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Lamar Hunt: A Life in Sports
Written by award-winning author Michael MacCambridge, this is the definitive, official biography of one of the 20th century’s most important and beloved sporting figures; the soft-spoken, strong-willed man whose audacious challenge to the National Football League transformed American sports. Hunt revolutionized three different sports—pro football, tennis, and soccer—winding up in the Hall of Fame of each. Drawing on 50 years of Hunt’s personal papers and more than 200 interviews, MacCambridge provides an intimate, original portrait of the man forever captivated by these serious pursuits we call games.
"I can't separate what part of pro football is business and what part is personal with me," he said. "I just know that it is very important that I succeed."
He had loved games as a young boy, had played them as a young man, and now, as a naive but determined 27-year-old in the summer of 1959, Lamar Hunt announced that he was going to launch a new football league.
What he couldn't possibly have known on that day was that the forces of the entrenched National Football League would soon be arrayed against him. The league would place its own team in his hometown of Dallas, in direct competition with his team, and would attempt to undermine the new league, trying on repeated occasions before that first season to prevent the new American Football League from ever starting.
And what the NFL couldn't have known, but would soon find out, was that Hunt, the mild-mannered, bespectacled son of legendary oilman H. L. Hunt, had an indomitable will, and patience beyond his years. Resolute and innovative, he successfully launched the AFL and, seven years later, helped broker a merger deal, which created the need for a championship game between the two leagues. Then he came up with the name of the game--the Super Bowl.
Never before, and not since, has anyone with so many resources spent so much time watching, participating in, and being captivated by the absorbing ritual of sports and the suspended state of play. His accomplishments would put him in the company of the other giants of American sports--Charles C. "Cash and Carry" Pyle, Abe Saperstein, George Halas, Branch Rickey, Red Auerbach, Pete Rozelle. Each was present at a revolution. But Hunt, significantly, was present at a number of revolutions. And he was the catalyst for each one. Before his death in 2006, Hunt revolutionized three different sports--pro football, tennis, and soccer--winding up in the Hall of Fame of each.
Written by award-winning author Michael MacCambridge, Lamar A Life In Sports is the definitive and official biography of one of the 20th century's most important and beloved sporting figures; the soft-spoken, strong-willed man whose audacious challenge to the NFL transformed the landscape of American sports, but only served as an opening act to his epic sporting journey. Drawing on 50 years of Hunt's personal papers and more than 200 interviews, author Michael MacCambridge provides an intimate, original portrait of the man forever captivated by these serious pursuits we call games.
"I can't separate what part of pro football is business and what part is personal with me," he said. "I just know that it is very important that I succeed."
He had loved games as a young boy, had played them as a young man, and now, as a naive but determined 27-year-old in the summer of 1959, Lamar Hunt announced that he was going to launch a new football league.
What he couldn't possibly have known on that day was that the forces of the entrenched National Football League would soon be arrayed against him. The league would place its own team in his hometown of Dallas, in direct competition with his team, and would attempt to undermine the new league, trying on repeated occasions before that first season to prevent the new American Football League from ever starting.
And what the NFL couldn't have known, but would soon find out, was that Hunt, the mild-mannered, bespectacled son of legendary oilman H. L. Hunt, had an indomitable will, and patience beyond his years. Resolute and innovative, he successfully launched the AFL and, seven years later, helped broker a merger deal, which created the need for a championship game between the two leagues. Then he came up with the name of the game--the Super Bowl.
Never before, and not since, has anyone with so many resources spent so much time watching, participating in, and being captivated by the absorbing ritual of sports and the suspended state of play. His accomplishments would put him in the company of the other giants of American sports--Charles C. "Cash and Carry" Pyle, Abe Saperstein, George Halas, Branch Rickey, Red Auerbach, Pete Rozelle. Each was present at a revolution. But Hunt, significantly, was present at a number of revolutions. And he was the catalyst for each one. Before his death in 2006, Hunt revolutionized three different sports--pro football, tennis, and soccer--winding up in the Hall of Fame of each.
Written by award-winning author Michael MacCambridge, Lamar A Life In Sports is the definitive and official biography of one of the 20th century's most important and beloved sporting figures; the soft-spoken, strong-willed man whose audacious challenge to the NFL transformed the landscape of American sports, but only served as an opening act to his epic sporting journey. Drawing on 50 years of Hunt's personal papers and more than 200 interviews, author Michael MacCambridge provides an intimate, original portrait of the man forever captivated by these serious pursuits we call games.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published October 2, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 7, 2019
For me, this was one of the best sports books I have read. Having grown up in KC and then living in Dallas, it was wonderful to relive all the excitement of the Chiefs in their heyday as well as being in the midst of the WCT in Dallas when it was so popular along with the Dallas Tornado soccer club.
Lamar was never passionate about the oil business but instead totally immersed himself in sports. While his accomplishments are too numerous to list, his main one was the creation of the American Football League and later working a merger with the NFL into what it is today. He gave the championship game the name ‘Super Bowl’, and he is credited with bringing both tennis and soccer to its prominence in America by creating the WCT as well as a US Soccer league before most Americans even knew what soccer was. He did so much more but the best part about the man was his integrity, his kindness, his ever positive attitude and his willingness to make decisions based on what was the best for all teams or those affected, not just for his teams or himself. If only all sports owners were even half the kind of man Lamar was.
Lamar was never passionate about the oil business but instead totally immersed himself in sports. While his accomplishments are too numerous to list, his main one was the creation of the American Football League and later working a merger with the NFL into what it is today. He gave the championship game the name ‘Super Bowl’, and he is credited with bringing both tennis and soccer to its prominence in America by creating the WCT as well as a US Soccer league before most Americans even knew what soccer was. He did so much more but the best part about the man was his integrity, his kindness, his ever positive attitude and his willingness to make decisions based on what was the best for all teams or those affected, not just for his teams or himself. If only all sports owners were even half the kind of man Lamar was.
March 4, 2026
Lamar Hunt: A Life in Sports, penned by his wife, Gwyneth Hunt, offers an intimate, comprehensive, and affectionate look into the life of one of the most influential figures in American sports history. I would recommend it to a old person
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2023
Engaging and entertaining writing and story! Loved learning more about his life, family, and influence.
February 10, 2014
When asked about his son Lamar Hunt's one million dollar loss after the inaugural AFL season, H.L. Hunt -then estimated to be the richest American -replied, "At that rate he can only last another 150 years." Lamar, not content with being the scion of a multi-national oil baron, veered from the family business to pursue his passion in sports, most notably the burgeoning professional football. Those outside America's heartland or now readers of this book are largely unaware of the impact Lamar had on the landscape of America's most popular sport. His innovations, which included negotiating lucrative TV contracts with major networks, revenue sharing among franchises to establish greater competitive balance, the proliferation of offense and the passing game, expansion into new markets -particularly in the south and west and ultimately the merger which led to today's great showcase -the Super Bowl. Not to mention, his contributions to the sports of soccer and tennis, which along with professional football each bestowed him membership in their respective Hall of Fame. In 1963, Lamar shared a cab in New York City with his newly signed 1st Round draft choice LB Bobby Bell. Upon arriving at their hotel, Lamar had to bum cab fair from Bell because he was routinely cash broke. That sums up the story of the shy, polite man who often downplayed his wealth, but used it to revolution pro-sports into what we know it as today.
March 16, 2013
I'm sure most Kansas City sports fans would say if you didn't like Lamar Hunt then you don't like anybody. The great story of this man is that while born into immense oil wealth, he had little interest in oil or making fortunes. Instead he forged a lifetime of friendship and camaraderie in relationships developed through his love of sports, football primarily. Because he wanted to ensure there would always be a viable league for his dream of owning a professional football team, he placed the welfare of an entire league above making sure his was a winning team. The author makes one misstep in not mentioning that NFL founder and Chicago Bears owner George Halas routinely traded some of his best players to rival teams when the imbalance in talent was preventing competitive balance. Hunt took it a step further with TV revenue sharing, a radical concept in 1960. Non-soccer or tennis fans may find details of Hunt's ventures in them a bit dry.
September 12, 2016
Unsure if the author skipped over any dirty niblets of Hunt's life (he did include H.L. Hunt's multiple families), but, generally, a nice biography. Learned a lot.
Had zero clue as to how involved in soccer he was including his undying quest to make the game succeed at a professional level in the United States and even going to every World Cup with the idea of visiting all of the participating stadiums.
Also did not know about his involvement with the touring tennis league or how "amateur" the sport was in the 1960s.
I could've really done for more details on the creation of the AFL and the merger with the NFL. Maybe the author included all there was to it, but I felt he stuck with Hunt's involvement.
Had zero clue as to how involved in soccer he was including his undying quest to make the game succeed at a professional level in the United States and even going to every World Cup with the idea of visiting all of the participating stadiums.
Also did not know about his involvement with the touring tennis league or how "amateur" the sport was in the 1960s.
I could've really done for more details on the creation of the AFL and the merger with the NFL. Maybe the author included all there was to it, but I felt he stuck with Hunt's involvement.
June 17, 2013
As a specific history of any one of Hunt's interests, this book does not serve. Other more specific histories of Soccer in the US, the AFC, the spread of Tennis, or the dynasty of the Hunts and other oil fortunes in America are all available. But this is clearly not the aim of this book. Lamar Hunt was a man who could have, and perhaps should have, been a squandering wastrel gifted with obnoxious wealth. Instead, he was a quietly determined and graceful man who showed through his life and the lives that he touched that, despite all privilege, decency and hardwork will leave the world better than you found it.
August 4, 2016
If this book could have lightly mentioned Tennis and Soccer and focused more on football it would have been infinitely more interesting. I ended up skipping over the Tennis and Soccer sections. It seems like Mr. Hunt was a very decent man that everyone liked. Unfortunately for the Chiefs it also seems that his ventures in others sports as well as the legal issues he encountered directly affected the quality of the football team. It was very interesting to read about the AFL creation and eventual merger and Hunts role therein. If you are a football fan this book is worth the read.
October 24, 2013
The book was only three stars, but Lamar Hunt was worth five. What an innovative and humble giant in the world of sports. The book is unfortunately a typical year-by-year look at his life with painful details of individual games and summer road trips. I enjoyed it immensely, but I don't know anyone else on earth with my interest in the business of sports.
November 7, 2014
Excellent portrait of maybe the most influential man in U.S. sports history. Recommended.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews