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 "Out of the Darkness"

This book was one that while I received it before its publication before its 2024 publication date, I just never got around to reading it as I also placed newly received books on top of it in the TBR pile. Thanks to a reading challenge in an online group this month, I finally got around to it and really enjoyed it.  Even this Vikings fan had to read about a Packers legend - the author made it a great book. 

Title/Author: “Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rogers” by Ian O’Connor

Rating: 5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:  Aaron Rogers will certainly be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as he was an outstanding quarterback for the Green Bay Packers.  He often makes headlines for comments and actions outside of the football field as well. This makes him a polarizing and complex individual and this excellent biography by Ian O’Connor makes a valiant effort to understand Rogers better.  

O’Connor has written other excellent sports biographies on complex people, most notably Bill Belichick.  He does the same thing here with Rogers, and it goes far beyond the better-known controversies around Rogers such as his stance on the COVID-19 vaccines. O’Connor covers just about every question or topic one might have about Rogers, on and off the field. 

For football related items, O’Connor covers Rogers’ entire career, from his high school accomplishments at Pleasant Valley High School in California to hie devastating Achilles injury four plays into his time with the New York Jets at the star of the 2023 season. For just one excellent example of O’Connor’s work, reading about how Rogers left the University of California early and was expected to be a top 5 draft pick to sliding down all the way to near the bottom of the first round where he was selected by the Packers.  Like in the rest of the book, O’Connor does much research and conducts as many interviews as he could to tell the complete story.

The same approach is done for the more controversial aspects of Rogers’ life, especially off the field.  These include his lengthy self-estrangement from his family, a comment linking late night television host Jimmy Kimmel to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and his views on religion after being raised by religious parents. This was quite a contrast to the person that Rogers was portrayed as by teammates and coaches (even those with whom he often clashed such as former Packers coach Mike McCarthy). This adds layers to the complexity that is Aaron Rogers and why telling his complete story in a very balanced manner makes O’Connor one of the best writers of sports biographies in the business today.

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

Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Out-Darkness-Mystery-Aaron-Rodgers/dp/006329785X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0

Review of "The Year the Packers Came Back"

Followers of this blog know that my football loyalties are with Minnesota, whether the Vikings or the Golden Gophers.  So it might come as a surprise to learn that I agreed to review a book on the Packers when the author requested I do so.  Hey, it's a free book and why not?  I might even enjoy reading about a mortal enemy - which I did.  Here is my review of a book on the 1972 Green Bay Packers.

Title/Author:

“The Year the Packers Came Back: Green Bay’s 1972 Resurgence” by Joe Zagorski

Tags:

Football (American), professional, history, Packers, championship

Publish date:

December 16, 2019

Length:

259 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

In 1972, the Green Bay Packers were the most pleasant surprise in the National Football League.  Not expected to have a very good season, Green Bay surprised everyone but themselves by winning ten games and the NFC Central division title.  This book by Joe Zagorski pays tribute to that team.

While it may seem a little surprising to write about a season in which the Packers won its division instead of one of the many championship seasons in Green Bay, it does make for good reading.  This is especially true if the reader is a football historian or a big Packers fan as some of the names may not be very familiar to current fans, but long time football fans may remember the names such as Willie Buchanan, John Brockington and Scott Hunter.

The book is written in a manner that describes each game during the regular season and playoffs in great detail.  Much more than simple recaps, Zagorski describes each key drive or play in every Packers game of the 1972 season in a manner that one would think he is watching the game with the author.  There is also a detailed account of the previous off-season describing how Green Bay laid the foundation for its surprise season, the training camp and preseason games and the aftermath after losing in the divisional playoffs. 

In the middle of the regular season portion, there is one surprising chapter in which the shortcomings of head coach Dan Devine are described.  Given how successful the team was during the season, it was revealing to see just how reviled he was by his staff and players. Many of his decisions, even ones that ended up working out, were second guessed. The offensive players were relieved when in mid-season Devine let legendary Packers quarterback Bart Starr, who was the quarterback coach for the 1972 team, run the offense with no input from the head coach. It ended up being a good decision as the team had just come off back to back losses, but from there, they went on a hot streak and won the division on the home field of one of their biggest rivals, the Minnesota Vikings. 

While the 1972 Packers will not bring up as many glorious memories as the Packers teams of 1967, 1996-97 or 2010-11, this team is well worth honoring with a book of this nature. As mentioned earlier, football historians and Packers fans will enjoy this book.

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

                                                                             

Book Format Read:

E-book (paperback)                                                                                                                        

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Year-Packers-Came-Back-Resurgence-ebook/dp/B0845PM4N7/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-year-the-packers-came-back-joe-zagorski/1132424719?ean=9781476637853

Review of "When It Was Just a Game"

Let's face it, even if you are not a football fan, you still enjoy the Super Bowl.  Maybe you don't watch the game - but you still know about the commercials, maybe watch the superstar musician at half time, and go to a Super Bowl party for the food and friendship.  However, the game to decide the champion of professional football hasn't always been like this.  This book that will be published in September is a great way to learn what it was like for that first championship game - before it was known as the Super Bowl and when football, like society, was very different than how we know it today. Here is my review of "When It Was Just A Game."

Title/Author:

“When It Was Just a Game: Remembering the First Super Bowl” by Harvey Frommer, foreword by Frank Gifford

Tags:

Football (American), history, professional, Packers, Chiefs

Publish date:

September 9, 2015

Length:

252 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

The Super Bowl has grown to national holiday status in the United States, with the game being one of the top rated television shows every season, parties and gatherings are occurring with many of the people not knowing anything about the game of football, and other entertainment associated with the game such as commercials and the halftime show have taken on lives of their own.  

What can be forgotten, however, is that the game started as the idea of Pete Rozelle, the commissioner of the more established National Football League, as a championship game between the champions of his league and those of the relatively new American Football League. That first game, won by the NFL’s Green Bay Packers 35-10 over the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, has a colorful story of its own. This book by sports historian Harvey Frommer tells that story from oral recollections of many who played in the game and were important figures behind the scenes as well.

Gathering stories from many different sources, the book shares thoughts, insights and anecdotes about all aspects of this first championship game.  It wasn’t called the Super Bowl at first, but was used informally by many at the event.  There are excellent stories about the mindset of the two coaches, Vince Lombardi of the Packers and Hank Stram of the Chiefs.  Some of the stories on Stram came from previously unpublished memoirs of Stram. Most came from players and they ranged from play calls during the game to what the coach was like in the locker room and away from the practice field. 

However, the book is far from one that is just about the sport, the players and the coaches.  There are many entertaining and revealing stories about other aspects of this first “world championship” game.  Broadcasters for the two networks that telecast the game share their experiences.  Staff members of the teams and leagues share many anecdotes about other logistics that had to be addressed, such as ticket sales for a game that did not have the heavy hype that the Super Bowl has today. Getting everyone on board for such a game also took a lot of work. Frommer takes all of these aspects, obtains information and stories from people who were there, and weaves them together in a terrific blend of storytelling and narrative that makes the reader truly understand what it was like to put together that first championship game.  

I wish to thank NetGalley and Taylor Trade Publishing for an advance review copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Did I skim?

No

Pace of the book: 

It will be a fast paced read for readers who are familiar with the teams, the history of the game or have researched football history.  As I did not fit into any of these categories, it was a bit slower for me as I took my time reading many of the stories.

Do I recommend? 

Yes - not only readers who are interested in football history will enjoy this book, but also readers who are only familiar with the phenomenon that the Super Bowl has become today should read this. It will give those readers a sense of what the event was like at that time and appreciate what it has become today.

Book Format Read:

E-Book (Kindle)

Buying links (for pre-orders at time of post):

http://www.amazon.com/When-Was-Just-Game-Remembering/dp/1589799208/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434904988&sr=8-1&keywords=when+it+was+just+a+game

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/when-it-was-just-a-game-harvey-frommer/1120624313?ean=9781589799202

An update on a prevous post

For total transparency I should note a point I made in responding to comments on a previous post. Recently I listed the best franchises in each of the four professional leagues in North America. One of the criteria that I used for this was that players for the franchises did not create negative publicity for himself or the team. It was why I did not select the commenter's favorite baseball team. I now have to change the model NFL franchise after this week's events that lead to arrest of a player on that "model" NFL franchise. Yes, it isn't fair to blame an organization for the actions of a lone player. But right now, if you think about that team you don't think football. So, staying with the same criteria, the current model NFL franchise is...and as a Vikings this is painful...the Green Bay Packers. Add them with the Cardinals, Spurs and Red Wings for the best franchises in sports.