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Offsides
When the Soviet Union challenged the Super Bowl champions, the real game was life or death.
Offsides is a Cold War sports thriller that transforms the football field into a geopolitical battleground. Humiliated by their loss to the American hockey team in the 1980 Olympics, the Soviets hatch an audacious plan to restore national pride: challenge the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos to a football game, and win!
The man tasked with this impossible mission is Valery Medved, the brilliant coach who forged the USSR's hockey dynasty. With the entire Soviet sports empire at his disposal and Mikhail Gorbachev presenting the game as a gesture of goodwill, Medved works his magic.
In Denver, Mike Larsen—a former Raiders quarterback turned sportswriter—is assigned to cover the historic match. But he and his girlfriend stumble onto a conspiracy that threatens to plunge the world back into the depths of the Cold War where the stakes are nothing less than world peace.
Blending meticulous historical detail with pulse-pounding action, Offsides builds to a climactic showdown where every play could determine the fate of nations. More than just a sports thriller, its Cold War themes resonate as powerfully today as they did then.
Genres: Sports Fiction • Thriller • Historical Fiction • Cold War
Offsides is a Cold War sports thriller that transforms the football field into a geopolitical battleground. Humiliated by their loss to the American hockey team in the 1980 Olympics, the Soviets hatch an audacious plan to restore national pride: challenge the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos to a football game, and win!
The man tasked with this impossible mission is Valery Medved, the brilliant coach who forged the USSR's hockey dynasty. With the entire Soviet sports empire at his disposal and Mikhail Gorbachev presenting the game as a gesture of goodwill, Medved works his magic.
In Denver, Mike Larsen—a former Raiders quarterback turned sportswriter—is assigned to cover the historic match. But he and his girlfriend stumble onto a conspiracy that threatens to plunge the world back into the depths of the Cold War where the stakes are nothing less than world peace.
Blending meticulous historical detail with pulse-pounding action, Offsides builds to a climactic showdown where every play could determine the fate of nations. More than just a sports thriller, its Cold War themes resonate as powerfully today as they did then.
Genres: Sports Fiction • Thriller • Historical Fiction • Cold War
ebook
Published January 9, 2026
About the author
Paul Gorman
30 books23 followersPaul Gorman is a writer and filmmaker. His plays have appeared on stage in Seattle and his films at film festivals in North America and Europe. His award winning documentary film, "Ride the Sky", spent two years streaming on ROKU's DocsNow Plus channel. In addition to pursuing his creative side, he spent 35 years working in the tech industry as a designer and manager. He is a life-long resident of the Seattle area where he lives with his wife and dog. He enjoys traveling, hiking, cycling, brewing beer, and hanging out with his wife and three grandchildren.
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