die-hard New York sports fans and anyone who appreciates a good story

This book details the life of Percy Haughton, college football’s first modern coach. A true innovator of the game, his Harvard squads went 71-7-5 during his tenure and were deemed national champions three times. In many ways, college football in the 1910s resembled what we still see today. A half century old, there were already concerns about violence and corruption. There were skyrocketing coaches’ salaries, stadium arms races, bragging rights, and meddling boosters. There were recruiting excesses and cheating. And from Harvard coach Percy Duncan Haughton, there was a sophistication of football that would surprise many fans today. In The Coach Who Strangled the Bulldog: How Harvard's Percy Haughton Beat Yale and Reinvented Football, Dick Friedman tells the fascinating story of a football genius. The sport’s first modern coach, Haughton systematized the game and utilized passing, speed, and deception. In nine seasons at Harvard, Haughton’s squads went 71-7-5 and three times during his tenure the Crimson were deemed national champions. Haughton’s system perfected line blocking, employed tactics such as the delayed handoff, and eschewed huddles. His practices were scripted to the minute and he had revolutionary ideas on conditioning. The Coach Who Strangled the Bulldog is not only a captivating biography of an influential coach from the early days of college football; it is also a history of the sport itself. Featuring timeless photos and tirelessly researched, this book provides valuable insight into the game today—how it has evolved and how it has stayed surprisingly the same.

This book details the life of Percy Haughton, college football’s first modern coach. A true innovator of the game, his Harvard squads went 71-7-5 during his tenure and were deemed national champions three times. In many ways, college football in the 1910s resembled what we still see today. A half century old, there were already concerns about violence and corruption. There were skyrocketing coaches’ salaries, stadium arms races, bragging rights, and meddling boosters. There were recruiting excesses and cheating. And from Harvard coach Percy Duncan Haughton, there was a sophistication of football that would surprise many fans today. In The Coach Who Strangled the Bulldog: How Harvard's Percy Haughton Beat Yale and Reinvented Football, Dick Friedman tells the fascinating story of a football genius. The sport’s first modern coach, Haughton systematized the game and utilized passing, speed, and deception. In nine seasons at Harvard, Haughton’s squads went 71-7-5 and three times during his tenure the Crimson were deemed national champions. Haughton’s system perfected line blocking, employed tactics such as the delayed handoff, and eschewed huddles. His practices were scripted to the minute and he had revolutionary ideas on conditioning. The Coach Who Strangled the Bulldog is not only a captivating biography of an influential coach from the early days of college football; it is also a history of the sport itself. Featuring timeless photos and tirelessly researched, this book provides valuable insight into the game today—how it has evolved and how it has stayed surprisingly the same.