Review of "Football"

Every so often, a book shows up on the new‑release shelf that feels like it was placed there specifically for me. That was the case with Chuck Klosterman’s Football. I’d read his music writing before and always appreciated the way he blends cultural insight with humor, so seeing his name attached to America’s most popular sport was an easy invitation. What I found was a book that approaches football from angles I didn’t expect — and that’s exactly why it works.

Title/Author:

“Football” by Chuck Klosterman

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: 

Not knowing Chuck Klosterman had written a book on football, I was genuinely surprised to find Football sitting in the new‑release section of my local library. Having enjoyed his books on music — especially his ability to blend cultural insight with humor — I picked this one up immediately. I wasn’t disappointed. Klosterman writes about the most popular sport in the United States with the same mix of knowledge, wit, and offbeat perspective that makes his rock‑music criticism so memorable.

The topics he covers are wide‑ranging, touching on the NFL, college football, and even a full chapter on the Canadian Football League. That CFL chapter, “The Cottage Life,” is a perfect example of how Klosterman approaches the sport. He walks readers through the quirks that differentiate the Canadian game from the American one — the 110‑yard field, the one‑point “rouge,” twelve men on the field, and the three‑down rule instead of four.

It’s that last rule that sparks one of the book’s most entertaining digressions. Klosterman uses the three‑down system to compare football to the Deep Purple song “Smoke on the Water,” to argue that four is the “perfect number” (with Walter Camp conveniently supporting his case), and even to riff on colonialism. This leads to my favorite line in the entire book: “It’s not as if Bud Grant attacked the CFL with a cavalry and the Canadian players lost their minds when they saw horses for the first time.” It’s a perfect example of what Klosterman does so well — blending humor, cultural commentary, and football’s place in modern society.

This is just one of many topics Klosterman tackles with the same mix of curiosity and sharp observation. He writes about the racial makeup of various positions — not just the number of Black quarterbacks, but also how few white running backs have led the league in rushing, with Christian McCaffrey as a notable exception. He discusses Colin Kaepernick, debates who should be considered the greatest player of all time, and explores Friday Night Lights across its book, movie, and television versions. These are only a handful of the subjects he pulls into the larger conversation about what football means and why it matters.

A reader doesn’t need to be a football fan or possess deep knowledge of the game to enjoy this book. Klosterman’s ability to make the sport feel culturally expansive — and often very funny — is what makes Football such an engaging read.

Link:  Amazon.com: Football: 9780593490648: Klosterman, Chuck: Books

Review of "The Year of the Rocket"

 I always like to find books about the Canadian Football League as while the sport is close to that in the United States and the NFL, there's just something about the CFL that attracts me to not only watch some games and the Grey Cup, but also to read anything I can find on it.  This book is a reason that I do so, as I enjoyed this book on the 1991 Toronto Argonauts.  

Title/Author: “Year of the Rocket: When John Candy, Wayne Gretzky, and a Crooked Tycoon Pulled Off the Craziest Season in Football History” by Paul Woods

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: When a college football star signs with another professional league that is not the NFL, it usually makes big news.  This was the case in 1991 when Notre Dame star Raghib "Rocket" Ismail signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL).  This book by Paul Woods is a very good account of that 1991 season for the Argonauts, which would not have happened without two other famous celebrities with ties to the team.

Those celebrities were Wayne Gretzky and John Candy, who along with Los Angeles Kings owner Bruce McNall (who was Gretzky's owner at the time as he was a player on the Kings) purchased the floundering CFL and promised to make the team better.  Their first step was to sign Ismail.  This was done not only to make the Argonauts better but also to bring much more exposure to the league and eventually expand it to the United States.

Some of those goals were accomplished, thanks to the generous cash flow of McNall.  Not only was Ismail's contract much higher than the limit on salaries placed on CFL TEAMS, but there were also other incentives such as $100 bonuses paid to Argonaut players.  That season, thanks to not only Ismail, whose main contributions were exciting kick returns (the description of his return touchdown in the 1991 Grey Cup championship game is my favorite writing in the book about action on the field) but also a dominant offense led Toronto to the championship. 

What also makes this book quite good is that Woods did NOT limit the book to being about the Rocket, McNall, Gretzky and Candy.  Many players and coaches on that Argonauts team have nice write-ups and for those who want to get a good picture of what the state of the CFL was at that time, this book does that as well.  American readers may not be familiar with all the names, but will still enjoy this book about a championship team that took an entire nation by storm.

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

Links: Year of the Rocket: When John Candy, Wayne Gretzky, and a Crooked Tycoon Pulled Off the Craziest Season in Football History: Woods, Paul: 9781989555446: Amazon.com: Books

Review of "The Baltimore Stallions"

Believe it or not, there was a team based in a United States city that has won the Grey Cup, the championship of the Canadian Football League.  While this team lasted only two years in Baltimore before heading north to Montreal, they left behind a legacy that has surprisingly maintained its allure in Baltimore football history despite such a short time in the city.  Here is my review of "The Baltimore Stallions"

Title/Author:

“The Baltimore Stallions: The Brief, Brilliant History of the CFL Champion Franchise” by Ron Snyder

Tags:

Football (Canadian), history, championship

Publish date:

April 9, 2020

Length:

204 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

Baltimore is a football town, as they have proved with their support of the Colts before that team left for Indianapolis in 1984 and the Ravens since 1996.  However, in between those two NFL franchises, there was a Canadian Football League (CFL) franchise that called Baltimore home for two seasons, 1994 and 1995, and they were also welcomed by the fans and the city. That team, the Baltimore Stallions, also became the first and only team based in the United States to win the Grey Cup, the CFL’s championship trophy. The short but interesting life of the Stallions is the subject of this excellent book by Ron Snyder.

The book starts off with a brief history of Baltimore football before the arrival of the CFL team, with much of that section devoted to the Baltimore Colts. Here, Snyder gives the reader a good description of the pain felt by many in the city when that team left in the middle of the night with their items packed in Mayflower moving trucks. Quotes from many people attached to Baltimore football, whether fans, former players or media personnel are quoted or mentioned when Snyder shows how the city was painfully feeling the void of no football.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Football League, facing a difficult financial situation, wanted to try to expand its market into American cities.  Businessman Jim Speros decided to bring one of these teams to Baltimore and after persuading first city officials, then league officials, that Baltimore was the right place for a CFL team, he was awarded a franchise to begin play in 1994.  Not everything went smoothly for the franchise at the start, as Snyder tells the reader about the poor condition of the old home of the Colts, Memorial Stadium, as well as the legal challenge by the NFL when Speros wanted to name the new team the Colts. The NFL was successful in obtaining an injunction just before the 1994 CFL season started, so for that season the team was known as the Baltimore CFL team, or CFLers. For the 1995 season, they were officially known as the Baltimore Stallions.

However, once the games actually took place, the team was a success both on the field and in the stands. This topic is where Snyder does his best work as he not only recaps the games from both seasons but has these passages liberally filled with quotes from players and coaches, most notably Tracy Ham, the popular quarterback for the team, and general manager Jim Popp. These stories and quotes from so many of the people associated with the team gives the reader a better feel for how popular the team was in the city and in return, how much the players and coaches appreciated the support they received.

The ending of the team was sudden and the book reflects this as well.  No sooner had the Stallions defeated the Calgary Stampeders to win the 1995 Grey Cup was it known that the end of the franchise was near as while the CFL playoffs were taking place, the Cleveland Browns had announced their intention to move to Baltimore for the 1996 NFL season. Knowing that there couldn’t be room for both teams and also knowing that the CFL was going to end its experiment with U.S. teams, the Stallions had filed for a move to Montreal and became the latest version of the Montreal Alouettes. This was so sudden that there wasn’t even a victory parade or ceremony for the team in Baltimore.  The shock for this was illustrated by Snyder in the same manner that he wrote about the team’s success on the field, and even includes a reunion ceremony many years later in which several of the players and coaches were able to finally celebrate properly.

While some of the topics raised about the team are covered in more pages than would normally be the case for a book about a history of a team, Snyder manages to pull it off in a way that is entertaining and informative. It is a quick read and also an impressive work to be able to get a 200 page book out about a team that lasted only two seasons. This is highly recommended for readers who are interested in the CFL or Baltimore football history.

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

                                                                       

Book Format Read:

E-book (PDF)                                                                                                                                   

Buying Links:

https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/the-baltimore-stallions/

https://www.amazon.com/Baltimore-Stallions-Brilliant-Champion-Franchise-ebook/dp/B086DQQYRP/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review of "100 Grey Cups'

Tonight there is a championship football game - the Grey Cup game for the championship of the Canadian Football League. I have started watching games from this league with its different rules, longer field and open play. Canada will be partying just like the United States will on February 1 for the Super Bowl -and has been for many years more than the U.S. In 2012, the 100th Grey Cup game was played and a book was written about the history of the trophy and game to commemorate the occasion.  It is a terrific book and I highly recommend it for any football fan. Here is my review of that book.

Title/Author:

“100 Grey Cups: This Is Our Game” by Stephen Brunt

Tags:

Football (Canadian), professional, championship, history

Publish date:

October 2, 2012

Length:

224 pages

Rating: 

4 ½ of 5 stars (excellent) 

Review:

The Grey Cup is the championship game of the Canadian Football League and like its American counterpart, the Super Bowl, Grey Cup Sunday is a day in which the entire nation will celebrate the game of football and people will attend parties for the game whether or not they are fans. However, the Grey Cup had an inauspicious debut and some interesting games and history during its infancy in the early 20^th century.  During the 2012 CFL season, which would culminate with the 100^th Grey Cup game, sportswriter Stephen Brunt published a book that looks at the history of not only the game, but also of the trophy and some of the teams that have made the history of this championship game very interesting.

Hockey fans know of the history of the Stanley Cup trophy and its humble beginnings.  The Grey Cup has a similar history of its own as it too was passed from various players and teams that didn’t exactly treat it with reverence. The chapters on the early history of the game alone were worth reading but the remaining chapters about the teams that have won the Grey Cup were interesting as well.

This book did not simply list each game’s winner and give a brief description of the games, although there is an index listing the winning team, losing team and MVPs for each year up to 2011. Chapters were in chronological order, but chosen for significant moments in Grey Cup history.  For example, the 1948 season was highlighted as the year that not only a team from the western portion of the country won the game, but it was when the Grey Cup became a national party. Other seasons highlighted included 1978 when the Edmonton Eskimos began a long run as the champions, 1995 when the Baltimore Stallions became the first and only team based in an American city to win the Grey Cup and 1935 when Winnipeg became the first team to win with American players on the roster.

The chapters would not only highlight the Grey Cup game and season, but would also narrate an interesting history on the franchise highlighted in the chapter.  For example, the chapter on the 1935 game talked about the entire history of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers team, including the 1950’s teams coached by NFL Hall of Fame coach Bud Grant and the later struggles for the franchise.  The most interesting chapter was the one on the 1995 champs, as the team was created by an experiment to expand the CFL into American cities. Baltimore was eager for football as this was the time between the Colts leaving and the Ravens arriving.  They put together a great team on the field and were the only franchise to stay intact when the American experiment ended, moving to Montreal to become the new Montreal Alouettes.

The book was well written, well researched and fun to read.  The only quibble I had was in a couple spots the scores given while writing about the progress of the game did not make sense.  For example, in the 1978 chapter about the Edmonton Eskimos, when describing the start of the third quarter, it was stated that the “Esks led 14-4 at the half, and stretched it to 17-3 not long after the break.”  There is no subtraction of points in the CFL, so this was confusing, most likely a typo that was missed.  It didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book – but it was enough to keep me from giving this a perfect 5 star rating. 

This was a fun book to read and learn more about the history of the Grey Cup.  The author writes proudly about its uniquely Canadian flavor and that made me enjoy the book even more, as it was apparent the author enjoyed writing it. Anyone who enjoys the Canadian version of football or wants to learn more will enjoy reading this.   

Did I skim?

No, as I was eager to learn about the history of the trophy and the game.  Therefore, I carefully read each chapter and took a little longer reading this book than usual.

Pace of the book: 

It took awhile to get through the book. Not only because the aforementioned desire to learn more about the game, but also because the chapters did not seem to flow freely while reading.  The main topic or team covered in the chapter would not necessarily be the subject throughout the chapter.  While very interesting and informative, it made me read the book a little more carefully.

Do I recommend? 

Anyone who wants to learn more about the history of the Canadian Football League, its signature game or the rich history of the trophy itself will want to pick this book up.  As a fan that has started watching and learning the Canadian game, this was an interesting look at the Grey Cup trophy and game.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Nook)

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/100-Grey-Cups-This-Game-ebook/dp/B009JU6UL0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417380197&sr=8-1&keywords=100+grey+cups

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/100-grey-cups-stephen-brunt/1111393015?ean=9780771017445

Review of "I Did It My Way"

As a fan of all Minnesota sports teams my entire life, I was naturally excited to pick up a copy of the memoirs of legendary Vikings coach Bud Grant.   I was expecting a lot from this book, and was very happy that it delivered on everything I wanted and then some.  Here is my review of "I Did It My Way." 

Title/Author:

“I Did It My Way: A Remarkable Journey to the Hall of Fame” by Bud Grant and Jim Bruton

Tags:

American Football, Canadian Football, professional, coaching, autobiography, Vikings

Published:

September 1, 2013

Length:

288 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Bud Grant is a legend to Minnesota sports fans, so when I saw that he wrote an autobiography I immediately picked up a copy.  I was hoping to not only read about his time coaching the Vikings, but also more about his time in the Canadian Football League, his playing days and what he has done since coaching. Those were all covered, but there is a lot more to the book than that, and it is some of those stories that make this an outstanding book.

No matter what topic is discussed, Grant writes much like he coached - he stated his view or point, talked about the important aspects to either give credence to the story or explain his opinion, and then moved onto the next topic.  He stated several times during the book that he would not dwell too much on games that were lost or players that left the team because he felt that it did not help to dwell on the mistakes if the team was to move forward.  He wrote the book with that concept in mind, as there is not a lot of reflection on the four Super Bowl losses by the Vikings during his tenure or other tough losses.  Instead, he talks a lot about the great players he coached such as Fran Tarkenton, Chuck Foreman and Alan Page.  Vikings fans who followed the team during this time will recall fondly those players who were the stars of the team’s heyday.

There were several “firsts” that Grant accomplished during his sports career as both a player and a coach that are covered in this book. One of these are becoming the first “hardship” case when he left the University of Minnesota’s basketball team to play professionally for the Minneapolis Lakers.  Many readers may not know that Grant was a fine athlete, excelling in basketball and baseball as well as football. He also talks about the Vikings running the “West Coast” offense in the 1970’s before the San Francisco 49’ers did, giving it that moniker. His writing comes across as prideful yet not boastful when covering these topics.

However, I believed some of the best sections of this book were not about his playing or coaching career.  His account of how his family got through the tough economic times was fascinating reading (I won’t give away too many details of that.) His chapters on animals and the outdoors are also well written.

But the best chapter was chapter 3 when he describes his ordeal when he was caught outside during the famous Armistice Day blizzard of 1940.  An avid hunter and fisherman since he was a young boy, Grant was hunting when the storm suddenly arrived and the tale of what he did to survive that storm and ensure his hunting companions were safe was nothing short of incredible.  That chapter alone makes the book worth the time to read.

This is an outstanding book written by a legendary coach that captures his life in the same manner as he coached his football teams.  It covers many topics and aspects of the man’s life in an even-keeled manner and comes across as sincere, not boastful or regretful.  Readers who are sports fans, especially Minnesota sports fans, will love this book.

Did I skim?

No. 

Pace of the book: 

Very good. The book does follow a true timeline and does not skip much. There are times Grant will go off on a tangent with a related story, but these are infrequent and short – it doesn’t steer off course for too long.

Do I recommend? 

Pro football fans will like this book, especially Minnesota Vikings fans. Also, those who enjoy the outdoors will like Grant’s chapters on hunting and animals in general. Something for many tastes.

Book Format Read:

e-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Did-My-Way-Remarkable-Journey-ebook/dp/B00F8JIGUY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1395617371&sr=1-1&keywords=bud+grant

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-did-it-my-way-bud-grant/1114985380?ean=9781600787867

Review of A Devilsh Pastime

This book was a history lesson.  But unlike the history lessons back in school, this one was actually FUN to learn!   I wish to thank the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Title/Author:

“A Devilish Pastime: A History of Football in All Its Forms” by Graham Hughes

Genre:

 

Football (American), Football (Canadian), Football (Australian) Soccer, Rugby, Gaelic, History, Professional, College, Amateur.

Published:

April 24, 2012

Length:

441 pages

Rating:

3 ½ of 5 stars (good)

Review

When a sports fan hears the word “football”, different images come to mind depending on where that person lives and which games he or she follows.   This book on the history of all types of “football” will have some appeal to these fans - no matter what type of “football” is meant.

Each type of football is covered in this book from its beginnings as a club sport, social gathering or a group of men who want to let off a little steam.   Whether it is soccer from the English school systems, American football at Ivy League schools, or any other piece of history that is associated with a game that relies on advancing field position and kicking, this book covers it.

Painstaking detail and research was undertaken for this book as nothing is left uncovered.   Fans of a particular type of game will find little-known gems about it, and will be left impressed with the wide range of topics covered.   Even if the reader is not a fan of a particular type of game, just some of the historical context will be worth the time it takes to read.

This book is best read with a mindset of wanting to learn history about these games.   If the reader is looking to learn about a new sport, this isn’t the book to do it.  This is explained further later in this review.   I picked up the book hoping to do just that for games like Gaelic football and was taken aback when I could not find any basic descriptions.   However, after realizing that this book would not contain that type of material, I went back and re-read those chapters with the mindset of reading a history book.   This made the book a more pleasant and interesting read.

If for no other reason, Mr. Hughes deserves kudos for the fantastic research on each type of football so that fans of each kind can learn something new about the history of their favorite game.

Did I skim?

No

Did I learn anything new?

Yes – too much to list here!   I was very intrigued by the concept of “masculine Christianity for the basis of acceptance of the games by the Church and also behind the justification of why some otherwise God-fearing men would participate in such brutal games.  This included soccer, rugby, Gaelic football, and American football.

If I had to specify one item that I learned that was very surprising it would be that some believe that American football began as a combination of soccer and rugby.   There are so little soccer elements in American football that it seems hard to believe that scholars believed this.

Pace of the book: 

Somewhat slow, as I re-read some passages because I was not familiar with either the English history described in the early chapters or some of the football games described such as Gaelic.  However, the pace did pick up for me when I read chapters on the games that were more familiar to me.

Positives:

Outstanding research makes this book a good read.   Every aspect of the games is covered, even in the sections that are shorter such as Canadian football.  Each game’s history, players, leagues, clubs, rule changes, social significance and outlook for the future.

Negatives:

This is not a book to become familiar with a sport that the reader does not have prior knowledge.  A reader will not learn the basics for soccer, rugby, or other types of football.  There are references to rules and some explanation of items such as player formations.   But for the basic “what is this game like” reference for a newcomer – it won’t be listed here.  

Do I recommend?

Yes, if you enjoy any type of football game, the section that describes its history will be a good read.  

 Book Format Read:

Ebook (Kindle)

Author Media Links:

http://football-history.weebly.com/

Buying links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007XJMG9O

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15845159-a-devilish-pastime