Review of “Sitting Bull Run”

As the Thanksgiving holiday weekend comes to an end, I hope everyone who celebrates enjoyed the food, family, friendship and football. This also marks the end of November, a fairly slow sports reading month for me, but I did find time for this great novel.

Title/Author:

“Sitting Bull Run” by Pat J. Daly

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: It isn’t often a reader can find a book about a high school cross country team, whether fiction or nonfiction. However, author Pat J. Daly has penned an excellent novel about a team on Long Island, New York in the mid-1970’s. It’s a great mix of sport (with great explanations of the scoring, the grueling runs that the athletes endure and even some coaching strategies), coming of age for the young runners, some mystery and even a glimpse at some issues of that time such as the winding down of the Vietnam War.

What makes this novel such an enjoyable read is Daly’s character development, especially of three main characters. A reader will certainly understand the pain that the captain of the team, Dennis Hurley, has been facing. This is true for the physical pain he’s facing during several meets and the manual anguish he has over maintaining silence about a terrible incident over the summer when he and two teammates, the “core” of the team, witnessed a death on parish grounds.

The leader of the Catholic school, Monsignor Cassidy, is also portrayed well, but as the antagonist as he is in line to be named a Bishop and will do anything to keep any bad publicity about the school away from Rome. His means of trying to do so are great reading but maddening at the same time.

The other character that a reader will enjoy is the cross country coach, Jack Hogan. His methods are unconventional, he can be downright cruel to his team and he seems downright maniacal when it comes to fitness and selecting a captain. It’s a good thing that his current captain, Dennis, takes his role seriously.

While these are not the only important characters for the story, they are good examples of how the author took complex characters and the setting of a Catholic school and made a gripping novel that will grab the reader and not let go. This is true whether the book is being read for the sport of cross country, whether the reader likes young adult books about coming of age or just wants to read a good mystery. This novel has it all. 

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

Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Sitting-Bull-Run-Jack-Hogan/dp/0996045392/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Tb8k488bc7bhVHKWUnx1vX69xvL9tKqPBx_PodXgEKL5Kl9mUJRU2P4dTn8gdgi5bMlwI_RL1RKwYBxxrQ2iRRpF_mtph4-jPBavr66NAkf3X_QVJs8p6HHxjmntge979BppCTkoGkwHhftRitP4IVwz0_PJzEpVC8zQq1gTWqWPdbUh8UulMJtt6uFQA9LYeVlWjtUn_2BeurJZxHh508Nrq8_sp10SVC3CYrbVfwE.EqNDppw7p-ibDKM9UpJH84B70-ErCc5SlKdQM0i3p9Y&qid=1764550087&sr=8-1 

Review of "Madden & Summerall"

For years, if one wanted to watch the most intriguing match-up of that Sunday's NFL schedule, the viewer would be hearing Pat Summerall and John Madden on the telecast.  This is a very good book on the success of that duo. 

Title/Author:

“Madden & Summerall: How They Revolutionized NFL Broadcasting” by Rich Podolsky

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

For football fans who watched games on TV in the 1980’s and 1990’s, there were a pair of broadcasters who were assigned to the biggest game played on Sunday: Pat Summerally with the play by play and John Madden as the color commentator.  Their chemistry in the booth was fantastic and made the games must-see TV.  This book by Rich Podolsky offers an in-depth look at both men during their partnership in the booth.

Both of them became well known before pursuing broadcasting.  Summerall had a successful playing career as a kicker, mostly for the New York Giants.  Madden had ten highly successful years as head coach of the Oakland Raiders, capping it off with a victory in Super Bowl XI.  Their pre-broadcasting days are covered quite well by Podolsky.

Their paths to becoming the most popular and successful broadcasting team took different paths and the book takes the reader onto both trails in a very informative and entertaining manner. Summerall was much more comfortable with the transition to the role of broadcaster and had several successful years with his first partner, Tom Brookshire. 

That changed after Madden was hired to do commentary full time after a 4 game audition, one of which was with Summerall.  Madden always expressed his gratitude toward Summerall for helping him through those early days.  When CBS, the network the two worked for at the time, made the decision to replace Brookshire with Madden, it was like a match made in heaven.  Fans, critics and nearly everyone associated with football loved the pairing.

The book doesn’t just talk about the games and broadcasts as many other topics that affected the pair are discussed, for both their professional and personal lives.  On the former, that included when Fox outbid CBS for NFL games in 1994 and the pair went to that network where they remained until Summerall’s last game in Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002.  There’s also Madden’s “turducken” (always mentioned on their Thanksgiving Day game), the telestrator and the All-Madden team.

As for their personal stories, those are covered thoroughly as well. From Summerall’s alcoholism and health issues to Madden’s fear of flying and closed spaces, just about everything you want to know about their personal lives (not all of it bad, despite these examples) is covered in the book.  It’s a fun, entertaining and informative read on this iconic broadcasting team.

I wish to thank The Globe Pequot Publishing Group for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Link: Amazon.com: Madden & Summerall: How They Revolutionized NFL Broadcasting eBook : Podolsky, Rich, Aikman, Troy, Buck, Joe: Kindle Store

Review of "A Hollywood Ending"

It might come as a surprise that I was interested in a book that concentrated on a player AND a team where neither rank high on my favorites of their sport.  But...glad I read it because it was quite interesting.  Here's my review of "A Hollywood Ending"

Title/Author:

“A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers” by Yaron Weitzman

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

The Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most prominent sports franchises, have never had an issue to attract star players who want to add an NBA championship to their resumes (additional if they already have one or more) and LeBron James is one of those players.  His time with the Lakers, as well as some of the lead-up to his signing, is well-documented in this book by Yaron Weitzman.

As a basketball fan who is not a big fan of either James (although I do acknowledge he is one of the best players ever) or the Lakers, I expected this to be very critical of both parties.  It wasn’t – I was impressed with how fair Weitzman presented his information. This doesn’t mean everyone is off the hook – especially the children of Dr. Jerry Buss that inherited the team after his death.  There are plenty of critical pieces of both the family, James and other parties such as Klutch, the sports agent conglomeration who represented most notably Anthony Davis. 

There are plenty of complimentary stories about the Lakers and James as well, and together they paint a great picture of how this chapter of Laker history has its ups and downs. The best of the positive pieces is how the team handled themselves in the “bubble” during the pandemic of 2020, when they won their only championship during the LeBron James era.  There’s also the feel-good (to some) story of LeBron playing alongside his son Bronny.  The only downside to the entire book I would say is that the ending feels too abrupt, especially after the trade that brought Luka Doncic to the Lakers – unless there’s another book in the plan for a new “era” in Laker history.

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

Link: Amazon.com: A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers: 9780385550222: Weitzman, Yaron: Books

Review of "The Team That History Forgot"

As I continue my work on catching up on reviews, I dug out this book sent by one of the publishers who have supported me throughout most of my time writing reviews, University of Nebraska Press.  This one was a very good book on the Kansas City Chiefs - and no, not the current version with Pat Mahomes and Travis Kelce.  This one goes back further when the Chiefs had other star players. 

Title/Author:

“The Team That History Forgot: The 1960’s Kansas City Chiefs” by Rick Gosselin

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

In the 1960’s, pro football had two leagues, the established National Football League (NFL) and the upstart American Football League (AFL). The NFL had a more conservative style of play while the AFL had much more wide-open offense and also paid its players higher salaries while engaging in a bidding war with the NFL. One AFL team stood out during the decade, the Kansas City Chiefs.  This book by Rick Gosselin tells the story of the Chiefs, which was not necessarily all successful.

The team was owned by Lamar Hunt, the founder of the AFL and got its start in Dallas as the Dallas Texans.  The same year the AFL started play, the NFL awarded a franchise to Dallas as well, the Cowboys.  Neither team had much success at the gate, which was disheartening to Hunt, as his team had much better success on the field than their NFL counterparts.  Hunt, who is portrayed in a brief biography in the book, then decided to move his team to Kansas City where they became the Chiefs.

Along with Hunt, the book portrays many players who made the Chiefs the most successful AFL team.  This includes Len Dawson, Otis Taylor, Buck Buchanan and Bobby Bell.  They also were more integrated along racial lines than most other teams and they played in two of the first four Super Bowls.  These are also covered thoroughly in the book.  Their second Super Bowl, a victory over the Minnesota Vikings, was especially gratifying to Hunt.  The reason for this was that Minnesota was supposed to be one of the charter franchises in the AFL, but owner Max Winter instead accepted an offer to join the NFL as an expansion franchise in 1961.  Hunt never forgot that.

In addition to these items, Gosselin does a commendable job of writing about the Chiefs’ exploits on the field aside from Super Bowls and gives the reader a brief history of the AFL, leading up to the merger with the NFL in 1970.  The book ends with an exhibition game that year between the Chiefs and Cowboys, the first time the two teams who originally called Dallas home met. That ended with a Chiefs win and solidified their spot as one of the best professional football teams in the 1960’s.

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

Link: The Team That History Forgot: The 1960s Kansas City Chiefs: Gosselin, Rick, Reid, Andy: 9781496243102: Amazon.com: Books

Review of “American Kings”

 As I work on trying to catch up on my reading (both sports and non-sports related) it means I’m also trying to catch up on reviews. Here’s my first one as I work on that year-end push, a review of a book on quarterbacks.

Title/Author: “American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback” by Seth Wickersham

Rating:  3 of 5 stars (okay)

Review:  In today’s professional football, the quarterback is the lifeblood of his team. While the evolution of the position resulted in him being important decades ago, that importance has been magnified recently. This book by Seth Wickersham explores the timeline of this process through stories about quarterbacks through different eras.

It should be noted that not all of the stories revolve around quarterbacks in the NFL. There are those who hope to become great at the position such as Colin Hurley and Arch Manning. There’s a fairly new NFL quarterback included in Caleb Williams. If one goes way back, there are quarterback stories before the position was considered “glorious.” The first quarterback portrayed who may fit that profile is Bob Waterford - but even there, while he was a Hall of Fame quarterback, his wife as just as famous - Jane Russell, the glamorous actress of that time. 

The stories of all the quarterbacks portrayed, even stars like John Elway and Steve Young, take sad turns which was a title disconcerting while reading the book. I also found it hard to follow as the stories bounced from one quarterback to another. Having a chapter on each one in chronological order would have been my preference. The same goes when Wickersham inserts his own stories when he played the position. They were interesting and did provide substance to the theme - just would have been better as its own chapter.

Football fans who want to hear stories about players in the vital role will enjoy the stories. But treat the book as such - a collection of stories. I expected something different and it did not turn out that way.

I wish to thank Hyperion Avenue for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own. 

Link:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1368099181/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1368099181&linkCode=as2&tag=netg01-20 

Review of "Tao of the Backup Catcher"

Needing to find a good audio book on a recent drive to the Baseball Hall of Fame, I found this one buried in my Audible library.  Downloaded it and enjoyed it immensely.  Here is my review of "The Tao of the Backup Catcher." 

Title/Author:

“The Tao of the Backup Catcher: Playing Baseball for the Love of the Game” by Tim Brown, narrated by Tim Brown and Justin Price

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: This is a question for baseball fans, no matter what their level of interest.  Can you name the backup catcher for your favorite team?  If you can’t, then have no fear, this book by Tim Brown on one of the more unknown yet fascinating positions on a baseball team is part biography, part philosophical waxing and all a fun read.

The biography part is on a career backup catcher who had many stops in both minor league towns and in MLB cities, Erik Kratz.  Brown chronicles Kratz’s many stops along his way to appearing in 332 major league games over 11 seasons.  Just his list of MLB teams is extensive – nine different teams. Starting with the Pirates (when he was 30 after spending eight years in minor league baseball), Phillies, Blue Jays, Royals, Phillies a second time, Astros, Pirates a second time, Yankees, Brewers, Giants, Rays and Yankees a second time when he decided to retire for good at age 40. And this doesn’t cover all the moves to different minor league towns. Through it all, there are plenty of interesting stories about him and his wife.

However, the best stories are not really about Kratz personally or the other backup catchers whose names are mentioned throughout the book.  What is the best aspect of the book is how this job, while well paying, is one that is full of many different tasks.  Everything from warming up pitchers in the bullpen to how it is difficult for the backup catcher to get enough batting practice is covered.  Not everything in the book is related to what happens in the ballpark.  With so many moves, there is plenty of material on the many tasks Mrs. Kratz did to move the family.  Another great (and funny) anecdote is about Erik’s shower shows – there is enough about them that they get their own chapter.

This is just a small sample of the very interesting and fun material to digest in this book.  Like many who hold the position, this book may not make best seller lists, but it is one that baseball fans will want to have in their library and have ready when they need a lighter read – their backup catcher of baseball books.

Link: Amazon.com: The Tao of the Backup Catcher: Playing Baseball for the Love of the Game: 9781538726556: Brown, Tim, Kratz, Erik: Books

Review of “Mulligans”

Needing just a good quick sports read (any sport), I found it in this collection of (mostly) golf essays by a well-known golf writer. Here is my review of “Mulligans”.

Title/Author: “Mulligans” by Curt Sampson 

Rating:  4 of 5 stars (very good) 

Review:  While every sport has excellent stories about accomplishments by participants, not every sport can have great individual stories that tie so well to the play on the field. Golf is one of those sports that can, and this collection of essays by noted golf writer Curt Sampson does just that - gives the sport some great personal stories.

Like any other collection of literary items, be they novels, short stories or poems, some will be great, some not so great and some in the middle. I found most of these stories to be quite good. One interesting note about then is that if the story is about a golfer who had a famous moment or tourney and Sampson writes about it, he describes the golfer’s mind and actions just before the famous moment. Two examples are my two favorite stories in the book. 

One is on Tiger Woods in his historic victory at the 2019 Masters. The story ends when he’s about to start his Sunday round, which just added to the wonder of how he was able to accomplish that win. The other story that follows this script is on Jan van de Velde’s famous 1999 finish at the Open. Many know about his famous meltdown on the 72nd hole, but Sampson writes a great essay on va de Velde’s first 17 holes on that Sunday, ending it when he’s about tees up on 18. 

This is a quick, entertaining and informative read about a variety ofvgolfers across many years. Recommended for any level of golf fan. 

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Mulligans-Timeless-archive-best-selling-Masters/dp/B0FKPTBX3Q/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0