Gas says:
“In 1984 the University of Washington Huskies won every game but one, ranking second in national polls. For most coaches, such a season would be a career pinnacle. But for Don James second place motivated him to set aside what he knew about football and rethink the game. James made radical changes to his coaching philosophy, from recruitment to becoming one of the first college teams willing to blitz on any down and in any situation. His new approach initially failed, yet it finally culminated in one of the most explosive teams in college football history.”
Gas says:
“In 1980, Delaware State College lost a football game to Portland State University by the absurd score of 105 to 0. In the wake of that loss, DSC athletic director Nelson Townsend hired Joe Purzycki to coach the Hornets’ football team in 1981. Purzycki had experience, he had been a winner, and Townsend thought he was the best man for the job. But Delaware State was a Historic Black College and Purzycki was white. Mr. Townsend and the Polish Prince is the story of the tricky waters Purzycki had to navigate as the first white head football coach at a predominantly black college.”
Gas says:
“The idea to write this book hit me while I was walking to my car after a Sounders FC win over the Portland Timbers in 2012. Never in my life did an idea hit me with the lightning bolt ferocity of this one. By the time I got home that night I had an outline in my head of how the book would look. It’s become a regional best-seller and has also been published in Brazil.”
Gas says:
“In 2008, a representative of Running Press approached me to see if I would be interested in writing a book on Seattle sports history. I was, but I knew I’d need help so I contacted my friend Art Thiel. He suggested we add Steve Rudman to our project and the result is a fun and fact-filled anecdotal journey. We also were able to get many area Seattle athletes, musicians, and sports celebrities to contribute to the book. Frankly, given everything that happened in this city since the book came out (2009), we should consider doing an updated version. If you’d like to catch up on the rich and colorful history of Seattle sports, this is the book for you.”
Gas says:
“Steve Trafton is a neighbor of mine on Whidbey Island. He has lived a remarkable life that’s been full of him seeking adventure and adventure sometimes finding him. I wrote the first draft for this book and obtained most of the quotes used in the book in detailed interviews with Steve and his friends. This was an interesting project to work on and I’m proud of my role in bringing Steve’s amazing stories to life.”