Review of "Fred From Fresh Meadows"

If you read this and are a passionate fan of any sports team, then this book comes highly recommended as there is sure to be some story that you will be able to relate to when this super New York Knicks fan tells his life tale.  Here is my review of "Fred From Fresh Meadows." 

Title/Author:

“Fred From Fresh Meadows: A Knicks Memoir” by Fred Cantor

Tags:

Basketball, professional, memoir, Knicks, fans

Publish date:

November 28, 2020

Length:

155 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

There are fans of every team in every sport who consider themselves the biggest fan of their team. For the New York Knicks, it is hard to imagine anyone being a bigger fan than Fred Cantor, an attorney who is a native of New York City and has followed that basketball team for as long as he has known the game. This book, a straightforward memoir of his life as a Knicks fan, is a great read for anyone who considers themselves a fan as described above.

One of the best qualities of this book is how Cantor can find a Knicks connection for nearly every personal story he has to tell.  Whether it was taking the SAT exam after a late night of Knicks basketball on the West Coast, his wheeling and dealing with others to get cable TV and later season tickets so that he would not miss any games, or (my favorite story in the book) playing goalkeeper in a pick-up soccer game so that he could bring his transistor radio and listen to a Knicks playoff game while still participating in the soccer game, Cantor demonstrates time and time again why he should be an inductee into the Knicks fans Hall of Fame – if they ever create one.

The other aspect of the book that is very appealing is that it is relatable to other fans who have the same type of passion, even if not necessarily at the same level or with the same willingness to take risks to see or listen to games.  Anyone who can’t stand to see the rival of their favorite team win will love reading about Cantor’s extreme dislike of the Boston Celtics.  Any fan who has scraped and saved to obtain that magic ticket to a playoff game that they remember for decades will shake their head in appreciation while reading about Cantor’s favorite Knicks memory, game 5 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.  There were so many times where if a fan inserts the name of their favorite team, such as the Minnesota Twins for this reviewer, they could possibly tell the same type of story.

Those are a just a few of the reasons that fans of any team in any sport who are passionate in their following of the team will want to read this book.  Even if they couldn’t attend as many games as Cantor did or take some of the risks he took, any fan will be able to relate to the wonderful stories.  A quick read at 155 pages, it is one that will let the reader escape into his or her fandom just as much as if they were seeing their favorite team live.

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

Book Format Read:

E-book (PDF)                                                                                                                                   

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/FRED-FRESH-MEADOWS-Knicks-Memoir/dp/B08P3PCBQB/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=9798567762912&linkCode=qs&qid=1613245346&s=books&sr=1-1&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin-20