Thursday, November 26, 2015

Thanksgiving football book review - 50 Greatest Players in New England Patriots History

I want to wish all who are celebrating a very happy Thanksgiving.  Part of the holiday is football and like many other fans, I was watching the games today in between eating and playing nine holes of golf.  While the New England Patriots were not one of the teams participating today, I did want to post this review today in order to make the connection between football and Thanksgiving.  Here is my review of this list of great players in Patriots history.


Title/Author:
“The 50 Greatest Players in New England Patriots Football History” by Robert W. Cohen

Tags:
Football (American), professional, list, Patriots

Publish date:
November 15, 2015

Length:
334 pages

Rating: 
4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:
Books that list the best or worst of a particular sport, team, era or similar grouping are ones that are always interesting.  They usually are good for a sports bar discussion, with arguments ensuring between participants on the rankings (“How is HE #1??”) or on the merits of including or excluding a certain person (“How in the world did so-and-so NOT make the list??”)

This list of the fifty greatest players in the history of the New England Patriots reads much like other books of this type.  Author Robert W. Cohen sticks with the same format for each player – a photo, a complete description of the player’s career and the best Patriot games and moments in that player’s career.  It doesn’t matter the position of the player; he breaks down each player in the same manner. 

How he assesses the players and ranks them is explained in the introduction and it is an extremely fair method in which he does so. Cohen explains how he uses statistical analysis for each position, even those in which there are very few methods to use statistics to measure that player’s performance, such as offensive linemen. The rules and style of play between eras are also considered. For example, a quarterback or wide receiver who plays now when the rules favor the passing game will not necessarily have an advantage over great players of earlier eras when passing statistics were not comparable to today.  Cohen also explains that only the statistics for when the player was a member of the Patriots are considered for these rankings, which helps explain why some great players who are in the book are ranked lower than one might expect.

The biggest difference between this book and others that I have read of this type is that it starts at #1 and goes on to #50 instead of the usual countdown format. That took some of the drama away. It was also good to see the author recognize many of the past great players for the Patriots. The franchise has had its best success the last 15 years, so naturally contemporary players are prominent, but there are also several players from the early days of the franchise and also a few from the years when the team was struggling on the field.  Players such as Jim Nance (not to be confused with the current broadcaster), Stanley Morgan and Gino Cappeletti are fondly remembered and recognized in this book for the contributions they made to the franchise.

This book is one that every Patriots fan must have in his or her library as it covers the entire history of the franchise. Football historians and even fans of other teams will enjoy this book as well as these books are always fun to read and agree or disagree with the author’s rankings.

I wish to thank Down East Books for providing a copy of the book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:
E-book (Kindle)

Buying links:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-50-greatest-players-in-new-england-patriots-football-history-robert-w-cohen/1121268322?ean=9781608934522

Monday, November 23, 2015

Review of "Elgin Baylor"

Sometimes I am amazed at how many basketball fans are unaware of elite players from earlier eras.  It appears that these people think there was no professional basketball players before Micheal Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson came into the league in the 1980's. One of these forgotten players was considered one of the best all time in the 1960's, Elgin Baylor. His story is captured in this excellent biography.  Here is my review of "Elgin Baylor."




Title/Author:
“Elgin Baylor: The Man Who Changed Basketball” by Bijan C. Bayne

Tags:
Basketball, professional, biography, Lakers

Publish date:
August 13, 2015

Length:
292 pages

Rating: 
5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:
Elgin Baylor was one of the first true superstars of the NBA, with his best years coming during the late 1950’s and early1960’s for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers This biography of the man by Bijan C. Bane is the most complete book about Baylor.  It is a well-researched and well written account of Baylor’s entire basketball career.

His style of play was considered to be unusual at time, as he was playing above the rim often and making spectacular passes to teammates for easy baskets.  That doesn’t mean he didn’t score himself – while he never won the scoring title, he did not finish lower than sixth in the league during each complete season he competed.  Bayne captures the spirit of Baylor’s game with exciting accounts of the skills he would show off.  Here is one account of what Baylor could do from the 1962 All-Star game: “A third drive demonstrates Baylor’s yen for improvisation, as he drives the right side, is challenged by East All-Star forward Tommy Heinson, and takes to the air, bringing the basketball down to protect it and then releasing it for the layup as he clears the defender.” Like Baylor’s game, the book is filled with beautiful passages similar to this one.

Baylor also stood up for civil rights and was outspoken about fair treatment for African-American players in the NBA.  At the time, it was widely speculated that each team followed an unwritten quota of no more than three African-American players on each team. There were the struggles of segregation for hotels and eating establishments.  But the best account of what Baylor did for this movement was the stand that he and several other African-American players took before the 1964 All-Star game when they refused to play unless the league could guarantee them a pension.  Eventually their demands were met.  Bayne writes about this aspect of Baylor’s life with the same attention to detail as he does with the action on the court.

Baylor did remain in the game after his playing career ended, serving as head coach of the New Orleans (now Utah) Jazz and also as the general manager of the Los Angeles Clippers.  He did not have the same success here as he did as a player and as a result, the book does not talk about this aspect of his career as much as his playing days.

Nonetheless, this is an outstanding book on a man that is often overlooked when the greatest players in the history of the game are mentioned.  While that is a shame, this book does justice to show that Baylor truly is one of the game’s elite players and the reader will come away with much respect for both Elgin Baylor the player and the man.

Book Format Read:
E-book (EPUB)

Buying links:

Saturday, November 21, 2015

Review of "Driving Mr. Yogi" - audiobook

I have wanted to get back into the habit of listening to audio books on my commute as it is one way to knock out some of them that I have meant to read.  This one was one that caught my eye as I was perusing the audio book section of our local library. With the recent passing of Yogi Berra, I was certainly interested in hearing some good stories on the man, and this book had them.  Here is my review of the audio version of  "Driving Mr. Yogi."


Title/Author:
“Driving Mr. Yogi: Yogi Berra, Ron Guidry and Baseball’s Greatest Gift” by Harvey Araton, narrated by Peter Berkrot

Tags:
Baseball, golf, history, Yankees, audio book

Publish date:
January 1, 2012

Length:
256 pages; 7 hours in audio format

Rating: 
4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:
Baseball fans, whether Yankee fans or not, who want to read a feel-good story about friendship and baseball yarns will enjoy this book about two Yankee legends.  When Yogi Berra ended his self-imposed exile from the team in 1999, that meant that he would be attending spring training.  He would need transportation from the airport to the hotel and the spring training complex in Tampa. Enter Ron Guidry, the former Yankee star best remembered for his outstanding season in 1978 when he compiled a 25-3 record with a 1.74 earned run average. 

The simple task of picking up Yogi was the beginning of a long friendship between the two men that is told in a style that is both heartwarming and humorous. The book mainly focuses on Berra’s life and baseball career, but there are also several stories about Guidry as well. The stories are mostly the type that are shared over beers in a pub or on the porch when guys just want to pass the time by shooting the breeze. Not only are there stories about the two men in the title, there are also stories about George Steinbrenner, the golfing skills of Berra (there are so many of them that it could also be considered a book on golf as well as baseball), and the circumstances that led to Berra returning to Yankee Stadium after he was fired as the manager 14 games into the 1985 season.

Readers who are looking to find new information on the Yankees or on Berra will not find it in this book, as many of the tales have been told in other sources.  Nor does the book delve too deeply into Yankee history as the recollections are more about individual events involving Guidry and Berra more than entire recaps. That type of dialogue was what I was hoping to hear in this book and it delivered.  Also, I must mention a funny Yogi-ism that was told in the book. When Berra was talking about the commercial he had to film, Guidry didn’t know what product he was endorsing. Berra was getting frustrated and told him it was the one with the “Affliction duck.” He was referring to the Aflac commercials.

However, the narration in the book was disappointing.  While trying to differentiate between the two men when quoted, the voice given to Berra was very distracting and sounded nothing like the man.  Also, given a few hiccups it sounded like the narrator was not familiar with baseball –  I will give two examples.

One was when Guidry’s statistics from 1984 were mentioned, the narrator stated that he had a won-loss record of “10 to 11.” When citing a won-loss record, it reads “10 and 11.”  The other notable error that baseball fans will catch was the mispronunciation of some player names. One that caught my attention right away was for former Yankee outfielder Ricky Ledee.  In the book, his last name was pronounced La-DEE when the proper pronunciation is La-DAY.  This made the otherwise good narrative a little less entertaining.  This book is best read in its original form and will leave the reader laughing and feeling like he or she knows Berra and Guidry a little better.

Book Format Read:
Audiobook

Buying links:


Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Interview - Helen Yeomans


Having had the pleasure of reading her novel "Ang Tak", I decided to ask author Helen Yeomans about her golf game and why she decided to write about it.  Here are her responses.




  1. What inspired you to write about golf in general and the Masters in particular?
To begin with, I was incensed by an article in the New York Times protesting that golf had no place in the Olympics; that it was merely a game for fat, middle-aged white men. Perhaps that contributed to my setting the story in 2016, though the year is never mentioned. I wanted to talk about the “upcoming” Rio Olympics, but I was writing in 2010-11 and thought I might be tempting fate.
As for the Masters, my parents loved watching it, my mother in particular. She didn’t play golf until she retired but for years, April in Augusta meant spring was here, and she loved the beauty of the course, and the flowers. She died while I was still researching and writing, but it became a way for me to work through my grief.
At some point during my research Augusta National announced that they were setting out to broaden the international aspect of the game. That led me to consider having a protagonist outside the traditional “Ryder Cup” golfing countries.
The real spur for Ang Tak, though, was the widely debated question of whether an an amateur could win the Masters, in the tradition of Bobby Jones. When I began my research, that idea seemed unlikely—and it still does. The field of pro golfers gets stronger every year, talented amateurs are encouraged to turn pro early, and the course doesn’t get any easier, regardless of equipment. So I set out to examine what key characteristics I felt any golfer had to have to earn a green jacket. Then I constructed a kid who had some of those traits. Then I threw him at the course, gave him some controversy and waited to see what would happen. I had no idea if Tony could win. I just wanted to see what would happen when he tried.

  1. The characters in Ang Tak were very interesting and complex.  Talk about them, especially the two main ones, Tony and Kat.  
Following on from the first question, Tony had a lot of good qualities, many of them coming from his Sherpa heritage. When I first started to consider what country the kid would be from I had to weigh research time. I was already up to my ears in golf lore and Augusta National layouts and strategies. I needed a country I could relate to somehow. India was too big. Thailand too foreign, ditto Vietnam and Cambodia. I came across Nepal . . . Edmund Hilary . . . Sherpas and Gurkhas. I knew Gurkhas fought in the British Army. But Sherpas? . . . then I found a marvellous school, SMD School for Himalayan Children, and discovered one of their graduates was studying in Vancouver, where I live. When I heard his story and those of others like him, and learned about the extreme poverty and harsh environment  from whence they came, I realized a Sherpa might well have the necessary character to scale the mountain called Augusta National.
Tony has his father’s grit and ambition and his British mother’s temper. After his dad dies, he’s raised in England (which made my job easier). He was well on his way to a fine career in smash and grab when, quite by accident, he discovered golf. Of course, as any golfer knows, that’s merely the point where all your troubles begin. And so it was with Tony. He was too small and too quick-tempered but he kept at it until, some eight or nine years later he won the British Amateur and a berth at the 2016 Masters.
Because he was small until his late teens, he couldn’t overpower a course with his driver. Instead, he was forced to hone his iron and short game. He had a spotty amateur record, partly because of his temper and also because his uncle would not allow him to use a club if he threw it. Consequently, he seldom competed with a full bag of clubs.
Like many Buddhists, he became very good at using meditation to sharpen his focus. And he did everything he could to learn about Augusta National, but there’s no substitute for local knowledge.
Which brings us to Kat.
Fuzzy Zoeller won a green jacket his first time at the Masters, in 1979. He was a fine golfer but he’d probably be the first to say his caddie was a big part of his win, because his caddie knew the golf course inside out. He knew how the putts break on the 12th green, and how the wind can fool you on the fourth tee. So I reckoned if Tony was going to stand a chance, he needed a caddie like that.
Why is Kat from Vancouver? To cut down on the research. And why is she female? Because you need something to interest female readers. I thought long and hard about giving Tony a tempestuous love life but realistically, I didn’t think it would work in these circumstances. Besides, most of his time during the round is spent with his caddie. Notwithstanding his stable relationship with his girlfriend, however, Tony does have an emotional crisis at a key point, and that was more than enough to derail him. Stress takes its toll during a major.
Kat was unable to make it as a pro herself but was lucky enough to find work with a top-line golfer who had already won a green jacket when she joined him. So they were always guaranteed a spot in the Masters and she spent twelve years learning the course. Tony would never normally get the help of an experienced caddie like this except that her own player was out with a bad back and he persuaded her to help the kid out.
Players and their caddies can form very strong attachments—after all, they spend hours and hours together, sometimes off the course as well as on. The story tries to show the relationship between a young player and an older caddie, formal to begin with, then relaxing, then completely falling apart as stress takes its toll. Then rebuilding and trying to move forward.

  1. Do you play golf?  If so, how would you rate your game?  
I’m a mediocre golfer, thrilled if I can score in the 80s, although now that I’m playing regularly I will probably start to want more. All golfers always want more.
I was fortunate to have an excellent teacher and to benefit for years from my dad’s insights into players and swings.

  1. Do you have any other stories or books with sports as a main theme in the works or as an upcoming project?
Not at present. I did think of writing a sequel to Ang Tak, but I shelved it. I'm always interested in story ideas, however. If any of your readers have any a suggestion, I'd welcome it. 

If you wish to take Helen up on her offer, you can reach her here:  
http://www.helenyeomans.com/

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Review of "Ang Tak" - fictional golf novel

Nearly everyone knows about the Masters golf tournament that is held in April every year and is considered to be one of the most prestigious tourneys.  The beautiful setting, the tricky course and traditional rules that are still followed today make it one of the most watched golf telecasts. Players always want to add a green jacket to their collection - the symbol of winning the Masters.  

This novel by Helen Yeomans is a story of an amateur golfer from Nepal playing in the Masters. It is one of the best sports fiction stories I have ever read - and I have read quite a few good ones.  Here is my review of "Ang Tak' - translation: "Little Tiger" (and no, that has nothing to do with Tiger Woods). 


Title/Author:
“Ang Tak” by Helen Yeomans

Tags:
Golf, fiction, Masters, Nepal, amateur

Publish date:
March 1, 2012

Length:
352 pages

Rating: 
5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:
Imagine being an amateur golfer living a dream by playing in one of the most prestigious tournaments in golf, the Masters in Augusta, Georgia.  Also imagine that you have a dark secret that no one else knows and this happened in your native country of Nepal. 

That is the brief background of Tony Pinasa, the protagonist in Helen Yeomans’ outstanding novel of golf, loss, sportsmanship and character all wrapped up in the setting of the Augusta National course.  While Tony is the main character the story follows, many parts are also told through the viewpoint of Tony’s caddie Kat, who also has to deal with a loss of her own.

The story is richly written with beautiful descriptions of the course and the interactions between Kat and Tony on many shots. For casual fans who may think the caddies are just there to carry the golfer’s bag, rake the bunkers and wipe off the clubs after each shot, Kat’s description of what she has to do between shots and also before and after each round will be a wake-up call.  The thinking that goes into each shot – what club to use, how the grass and greens are playing, the wind, how big a swing the golfer should take – they are all part of the dialogue between Tony and Kat and will keep a golf fan or player glued to the book.

The unique atmosphere and experience of the Masters is described, right down to the pimento cheese sandwiches that Kat gathers for herself and Tony during the rounds.  Amen Corner, Rae’s Creek, the approach to the eighteenth green – all are captured in a manner that television coverage alone doesn’t do.

Tony’s heritage is not forgotten and is a key element in the story as well.  There are flashbacks to his life in Nepal and there are scenes from the American Embassy where national officials are watching to see if the native son can pull off the feat of being the first amateur to win the prestigious tournament.  There is a secret from his days back home, however, and it explains some of Tony’s temper.  Even how this is revealed, during the press conference after the Saturday round, was a terrific twist in the story and another highlight that makes this novel one of the better sports fiction pieces that I have read.

Whether a reader wants to pick this up for the golf, for the characters or just for an inspiring story, this book will certainly fit that need.  It is one that any reader who enjoys fictional sports stories should read.

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

Book Format Read:
E-book (PDF)

Buying links:

Friday, November 13, 2015

Review of "Playing for Pizza" - audiobook

I realized that it had been a long time since I listened to an audio book on my commute so I decided to pick this one up from the library when I was perusing the books on CD section. While the book has been out for a few years, I still decided to listen instead of read.  It turned out to be the right choice.  Here is my review of the audio book of "Playing for Pizza."


Title/Author:
“Playing for Pizza” by John Grisham, narrated by Christopher Evan Welch

Tags:
Football (American), fiction, Europe, audio book

Publish date:
September 24, 2007

Length:
262 pages

Rating: 
4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:
Rick Dockery was the third-string quarterback for the Cleveland Browns when he turned in one of the worst performances in the history of the NFL playoffs when the Browns turned a 17 point lead in the AFC Championship game into a loss to Denver.  Mercilessly ridiculed and cut by the Browns, no other team wants to take a chance on him. His agent does find a team that will give Rick a chance – and make him the starting quarterback as well.

The team is named the Parma Panthers and they play in the Italian league – in Italy.  That is the scenario for this fictional football story by John Grisham. Taking a break from his legal novels, Grisham’s story of a washed-up quarterback finding redemption, friends and his place in life on the other side of the world. The story itself is entertaining but very predictable. There are twists in the football fortunes of the Panthers, in Rick’s attitude toward Italy and his teammates and also his love life. The football portions describe the game fairly well and in a manner that is simple enough that casual fans will understand the action.  Readers will feel the tension as the season marches toward the Italian Super Bowl, which for these players is just as important as the one that is a bit more popular in the United States.

While the story itself and every subplot such as Rick’s encounters with the ladies and the descriptions of Italian food and cathedrals can at times seem to be overpowering the football, what really made this audio book a very good choice was the excellent narration by Christopher Evan Welch.  When he had to speak the part of an Italian, whether a male or female character, it sounded authentic and not forced.  His different voice inflections for each character, whether American or Italian, were superb.  Plus, he made the story sound dramatic even though nearly every scene was predictable and didn’t leave much suspense. 

If I had read this book, it would have been worth three stars, as I would have stuck with the story to the end and as mentioned earlier, it was mildly entertaining.  But with such outstanding narration by Welch, that gives the audio book a rating of four stars and I am glad that I took the option of listening to this book. 

Book Format Read:
Audio book

Buying links:

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Review of "Junior Seau"

As anyone who follows football or the current news knows, the topic of concussions and football is a hot-button issue right now.  One of the symbols of this issue is the suicide of Junior Seau in 2012.  When I saw that a book on his life and death was to be published, I was very interested to see if the book would reveal some new information on this topic.  It was a good biography of the Chargers' great but it fell a bit short on this matter.  Here is my review of "Junior Seau". 


Title/Author:
“Junior Seau: The Life and Death of a Football Icon” by Jim Trotter

Tags:
Football (American), biography, death, Chargers

Publish date:
October 27, 2015

Length:
240 pages

Rating: 
4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:
Tiaina Baul “Junior” Seau is a name that even casual football fans recognize.  He is considered to be one of the best linebackers to ever play professional football. Growing up in southern California, he dreamed of playing for his hometown team, the San Diego Chargers. After a great high school and college football career, his dream came true when the Chargers made him a first round draft choice.  He was charismatic, generous and a fan favorite. Teammates and opponents alike respected him.  He seemed to have the charmed life.

However, as this biography by Jim Trotter reveals, it wasn’t always easy for Seau.  Many did not realize this until his suicide in May 2012. It was revealed that he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) from repeated blows to the head.  That disease has also been diagnosed in other former professional football players and is a hot topic in the current discussion on concussions in the sport. Therefore, when I picked up this book, I was hoping that some insight would be shed into this disease and how players are affected.

That was not the case. The book is a good but typical sports biography. There is excellent writing about Seau’s football career, especially his time with the Chargers (he also played for the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots) and how he was not only the best player on the field but also a leader in the locker room and in the community. His charitable work and his successful restaurant are mentioned prominently throughout the book. There are also passages about the pitfalls many athletes encounter – excessive drinking, marital infidelity, poor investments – that make Seau’s story typical of most celebrities who get caught up in the high life.

Where the book and Seau’s story takes a different turn is when he drove off an embankment in 2010.  While it was dismissed as one of his many episodes of poor judgement while driving, not everyone believed this to be the case.  The author, through interviews with many who were close to Seau, takes the reader through a journey that reveals there was more to this incident than just drinking or bad driving.  It is the first exposure that makes one believe there was something terribly wrong with Seau.  Again, in both this book and in real life, that doesn’t seem to be understood until he was found dead by his ex-wife on May 2, 2012 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Here, the book scratches the surface about Junior’s suffering from CTE and the effects, but does not dig into that topic. Instead, the author focuses on how the surviving members of Seau’s family are coping with their loss.  Again, typical material for a biography of this type but nothing that is earth-shattering.

This book is one that football fans, especially Charger fans, will especially enjoy as they will read about many of Seau’s exploits on the field and his happier times. Readers who enjoy celebrity biographies will also enjoy it as the book sticks with the tried and true format.  They should just not expect anything new or intriguing about the situation or disease behind Seau’s disease or death.  

I wish to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:
E-book (EPUB)

Buying links: