Review of "The Year the Packers Came Back"

Followers of this blog know that my football loyalties are with Minnesota, whether the Vikings or the Golden Gophers.  So it might come as a surprise to learn that I agreed to review a book on the Packers when the author requested I do so.  Hey, it's a free book and why not?  I might even enjoy reading about a mortal enemy - which I did.  Here is my review of a book on the 1972 Green Bay Packers.

Title/Author:

“The Year the Packers Came Back: Green Bay’s 1972 Resurgence” by Joe Zagorski

Tags:

Football (American), professional, history, Packers, championship

Publish date:

December 16, 2019

Length:

259 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

In 1972, the Green Bay Packers were the most pleasant surprise in the National Football League.  Not expected to have a very good season, Green Bay surprised everyone but themselves by winning ten games and the NFC Central division title.  This book by Joe Zagorski pays tribute to that team.

While it may seem a little surprising to write about a season in which the Packers won its division instead of one of the many championship seasons in Green Bay, it does make for good reading.  This is especially true if the reader is a football historian or a big Packers fan as some of the names may not be very familiar to current fans, but long time football fans may remember the names such as Willie Buchanan, John Brockington and Scott Hunter.

The book is written in a manner that describes each game during the regular season and playoffs in great detail.  Much more than simple recaps, Zagorski describes each key drive or play in every Packers game of the 1972 season in a manner that one would think he is watching the game with the author.  There is also a detailed account of the previous off-season describing how Green Bay laid the foundation for its surprise season, the training camp and preseason games and the aftermath after losing in the divisional playoffs. 

In the middle of the regular season portion, there is one surprising chapter in which the shortcomings of head coach Dan Devine are described.  Given how successful the team was during the season, it was revealing to see just how reviled he was by his staff and players. Many of his decisions, even ones that ended up working out, were second guessed. The offensive players were relieved when in mid-season Devine let legendary Packers quarterback Bart Starr, who was the quarterback coach for the 1972 team, run the offense with no input from the head coach. It ended up being a good decision as the team had just come off back to back losses, but from there, they went on a hot streak and won the division on the home field of one of their biggest rivals, the Minnesota Vikings. 

While the 1972 Packers will not bring up as many glorious memories as the Packers teams of 1967, 1996-97 or 2010-11, this team is well worth honoring with a book of this nature. As mentioned earlier, football historians and Packers fans will enjoy this book.

I wish to thank Mr. Zagorski for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

                                                                             

Book Format Read:

E-book (paperback)                                                                                                                        

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Year-Packers-Came-Back-Resurgence-ebook/dp/B0845PM4N7/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-year-the-packers-came-back-joe-zagorski/1132424719?ean=9781476637853