{"product_id":"kiss-em-goodbye-an-espn-treasury-of-failed-forgotten-and-departed-teams","title":"Kiss 'Em Goodbye: An ESPN Treasury of Failed, Forgotten, and Departed Teams","description":"THEY’RE GOING, GOING, GONE. . . . Their names roll off the tongue, a litany of the the Providence Steam Roller, the Wilmington Quicksteps, the Cincinnati Porkers. They are the lost squads of professional sports history—teams forsaken by fans, fleeced by owners, or forgotten by time. Until now. Kiss ’Em Goodbye unearths the real stories of dozens of vanished teams that once graced—and often disgraced—North America’s big leagues. Like the St. Paul Apostles, the only major league team never to have played a home game; Card-Pitt, the NFL’s World War II doormat; and the Philadelphia Quakers of the NHL, a team owned jointly by bootleggers and a retired boxer who climbed back into the ring to help meet payroll. In obituaries for both big-city franchises that skipped town (the Baltimore Colts, the Brooklyn Dodgers) and small-town teams that had their brief moment of glory (the Tonawanda Kardex, the Pottsville Maroons), Kiss ’Em Goodbye commemorates mysterious fires, waterlogged basketball courts, fields tended by goats (“cheaper than mowers!”), and uniforms that broke team budgets. It’s all here in a fascinating, hilarious, page-turning celebration of teams that prove it’s not whether you win or lose, but that you once played the game.\u003cbr\u003eASIN: B007CFQJH4\u003cbr\u003eVSKU: BVV.B007CFQJH4.G\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Good\u003cbr\u003eAuthor\/Artist:Purdy, Dennis\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNote:\u003c\/b\u003e Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Notes\u003c\/b\u003e: The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact  including the dust cover, if applicable . Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.  \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Blue Vase Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43331827400765,"sku":"BVV.B007CFQJH4.G","price":43.38,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0589\/4225\/9261\/files\/B007CFQJH4-0.jpg?v=1783564910","url":"https:\/\/www.bluevasebooks.com\/products\/kiss-em-goodbye-an-espn-treasury-of-failed-forgotten-and-departed-teams","provider":"Blue Vase Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}