I recently picked up this gem for $1 at a Rotary Book Sale in Nanaimo, British Columbia. From 2003, it is The New York Times: Sports of the Times, edited by William Taaffe and David Fischer.
Part scrapbook and part coffee table book, this title is a glimpse into sporting history. Drawn from 150 years of archives from the New York Times (and arranged one day at a time through a full calendar year), each day features the original story, along with archival photography. All the greatest moments and athletes are here, from Paavo Nurmi to Muhammed Ali to Michael Jordan.
And yes, Wayne Gretzky (though strangely not his final NHL game ever, when playing for the Rangers), among other hockey stars. New York is a great hockey town, but rarely is hockey the top story in the sporting section. Sixteen times hockey is the headline featured. I have included photos of all sixteen stories below.
Since I still have not found enough plutonium for my time machine disguised as a DeLorean to travel back in time, this is an excellent way to relive history in the moment. Too often history is revised over time, and sports is no different. Now you can experience the great sporting moment through the newspaper's rich reporting at the time it actually happened. The original reports capture the language, tone and atmosphere of the moment - not written with hindsight, but as the event unfolded. This immediacy gives the readers an authentic sense of cultural context.
Here are quick snap shots of the hockey stories covered in Sports of the Times. Enjoy.
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