New Books In Sports

A few years ago, I came across an article entitled “‘Who Do I Root for Now?’: The Impact of Franchise Relocation on the Loyal Fans Left Behind: A Case Study of Hartford Whaler Fans,” by Craig G. Hyatt. This essay focused on the void left in the lives of aficionados of a team that, like the jilted lover in a relationship, must now suffer and find a way to move forward in life without the object of one’s affection. In terms of sports, the pain is even more traumatic when the team that left its fans behind then proceeds to win a title; which they never accomplished in their former city. Thus, the unique pain of folks in places such as Harford (when the former-Whalers won the Stanley Cup as the Carolina Hurricane) and Quebec (when the former-Nordiques won the same trophy as the Colorado Avalanche). Ron Snyder’s The Baltimore Stallions: The Brief, Brilliant History of the CFL Champion Franchise (McFarland, 2020) presents a similar story, but with a twist, wherein the jilted lovers of the Colts enjoyed a brief flin