The triumph of the amateurs : the rise, ruin, and banishment of professional rowing in the gilded age

The Triumph of the Amateurs is the story of the lost world or professional rowing in America, a sport that attracted crowds of thousands, widespread betting, and ultimately corruption that foretold its doom. It centers on the colorful careers of two New York City Irish boys, the Biglin brothers John and Barney, now long forgotten save for Thomas Eakins lovely portraits of them in their scull. If the bestseller The Boys in the Boat portrayed the good guys of the U.S.’s 1936 Olympic crew, the Biglins were the Bad Boys in the Boat. Rascals abounded on and off the water, where rowdy fans often outdid modern soccer thugs in violence, betting was rampant―as was fixing―and spectators in the tens of thousands came out to see it all. Racing to Oblivion traces the sport from its rise in the years before the Civil War on through the Gilded Age to its scandalous demise and eventual transition into a purely college amateur sport. In addition Barney Biglin’s later career as holder of sinecures offers a colorful glimpse into late 19th-century New York City political corruption. Illustrated with 40 black and white and color illustrations, including Thomas Eakins famous paintings of the Biglin brothers rowing on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia in 1873. The Triumph of the Amateurs is the story of the lost world or professional rowing in America, a sport that attracted crowds of thousands, widespread betting, and ultimately corruption that foretold its doom. It centers on the colorful careers of two New York City Irish boys, the Biglin brothers John and Barney, now long forgotten save for Thomas Eakins's portraits of them in their shell. If the bestseller The Boys in the Boat portrayed the good guys of the U.S.s 1936 Olympic crew, the Biglins, along with their colleagues and successors, were the Bad Boys in the Boat. Rascals abounded on and off the water, where rowdy fans often outdid modern soccer thugs in violence, betting was rampantas was fixingand spectators in the tens of thousands came out to see it all. The Triumph of the Amateurs traces the sport from its rise in the years before the Civil War on through the Gilded Age to its scandalous demise and eventual transition into a purely amateur sport. In addition, Barney Biglins later career as holder of sinecures offers a colorful glimpse into late 19th-century New York City political corruption. Illustrated with 40 black and white and color illustrations, including Thomas Eakins's famous paintings of the Biglin brothers rowing on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia in 1872. Contents Introduction: A Spectacle Caught in Time Part One: Rowing for Money and Fame 1 NO IRISH NEED APPLY—Except to Row 2 From the Nile to New York 3 The Biglins Take to the Boats 4 The Rise of Professional Rowing 5 Women and Minorities 6 The Biglins Challenge the World 7 Spectacle on the Schuylkill Part Two: John and Barney 8 John as Coach and Curmudgeon 9 John as Competitor and Champ 10 Barney and Blarney Part Three: Ruin and Revival 11 Courtney v. Hanlan 12 Courtney v. Courtney 13 The Ruin of Professional Rowing 14 The Triumph of the Amateurs Appendix: The Rowing Legacy of Thomas Eakins Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index "The story of the lost world of professional rowing in America, a sport that attracted crowds of thousands, widespread betting, and ultimately corruption that foretold its doom. This book also discusses the rise of amateur rowing as America's first collegiate sport, its growth over the twentieth century, and current popularity for both men and women competing at all levels of the sport"-- Provided by publisher