Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Review of "The Ancient Eight"

John Feinstein?  Ivy League football?  Fascinating history?  Sign me up!  Did this book deliver?  Well, read the review and find out.  


 

Title/Author: “The Ancient Eight: College Football’s Ivy League and the Game They Play Today” by John Feinstein

Rating:  3 of 5 stars (okay)

Review: John Feinstein has long been one of my favorite sports authors – whenever I saw a book that he wrote, it immediately gets put on my “need to read” shelf.  So, when I saw this one about Ivy League football, I immediately requested an advance copy and started reading.  I also saw a couple reviews of the book – one glowing, one not so much.  I felt that this was in-between and while an okay book, I don’t believe it was one of his better works.

I’ll start with the disappointing aspects.  The first is that one of Feinstein’s great strengths is his ability to tell stories about his subjects, primarily coaches and athletes, with a great human touch and makes the reader that these are people with real issues, not just glamorous celebrities.  While he does this at the beginning with coaches from all eight Ivy League schools, the items about the players are not as interesting and instead read more like clippings from press conferences.

Which leads to the second part that disappointed me – most of the book is a rehashing of the 2023 Ivy League football season complete with game descriptions, quotes and updated standings each week.  While many times that is fine for a book of this nature, it isn’t the usual Feinstein style and for that, my satisfaction came up a little short.

But this doesn’t mean everything about the book was disappointing.  The stories about the coaches mentioned earlier were great.  Especially with the passing of Dartmouth coach Buddy Teevens and the outpouring of support that came from all the Ivies.  The dialogue about how many coaches in the league stay in their positions for long periods of time, no matter their records, was also good reading.  Same goes for other passages that talked about the history of the league – some of which were interspersed with the 2023 game notes.  Also, of course, no book on the Ivy League would be complete without mentioning the Harvard-Yale match called simple “The Game.”  Although…here there are four references to the famous headline “Harvard beats Yale 29-29” but at least they make sense in their use and not just added to make the story juicier.

Overall, it was an okay read, but I would not recommend it to hardcore Feinstein fans like me. There just wasn’t enough of the material that makes him a great writer and instead it felt more like a product to just get out there and sell.  

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

Link: Amazon.com: The Ancient Eight: College Football’s Ivy League and the Game They Play Today: 9780306833908: Feinstein, John: Books

Friday, October 4, 2024

Review of "The Wee Ice Mon Cometh"

With October starting, that means several new releases for the fall season are out, and this was one of those copies I have received.  While I and any other golf fan would be familiar with the comeback story of Ben Hogan, I learned a lot about his spectacular 1953 season in this book. 


Title/Author:

“The Wee Ice Mon Cometh: Ben Hogan’s 1953 Triple Slam and One of Golf’s Greatest Summers” by Ed Gruver

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Ben Hogan is one of most legendary golfers the game has ever seen.  Most noted for his comeback from a near-fatal auto accident, he put together one of the most magnificent seasons in 1953 as he won three of the four “Grand Slam” event in golf.   His three wins in those major tournaments is the subject of this book by Ed Gruver.

After Gruver gives a mini-biography of Hogan (with an excellent account of the auto accident), the book has an easy-to-follow format of Hogan’s three victories to make up his Triple Slam.  Gruver starts with a description of the course where the tournament takes place.  For the Masters, which is of course Augusta National.  Then for the U.S. Open in June, which took place at the Oakmont Country Club.  Finally, the third major win for Hogan, the Open (formerly known as the British Open) took place at Carnoustie.  For all three of these courses, a great explanation of the layout is given where the reader can feel himself or herself walking the course.

In these sections there is also information on Hogan’s main competitors in the tournament and here is where it was a bit of an issue for me as a reader as it was difficult to keep the golfers straight. That, however, wasn’t an issue when Gruver would get to the actual golf as his accounts of each tournament were excellent.  The descriptions of Hogan’s shots, his demeanor on the course and even the agony of his competitors was all captured in a manner that puts the reader right in the gallery.  Because of these sections, I genuinely enjoyed the book and would recommend it for any golf fan or historian.

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

Link: Amazon.com: The Wee Ice Mon Cometh: Ben Hogan's 1953 Triple Slam and One of Golf's Greatest Summers: 9781496238986: Gruver, Ed, Williamson, Trevor: Books

Sunday, September 29, 2024

Review of “Tiger, Tiger”

 With a recent trip to Minnesota to see family, that meant more reading time during the flights. This was the book I started on trip out and finished on the return home. 


Title/Author:

“Tiger, Tiger: His Life As It’s Never Been Told Before” by James Patterson


Rating

3 of 5 stars (okay)


Review: 

Having read multiple books on Tiger Woods before, I was curious to see the “never been told before” tidbits James Patterson could share with readers. I was disappointed in that there really wasn’t much in the book that I at least had passing knowledge about Tiger, but I did find the book easy to read and despite its length, a fairly quick read.


It was good to read more about aspects of Tiger that weren’t strictly golf or scandal. Such as the relationship with his mother Tida. Even non-fans of golf or Tiger are aware of the influence his father Earl had on Tiger. But for me, it was nice to read many passages about the influence Tida had on him as well, especially on his mental health.


The more salacious and scandalous parts of Tiger’s life are not glossed over, but once initial details are covered, it felt like Patterson was saying “nothing to see here, let’s move along.” That May leave some readers wanting more but for me, it was fine. Everyone with any interest in Tiger knows the intimate details (pun intended) so there really wasn’t a need to include them. However, it just seemed to rush through them too quickly.


This also includes the chapters on his golf accomplishments. Some wins, especially in major tournaments, have some details but not many. Others just seemed like high-view summaries of moths or an entire season. Just like with Tiger’s personal life, this isn’t bad and makes for quick reading - but it feels incomplete.


Having read this book in two sittings while flying, I can’t say it’s a great book on Tiger as I enjoyed Jeff Benedict’s book on Tiger better as well as the book on Tiger’s 1997 win at the Masters. However, if a reader is more familiar with Patterson and his writing than anything about golf, this would be a good introduction to the most successful golfer in the history of the game. 


Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Tiger-Untold-Story-G-T/dp/031643860X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= 


Saturday, September 28, 2024

Review of “Locker Room Talk”

As an avid reader of Sports Illustrated in its heyday, I remembered this author and her case against Major League Baseball. Here is my review of Melissa Ludke’s fight for equal access. 


Title/Author:

“Locker Room Talk: A Woman’s Struggle to Get Inside” by Melissa Ludke 


Rating

4 of 5 stars (very good)


Review: 

Melissa Ludke is a well-known name to those who follow or study women’s rights. After being denied access the the locker room of the New York Yankees following their win in game 6 of the 1977 World Series, she and Time Inc. (the owner of the magazine Ludke wrote for, Sports Illustrated [SI]) sued Major League Baseball on the grounds of sex discrimination. Ludke’ a recall of the judicial hearing and her personal life at the time are the subject of this book she authored.


Ludke shares the story of how she became interested in sports journalism, the blatant sexism she faced and her happiness after obtaining that vaunted press credential when she started covering the Yankees for SI. During that time, she did have access to the Yankees locker room for interviews so it was quite a shock to her when she was denied access after the World Series by commissioner Bowie Kuhn.  The story Ludke shares about the many obstacles and denials she faced that night will sadden and anger a reader today who may not be aware of how much discrimination female sports journalists faced at that time. 


Stories about Luke’s personal life, most notably her rushed decision to marry a man she barely knew, don’t seem to have anything to do with her legal case, but by the end of the book it seems to make sense. This is especially the case when she shares the story of her decision to obtain an abortion not long after Roe v. Wade. Since the story is about women’s rights, it certainly does tie in with the main subject.


The testimony given before the hearing and that actual case make up the bulk of the book and while on the whole it is very fascinating, there is so much repetition of statements and opinions by Ludke that much like the judge during the hearing, the reader may ask when this part will ever end. The additional stories about female sportswriters who had access to NBA and NHL locker rooms at the time make Luke’s case even stronger.


There is text on MLB’s argument that it wanted to ban female reporters to protect the players’ privacy but both Ludke and the judge end up ridiculing that argument and the hearing ends up in favor of Ludke. However, that doesn’t mean a happy ending for her as she still has struggles with her professional life but will eventually come to a good place and seems to now be doing well.  Well enough to write a book about a very important case in the struggle by women for equal rights. 


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


Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Locker-Room-Talk-Womans-Struggle-ebook/dp/B0CH8W7WVC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.hNvrwNYbEzLqplPxRX4oTg.ZmKEvfear5xdmXEb7rRR-2AYTp_1p8CmM5TfUnhDTuI&qid=1727565306&sr=8-1 


Monday, September 16, 2024

Review of "Life in the G"

 Sometimes it's easy to forget that baseball and hockey aren't the only sports with a minor league - the NBA has one too and this book on the G League makes for great reading. 

Title/Author:

“Life in the G: Minor League Basketball and the Relentless Pursuit of the NBA” by Alex Squadron

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

Having read several books on players or teams in baseball’s minor leagues, I expected this book to be about the same with the same format and the same stories.  That wasn’t the case with this excellent book by Alex Squadron about the 2021-22 season of the Birmingham Squadron of the NBA’s minor league, currently known as the “G” League thanks to its partnership with Gatorade.

While there are certainly some aspects of this book that are like any other book on minor leagues, such as the less-than-desirable travel conditions (although here, there are always flights, but commercial not private charters like the NBA) and the stories of drive, determination and at times hopelessness, this one reads quite differently.  For one, there is plenty of humor.  That starts at the introduction when Squadron adamantly denies picking this particular team only because its name is the same as his own. From there, it was a fast-paced and fun read as the reader will learn about the history of the G League, some of the players and coaches who became successful at their craft in the NBA and some of the ways that players can be called up to the league.

One very interesting observation about the qualities that NBA teams look for in these players is that it is rarely the leading scorers or flashy players that get the call.  Many times the NBA coaches and scouts are looking for players that are either totally into the team concept of basketball or are willing to do the dirty work such as defending the opponent’s best shooter or fight inside for rebounds or even court position.  Of the players profiled in the book, the one who achieved the most NBA success, Malcom Hill, that was his ticket to getting a contract with the Chicago Bulls.

Hill’s story, just like those of the other three Squadron players profiled - Jared Harper, Joe Young, and Zylan Cheathammake for great reading, as does Alex Squadron’s description of the Birmingham Squadron’s games and practices.  It’s a fun ride through the season that will bring the reader much closer to the life of a minor league basketball player.

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

 Link: Life in the G: Minor League Basketball and the Relentless Pursuit of the NBA: Squadron, Alex, Ingram, Andre: 9781496235855: Amazon.com: Books

 

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Review of "Underwater"

There really is no good way to introduce the topic of this book, so I will just say that it was one of the toughest and saddest books I have read for this blog since starting it 11 years ago.  Here is my review of "Underwater." 


 Title/Author:

“Underwater:  The Greed-Soaked Tale of Sexual Abuse by USA Swimming and Around the World” by Irvin Muchnick

Rating: 

3 of 5 stars (okay)

Review:

The sports world was shocked when the sexual abuse scandal in gymnastics, and especially by Larry Nassar, was exposed.  However, sadly, that is not the only sport with this issue – many young athletes in swimming have suffered the same fate.  It goes beyond sexual abuse of young female athletes.  Young male athletes have also been abused and the abuse for both sexes can also be emotional, to the point of coaches proposing marriage.  This isn’t new as well, as this book by Irvin Muchnick exposes the decades-long abuse of athletes.

I will note that the rating is not due to the subject, the amount of research (exhaustive and extensive) or the accuracy of the findings.  As a reader, I found this book very tough to read.  There are SO many names that are both victims and abusers that I have a very hard time keeping track of who was being investigated and who was covering up for who.  If nothing else, that shows the depth of how long this has been going on in USA Swimming and in many swim clubs.

 Of course, stories of the victims get to be very depressing to read as well.  Just like when exposing the abusers and the cover-ups, this was hard to follow as well. Again, not because of any poor writing or investigation, but strictly from the sheer numbers.  It boggles the mind to think that this has been going on for decades. 

Even big names, while not directly or even indirectly implicated, can somehow be linked to some of these scandals.  The biggest name amongst these is Michael Phelps and Muchnick does a nice job of balancing fairness to Phelps – after all, he didn’t commit any of these crimes – but still wonders how he could be attached to some of these atrocities. It's a very hard book to read but is one that is worthy of the time to illustrate just how badly some promising athletes have been treated.

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

 

Link: Underwater: The Greed-Soaked Tale of Sexual Abuse in USA Swimming and around the Globe: Muchnick, Irvin: 9781770417755: Amazon.com: Books

Saturday, September 7, 2024

Review of “Mt Everest Confessions of an Amateur Peak Bagger”

Seeing this title on the list of “recommended” books on Kindle Unlimited made me curious. Since  I have a subscription I had nothing to lose by trying it - glad I did.  


Title/Author:

“Mt. Everest Confessions of an Amateur Peak Bagger” by Kevin Flynn with Gary Fallesen


Rating

4 of 5 stars (very good)


Review: Most mountain climbing books are either written by or about climbers who are either part of a professional guiding team or are proficient enough in the sport that they are considered elite. The author of this book, Kevin Flynn, would probably not be considered to fall in either of these categories. Nonetheless, his story of perseverance to become one of the climbers to have reached the summit of Mount Everest is a fairly quick, easy and enjoyable read.


A native of Rochester, New York, Flynn became interested in climbing when he took a trip a few hours east to the Adirondack Mountains. He became a member of the “Adirondack 46”, an exclusive club of those who have scaled all 46 peaks in that range. He then takes the reader through his adventures of summiting higher mountains such as Denali. He writes with self-deprecation, both humorous and not so humorous. But that’s just being humble - he is doing well enough that in 2002, he decided to make hist first attempt to scale Everest.


Here is probably the saddest part of the book - not only did he not make the summit on that trip, making it as far as the highest camp (High Camp), but was because he was injured and needed assistance down. After conferring with his wife Maggie (also a member of the Adirondack 46 club), he tries again two years later and this time succeeds. But even that is tinged with sadness. Flynn writes how achieving this amazing goal didn’t give him any joy at all and his descent was much slower than it should have taken. He finds out at Base Camp that he had pneumonia in this climb.


While not joyous, there are happy moments in the book as well as much gratitude to the Sherpas who were with him on both attempts. That's what I felt was the best aspect of this book - the emotions of Flynn as they feel genuine and the reader will feel them as well. The climbs are also told in plain language which is helpful for those not familiar with those terms. For those reasons, I believe even those who don’t read many mountaineering books (I certainly don’t qualify for that) will enjoy the book.


Link: https://www.amazon.com/Mount-Everest-Confessions-Amateur-Bagger/dp/0976743132/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= 


Friday, August 30, 2024

Review ovf”Yes, It’s Hot in Here”

While I very rarely will buy hardcover books now, when I saw this one at a second-hand bookstore with Mr. Met on the cover, I was intrigued. I’m glad I made the small investment as I enjoyed this look at sports mascots. 



Title/Author:

“Yes, It’s Hot In Here: Adventures in the Weird, Wooly World of Sports Mascots” by A. J. Mass


Rating

4 of 5 stars (very good)


Review: Mascots are as much a part of sports as are the players and coaches. They interact with fans, perform various acts on the field of play during breaks in the game and will make many appearances outside of sports on behalf of the school or team. A former Mr. Met, A. J. Mass writes about life as a mascot and shares some interesting stories about life as a mascot.


Not all of those stories are about himself, though. Whie the star of the book describes how Mr. Met came into existence and his time as the mascot at Shea Stadium, Moss writes about others who have lived the life of a mascot. There are good stories on famous mascots such as the San Diego Chicken (Ted Giannonulas), the Phillies Phanatic (Dave Raymond) and the Phoenix Gorilla (Henry Rojas). 


The stories on other less prominent mascots and the people who wore those costumes are even better. There are many names - at times it’s hard to keep track of who was which mascot - but nonetheless they are all entertaining and for the most part uplifting, such as stories of two young women who were glass ceiling breakers when they became mascots for the Syracuse University Orange and MLB’s Oakland Athletics. There are also stories of some mascots, especially in Pittsburgh, where the men in the costume of the Parrot ran afoul of the law. 


Moss did try to get back in costume one last time just before writing this book (published in 2014) but was rebuffed by the Mets. It’s clear in his writing about the team that while he enjoyed being Mr. Met, he had no love lost for the team’s front office, especially those in marketing and communication, the areas that primarily hire and fire mascots. It’s not a very stable job and like athletes, age can cut short the time one can perform. But like the job, this book can be fun and if one likes to see the mascots as well as the players then read this book. 


Link: https://www.amazon.com/Yes-Its-Hot-Here-Adventures-ebook/dp/B00DVF14D8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.1h1-Gi6-pW1HfhhxhvOaBRGqdKzmx8f7hExtoPeiXQj5BKY5Fy5FITV80NAjatd6VKvIfxTUl9blX4H-dTFJEGt3gmavzlnDzROIG-dFr0TO9DrT9rLCBVLcKcvuMfHTcb7V_stBy80n0uUyQJ7OlaVrGnHR0Bv9on8Zy6rsnGIX9mucD3zRemQOCau4A1tvMPa29J4wTGnWRrpX8YGXpi2OubKFYdXK1xbF1--h-rV17Dq2N3pTP6OpoYk2EeBkUnmiNdxaolTJYTgyFSeQfuV0gf6n42YonPuhwZJDns4.MzLFpQ4kwsqWMgg_5TMAuOwMXsYqpd-Ni7uXC2YFHh8&qid=1725049863&sr=8-1 


Monday, August 26, 2024

Review of "Narcoball"

Not being a big soccer fan, I was still interested in this book as I remembered how Columbia lost to the US in the 1994 World Cup and the subsequent murder of one of its players.  This book is an excellent read on this era of Columbia football.  Here is my review of "Narcoball." 


 

Title/Author:

“Narcoball: Love Death and Football in Escobar’s Columbia” by David Arrowsmith

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, football (soccer for American sports fans, but this review will call it football) in Columbia was ruled, just like the country, by the powerful drug cartels.  One man personified this era for both the sport and the political landscape – Pablo Escobar.  His story of ruthlessness, riches and eventual death is told in this excellent book by David Arrowsmith.

The book centers on Escobar’s main two loves – power and football.  For the former, the reader will read about Escobar’s rise through the organized crime network that supplied many nations, especially the United States, with cocaine.  It didn’t matter who may have stood in his way, Escobar would find a way to either take them over or have them eliminated.  This sadly led to much violence and crime in the country and especially in Escobar’s hometown of Medellin.

As for the football, Escobar and other drug lords and cartels were the financial backing for most of the Columbian teams.  This grew out of Escobar’s love for the game early on and grew until he controlled several clubs and had an extended influence on the Columbian national team.  They improved each year and played in the two World Cups during the time frame of the book, 1990 and 1994.  In 1990, Columbia did advance out of group play but lost their first game in the knockout round to eventual champion West Germany. Thanks to even more financing (and the crime and threats that go with it), the 1994 was even stronger and expected to go far in the tourney.

By now, Arrowsmith has painted a complete picture of not only Escobar’s crimes, power and downfall.  This led to his death in 1993, before the 1994 World Cup.  However, many cartels and leaders still were influencing the sport, but they would soon decline and by the late 1990’s their influence was practically nil.  However, there was one more tragic event that came about due to this combination of crime, power and football.  The 1994 Columbia team didn’t advance out of group play, with the most stunning loss coming at the hands of the host USA team 2-1.  The first USA goal was an own goal by the excellent Columbian defender Andres Escobar (no relation to Pablo).  After the tournament was over and the Columbian team returned home, Andres Escobar was murdered after going to a nightclub with friends. The reason was never confirmed and there are a few theories behind the death as Arrowsmith points out, but it did show the power of “narcoball” – the term used for this era of Columbian football.  

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


Link: amazon.com/Narcoball-Death-Football-Escobars-Colombia-ebook/dp/B0CMHM228J/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Review of “1901: The War of the Baseball Magnates”

As a fan of a team that was one of the original American League franchises, the book intrigued me and was available on Kindle Unlimited so I grabbed it. Here is my review.  


Title/Author:

“1901: The War of the Baseball Magnates” by Timothy Zarley


Rating

3 of 5 stars (good)


Review: 

As any baseball fan knows, the American League started play in 1901 - 25 years after the establishment of the National League. This book by Timothy Zarley tells the story of how the “Junior Circuit” got its star and the first season won by the Chicago White Sox.


The White Sox owner, Charles Comiskey, played a prominent role in establishing the league along with its first President Ban Johnson. Their roles are explained in great detail in the early chapters in the book. This is in addition to the many deals that were made and broken between magnates, the magnates and the players and also with cities. At times this was a dizzying read with so many people involved and the intense detail with which Zarley wrote his part. It was interesting and well researched but I had a hard time getting through this.


Once I did, however, I was glad I powered through because once the games started I enjoyed reading how the games played out for the American League (and even some for the National League as well) was better reading. Even more than the games, the writing about the treatment of umpires that season was very interesting. They had a very difficult time, to say the least, and Johnson did his best to stop this behavior. His goal was clean baseball and while often it was, this is one aspect where it was clear that this was a problem. All of this is illustrated and explained in detail by Zarley.  If you’re a reader who likes this level of detail in your books, this is the one for you. 


Link: https://www.amazon.com/1901-Baseball-Magnates-baseball-supremacy-ebook/dp/B0CW19146H/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.OBX1c_TGNkXS4JpbWOLpBLzkrb8d0lEge7ki3CthShP7mZDHjiCPzj-oo4l79vWa.77JGvgJdURO9h1WcRtnooNYs2y5Gve_tri0j_n79r24&qid=1724285953&sr=8-1