Review of “Roll With It”

Taking advantage of some significant downtime that allows for more reading, I finished this book within 24 hours of starting it. It was just so fun to read this one that I spent large chunks of time enjoying the stories of a former roller hockey team’s GM. Here is my review of “Roll With It.”

Title/Author:

“Roll With It: A Trip Back to the ‘90s - Gen X Style” by Brad Porteus

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:  

Being named the general manager of a professional sports franchise is a notable achievement in anyone’s career. To have that title bestowed upon one before the age of 30 is highly unusual, no matter what sport or league. But that honor went to Brad Porteus in 1993 when through a strange sequence of events he became the GM of the San Jose Rhinos of Roller Hockey International (RHI). His adventure to get there is described in this fun, humorous and entertaining memoir.

Porteus was determined to land a job in sports and went through various methods to do so. Through connections, hustle and some good luck, he landed a job in the merchandise warehouse of the San Jose Sharks, who at the time were a new expansion team in the NHL. With the same work ethic and some mentoring, he became an important part of that crew. But when the Sharks left the Cow Palace, their temporary home for the first two seasons, for the new San Jose Arena and Aramark would be running the merchandise sales there, Porteus left that job.

While with the sharks, he did make one important connection - NHL Hall of Fame defenseman Doug Wilson. Wilson ended his career with the expansion Sharks and knowing Brad’s work with them (it should be noted that at the time, Sharks gear was the hottest item in the NHL), Wilson put him in touch with the ownership of the Rhinos, a new team in the second year of RHI.

Porteus’ accounts of his times with both teams, as well as his journey to get there, was just so much fun to read. The subtitle is very appropriate as there are a lot of Generation X references and the lifestyle of that time is captured very well. At the end Porteus states that there were over 50 references in the book and asks the reader if they found them all. While I can’t say I was keeping score, I certainly understood them. There were so many times I was nodding my head while reading and thinking, “Yup, I remember that” or “I can relate.” This was the case whether he was writing about his work with the two hockey teams or about his personal life.

That topic is just as interesting and entertaining for a reader as everything else in the book. His account of his trip to a Grateful Dead concert where Sting was the opening act was excellent. This coming from a reader who was certainly no Deadhead but nonetheless enjoyed reading about the experience at one of their shows. This is just one portion of the plentiful stories that have nothing to do with hockey, so it will appeal to even non-sports fans who are part of Generation X. A must read when one just wants to chill while the VCR is flashing 12:00 and need a break from reviewing the paper maps to chart out the next road trip. 

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

Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Roll-Trip-Back-90s-Style-ebook/dp/B0DJL9GCN4