{"product_id":"gummage-team-sport-9798295586859","title":"Gummage Team Sport","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Team Sport Where the Highest Score Loses\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat if losing was the whole point?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWelcome to \u003cstrong\u003eGummage\u003c\/strong\u003e, the most unconventional team sport ever invented-played on an octagon of Kentucky bluegrass, with both teams aiming for the same goal in the center of the field... and where scoring the most points means you \u003cstrong\u003elose\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTold through the sharp, funny, and heartfelt voice of narrator \u003cstrong\u003eMunford Rutz\u003c\/strong\u003e, this unforgettable book chronicles the true (and wildly imaginative) origin of Gummage-created in the early 1950s by Munford's best friend, the brilliant and unconventional \u003cstrong\u003eSpelvin Goolie\u003c\/strong\u003e. Inspired by an Emily Dickinson poem and fueled by the frustration of being perpetually chosen last in gym class, Spelvin turns the logic of sports completely inside out.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSet in the fictional but richly detailed world of \u003cstrong\u003eMumption Falls, Iowa\u003c\/strong\u003e, Gummage is part sports history, part satire, part coming-of-age story, and part philosophical experiment. Along the way, readers are introduced to unforgettable rules, bizarre terminology (barfs, benders, reekerbackers, omkrins), eccentric local characters, fake radio ads, and a sport designed specifically for the \"coordinationally-challenged.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut beneath the humor and absurdity lies something surprisingly profound: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat does it really mean to win?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWho gets left out when success is defined only one way?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnd what if effort, integrity, and joy mattered more than the scoreboard?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePerfect for readers who love: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInventive, offbeat storytelling\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSatirical takes on American sports culture\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNostalgic mid-century settings\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBooks that blur the line between fiction, memoir, and myth\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGummage is funny, thoughtful, bizarre, and strangely moving-a book that celebrates outsiders, challenges conventions, and proves that sometimes, \u003cstrong\u003ewhen you lose... you win\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Munford Rutz","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52038903660818,"sku":"9798295586859","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_a04c9438-8c88-4376-9236-22a6bffb19f8.jpg?v=1771340442","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/gummage-team-sport-9798295586859","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}