{"product_id":"9781461749011","title":"Hustler \u0026 The Champ: Willie Mosconi, Minnesota Fats, And The Rivalry That Defined Pool","description":"In the tradition of Pulitzer Prize nominated, \u003ci\u003ePositively Fifth Street\u003c\/i\u003e, here is a riveting account of a high stakes shoot-out between pool's two most famous personalities. \u003cbr\u003eIt was Valentine's Day, 1978, and Howard Cosell was hosting the long-awaited show-down between the best-ever tournament player, Willie Mosconi, and the game's most famous hustler, Minnesota Fats. This was The Great Pool Shoot-Out,  one of the most highly rated televised sporting events of the year, exceeding even World Series games and basketball championships. R.A. Dyer, author of the best-selling \u003ci\u003eHustler Days\u003c\/i\u003e, which recounts the rise of pool during the 1960s, writes of the acrid, but mutually beneficial rivalry between Fats and Mosconi, and how the televised shoot-outs came to embody that rivalry, which was nothing less than a bitter rift within the soul of American pocket billiards. Fats and Mosconi were born the same year, but were vastly different characters: one stood for artistry, the other for show business; one brought dignity to pool, the other made it fun. They are without a doubt the two most important players ever to hold a cue. This is the ultimate tale of American sportsmanship.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eR.A. Dyer is a columnist for Billiards Digest, and lives in Austin, Texas.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Rowman \u0026 Littlefield Publishers, Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47155605012720,"sku":"9781461749011","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781461749011_p0.jpg?v=1769890545","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781461749011","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}