Title/Author:
“Tales
From the Minnesota Vikings Sideline: A Collection of the Greatest Vikings Stories
Ever Told” by Bill Williamson
Tags:
Football
(American), Vikings, history
Publish date:
September
7, 2012
Length:
192 pages
Rating:
2 of 5
stars (not so great)
Review:
As a
longtime Minnesota Vikings fan, I am always on the lookout for books on the
team, especially those that would have good stories on the great Viking teams
of the 1970’s. I was able to obtain a
copy of this book, but I was sorely disappointed with it. A collection of the “greatest” Vikings
stories ever is a stretch, to put it kindly.
Most of the stories could be written by most fans with either long
memories or a little research.
Not all of
them are bad – some are downright entertaining, such as Bob Lurtsema’s party
habits during training camp or some of the Randy Moss antics. But overall, the stories about the great
players for the Vikings during the entire history of the team are very short
and not very entertaining. They come
mostly from other people’s recollection of them, such as coaches or
teammates. This does a disservice to
great players of the team’s history. How
does a Hall of Fame player like Carl Eller get only a short six-paragraph
mention lumped in with other defensive linemen?
There are
also several editing errors or typos that could easily be caught but somehow
made it into the final copy. One example
is a 2001 story on Ron Yary that mentions a grass roots campaign led by
then-owner Red McCombs “who both the team three years age.” Another example is when talking about
defensive lineman John Randle, a play “just con apses on John.” Huh?
Collapses?
The
stories and chapters, such as the one on the death of Korey Stringer, seem very
choppy and there are either abrupt endings to short stories or confusing breaks
in longer ones. There is not a good flow
for continuous reading, nor are many good stopping points for those who like to
read just a few pieces at a time. It
just feels like the book was quickly put together in a rush to beat a
deadline. This is how I felt for both
the main section of the book which was published in 2004, and the extra chapter
added in 2012 for the 2005 to 2010 seasons.
I could not get into a good rhythm for reading, which in turn decreased
my enjoyment of the book.
Did I skim?
No
Pace of the book:
This was a
quick read, but because of the poor editing and sudden breaks in the stories, I
had to stop every now and then to get back on track.
Do I recommend?
Fellow
Vikings fans may enjoy some of these tales, especially those with old time
players like Bob Lurtesema and Bill Brown.
However, I don’t recommend this book for those strolls down memory lane
as there are books with more complete stories.
Book Format Read:
E-book
(Kindle)
Buying links:
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