Camp Fire Site

True. Kostya Kennedy. The Four Seasons of Jackie Robinson.    As we begin another baseball season, I decided to check out a book about one of the most famous and influential players of all time.     True , by Kostya Kennedy, explains a refreshed, detailed account of the life and times of Jackie Robinson, who did break the color line in major league baseball during the 1947 season but was also one on the most influential players of the 20 th century.        The author breaks the story down in four “seasons”.   The segments were not necessarily Robinson’s best on the field performance but better described as important milestones that occurred in his life.  Part 1 describes some of Robinson’s time playing spring ball in Montreal as a new member of the Brooklyn Dodgers.    Part 2 expands upon his experiences during the summer of 1949, his third season with the Dodgers, where he and his family naviga...

The Magnificent Seven.    College Basketball’s Blue Bloods.    Mark Mehler and Jeff Tiber II.    It seems fitting to have finished reading about seven different prominent college basketball programs on the eve of another march madness (March of 2026).     The Magnificent Seven , authored by Mark Mehler and Jeff Tiber II, argues their list of blue blood basketball programs and provides a rich history and culture of each school along with how they ascended to be considered among the elite programs. The opening section of the book discusses several criterions supporting their choices.    Readers will note that all schools chronicled here won at least four NCAA basketball championships.     Of course, some were more recent successes than others such as Kansas and Connecticut while others have not won a championship for several decades like Indiana or UCLA.    In any case, beyond the wins the total package in...

  The 1976 National Champion Pitt Panthers.     David Finoli. Miracle on Cardiac Hill.      It is not often that fans get to see their favorite college football team win a championship.    It is even more extraordinary when that happens during the first year of ever attending games for your favorite college football team.     Well, that was exactly my experience in the fall of 1976, as a 9-year-old, when I was afforded the great luxury and opportunity with my family to attend University of Pittsburgh football games that season for the first time.      It was a historical season for many reasons but also an exciting time for sports in western Pennsylvania as the Pittsburgh Steelers were winning super bowls and the Pittsburgh Pirates were regular contenders for the National League pennant.     Author David Finoli explains how the local University captured some of that Esprit De corps in hi...

Walking Miracle.    Ryan Shazier with Larry Platt. How faith, positive thinking, and passion for football brought me back from paralysis….and helped me find purpose.      Athletes love and play the game of football for a variety of reasons including the action, passion for the game, physicality, camaraderie with teammates and coaches as well as the accolades that go with winning along with performance at high levels among their peers.     Of course, with all of this comes risk of injury.     All the aforementioned is what happened to former Pittsburgh Steeler linebacker Ryan Shazier including the life changing injury, unfortunately, which brought his life to a crashing halt.      However, through struggles, the support of many, including a home team fan base, helped turn a very tumultuous time in his life into a positive.     Through all of the toiling, uncertainty and turmoil in the nascent ...

  Big Dumb Eyes.    Nate Bargatze. Stories from a Simpler Mind.      Occasionally the Camp Fire podcast teaks a break from reading the non-fiction sports-related books and takes on another type of non-fictional book.     This time around we are reviewing comedian Nate Bargatze’s first book, Big Dumb Eyes.      Bargatze has risen from fairly humble beginnings to become one of the most popular comedians in the country today.    He has branched out from stand-up performance to acting along with founding an amusement park and now adding author to his list of occupations and professional accomplishments.    Bargatze is a Tennessee native.    He grew up in a small suburban town outside of Nashville.   The book discusses his time growing up there with his family.     It gets into some of his adult life including a short stint as a college student and his time in Chicago and New Yo...