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1996: A Biography: Reliving the Legend-Packed, Dynasty-Stacked, Most Iconic Sports Year Ever
On the 25th anniversary of the most influential year in modern sports comes a colorful look back at the athletes, teams, and more whose collective influence affected every aspect of a generation of sports and pop culture fans--Jordan, Shaq, Iverson, Kobe, Gretzky, Tiger, Griffey, Jeter, Tyson, the Cowboys, the Yankees, the Bulls, Kentucky, Florida, Sampras, Graf, the Williams Sisters, the Olympics in Atlanta, the gold medalist Magnificent Seven and more
Take a rollicking tour through the sports world of 1996, when debuts, comebacks, moves, and pop culture crossover changed the sports landscape. From college to the Olympics to the pros; from the NBA to golf, tennis, and boxing, 1996 was home to athletes and teams who were among the best marketed, most beloved, colorful, and greatest in history. In '96: The Year That Sports Skyrocketed, sportswriter and author Jon Finkel uncovers the stories behind the stories while interviewing a who's who of '96ers--Troy Aikman, Deion Sanders, Allen Iverson, Steve Spurrier, and many more--to reveal in thrilling detail how their collective influence on sports and pop culture still resonates to this day.
For those of us who remember when Iverson, Kobe, The Rock and Stone Cold, the MLS and the WNBA all debuted; when the US Women's Olympic Gymnastics Team--the Magnificent Seven--won gold for the first time in history; when Mike Tyson and Magic Johnson made their comebacks; when MTV's Rock n' Jock, Michael Jordan's Space Jam, and ESPN's Dan Patrick and Stuart Scott were hot; when the Fun 'n' Gun offense changed college football; when Ken Griffey Jr. ran for president (really! remember?); when expansion and relocation brought new teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers; and when Derek Jeter won Rookie of the Year and gave the Yankees their next long-awaited World Series trophy . . . . '96 is a sports time machine you've got to take for a spin.
Take a rollicking tour through the sports world of 1996, when debuts, comebacks, moves, and pop culture crossover changed the sports landscape. From college to the Olympics to the pros; from the NBA to golf, tennis, and boxing, 1996 was home to athletes and teams who were among the best marketed, most beloved, colorful, and greatest in history. In '96: The Year That Sports Skyrocketed, sportswriter and author Jon Finkel uncovers the stories behind the stories while interviewing a who's who of '96ers--Troy Aikman, Deion Sanders, Allen Iverson, Steve Spurrier, and many more--to reveal in thrilling detail how their collective influence on sports and pop culture still resonates to this day.
For those of us who remember when Iverson, Kobe, The Rock and Stone Cold, the MLS and the WNBA all debuted; when the US Women's Olympic Gymnastics Team--the Magnificent Seven--won gold for the first time in history; when Mike Tyson and Magic Johnson made their comebacks; when MTV's Rock n' Jock, Michael Jordan's Space Jam, and ESPN's Dan Patrick and Stuart Scott were hot; when the Fun 'n' Gun offense changed college football; when Ken Griffey Jr. ran for president (really! remember?); when expansion and relocation brought new teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers; and when Derek Jeter won Rookie of the Year and gave the Yankees their next long-awaited World Series trophy . . . . '96 is a sports time machine you've got to take for a spin.
339 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 11, 2021
8 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
Jon Finkel
38 books18 followersJon Finkel is the award-winning author of 1996: A Biography, Hoops Heist, The Life of Dad, Jocks In Chief, The Athlete, Heart Over Height, “Mean” Joe Greene and more. His books have been endorsed by everyone from Mark Cuban and Tony Dungy to Spike Lee, Kevin Durant and Chef Robert Irvine.
He has written for GQ, Men’s Health, Yahoo! Sports, The New York Times and has appeared on CBS: This Morning, Good Morning Texas, and hundreds of radio shows, podcasts and streams. Jon was recently profiled in The New Yorker about the awesome community he’s built around his Books & Biceps newsletter. They describe him as “a gym rat’s Reese Witherspoon”.
His upcoming biography, Macho Man: The Untamed, Unbelievable Life of Randy Savage, comes out Spring 2024.
He has written for GQ, Men’s Health, Yahoo! Sports, The New York Times and has appeared on CBS: This Morning, Good Morning Texas, and hundreds of radio shows, podcasts and streams. Jon was recently profiled in The New Yorker about the awesome community he’s built around his Books & Biceps newsletter. They describe him as “a gym rat’s Reese Witherspoon”.
His upcoming biography, Macho Man: The Untamed, Unbelievable Life of Randy Savage, comes out Spring 2024.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 24, 2021
I really enjoyed this book as it brought back a lot of fond memories and a few (1996 World Series) incredibly painful ones. Once I started with this one I didn't stop until I had crossed the finish line.
I thought a couple of chapters could have been longer, the one on Happy Gilmore in particular felt like there were things missing. Perhaps a few quotes from figures in sports who are fans of the movie would have been nice?
But as much as I liked this book, I have one criticism and it isn't a small one. In a book that talks about the year 1996 in sports and has chapters on Steve Austin becoming 'Stone Cold' and The Rock debuting the fact that the nWo angle and Hulk Hogan's heel turn to kick it off don't even get a passing mention is impossible for me to comprehend. Rock and Austin didn't hit their apex until 1998, the nWo had wrestling back in the mainstream for nearly 2 years by that point. Leaving out any discussion of the nWo is a glaring mistake in my opinion, especially since bbringing it up only helps further the author's thesis about how iconic a year 1996 actually was.
What is here is really entertainment and even educational but what isn't and should be here is very noticeable.
I thought a couple of chapters could have been longer, the one on Happy Gilmore in particular felt like there were things missing. Perhaps a few quotes from figures in sports who are fans of the movie would have been nice?
But as much as I liked this book, I have one criticism and it isn't a small one. In a book that talks about the year 1996 in sports and has chapters on Steve Austin becoming 'Stone Cold' and The Rock debuting the fact that the nWo angle and Hulk Hogan's heel turn to kick it off don't even get a passing mention is impossible for me to comprehend. Rock and Austin didn't hit their apex until 1998, the nWo had wrestling back in the mainstream for nearly 2 years by that point. Leaving out any discussion of the nWo is a glaring mistake in my opinion, especially since bbringing it up only helps further the author's thesis about how iconic a year 1996 actually was.
What is here is really entertainment and even educational but what isn't and should be here is very noticeable.
December 7, 2022
Sure there are better sports books, but the nostalgia is real with this book. I love how the writer shows through as a fan writing the book. It was a fun trip down memory lane that I’ll pick up again sometime in the future.
November 28, 2021
I never thought of a biography of a year but each has its own life story, beginning with the baby on January 1 and ending with the bearded old man on December 31. In this volume, author Jon Finkel takes us through what he describes as the “Most Iconic Sports Year Ever”.
Having lived through 1996, this book brought back faded memories, shared new insights and taught me things of which I had never been aware.
Ranging in length from three to seventeen pages, each of the 29 chapters focuses on a specific sports story of 1996. Some are situated on the gridiron, Spurrier vs. Bowden vs. Osborne, The Triplets and Deion, The Rock and There’s Something About Favre. Others on the courts: basketball, Magic’s Kingdom, Petino’s Bambinos, What We Got Next, The Answer, How Jordon’s Bulls Lost Ten Games (how is that for a reverse view?), Into Shaq-verse and Kobe’s Draft Class; tennis, Venus Meets Steffi and Agassi Reinvented. Readers skate with Madison Square Gretsky, hit the links with Tiger’s First Roar and go in the rings with Stone Cold and as Iron Mike Punches Out. Baseball had its day with Griffey in ’96 and Jeter & the Yankee Revival. We are reminded of the time Eric Wynalda Kickstarts the MLS. Then there were the Olympics where Ali Ignites Atlanta, Michael Johnson’s Golden Feet races to glory, Dream Team III demolished its opposition and Kerri Strugg and the Magnificent Seven made history. Finally there were sports movies in 1996, “Happy Gilmore”, “Kingpin”, “Tin Cup” & the Fan” and “Spacejam”.
I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes stories such as Ken Griffey Jr.’s path to stardom, Kerri Strugg’s endurance to the end of the gymnastics competition despite her ankle injury and Wayne Gretsky’s decision to sign with the New York Rangers, rather than staying with the St. Louis Blues. I have to admit that the Gretsky chapter was more edifying than enjoyable for this Blues Fan. 1996’s status as a transition year may not have been as apparent at the time, but Finkel weaves the stories together to make that case. I recommend “1996” for any sports fan looking to reflect on an Iconic Sports Year.
Having lived through 1996, this book brought back faded memories, shared new insights and taught me things of which I had never been aware.
Ranging in length from three to seventeen pages, each of the 29 chapters focuses on a specific sports story of 1996. Some are situated on the gridiron, Spurrier vs. Bowden vs. Osborne, The Triplets and Deion, The Rock and There’s Something About Favre. Others on the courts: basketball, Magic’s Kingdom, Petino’s Bambinos, What We Got Next, The Answer, How Jordon’s Bulls Lost Ten Games (how is that for a reverse view?), Into Shaq-verse and Kobe’s Draft Class; tennis, Venus Meets Steffi and Agassi Reinvented. Readers skate with Madison Square Gretsky, hit the links with Tiger’s First Roar and go in the rings with Stone Cold and as Iron Mike Punches Out. Baseball had its day with Griffey in ’96 and Jeter & the Yankee Revival. We are reminded of the time Eric Wynalda Kickstarts the MLS. Then there were the Olympics where Ali Ignites Atlanta, Michael Johnson’s Golden Feet races to glory, Dream Team III demolished its opposition and Kerri Strugg and the Magnificent Seven made history. Finally there were sports movies in 1996, “Happy Gilmore”, “Kingpin”, “Tin Cup” & the Fan” and “Spacejam”.
I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes stories such as Ken Griffey Jr.’s path to stardom, Kerri Strugg’s endurance to the end of the gymnastics competition despite her ankle injury and Wayne Gretsky’s decision to sign with the New York Rangers, rather than staying with the St. Louis Blues. I have to admit that the Gretsky chapter was more edifying than enjoyable for this Blues Fan. 1996’s status as a transition year may not have been as apparent at the time, but Finkel weaves the stories together to make that case. I recommend “1996” for any sports fan looking to reflect on an Iconic Sports Year.
October 9, 2021
I was intrigued by this book because 1996 was the first year I really began showing interest in professional sports (I was 11 years old). While "1996: A Biography" can be a real nostalgia trip at times, I also found it to be a little "too early", if you will, for my sports fandom sweet spot.
For a very basic overview, "1996" tells the story of, well, 1996 in sports. From the major professional sports to the Olympics, movies, pop culture, and pretty much everything in between, author Jon Finkel tries to capture the moments that defined the sporting year.
After the first few pages, I was thinking "1996" would have a chance to be a truly great read for me. Finkel really set the "1996 scene" quite well and got me hooked. Unfortunately, I felt that promise was only partially lived up to. Though that fun/nostalgic tone is indeed present throughout the text, there are also long stretches in which the book reads like simply recaps of the events at hand. I found myself really glossing over those (if I wanted that, I could pore over old box scores). What I really wanted from "1996" was to become enveloped by mid-90s sports nostalgia, and that feeling very much came and went.
Also, like I mentioned, the pop culture and sports landscape began changing so quickly in the 1990s that almost every year that went by would appeal to a different audience. For someone a year or two younger than me, "1996" would be perfect. But it is just slightly early for this sports fan.
So, overall I found this to be about a 2.5 star read (that I'll round up because of the age/timing issue that is of course not the problem of the author). I'd be interested to get the opinion of others reading this who were maybe more like 12-14 years old in '96, to see if the event recaps and writing style hit more of a chord with them.
For a very basic overview, "1996" tells the story of, well, 1996 in sports. From the major professional sports to the Olympics, movies, pop culture, and pretty much everything in between, author Jon Finkel tries to capture the moments that defined the sporting year.
After the first few pages, I was thinking "1996" would have a chance to be a truly great read for me. Finkel really set the "1996 scene" quite well and got me hooked. Unfortunately, I felt that promise was only partially lived up to. Though that fun/nostalgic tone is indeed present throughout the text, there are also long stretches in which the book reads like simply recaps of the events at hand. I found myself really glossing over those (if I wanted that, I could pore over old box scores). What I really wanted from "1996" was to become enveloped by mid-90s sports nostalgia, and that feeling very much came and went.
Also, like I mentioned, the pop culture and sports landscape began changing so quickly in the 1990s that almost every year that went by would appeal to a different audience. For someone a year or two younger than me, "1996" would be perfect. But it is just slightly early for this sports fan.
So, overall I found this to be about a 2.5 star read (that I'll round up because of the age/timing issue that is of course not the problem of the author). I'd be interested to get the opinion of others reading this who were maybe more like 12-14 years old in '96, to see if the event recaps and writing style hit more of a chord with them.
August 27, 2021
It's a decent enough recap for the most part, but I sure found Finkel annoying. Too many pop culture references - he came off like your asshole uncle trying to sound hip. Too much promotion of the year itself; like he wasn't confident that the achievements could stand on their own without huckster promotion.
Also, he made some dumb errors in his quick look at women's tennis, claiming Steffi Graf's Golden Slam was in 1998 (no, it was 1988, called a Golden Slam because it included her gold medal) and even worse saying that Serena Williams topped Graf's record number of slam wins for a woman. Er, Graf never had that record - Margaret Court Smith did/does.
2.5 stars and I rounded up because ... I'm not sure why but I did.
Also, he made some dumb errors in his quick look at women's tennis, claiming Steffi Graf's Golden Slam was in 1998 (no, it was 1988, called a Golden Slam because it included her gold medal) and even worse saying that Serena Williams topped Graf's record number of slam wins for a woman. Er, Graf never had that record - Margaret Court Smith did/does.
2.5 stars and I rounded up because ... I'm not sure why but I did.
May 2, 2022
(3.5 stars) Hard to think of 1996 as that pivotal of a year, but for sports, it was. From the rise of the Florida Gators to the start of the most recent run of Yankees dominance, this work covers a lot of ground, but does make a convincing enough argument about how vital 1996 was. The start of the WNBA and MLS, both still going strong in 2022; the rise of Kobe and Tiger, even the coming if Space Jam. A lot to pack in. It is a quick engaging read. Mainly for the sports fan, but worth at least one read.
August 7, 2021
I should have known this would be mostly about american sports and that really don't interest me that much.
April 14, 2023
A decent book, but one where the author tried to be too cute too many times, which became a bit tiresome.
January 14, 2026
Clearly a Covid passion project but a fun nostalgia bomb.
July 14, 2024
Brought back so many memories!
If you a sports lover over the age of 30, this book is for you! Not only does it explain why 1996 was such a great year for sports, it contains so much detail from what 90s kids were doing during that year that it can easily transport you back in time (or a least in memory)! From the Atlanta Olympics to the Bulls historic season to college football domination to reliving the Dallas Cowboy glory days. Plus, it’s packed with humor for good measure just to make you chuckle a little while you read. The author did a great job making each chapter informative, yet entertaining. I will definitely pick up another book by this author in the future!
I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
If you a sports lover over the age of 30, this book is for you! Not only does it explain why 1996 was such a great year for sports, it contains so much detail from what 90s kids were doing during that year that it can easily transport you back in time (or a least in memory)! From the Atlanta Olympics to the Bulls historic season to college football domination to reliving the Dallas Cowboy glory days. Plus, it’s packed with humor for good measure just to make you chuckle a little while you read. The author did a great job making each chapter informative, yet entertaining. I will definitely pick up another book by this author in the future!
I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews