The Real Hoosiers: Crispus Attucks High School, Oscar Robertson, and the Hidden History of Hoops
by Jack McCallum
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Description
"For far too long the storyline of Indiana basketball has been dominated by Hoosiers. Framed as the ultimate underdog, feel good story, there has also long been a cultural debate surrounding the film, and The Real Hoosiers sets out to illuminate the narrative absent from the film. This is the story of the real life team that inspired the team that most have long assumed was Hickory High's championship opponent. They were Crispus Attucks, an all Black team playing in the 1950s in a racially show more divided Indiana. Veteran sportswriter and the bestselling author of Dream Team, Jack McCallum, excavates the history of the Crispus Attucks Tigers. After a crushing loss to Milan High School (the real Indiana team Hickory High is based on) in the 1954 semi-final (not the final), Attucks went on to win back to back Indiana state championships led by a young Oscar Robertson and an African American coach who recognized the seemingly insurmountable challenges of playing basketball in a state that was a bastion not only for the game but also for the Ku Klux Klan. This is much more than a sports story. The history of Attucks is rich, far beyond the basketball court, and filled with cultural influence and importance. The Real Hoosiers replaces a lacuna in the history of Indiana while dissecting the myths and lore of basketball; placing the game in the context of migration, segregation, and integration; and enhancing our understanding of this country's struggle for Civil Rights"-- show lessTags
Member Reviews
For someone who doesn't get that into sports I freaking LOVE reading about them. The Real Hoosiers is magnificent, it's a breathtaking look at The Big O, Attucks, and basketball in Indiana. As a Hoosier, this content isn't brand new to me. I have read several other books on Hoosier basketball, and a young adult book on Attucks - however the framework of this book included so much background and depth that I learned a ton. This should be required reading. It talks in depth about how deep racism permeated in the Hoosier Heartland (on and off the court) and the hoops (see what I did there) that African American players faced just to play the game they love. I love Indiana and we've come a long way as a state - but boy... things were bad. show more It's amazing that we got such a great school and basketball team out of so much prejudice. Wonderful book, I loved all the footnotes and anecdotes! show less
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Author Information
12+ Works 532 Members
Jack McCallum received a degree in English from Muhlenberg College and a master's degree in English literature from Lehigh University. He was a writer at Sports Illustrated for almost 30 years and is currently a Special Contributor for the publication. In 2005, he was presented with the Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball show more Hall of Fame for excellence in basketball writing. He has written around 10 books including Dream Team, Seven Seconds or Less, Unfinished Business, and The Prostate Monologues. He also co-wrote the novel Foul Lines with L. Jon Wertheim and Bleeding Orange with Jim Boeheim. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Classifications
- Genres
- Sports and Leisure, Nonfiction, History, Politics and Government, Biography & Memoir, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 796.323 — Arts & recreation Recreation, sports, and performing arts Sports Ball sports Ball and net sports Basketball
- LCC
- GV885.42 .I4 .M33 — Geography, Anthropology and Recreation Recreation. Leisure Recreation. Leisure Sports Ball games: Baseball, football, golf, etc.
- BISAC
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- Members
- 16
- Popularity
- 1,512,314
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (5.00)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 3
- ASINs
- 1
