Review of "The Final Call"

While I generally review newer books, this book from 2011 is one that I had been searching for in libraries and book stores for some time and finally got a chance to check out a digital copy.  When it became available I jumped on the chance and read it in two days, something that doesn't happen often.  Here is my review of "The Final Call."

Title/Author:

“The Final Call: Hockey Stories from a Legend in Stripes” by Kerry Fraser

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: Kerry Fraser was considered by many to be one of the better NHL referees during his 30 year career in the league.  When one considers how much travel he did, how many players and coaches he encountered and all of the events he saw during that time, one must imagine that he has plenty of stories to tell.  That is evident when reading his memoir, written in 2011, soon after his retirement.

Despite the title, the book isn’t completely stories from the rink or his personal life.  There are passages that describe the training, fitness requirements and other parts of a hockey official’s life.  It was clear from this that one of the things that Kerry didn’t like about the job was writing the reports after each game, especially if it was a game in which there were many penalties or other occurrences.  This would include incidents such as verbal altercations that may not have resulted in penalties but still warranted extra attention from the league offices.

What makes the book very entertaining, though, IS the variety of stories Fraser shares.  These are mainly divided by location, with chapters covering several NHL cities.  All of the Original Six cities are covered as well as others such as Philadelphia (where Fraser officiated his last game on the last day of the regular season in 2010) and Vancouver.  Players from Gordie Howe to Wayne Gretzky to Sidney Crosby are given time in the book.  Those are the greatest names mentioned (along with Mario Lemieux) but there is plenty of material on players that aren’t as famous well.

Some fans may remember certain games in which Fraser was part of the story, most notably the famous illegal stick call in game 2 of the 1993 Stanley Cup Final between Montreal and Los Angeles.18 years after the call, he still felt he made the right call – just as any proud official would do.  These stories about his officiating, as well as stories about outings and work with fellow officials are just as good as those about the players and coaches.

What really stood out in this book for me, however, is how gracious he was in paying tribute to everyone who made his career memorable.  Of course, like any good family man, there is plenty of praise for his wife Kathy and their children.  Hockey fans of any age will enjoy reading this memoir of a Hall of Fame referee.

 

Link: The Final Call: Hockey Stories from a Legend in Stripes: Fraser, Kerry: 9781551683539: Amazon.com: Books

 

 

Review of "The Whistleblower"

No, don't let the title of the book fool you - this blog has not changed to review political books.  Instead, this one is a very good book on the life of a college basketball referee. 

Title/Author:

“The Whistleblower: Rooting for the Ref in the High-Stakes World of College Basketball” by Bob Katz

Tags:

Basketball, college, officiating, biography

Publish date:

February 3, 2015

Length:

232 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

No matter the sport, the job of a referee, official, umpire, or whatever the people in charge of enforcing the rules of the game are called, it is not an easy job.  This book follows one season and part of the career of one of these people, former college basketball referee Ed Hightower.  It provides a great insight into the profession and what it takes for someone to succeed in that profession as author Bob Katz does a nice job of bringing readers onto the court with Hightower.

Katz not only describes Hightower's actions on the court, but he also discusses the intricacies into the profession and why the job of a basketball referee has unique challenges, such as monitoring the activity of 10 athletes whose quickness and skills will require the viewing of a situation, analyzing that situation against the rulebook and making a decision all within a fraction of a second.  When described in that context, which Katz does, and then reading many of the various situations in which Hightower had to perform this task, it makes the reader truly appreciate what an official in any sport must do.  Even if that fan is one who will vehemently disagree with said official if the call goes against that fan's team.

Hightower's life off the court is also a topic of discussion in the book, as he continued his education and eventually became the administrator for a school district.  These duties don't go away when Hightower was on the road, and Katz writes about how he balanced these duties while on the road, usually during an Upper Midwest winter as Hightower's primary referee duties were for the Big Ten conference.   How Hightower was able to juggle this, family duties and the travel involved in his "second" job is nothing short of amazing.

While the book focuses primarily on Hightower, it would be incorrect to label this as a "biography" as Katz delves deeply into the profession of basketball officiating more than the life of Ed Hightower.  It becomes clear to a reader that Katz becomes more focused on officials, leading to the last chapter when he does what the title of the book says he will do and "roots" for the referee. 

While this book does not tell everything about Ed Hightower or everything one can on the profession, this is one that any basketball fan will enjoy as it will give a good perspective of what the people in the striped shirts deal with in their profession – of course, this is in addition to the fans, players and coaches who believe that their version of what happened is the correct one and that the ref is _______.  Fill in that blank with whatever insult or negative connotation you wish.   

                                                                  

Book Format Read:

E-book (PDF)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/161168451X/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=161168451X&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-whistleblower-bob-katz/1120745294;jsessionid=4F8727EB2CE5E26DA04235FE204BDCB1.prodny_store02-atgap05?ean=9781611684513&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20Inc

Review of "Personal Foul"

When I had seen that disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy had written a book on his time as a referee and what he did to create one of the biggest sports scandals in recent years, I was intrigued.  I never got around to picking up a copy until recently, but it was worth the wait.  Here is my review of "Personal Foul."

Title/Author:

“Personal Foul” by Tim Donaghy

Tags:

Basketball, professional, officiating, gambling, memoir 

Publish date:

June 9, 2010

Length:

270 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

It was a scandal that rocked the sports world and made tabloids write some interesting headlines.  When NBA referee Tim Donaghy was questioned by the FBI and later sent to prison for his involvement with organized crime while gambling on basketball games, it left the league scrambling to defend its reputation.  Donaghy decided to write about his actions and how it led to his downfall after a successful career as an NBA referee.  His book makes for some eye-opening reading.

What is most striking about Donaghy’s information that he passed to members of crime families is how simple it was to obtain.  Donaghy didn’t pour over advanced statistics or even analyze player matchups between the teams.  He simply looked at who were the referees working a particular game and knowing that one of these officials may have a grudge against one of the coaches or players, he knew that one team might have a significant advantage 

It was also interesting to read about one common perception coming true.  Many basketball fans, reporters, players and coaches have believed that superstar players usually receive favorable treatment and calls.  Donaghy, through his years as an NBA referee, provides insight and information that confirms this belief through his interactions with players and fellow referees. He also speaks of the league directing its officials to help ensure that a playoff series goes longer and that the larger markets advance in the playoffs. As an example of the latter item, he uses the sixth game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings in 2002 to show how the way a game is officiated can affect a lot more than just the final score.

The mood of the book is not one of anger nor pity for Donaghy’s situation. He realizes his mistakes and knows that he has to pay the price through a prison term and in personal life.  He doesn’t make excuses nor does he show much anger toward anyone else.  While he did commit crimes, I found this memoir very interesting for the inside look at the world of basketball referees and just how much influence they have on the game.  It is a book that all basketball fans will enjoy reading.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Nook)

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/Personal-Foul-First-Person-Account-Scandal-ebook/dp/B003ULP7U4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449782923&sr=1-1&keywords=personal+foul

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/reviews/personal-foul-tim-donaghy/1117927399?ean=9780615362632#reviews-header