Do we have the book for you …

November 19, 2022 Kerry Eggers

The holidays are approaching, and it’s the season of giving.

Here’s an idea for a Christmas gift, or for New Year’s, or just to give to a friend who happens to be a sports fan: Selections from the collection of sports books Kerry Eggers has written.

Four are available now:

• Civil War Rivalry (2014), the stories behind the century-plus competition on the gridiron between Oregon and Oregon State. Eggers interviewed more than 250 players, coaches, officials and representatives from the two schools. Many of the great games and great players are covered. It’s the Bible of one of the nation’s most enduring sports rivalries, 527 pages of perspective you’ll get nowhere else.

• Jail Blazers (2018), chronicling one of the most talented but combustible teams in NBA history, lasting in various forms through more than a decade. From the days of J.R. Rider and Rasheed Wallace to Ruben Patterson and Bonzi Wells to Zach Randolph and Darius Miles, this group formed by general manager Bob Whitsitt won a lot of games but eventually lost the respect of many fans in the City of Roses. This feels like a fiction book but it’s not because, well, you can’t make that up.

• Jerome Kersey: Overcoming the Odds (2021) brings to life one of Portland’s true sports heroes. For 11 seasons, Kersey was a swashbuckling, rambunctious small forward for the Blazers, a starter and driving force of the teams that reached the NBA Finals in 1990 and ’92. But his impact in the community stretched decades further, until his untimely death from a pulmonary embolism in 2015 at age 52.

A native Virginian who played his college ball at Division II Longwood, Kersey was the eternal underdog whose work ethic carried him further than he, or anyone else, expected. This is a story of a giving, caring individual who left an impact on people that transcended sports.

And, hot off the presses …

• Wherever You May Be … Now: The Bill Schonely Story was released on November 8 and will surely be a hot Christmas gift item. This is an update from the 1999 biography of the legendary Trail Blazers broadcaster, the mayor of “Rip City” and likely the most popular figure in the franchise’s history.

The book takes the reader from 1999 to the present with “The Schonz,” who retired in April after a career with the Blazers that lasted a half-century. You’ll also get full reprint of the original bio. It’s a match made in heaven with those who have appreciated the talents of the 2012 recipient of the Curt Gowdy Award at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

All books will be autographed, and upon request, personalized by the author. The Schonely book will have his autograph. Price for each book is $33, which includes postage and handling. Buy all four books here and the price is a reduced $105, which includes postage and handling.

Order the books here. If you order before Dec. 21 you should receive your order by Christmas Eve. Payments can be made via credit card here on the website or Venmo (@vensteph) if you use the Contact form here.

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Readers: what are your thoughts? I would love to hear them in the comments below. On the comments entry screen, only your name is required, your email address and website are optional, and may be left blank.