One Lucky Fan: From Bleachers to Box Seats, Chasing the Ultimate Sports Dream to Visit All 123 MLB, NBA, NFL & NHL Teams

by Rich O'Malley, Jimmy Traina (Foreword by)

Overview

Featured in the New York Daily News!

Twenty-five years ago, Rich O’Malley combined his two great loves – sports and travel – into one “superhobby,” launching a lifelong dream of seeing a home game for every franchise in American professional sports.

Ever watch a big game on TV and say, “I would give anything to be there right now”? For Rich O’Malley that desire turned into a quest that plopped him down in hundreds of bleachers and box seats.

Once Rich had swept through all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums, he focused on a bigger prize: seeing a home game for all 123 teams in the four major U.S. pro sports leagues – MLB, NBA, NHL and NFL.

This is the story of Rich’s pursuit of that goal. It begins with his childhood roots as a fan and takes you back to relive some of the most historic – and just plain unbelievable – moments he’s experienced firsthand.

It culminates in a 25,000-mile, two-month whirlwind tour Rich undertook to fulfill his dream.

Throughout, he contemplates the qualities that unite fans – even rivals. Rich weaves this concept into the story, encouraging readers to reminisce about favorite memories and hoping to inspire their own adventure.

“Some of us keep an envelope of old ticket stubs, O'Malley would need a hammock. Follow along as he zig zags across North America to check off the ultimate sports fan bucket list. What most of us have only heard about in legend or seen on TV—like the roar of the 12th Man in Seattle—O'Malley has seen firsthand. And from Black Friday at the Mall of America to the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, he serves up a bit of Americana with every stop. His journey will have readers itching to take a sports quest of their own." – Sarah Spain, ESPN

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781642931129
Publisher:	Post Hill Press
Publication date:	06/04/2019
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

A former Executive Editor of the New York Daily News, Rich has traveled the country for 25 years visiting stadiums and arenas. He lives in Philadelphia with his encouraging and understanding wife, Christy; pup, Alfie; and cat, Pepper.

Table of Contents

Foreword 7

Spring Training: A Fan Is Born 9

Opening Day: All Roads Lead to Roam 17

Pregame Warmups: Run So as to Win 26

First Inning: "Rags" To Riches 30

Top of the Second Inning: Out on the Tiles 47

Bottom of the Second Inning: This Is Crazy, This Is Crazy, This Is Crazy 56

Top of the Third Inning: "… Through the Lincoln Tunnel!" 78

Bottom of the Third Inning: Love Walks In… and the Bill Comes Due 89

Fourth Inning: Get on the Bus! 98

Fifth Inning: Fields of Dreams…and Nightmares 117

Sixth Inning: Bittersweet Symphony 152

Seventh Inning: I Hate You! (Please Don't Ever Leave Me!) 172

Seventh-Inning Stretch: Stadium Chasers' Dirty Little Secret 185

Eighth Inning: My Team Is on the Floor 195

Ninth Inning: Enter Sandman 207

Extra Innings: The Happy Recap 239

Monday Morning Quarterback: Epilogue and Acknowledgments 242

Box Score: A complete list of Rich's "first" games for each franchise 248

About the Author 251

Editorial Reviews

One Lucky Fan is a travelogue for the sports-obsessed, and not everything goes smoothly even with the planning skills of a savvy traveler. However, it’s the moments of missing home and his ever-patient wife Christy that make the book a charming take on North American sports culture.

Brian P. Dunleavy

"O'Malley chronicles one of the most fun, ambitious endeavors one could conjure in the sports realm."

Steve Greenberg

"Some of us keep an envelope of old ticket stubs, O'Malley would need a hammock. Follow along as he zig zags across North America to check off the ultimate sports fan bucket list. What most of us have only heard about in legend or seen on TV—the roar of the 12th Man in Seattle, the enthusiasm of Canadian hockey fans in their home barn, a Giannis Antetokounmpo slam dunk—O'Malley has seen firsthand. And from Black Friday at the Mall of America to the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, O'Malley serves up a bit of Americana with every stop. His journey will have readers itching to take a sports quest of their own—jet lag, early wake-up calls, missed flights and all."

Sarah Spain

Rich O’Malley had a goal: He wanted to see a home game for all 123 teams in the four major US pro sports leagues. This book—part travelogue, part sports-fan memoir—is the enjoyable result.

Mackenzie Dawson