{"product_id":"collision-of-wills-johnny-unitas-don-shula-and-the-rise-of-the-modern-nfl-9781496222299","title":"Collision of Wills: Johnny Unitas, Don Shula, and the Rise of the Modern NFL","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn their seven years together, quarterback Johnny Unitas and coach Don Shula, kings of the fabled Baltimore Colts of the 1960s, created one of the most successful franchises in sports.\u003c\/b\u003e Unitas and Shula had a higher winning percentage than Lombardi's Packers, but together they never won a championship. Baltimore lost the big game to the Browns in 1964 and to Joe Namath and the Jets in 1969's Super Bowl III--both in stunning upsets. The Colts' near misses in the Shula era were among the most confounding losses any sports franchise ever suffered. Rarely had a team in any league performed so well, over such an extended period, only to come up empty. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe two men had a complex relationship stretching back to their time as young teammates competing for their professional lives. Their personal conflict mirrored their tumultuous times. As they elevated the brutal game of football, the world around them clashed about Vietnam, civil rights, and sex. \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCollision of Wills\u003c\/i\u003e looks at the complicated relationship between Don Shula, the league's winningest coach of all time, and his star player Johnny Unitas and how their secret animosity fueled the Colts in an era when their losses were as memorable as their victories.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJack Gilden \u003c\/b\u003eis a past winner of the Simon Rockower journalism award. His work has appeared in \u003ci\u003eOrioles Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eBaltimore Sun\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eEvening Sun\u003c\/i\u003e, and the \u003ci\u003eBaltimore Jewish Times\u003c\/i\u003e. He also consults businesses about their messaging and teaches writing at the college level. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"University of Nebraska Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50376735260946,"sku":"9781496222299","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_0f9b9013-fcc7-4603-a273-4c5e26357784.jpg?v=1765971404","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/collision-of-wills-johnny-unitas-don-shula-and-the-rise-of-the-modern-nfl-9781496222299","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}