Geoff Baker

Encompassing sports, civics, and regional identity, this is a multifaceted narrative of launching a franchise from the ground up In 2021, Seattle released the Kraken. Evoking the aquatic mystique of Puget Sound while epitomizing colorful innovation, the Seattle Kraken, the National Hockey League's newest expansion franchise, entered its inaugural season backed by league-wide fanfare and with an eye toward the future of both the team and its city. In true Seattle fashion, they would play their games on ice from recycled rainwater in front of sold-out crowds at the privately funded, all-electric, Amazon-sponsored Climate Pledge Arena. If an organic union of sports and civic identity was ever possible, this would seem to be it. How did it go so right? What made the Emerald City the perfect setting for a new hockey franchise just years after it had failed to retain the NBA's SuperSonics? And could the same forces that propelled the Kraken into existence be redeployed to attract a basketball team once again? Rising From the Deep traces the dynamic origins of the NHL's newest team, from the history of Seattle hockey in the early 20th century, to the winter sports void left by the bitter departure of the Sonics, to the the development of a team identity that captured the imagination of hockey fans everywhere. Seattle Times investigative reporter Geoff Baker takes readers behind the scenes and back to the start with power brokers, players, and fans in this fascinating, hard-fought saga.

The Seattle Kraken, a Tenacious Push for Expansion, and the Emerald City's Sports Revival

Rising From the Deep

Even the most die-hard Seattle Sounders fans don't know everything about their beloved club. Whether you were around for the USL days or were drawn in more recently by the team's incredible 2016 comeback, these are the 100 things all fans need to know. Award-winning sportswriter Geoff Baker has collected every essential piece of Sounders knowledge and trivia, as well as must-do activities, and ranks them all from 1 to 100, providing an entertaining and easy-to-follow checklist as you progress on your way to fan superstardom.

100 Things Sounders Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die

This book examines the activities of William Blundell, a seventeenth-century Catholic gentleman, and using the approaches of the history of reading provides a detailed analysis of his mindset. Blundell was neither the passive victim nor the entirely loyal subject that he and others have claimed. He actively defended his family from the penal laws and used the relative freedom that this gave him to patronise other Catholics. Not only did he rewrite the histories of recent civil conflicts to show that Protestants were prone to rebellion and Catholics to loyalty, but we also find a different perspective on his religious beliefs. Blundell's commonplaces suggest an underlying tension with aspects of Catholicism, a tension manifest throughout his notes on his practical engagement with the world, in which it is clear that he was wrestling with the various aspects of his identity. This is an important study that will be of interest to all who work on the early modern period.

The Mental World of a Seventeenth-Century Catholic Gentleman

Reading and Politics in Early Modern England

Andrew Fisher

In recent years interest in schools outreach and academic enrichment has increased dramatically, reflecting a greater social conscience and awareness of the impact that universities can have on the wider community. The transferable skills that academics bring to schools need to be honed for this new learning environment, as delivery methods and success benchmarks are radically different in a schools context. This collection addresses the numerous issues raised when arts and humanities academics become involved with schools, bringing together practitioners from a broad range of fields within the arts and humanities to share experiences and insights.

Mapping the Pedagogical Interface

Arts and Humanities Academics in Schools

Max Brallier

Think You Know Your Stuff? Prove It. The gauntlet's been thrown down. Time to man up and face the challenge. This book tests it all—sports, movies, cars, history, everything—everything any real guy should know. And acing this test's the only way to prove you know it all. What type of gun does Dirty Harry use to clean up the streets and display his general badassness? Which beer is the product of the oldest active brewery in the United States? Who's the only player to pull off the improbable feat of a walkoff inside-the-park grand slam? Which gangster was responsible for the Valentine's Day Massacre? What was the name of Mr. T's character on The A-Team? The answer's pretty clear: You need this book. Whether it's to keep from getting schooled or to school your buddies, it's required reading. No question.

Geoff Baker

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