Review of “It Happened!”

While I certainly knew about Jim Lampley before reading this book, I admit to having forgotten that he covered so many different sports before he became known for his work in boxing that earned him enshrinement into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. This book has a story about that day and so much more. Here is my review of “It Happened!”

Title/Author: “It Happened! A Uniquely Lucky Life in Sports Television” by Jim Lampley with Art Chansky

Rating:  4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:  Jim Lampley had a long and mostly successful career in sports broadcasting, most notably for his work in boxing for HBO. He writes about his life and his ups and downs in both his professional and personal lives in this very good memoir.

 

Most memoirs and biographies will follow the timeline from childhood to either the present or death. This one does not do that at all, aside from the beginning, when Lampley describes his childhood and early adulthood. I found that the biggest drawback of the book because unless one is a fan of Lampley and followed his career closely, it was hard to determine where in his life or career he was at. It felt like he wanted to jump to the next story or topic that was on his mind, whenever it might have occurred relative to the last one. 

But the stories he can tell are so good, especially those from his days of covering “Wide World of Sports” and the Olympics (both Summer and Winter Games). His accounts from his vantage points of Frank Klammer’s exciting downhill skiing gold medal run in 1976 and the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” in Lake Placid were two of my favorite stories in the entire book. But the excellent stories are not limited to the Olympics. His account of the George Foreman-Michael Moorer fight and the upset of Mike Tyson by Buster Douglas are also great. Especially the Foreman-Moorer bout where Foreman told Lampley before the fight what he was going to do to his opponent. That was the fight in which Lampley exclaimed his famous line whis is the title of the book, “It happened!”

What makes Lampley’s career even more interesting is the sheer variety of sports he has covered in his career: college and NFL football, Major League Baseball, college basketball, golf, tennis to name just a few as well as boxing. Just about any sport a reader enjoys could be covered in this book.  

There is also plenty of material on his personal life, which is not quite as successful, starting with the fact he has been married four times. To his credit, no matter what happened in his relationships with those women or his children, he never criticized them or had anything bad to say about them. When it comes to stories about this part of his life, the best ones involve his daughter Brooke, whom he had with his second wife Joanne. 

Overall, I felt this was a very good, entertaining and easy to read memoir even if it jumped around at times and felt like it needed more boxing since that is what Lampley is best known for. Nonetheless, if a reader wants to learn more about this very interesting and versatile broadcaster, it is highly recommended. 

I wish to thank Ben Bella Books for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Happened-Uniquely-Lucky-Sports-Television/dp/1637746431/ref=sr_1_1?crid=7MOKRPPA7IJA&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Rkx2FHEvcoTBEetamWkLLpTGUImrdou6KJhMQK7H0WcHA7UFjeu9oohix8pEyp4-.fq14ZizGJ7kYuJIs50kHL7FM7pgZzcoCDUCcAvIGejE&dib_tag=se&keywords=it+happened+jim+lampley&qid=1755970311&sprefix=It+happened+jim%2Caps%2C120&sr=8-1 

Catching up - review of "A Mic for All Seasons"

Having been away for a few days in Washington, DC, I haven't had the opportunity to post reviews, but did get some quality reading in.  This book was one of those completed and while I was slightly disappointed (mainly because I had high expectations), it still is a decent book.  Here is my review of Kenny Albert's memoir.

Title/Author:

“A Mic for All Seasons” by Kenny Albert

Rating: 

3 of 5 stars (okay)

Review:

If you have watched network telecasts of any sport, chances are you have heard the voice of Kenny Albert.  He is the only sports broadcaster in the 21^st century who has broadcast games from all four of the major North American leagues (NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA), not to mention several other sports he has covered as well.  He shares stories about his career and his family (including his famous father Marv Albert) in this memoir.

Kenny had what he called a privileged childhood since he was able to accompany his father to many of the events Marv called, especially Knicks games in Madison Square Garden (MSG).  Kenny also enjoyed attending the games of the other primary tenant of MSG, the Rangers, and from there he became engrossed in hockey.  While he is lauded for all the sports he covers, it is clear from the book that he likes hockey best, including playing on the club team at New York University.

As one might expect, Kenny Albert has great stories to share about the thousands of games he has broadcast and the many different journalists and athletes-turned-broadcasters with whom he has worked.  These stories are overwhelmingly positive and rarely does Albert criticize anyone.  While that can be seen as a good thing to keep friendships and relationships good, it just feels a little unrealistic as a reader as there had to be at least some arguments or bad results.

The other aspect of the book that was less than good for me was the sheer number of names that Kenny Albert mentioned throughout the book.  Something else that is reasonable to expect given how long he has been in the business, but again, as a reader, it was hard to keep up with everyone.  Especially when there was no organization to these stories – they just popped up when Kenny decided to write about them.  Not necessarily a bad thing as this will happen a lot in conversation – it was just hard to follow in a book. 

None of this overshadows the excellent work that Kenny Albert has done in his broadcast career, nor is this is meant to discourage anyone to pick up this book because it still is a good read for any current sports fan who is familiar with his work. I may try this in the audio version because it may come across better as a conversation (even if just one way) than it did while reading.

I wish to thank Triumph Books for providing a copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: Amazon.com: A Mic for All Seasons eBook : Albert, Kenny: Books

 

Review of “Game On”

A book on the history of sports media? Sounds like something that would be the subject of a scholarly work. If it was it sure didn’t read like one but still was as informative as one. Here is my review of “Game On.”

Title/Author:

“Game On: How Sports Media Grew Up, Sold Out, & Got Personal With Billions of Fans ” by David Bockino

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: Sports fans today have so many different ways to enjoy sports or associated aspects such as betting and fantasy games. How we got here today from the humble beginnings of a boxing match being broadcast on the radio in 1921 is told in this excellent book by David Bockino. 

This is certainly more than a simple retelling of the history of media. How Bockino makes this so interesting is how he connects the new form of media he is describing with the societal norms of the time. Usually this means something is going to change drastically.

One example is professional football exploding in popularity after the famous televised 1958 championship game between the Colts and the Giants. This is well known to even casual fans, but the way Bockino writes about it and his references to other coverage of the game, especially newspaper writers, makes this even better than the commonly known account of the game and telecast. 

The latter chapters, from the creation of ESPN to sports talk radio to fan “experiences” is also excellent writing. This is mainly due to Bockino’s personalization of the events. The reader will get to know people who took chances, financially and professionally. There are far too many people to name her and it’s difficult to provide a great example because every chapter and every innovation Bockino describes is excellent. It should be noted that even though the topic could easily become dry, it never becomes that. The pages will be turned quickly by a reader, who will be entertained and educated on a topic that has undergone dramatic changes in the century covered in the book.

I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a review copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own. 

Link: https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/9781496233172/ 

Review of "Perfect Eloquence"

I never thought I could hear more good things about Vin Scully, nearly two years after his passing - but this book has many of them.  I learned a lot more about the legendary broadcaster by reading this book.  Here is my review of "Perfect Eloquence." 

Title/Author:

“Perfect Eloquence: An Appreciation of Vin Scully” by Tom Hoffarth

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (Excellent)

Review:  It’s difficult to add any more praise and adulation for Vin Scully that hasn’t already been said, but this book by Tom Hoffarth does just that.  Scully was the broadcasting voice of the Dodgers, covering them both in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, for 67 years.  Imagine doing a job you love, with millions listening to you, for that long.  Whether you are a big fan of the Dodgers or know practically nothing about baseball, the chance to meet or talk to Scully was a memorable moment for those lucky enough to do so.  This book is a collection of stories from people of all walks of life who were able to do so.

That is why this book is not only such a joy to read but is also one that must be given credit for accomplishing a difficult task – namely to share insights into the man that were not already shared either during his last year of broadcasting in 2016 or after his death in 2022. By interviewing various people – from fans to baseball personnel to other celebrities – Hoffarth was able to compile a great selection of stories on many different aspects of Scully’s life. To a person, everyone that Hoffarth gathered information from said the same thing about Scully – that he treated them with kindness, listened to them and expressed sincere pleasure in meeting them.

This went well beyond his broadcasting excellence. Many of the stories were about Scully’s faith and how that shaped his personality and how he interacted with people.  While the book stayed away from politics unless the person sharing the Scully story mentioned it, his leanings in that topic were shown. But even then, if the person had a different viewpoint than Scully, it didn’t affect the kindness and grace they showed in their feelings on him. That was very refreshing given today’s landscape.

Of course, there is baseball and Scully broadcasting moments in the book as well, but they were not the biggest takeaways from the book.  Whether your favorite call of Scully’s was his description of the perfect game by Sandy Koufax in 1965, his description of Hank Aaron’s 715^th home run (my personal favorite) or the miraculous home run by Kirk Gibson in the 1988 World Series, fans of the sport and of Scully will not only recall those great moments, but they may also learn more about the man himself.  Hoffarth deserves a lot of praise for being able to not only collect all these wonderful stories, but also weave them together in a great book that does justice to one of the greatest sports broadcasters of all time.

I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press and NetGalley for providing a review copy. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

Link: Amazon.com: Perfect Eloquence: An Appreciation of Vin Scully: 9781496238788: Hoffarth, Tom, Rapoport, Ron: Books

Review of "Feherty"

As one who enjoys reading John Feinstein's work, especially books on golf or college basketball, I was surprised to see this one.  One, I didn't know he wrote another golf book and two, I had never heard of David Feherty until seeing this book in my local library.  So I gave it a shot and it was good.  Here is my review of "Feherty"

 

Title/Author:  “Feherty: The Remarkably Funny and Tragic Journey of Golf's David Feherty” by John Feinstein

Rating:  4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: Sometimes the life of a celebrity, even those who were very popular in their media shows such as television or movies, is not well known.  David Feherty could be considered to be one of those celebrities and this book by best selling sports author John Feinstein uncovers many aspects of the life of this golfer and television personality.

The overriding theme of the book is Feherty’s humor.  Whether it was from his popular show on the Golf Channel (abruptly cancelled in 2020 during the height of the COVID pandemic) or from family members such as his second wife Anita, readers will not only learn about his funny side but will be laughing at his many jokes.  A reader will also learn why Feherty uses his humor as he does and what makes him a person that so many will learn to overlook his shortcomings.

Wanting to become a professional golfer even though he was at best good, but not excellent, at the game as a youth, Feherty nonetheless achieved that goal and also had a small amount of success, but where he really made a name for himself in the sport was on television.  Whether it was the aforementioned talk show, his reporting either on the ground with golfers or up in a tower or even as the subject of an interview himself, the personality of Feherty shines through in the book.

While I am a big fan of Feinstein’s books, this one didn’t quite have the same level of excellence that one finds in his other works, especially his golf books. While it is very good as a way for a reader to learn about Feherty, especially those who may not know much about him (as this reviewer), it gets repetitious at times and also seems to throw out opinions at inopportune times.  This isn’t to say that there shouldn’t be any political or social commentary or opinions – they are just shown at some awkward times.  This is not to take away from the overall enjoyment one gets from reading the book, just that this one wasn’t up the usual very high standards of a Feinstein book on golf.

Whether or not one watched his show, is a fan of golf, or just wants to read about a very interesting character, this book is one to pick up.

Link: Feherty: The Remarkably Funny and Tragic Journey of Golf's David Feherty - Kindle edition by Feinstein, John. Health, Fitness & Dieting Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

 

Review of "Bingo!"

Books written by or about sports broadcasters are always interesting and this one on long-time Los Angeles Clippers announcer Ralph Lawler is no exception.  Here is my review of his memoir, "Bingo!"

Title/Author: “Bingo! Forty Years in the NBA” by Ralph Lawler with Chris Epting

Rating: 5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: When a team’s long-time broadcaster writes a book, there are plenty of interesting stories that can be shared and fans of that team will enjoy them immensely.  That is true no matter the sport or how successful the franchise has been.  For the Los Angeles Clippers, a basketball team with no championships and a history of mostly losing, that broadcaster is Ralph Lawler.  From the team’s days in San Diego to its move to Los Angeles and then some, Lawler has been there for many Clippers games and his stories of his time broadcasting the team (and a few with the Philadelphia 76ers) are told in this interesting memoir.

While I love many of the stories Lawler tells about the Clippers and his adventures in radio, especially early in his career, what struck me the most about his memoir was the name dropping. I suppose that in Los Angeles it shouldn’t be surprising to read that Lawler knew and befriended so many celebrities, sports and otherwise, but it was something that I didn’t expect to see.  This is primarily because the other professional basketball team in the city, the Lakers, are the ones who seem to attract all the attention.

Speaking of the Lakers, Lawler devoted one of his many side stories to the first Laker to become a superstar, George Mikan.  I mention this because throughout the book, Lawler shows how passionate he is for not only the Clippers, but for the entire history of pro basketball.  He talks up Mikan as one of the greatest players in the history of the game because he was the first big man to succeed in the NBA and it was because of him that some rule changes took effect, such as widening the lane.  As one who enjoys learning about the history of all sports and appreciates kind words about players from different eras, it was refreshing to read about a player from several decades ago be described as an all-time great. 

Of course, as expected, the best writing is about the Clippers.  While the team has had more losing than winning, when that winning came, he wrote about it with a lot of knowledge, a lot of love and even some great interviews with some of those players.  From Chris Paul to Quentin Richardson to Blake Griffin, many former players for the team are mentioned as great people for Lawler to have been around.  But he saves the most love for Bill Walton.  While Walton’s time with the Clippers may have been very short due to all the injuries he suffered, he and Lawler became very good friends.  Walton wrote a letter to the voters for the Basketball Hall of Fame to campaign for Lawler’s induction as a broadcaster.  It was successful as Lawler was named for his broadcasting and is always grateful to Walton for this.

It should be noted that the title is only one of two catchphrases that is attached to Lawler.  “Bingo!” came about when the Clippers acquired Bingo Smith, a noted three-point shooter.  Whenever he made a three, Lawler would exclaim “Bingo!” and that just stuck with him long after Smith retired.  The other catchphrase for Lawler was “Oh Me! Oh My!” and the best story about that is not how it started but how it was used to play a prank on Lawler by three members of the Clippers during their best years, the “Lob City” teams with Blake Griffin and Chris Paul as the main stars.

One doesn’t have to be a Clippers fan to enjoy this book.  Any reader who enjoys the game of basketball will want to read Ralph Lawler’s story.  It is one filled with a lot of great memories, great basketball and great relationships.

I wish to thank Santa Monica Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Link: Amazon.com: Bingo!: Forty Years in the NBA eBook : Lawler, Ralph, Epting, Chris, Walton, Bill: Kindle Store

 

 

Review of "Barkley"

As one who has always admired Charles Barkley, whether on or off the basketball court, I was very excited to pick up this book.  It was quite good.  Here is my review of Timothy Bella's biography of Barkley.

Title/Author:

“Barkley: A Biography” by Tim Bella

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Whether one is familiar with Charles Barkley as a basketball player or as a broadcaster for TNT’s coverage of the NBA, he is sure to be entertaining and possibly controversial, but always refreshingly honest.  Those traits are on full display in this very good biography of Barkley by Tim Bella.

The amount of material on Barkley, even without the direct participation by the subject, that was obtained by Bella through research and interviews was amazing. The sections on Barkley’s childhood and youth was especially impressive given these limitations.  From those beginnings, a reader will see why Barkley became the person he did, given the strength and guidance he received from his mother and grandmother.  Like many other biographies of Black athletes, sadly Barkley had to grow up in Leeds, Alabama without a father figure in his life, but he was able to discover basketball to not only avoid crime, but also to eventually earn a college scholarship to Auburn University.

While at Auburn, not only did Barkley become a superstar college player and make the War Eagles noticed in the basketball world as well as football, but it was also here when his weight was as big a story as his scoring or rebounding. His appetite for fast food seemed to be as big as his thunderous dunks and it was always a source of contention for coaches and the press, from high school to the NBA.  Some of the anecdotes about this aspect of Barkley’s personality are hilarious, some are dead serious, but all are important to understanding the type of person Bella is portraying. 

The same goes for Barkley’s many controversial statements and incidents.  The most famous, and the one that Bella explores in depth, is the Nike commercial in which Barkley declares that he is not a role model.  Bella does an excellent job of covering all aspects of this topic, as both supporters and detractors of this statement are interviewed. The same type of balanced writing is present in Barkley’s other issues, such as when he meant to spit at a heckler while playing for the 76ers, but instead it landed on an 8-year-old girl.  That incident, and Barkley’s reaction and treatment of the young girl well into adulthood for her, showed the gentler side of Barkley, which Bella also portrays well.

Of course, there is Barkley’s time on the basketball court and his time with three teams.  It was in Philadelphia where his NBA fame started and grew with the 76ers.  When he wanted out of the City of Brotherly Love, he won even more accolades, including being named the MVP of the NBA while leading the Phoenix Suns into the NBA Finals in 1993. The Suns fell short of winning a championship and while they were still a formidable team, they never reached the Finals again during Barkley’s time there, which ended in 1996 when he was traded to the Houston Rockets for one last shot at a title, that didn’t happen.  He was forced to retire due to injuries, playing his last game in 2000. This is the heart of Bella’s writing and there is a great deal of detail on Barkley’s time with all three teams as well as his college career with Auburn and both Olympic teams Barkley was a part of while a professional player.  The Dream Team of 1992 is covered as well as the 1996 team that also won a gold medal.  Whatever portion of Barkley’s basketball career a reader wants to know about, he or she is sure to find new material in this book.

While I generally enjoy this level of detail about the sport in any type of book, here it was so detailed that it made the story of Barkley’s life slow down and at times I wasn’t sure which season was being described, especially during his time with the Suns and Rockets.  It is still the most complete book on Charles Barkley that one can read right now, even more than his two memoirs.  This is recommended for all Barkley fans.

I wish to thank Hanover Square Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Link: Barkley: A Biography: Bella, Timothy: 9781335484970: Amazon.com: Books

 

Review of "Uphill"

This was not a book that I sought - a request to review this came to me unexpectedly and also unexpectedly, I enjoyed it immensely.  Her candidness was what made this memoir an excellent read.  Here is my review of "Uphill"

Title/Author:

“Uphill: A Memoir” by Jemele Hill

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

It isn’t often that a sports broadcaster will be the main topic in a debate on social issues, but Jemele Hill became one in 2017 when she named then-President Donald Trump in a series of tweets.  She was a host on ESPN’s SportsCenter at that time and while her tweets set off a firestorm of responses in the media, it was not that surprising that she took the action that she did from those that know her.  In her memoir “Uphill”, she shows readers how she came to be the outspoken person that viewers saw.

This review is not going to engage in whether or not her opinions are right or wrong, nor will it turn into a discussion about the issues she raises in the book on race and inequity.  Instead, it will focus on the quality of the writing and the authenticity a reader will see into Hill’s life.  In both cases, this is excellent.  For the writing, Hill does so in an engaging manner that is both easy to digest and makes her opinions clear.

As for coming across as genuine, Hill does that as well.  There really is nothing phony about her opinions. This has always been her style, no matter the sport or the topic, from her days studying journalism at Michigan State to her work for various newspapers, for ESPN and currently for the Atlantic.  Even though she is mostly known for her work on television (which also resulted in her highest salary), she does state that she enjoys writing much more than television work.  That is clear in these pages.

What was also an unexpected positive while reading this book was how she was also showing her vulnerability, especially when it came to her personal life.  Her relationships, both romantic and familial, are on full display here. She talks about what was good and wasn’t.  She also talks about her spiritual life and how her experiences shaped her life.  Something that should be noted is that while she gained notoriety because of her outspokenness on racial issues, if one reads this book with an open mind then one will appreciate how she came to her conclusions whether that reader agrees or disagrees.

There isn’t a lot of sports talk in this book despite her career success in sports journalism.  That doesn’t mean there isn’t any sports discussion, but they are usually the background or the set-up for a larger discussion on her life or issues in which she has passion.  This was one of the better memoirs that I have read this year and it was so because I was able to put aside any pre-conceived notions I had of her work and just let her tell her story. 

I wish to thank Press Box Publicity for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

 

Link: Uphill: A Memoir: Hill, Jemele: 9781250624376: Amazon.com: Books

Review of "Red Barber"

Train rides to the ballpark, in this case Citi Field, often result in plenty of reading time for baseball books.  That was the case for this one as I finally had the time needed to fully immerse myself in the book as it requires careful reading but is worth the time to do so.  Here is my review of "Red Barber"

Title/Author: “Red Barber: The Life and Legacy of a Broadcast Legend” by Judith Hiltner and James Walker

Rating: 5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:  In the 1940’s and 1950’s when baseball was at the height of its popularity in New York City, people associated with the city’s three teams were celebrated as much as anyone else.  Red Barber, who was the play-by-play commentator for the Brooklyn Dodgers through a good portion of this “Golden Age” of New York baseball, was one of those people. He not only had a good career in broadcasting, but he also had an interesting life outside baseball and his complete biography has been written by Judith Hiltner and James Walker.

No matter what part of Barber’s life interests a reader, painstaking detail went into writing about what shaped Barber into the person that he would become during that time. It starts with his upbringing in the southern United States.  Born in Columbus, Mississippi and later moving to Sanford, Florida, Barber saw how Black people were held to different standards than white people and it would later shape his professional career when Jackie Robinson became the first Black player in modern Major League Baseball. 

From his upbringing, the book shifts to his broadcasting career and the values that he brought to the broadcasting booth.  Barber always felt that he was more of a reporter whose objective was to tell the listeners what was happening on the field more than anything else. This was his style whether he was doing work for the Cincinnati Reds, his first job with a Major League Club, the Dodgers, or later for the New York Yankees.  His ending with the latter two teams were both painful and he was not happy with the ownership teams at the time of his departure. 

Through it all, the book reads very well as the reader will learn much about Barber the broadcaster.  One of the better sections on this time in his life was how his catchphrase “sitting in the catbird seat.”  The book also talks about what he did to promote not only baseball, but other worthy endeavors.  Blood donation during World War II was a passionate cause for Barber – just one of many examples of how the authors brought the complete picture of Barber into view for readers.

This is also true for Barber’s life outside of baseball, whether his personal life or his other endeavors.  The latter included shows on National Public Radio (NPR) and writing books, most notably on the thrilling 1947 World Series.  The former takes a very detailed look at not only his long marriage to his wife Lylah, but also how he and Lylah reacted when their only child, Sarah, came out as gay.  Again, just two examples of the painstaking detail and complete research that the authors of this book did to give the reader one of the best looks into the life of one of the most legendary baseball broadcasters.

Barber’s full name was Walter Lanier Barber and the start of the prologue of the book is a great way to summarize the scope of the book, this review and Red’s life.  There are “three consistent threads of Barber’s personality with his name:  Walter, the ambitious achiever; Lanier, the humanist; and Red, the lively performer.”

I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Links:  Red Barber: The Life and Legacy of a Broadcasting Legend: Hiltner, Judith R., Walker, James R.: 9781496222855: Amazon.com: Books

Review of "Tales from the Minnesota Sports Beat"

While I may not be living in Minnesota any longer, I still read the Star Tribune sports page daily online and was thrilled to learn one of the long-time writers there, Patrick Reusse has written a memoir.  Of course I had to get a copy and it was as good as I had hoped.  Here is my review of his memoir. 

Title/Author: “Tales from the Minnesota Sports Beat: A Lifetime on Deadline” by Patrick Reusse with Chip Scroggins

Rating: 5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:  Many cities have a sports broadcaster or sportswriter who over the years become very familiar to the fans of that city.  Often they are recognized when one states just either their first or last name.  In the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Patrick Reusse is one of those sports writers as one just needs to say “Reusse!” and fans will know not only who that is but will have both an opinion and a memory or two about him.  Reusse, who has been a sportswriter in Minnesota since 1965, teams up with Chip Scroggins to produce this excellent memoir.

No matter which sport or team is the favorite of a Minnesota sports fan (including this reviewer), Reusse will have seen them, written about them and includes them in this book.  He does share his preferences on which sports he prefers to write about (baseball and golf are his favorites), which sports he admits to covering but not knowing much about it (hockey and figure skating) and a sport that he initially knew nothing about but became a big fan (volleyball).  He writes about these in the same style in which he has written his column for many years – some are flattering, some are biting and some are humorous but all are clearly written from the heart.

As one would expect, he has plenty of stories with his interactions with not only some of the best athletes around but also with other sportswriters and other notable personalities.  Because some of the stories come from a different time, he does note that when some of them took place, certain comments and actions would not be likely to be taken well today.  While the stories with athletes are great and some brought back some nice memories of sports events, the best ones were about other journalists.  His tales of pranks played on another long time Minnesota sports writer, Sid Hartman, left me in stitches.

Reusse not only worked for the newspapers in both cities, but he was also a radio personality for many years.  He teamed up with another sportswriter, Joe Soucheray, for a Monday night sports talk show (originally on Sunday night) that took on a personality of its own, attracted many regular callers and was a can’t miss event that had the ears of many Twin Cities residents.  In this chapter, Reusse is at his most humble self, giving all the credit to Soucheray for the success of the show.  As one who was a regular listener before leaving the area, I can state that it took both to make that show as good as it was.  Something in the book that Reusse states that seems amazing is that neither of them came in with a specific topic in mind to discuss – they simply let the callers drive the program.  Whatever they did, it certainly worked.

Of course, there are sports stories in the book.  Whether it was the good times, such as the two World Series titles for the Twins in 1987 and 1991, the bad times such as the Vikings’ loss to the Atlanta Falcons in the 1999 NFC Championship (he came up with the name of the famous “Weeping Blondes” photo from that game) or the background stories of various teams, such as the football team for the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the 1960’s, Reusse covers it all.  If there is something the reader remembers about Minnesota sports in the last 55 or so years, chances are Reusse has written about it or was there in some manner.  Minnesota sports fans, whether they are fans of Reusse or or think he’s just a curmudgeon, should pick up this book as it is sure to be one that will contain at least some material that will be pleasing to them.

I wish to thank Minnesota Historical Society Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Links:   Tales from the Minnesota Sports Beat: A Lifetime on Deadline: Reusse, Patrick, Scoggins, Chip, Barreiro, Dan: 9781681342306: Amazon.com: Books

Review of "The Commentators"

This is the perfect book for sports fanatics like me, who enjoy and follow a large variety of sports, as this book covers 20 different sports with many memorable moments.  Here is my review of "The Commentators"

Title/Author: “The Commentators: 100 Years of Sports Commentary” by Michael Schiavello

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: When a book is published about various sports and one aspect that ties them together, there will usually be some fantastic stories to go along with the topic at hand.  It helps when the author is considered to be a good authority on the topic and for both of these, Michael Schiavello fits in this far-reaching book on the world of sports broadcasting.

The book is far-reaching simply due to the sheer number of sports that Schivaello writes about, 20 in all from cricket to horse racing, from American football to football as the rest of the world plays it.  Because his work is done in the United Kingdom, some of the longer and more detailed descriptions are for sports popular there such as football (soccer) and cricket, but he does a wonderful job of covering American sports as well.

Good examples of his attention to the broadcasters of American sports are the excellent write-ups he provides on two legendary commentators in their respective games, Vin Scully (baseball) and Mike "Doc" Emrick (ice hockey).  Even though he many not follow those sports closely, he does a nice job of writing about two of the best and their descriptions of the games.  In particular, his writing of Scully's call of the perfect game pitched by Sandy Koufax in 1965 was a masterpiece.  It would be hard to do justice in the printed word to Scully's wonderful call of that game, but the writing about Scully's call in the 9^th inning is a must-read passage.

Schiavello, himself no slouch when it comes to sports broadcasting and the variety of events he has covered (including oyster shucking), has written a book that any sports fan should read, even if they may not be interested in some of the games.  It is also recommended to find the calls written in the book on YouTube so that the audio can be experienced as well if the reader has not heard the call previously.  No matter one's sports interest, one is sure to find something to enjoy in this book.

I wish to thank Wilkinson Publishing for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Links: The Commentators: 100 Years of Sports Commentary: Schiavello, Michael: 9781925927580: Amazon.com: Books