Review of “Clouds Over the Goalpost”

Three books finished in three days - not bad considering that the bulk of this audiobook was heard on one trip to and from a baseball game.  Here is my latest review.

Title/Author: “Clouds Over the Goalpost: Gambling, Asassanation and the NFL in 1963” by Lew Freedman, narrated by Noah Michael Levine

Rating: 3 of 5 stars (okay)

Review: In 1963, professional football was just starting to enjoy its ascent into the minds and television sets of American sports fans. There were two professional leagues and two of the more stories franchises, the Chicago Bears and New York Giants, faced each other in the NFL championship game. But two other events really shaped that season and they covered as well as the action on the field in this book by Lew Freedman.

While I listened to the audiobook and liked the story of the 1963 season, my one issue with the audio version is the mispronunciation by the narrator of well-known players, including Paul Hornung.  This is crucial because he and Alex Karras are the central figures of one the aforementioned events - they were suspended in 1963 for gambling. This was the most repeated mispronunciation but not the only one.

Putting that aside, the rest of the book was fine - it was the typical book about a particular sports season in which the championship team (here, the Bears) and a few other teams make up the bulk of the discussion. Along with the Bears and their coach-owner George Halas, the Green Bay Packers ger a good amount of text in the book as well, even more than the runner-up Giants.

The upstart American Football League also gets some love in the book, including a full chapter on their championship game. That wasn’t too exciting as the Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Boston Patriots 51-10. Other stories about the AFL, thanks to Freedman’s writing, were more exciting than this game.  Overall, the book is fine if you like books on season recaps - just pick up the physical or e-book version. 

Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Clouds-over-Goalpost-Gambling-Assassination-ebook/dp/B00E257XJA/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.kH6GKvsz2myq0BOpCEJwEw.D3pvaHA5VEIJ-7XO37FOx3QWk1Gnp77fkolD59a202Y&qid=1747876689&sr=8-1 

Review of "The Blood and Guts"

I started this book on the Thanksgiving holiday, when football is on the mind of most sports fans who celebrate the holiday, and while it took a little time to complete, this was probably one of the more interesting and fun books I have read on the sport.  Here is my review of a book on tight ends, "The Blood and Guts"

Title/Author:

“The Blood and Guts: How Tight Ends Save Football” by Tyler Dunn

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

The position of tight end in football is one of the most challenging positions. For a player to excel in this position, he must have the strength to block defensive linemen who may weigh over 300 pounds, be smart enough to read pass coverage by linebackers and safeties, and also be quick enough to outrun 180-pound cornerbacks. But as any football fan knows, there are many who have not only played this position but have done so at a very high level.  Some of these exceptional tight ends are profiled in this entertaining book by Tyler Dunn.

It should be noted that this is not a ranking of the best players to play the position and it is not meant to be taken that just because a player is not profiled that he would not be considered one of the best to have suited up at tight end.  It starts with Mike Ditka, who began the change of strategy in the use of tight ends to be effective pass receivers as well as blockers.  Dunn interviews and shares the stories of 15 tight ends from Ditka to George Kittle and in between, there are so many interesting stories, on-field recaps and very personal memories.

Of the memories and stories, I felt the most emotional ones were for Dallas Clark (who lost his mother to a heart attack) and for Jimmy Graham, who was literally dropped off by his mother at a group home with his clothes in a garbage bag.  Those two stories both resulted in producing great tight ends who would stop at nothing to succeed.  The circumstances are very different and their paths were certainly not identical, but they both made for compelling reading.

That isn’t to say that every player profiled in this book had tragic or hard stories. Some were out of fear (hard to believe Tony Gonzalez didn’t want to play football because he was afraid of the hard contact), some were just from the “boys being boys” category (Jeremy Shockey’s battles with his siblings) and some were just fun (Rob Gronkowski is probably the most notable party animal). But they, along with all the other tight ends profiled, had in common an unquenchable appetite for success and an incredible work ethic to make sure he did his best to achieve that success.

It should also be noted that while the actual game text is not plentiful in this book, the plays and games that are covered are recapped in an excellent manner.  The most compelling of these is one of the most incredible individual performances in NFL history – Kellen Winslow’s performance in the 1982 playoffs for the San Diego Charges in their memorable win over the Miami Dolphins.  That is just one example of the in-game coverage that is very good when it is presented in the context of that player’s story.

Football fans who remember many of the great tight ends since the era of Ditka and John Mackey will love reading about these players, their stories and their performances.  For me, this book was much like Gronkowski’s early NFL career – just a lot of fun to read.

I wish to thank Twelve Books for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Guts-Tight-Ends-Football/dp/1538723743/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review of "A View from Two Benches"

To finish off a very busy April for this site, this is my review of the biography of Bob Thomas, a successful kicker for the Chicago Bears in the 1970's and early 80's and his later rise in prominence in the legal profession by becoming a justice on a state Supreme Court.  Here is my review of "A View from Two Benches."

Title/Author:

“A View from Two Benches: Bob Thomas in Football and the Law" by Doug Feldman

Tags:

Football (American), biography, legal, Bears, Lions, Chargers, Giants

Publish date:

May 15, 2020

Length:

264 pages

Rating: to

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

While it isn't common, there are examples of professional athletes who have studied law while they were still playing sports and some have gone on to prominent legal careers.  One such athlete is Bob Thomas, an associate justice for the Illinois Supreme Court. His football and legal careers are the subject of this biography by Doug Feldman.

Thomas kicked 11 years in the National Football League, primarily with the Chicago Bears, but also kicked for the Detroit Lions, San Diego Chargers and New York Giants during his football career.  Feldman does an excellent job of portraying the life of a NFL kicker being a nomadic one, as most kickers will often be signed by teams for brief periods to either replace an injured kicker (as Thomas was in San Diego and New York) or to find yet another kicker who will consistently perform under pressure. Thomas proved that during his time with the Bears, setting team records for scoring and remaining highly ranked in those categories for the team.

Despite the many changes, Thomas had settled in Chicago and that is where his family life was settled and where he not only studied law but became a practicing attorney, including late in his career when he kicked for other teams.  His family's adventures were handled by his wife Maggie, whom Feldman does mention prominently, especially when they are moving around.

Once Thomas's career track changes from football to the law, the book also takes a different track as Thomas's faith is discussed more frequently. There are Biblical scripture readings that Bob and Maggie used to help them get through troubled times.  Bob's legal career was very successful, moving up quickly through the process to become first a judge, then a justice on the Illinois Supreme Court.  There is even a trial in which Bob sues a small newspaper for defamation that reads like a quick, exciting legal thriller. 

While the book is approximately 70 percent about Thomas's football career and 30 percent about his legal career, both parts are equally engrossing and make for good reading.  Anyone interested in football, especially kickers, will enjoy that portion of the book while those interested in his time on the Illinois Supreme Court will like the book as well.

I wish to thank University of Northern Illinois University Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

                                    

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/View-Two-Benches-Thomas-Football-ebook/dp/B07Z9NKFFY/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=  

Review of "Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football"

I always am interested in learning more about great teams in each sport's history and since the 1985 Bears are considered to be one of the greatest teams in NFL history.  So when I was able to obtain a copy of this book on that team, I jumped on the chance to read it.   Here is my review on "Monsters."

Title/Author:

“Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football” by Rich Cohen

Tags:

Football, professional, history, Bears

Published:

October 29, 2013

Length:

321 pages

Rating: 

3 ½  of 5 stars (Good)

Review:

The 1985 Chicago Bears are considered by some to be the greatest team – for one season – in NFL history.   Between the storied legend of the team, the loyal fans and the reputation of the “Monsters of the Midway”, this was a team that was certain to have a book written about them.  Rich Cohen has done just that with “Monsters.”  In the book’s description, it states that this book is “a portrait not merely of a team but of a city and a game.” This is an accurate account of the book, as well as adding personal stories from both Cohen and members of that team.

Cohen writes this book as a fan, not as a journalist or historian. That has both its good and bad moments in this book. He does share some great stories about the players, especially Gary Fencik, for whom the team’s famous “46” defense is named and also the team’s head coach Mike Ditka. The quarterback, Jim McMahon, was always good for great stories and they are shared here as well. I also thought that Cohen’s stories about his fandom, the city of Chicago, and what he would do when he was interviewing the players were entertaining. Like I said, this book was written from a fan’s point of view and that is always a refreshing viewpoint. 

By doing so, the sections that talk about the football on field were entertaining and anecdotal.  What these would lack in analysis and statistics, they made up for with rich descriptions of the atmosphere, the action on the field and the thoughts of people who were there.  I felt that the two chapters on the one loss the team suffered in Miami and the game in Minnesota where McMahon came off the bench to rally the Bears to a victory were the best stories about games during the season.

Something that was not done well with this book was proofreading.  I did find a couple of grammatical errors and this error that surprised me by not being caught.  During the section on Gale Sayers, Cohen shares a story about nearly hitting a deer with his car.  He avoided the deer by “slamming on the breaks.”  These kinds of errors I find to be distracting and can take away from the value of a story or even the book as a whole.  Because this was such an obvious error that wasn’t caught, I felt this and the few others I found were a distraction.

Now, you might also be thinking, “What does hitting a deer have to do with football?”  That is a fair question, and my other main issue with the book – at times, I didn’t believe the personal stories that Cohen was sharing were relevant to the team or the season they were having.  Because I am not a Bears fan or a Chicago resident, I may have missed something that would connect these together. I found myself trying to connect these instead of concentrating on the pages at hand which was another distraction for me.

Despite these, I still found this book an entertaining read and I believe that anyone who is a Bears fan or a Chicago sports fan will enjoy this book.  Well worth the time to read it.

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

Did I skim?

No. 

Pace of the book: 

While it didn’t have any slow or tedious sections, I did have trouble connecting the author’s personal stories with what was being discussed about the Bears or the NFL at times.   When this would happen, I would re-read certain passages trying to make the connection.   That would slow down my reading pace for this book.

Do I recommend? 

Yes - fans of the Chicago Bears or pro football history will enjoy reading this book.     

Book Format Read:

e-book (ePUB)

Buying Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Monsters-Chicago-Bears-Heart-Football-ebook/dp/B00CVNNPEC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1389146183&sr=1-1&keywords=monsters+chicago+bears

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/monsters-rich-cohen/1115225391?ean=9780374298685

Review of "Sweetness"

Back home from vacation, with a little time to recover - or write reviews!  I read four books during the train adventures between New York and Minnesota (and they were adventures) that will be reviewed here, one per day.  First up was a biography on the man many consider to be the greatest running back in NFL history, Walter Payton.   He set a single game rushing record in 1977 against my Vikings - but he no longer holds it as that was broken by a VIKING (take that!) - Adrian Peterson. 

Anyhow, here is my review of this very good book on Payton. 

Title/Author:

“Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton” by Jeff Pearlman

Tags:
Football (American), Professional, Bears, Biography

Published:

October 4, 2011

Length:

496 pages

Rating: 

4 1/2 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

Having seen Walter Payton play football in his prime and admiring what he did on the field, I was interested in reading this biography written by a well-known and respected writer for Sports Illustrated.  It turns out there was a lot more to the man than the image that was portrayed as the hard-working football player and dedicated Christian and family man.

The research and detail in this book was very good.  Pearlman talked to many of Payton’s teammates in high school and college.  The section on Payton’s time at Jackson State was quite impressive in its detail – such as the details of some of the practices endured by the players.    When he turns pro with the Chicago Bears, the ups and downs of not only Payton but the entire team is well researched as well.  The reader learns why Payton struggled at times because the Bears team was not very good.

What makes the book even better, however, is Pearlman’s account of Payton’s life off the field, both during his youth and his adulthood.   Very often biographies of professional athletes will reveal unknown characteristics about the athlete that most fans did not know existed.  This is no exception.  The best way to describe this aspect of the book is conflicting.   Payton is trying to live the proper Christian life, but has many sessions of infidelity, including fathering a child with someone other than his wife.   He is at times portrayed as an egomaniac, but yet will always visit sick children in hospitals when called upon.  He is often portrayed as a great team player, yet is shown to be sulking about individual slights, whether real or perceived.  The best story of that was during Super Bowl XX, when he was livid that William “Refrigerator” Perry, a defensive lineman, was given the ball to score the last touchdown of that game instead of him.  

This is a well researched, well written biography of the running back who many believe to be the greatest to ever play in the NFL.

Did I skim?

No. 

Did I learn something new?

Yes.  The most interesting (or shocking, depending on your viewpoint) was the revelation of Payton’s infidelity and hard-partying lifestyle well after his playing days were over.   It is not all that shocking when any athlete lives like that while playing and especially when on the road, but that Payton did this while being portrayed as an ideal family man was quite eye-opening.

Pace of the book: 

Excellent.  The transitions between football and off-the-field portions were smooth and the book was told in chronological order.

Positives:

The research and detail are the outstanding aspects of this book, but in addition, I believed the manner in which Pearlman presented topics that could be controversial or troubling, such as Payton’s cheating, the way in which he treated his assistants, or his drug and alcohol use, was done with sensitivity and in a non-judgmental manner.

Negatives:

There weren’t any glaring negatives about the book.  The closest I could come to one was that at times, the reader could believe that the author is bashing Payton too much on his lifestyle choices, especially concerning the lack of time he spent with his son born out of wedlock.  However, once the reader finishes the book and everything is covered, this turns out to be simply another chapter in a complicated life of a complicated man.

Do I recommend? 

Yes, for any football fan or reader who enjoys biographies.  

Book Format Read:

EBook (Adobe Reader)

Buying Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Sweetness-Enigmatic-Walter-Payton-ebook/dp/B0052RDJ40/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1380410720&sr=1-3&keywords=sweetness

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sweetness-jeff-pearlman/1100398649?ean=9781101544631