Matthew C. Ehrlich

An absolutely fascinating look at one of the greatest football rivalries, the one between the Oakland Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs, with a secondary look at the rivalry between the A's and the Royals.

I love reading about 1960s/1970s sports history and American cultural/political history so this book was right up my alley. Loved how the author integrated the sports rivalries in with the history of the times, too. It made for interesting reading which brings back memories for me.

I'd highly recommend this one to people who like to read about sports or even those who enjoy reading about American history.

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.)… (meer)

Kansas City vs. Oakland: The Bitter Sports Rivalry That Defined an Era by Matthew C Ehrlich is a wonderful look at a unique time in both US history and professional sports history in the US. The use of this particular rivalry between two cities and their teams is a microcosm of what was happening to some degree in many cities.

Let me get some basic stuff out of the way. I am amazed that people either buy or request books without actually taking the time to read the paragraph or two that describes the book, then act like it is somehow the author or the publisher's fault they failed to do so. So.......this is about the sports rivalry between the cities, not the football rivalry and not the baseball rivalry, and how that rivalry was a result of so much more than just what took place on the field. In other words, this a a much broader topic than just rehashing a great sports rivalry, it is truly a rivalry between the cities themselves. There, enough of that nonsense.

I remember those sports rivalries very well and the team movement also, but never fully realized the broader social, cultural, and political landscape within which it all played out. While these rivalries haven't lasted as long as the NY/Boston(NE) ones, the animosity, for at least a short time, ran every bit as deep.

If you sometimes wonder how much a part of the bigger picture our love of professional sports is, this book will give you a lot of information to digest. How sports teams have come to represent how big and/or marketable a city is and even to what extent it can call itself a "major" city really developed during these years. Looking at this particular dynamic gives us insight into what other cities have done, or have resisted doing, since then.

Highly recommended for fans who like their fandom grounded in the bigger cultural picture as well as for those interested in urban history and planning, race relations during the civil rights era, and history buffs who like a larger view than many histories offer. Not sure whether this is a sports book with some history or a history book with some sports. Either way, it is well worth the read.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (meer)