What Were They Thinking?: The Brainless Blunders That Changed Sports History

By Kyle Garlett

Book Overview

In 1919, the Boston Red Sox traded Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees to finance a Broadway show. In 1968, NBC turned off the Jets-Raiders game with only seconds left to show the made-for-TV movie Heidi . In 1994, Tonya Harding decided the best way to win Olympic gold was by taking out Nancy Kerrigan's kneecap. In all of these situations, and many, many more, there is just one question fans can ask: What were they thinking? In these pages, sportswriter and fellow fan Kyle Garlett recounts the top sports blunders that made you tear out your hair, beat your chest in agony, and yell at the TV until your neighbors called the cops. Whether it's boneheaded coaches, idiotic general managers, or temporarily insane players, every fan has seen his team go from the brink of victory to total defeat for no logical reason. Whether it's baseball, football, golf, hockey, or any other sport, you'll discover what really happened during these painful moments and why they ended up the unbelievable way they did.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061699926
• ISBN13: 9780061699924
• Release Date: May 2009
• Publisher: Harper
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Fun reading for a sports fan

OK so no one is ever going to consider Kyle Garrett a life changing author. But his books are fun to read and highly entertaining. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys sports and likes to read about those blunders which we like to think people have forgotten about but which survive in infamy. As a Boston fan I will never forget Bill Buckner's goof but I had forgotten about Leon Lett's two major bone head moves so it is fun to relive these things. Don't expect much, just enjoy the ride!

Another Great Find!

There are some hilarious, insane, confusing, and downright entertaining sports decisions out there, and the author has found a number of them to remind us that no one is perfect, and we all -- including the coaches and players in this book -- have moments we wish we could bury forever. I had bought THE WORST CALL EVER by this author to give to sports-minded family and friends, and everyone loved the style of writing (and the perspective of the author) so much that I decided to purchase WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? when it was released. I have not been disappointed, even though some of the story allusions were hard for me to wrap my non-sports brain around. My sports-minded family, on the other hand, were quick to catch even those elusive illusions. We all blunder, but some blunders are more entertaining after the fact than others. Thanks to Mr. Garlett, he has documented, with style and clarity and a twist of humor, some of those entertaining blunders.

GREAT THINKING

Kyle Garlett, the author, does an excellent job describing each blunder. This was a very enjoyable read. I bought it last Saturday and could not put it down. It made me want to buy his other book. You will not be disappointed. I highly recommend it.