Review of “Brady Vs. Belichick”

 While I am not a New England Patriots fan, I find books about their recent dynasty very interesting and this one is certainly one that fit the bill. Here is my review of a book that answers the debate of who was more responsible for their success, the quarterback or the coach. 

Title/Author: “Brady vs. Belichik: The Dynasty Debate” by Gary Myers

Rating: 5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: The New England Patriots are the most recent example of a sports dynasty, having won six Super Bowls in 18 seasons between 2002 and 2019. They had the same quarterback and head coach for all of those championships, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick respectively. Most football fans have an opinion on who was more responsible of these two for the Patriots’ success and this book by noted pro football author Gary Myers is his attempt to settle the debate.

One of the best aspects of the book for me came right at the very beginning. Myers made it clear that his opinions were formed only for the time the two men were with the Patriots. Therefore, the Super Bowl that Brady won with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t factor into his beliefs, nor did Belichick’s five years of coaching the Cleveland Browns before joining New England. That made this a true discussion on who was more important to the team during their time together.

Myers covered the Patriots a lot during this stretch so he was privy to a lot of information on the Patriots that many others would not have. This made some of the topics covered quite interesting even if a reader thought they already knew plenty about the two men and the team.  The two scandals involving the Patriots, “Deflategate” and “Spygate” are great examples of the extensive coverage Myers did. It shouldn’t go unnoticed that Belichick was judged far more harshly by fans, the press and his peers for spying on other teams’ defensive signals than Brady was for allegedly deflating football below specifications before an AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts.

While the events are not covered in strict chronological order, it still is an easy book to follow if one is a football fan, especially a Patriots fan. The time both men spent in New Englad tigers leaves nothing unturned and owner Robert Kraft also plays a prominent role in the book. By the end, after all is said and done, Myers does pick one of them to be more important to the Patriots dynasty and his reasoning is sound. Of course, this review won’t give that away, but no matter which side a reader takes on this debate, they will come away well informed about the team and the two key men of that dynasty.

I wish to thank St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own. 

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Brady-vs-Belichick-Dynasty-Debate/dp/1250381193/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 

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 "This Is Our City"

No matter which of the four major professional league one follows, it is clear that Boston has been the city with the most success in those leagues.  This book by a popular sports radio host in the city does a very good job of describing why that has happened.  Here is my review of "This Is Our City."

 

Title/Author: “This is Our City: Four Teams, Twelve Championships and how Boston Became the Most Dominant Sports Citty” by Tony Massarotti

Rating:  4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:  Since the beginning of the 21^st century, sports fans in New England, and specifically Boston, have been blessed with excellence by the city’s professional sports teams in all four of the major sports.  Between the Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics, they have won 12 championships, made an additional six appearances in their respective sport’s championship game or series, and won over the hearts and minds of nearly every Bostonian.  How each of these teams achieved this lofty status is covered in this book by Boston sports radio host Tony Massarotti.

As one might expect, the Patriots are the team that dominate the book, and it is their improbable victory over the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI that Massarotti uses as the start of the Boston dominance of professional sports.  While the Patriots would certainly earn the distinction of getting the most text in this book with their six Super Bowl wins, each of the other three teams certainly gets a fair share of coverage as well.  Even though the Celtics and Bruins each won only one title during the time frame covered by the book, the coverage of those two teams was very fair and complimentary.  This is especially true for the Bruins, who, per the book, have won the fourth most games in the NHL during that time frame despite taking home only one Stanley Cup.

One surprising aspect of the book, given its title and occasional smug tone (totally justified with the teams’ records) was that the struggles of the teams were covered in detail as well as the triumphs. A great example of this was the implosion of the 2011 Red Sox in missing the postseason amid controversy over the actions of players in the clubhouse and the subsequent departures of field manager Terry Francona and general manager Theo Epstein.  While most sports fans know the details, Massarotti’s writing brings a different perspective into the stories.  The same goes for other shortcomings such as when the Bruins blew a 3 games to none lead against the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010, the two Super Bowl losses to the Giants by the Patriots and how the Celtics went quickly from riches to rags to riches to rags and riches yet again. That is not uncommon in the NBA, and explaining that is one reason I felt Massarotti was very fair in his coverage of all four teams when describing the times they did not win championships.  

For fans who want to learn more about the recent accounts of the teams, here the book falls a little short, at least when comparing them to the early accounts.  For example, there was surprisingly a shorter write up about the incredible comeback by the Patriots in Super Bowl LI, at least compared to their earlier wins.  Same goes for the Red Sox and their 2018 World Series victory – this section was very short when compared to the 2004 and 2013 wins. This is not to say that a reader won’t learn more about that time frame for all 4 teams – indeed, there’s a good write up on the 2019 Bruins when they lost the Stanley Cup Final to the St. Louis Blues – but it just isn’t quite as complete as the earlier chapters.

Overall, this is a decent book for readers who want to learn more about the Boston dominance in the last 20 years of professional sports.  Be prepared for a little bragging and a little possible arrogance, but it is a great look at the professional sports scene in that city.

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

Link:  This Is Our City: Four Teams, Twelve Championships, and How Boston Became the Most Dominant Sports City in the World: Massarotti, Tony: 9781419753589: Amazon.com: Books

Review of "Count the Rings!"

For most readers, summer is the time to catch up on reading at the beach or on vacation. Summer has just the oppisite effect on me - because of my fanatical love of baseball, I usually read less during the summer except for train rides to ball games.  But I do carry on trying to fit in some reading whenver possible.  This was a book that was in my TBR queue for a long time so thanks to a "pick it for me" challenge, I finally got around to reading this book on Boston sports championships.  Here is my review of "Count the Rings!"

Title/Author:

“Count the Rings! Inside Boston’s Awesome Reign as the City of Champions” by Bob Halloran

Tags:

Baseball, Football (American), basketball, ice hockey, Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, Celtics, championship

Publish date:

October 15, 2017

Length:

224 pages

Rating: 

3 of 5 stars (Okay)

Review:

Sports fans in Boston have had plenty of reasons to celebrate since 2001. In that time, the city has been the home of 10 championship teams – the New England Patriots won the Super Bowl in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2015 and 2017. The Boston Red Sox won the World Series in 2004, 2007 and 2013, while the Celtics took home their 17^th NBA championship in 2008 and the Bruins won the Stanley Cup in 2011.

Each of these championship seasons is relieved in all of their glory in this entertaining book by Bob Halloran. Each team’s special season is covered from the previous offseason when key personnel changes were made up to the moment the title of “champions” was proclaimed by sports broadcasters. 

It didn’t matter which team or which sport, Halloran was an enthusiastic writer for each chapter. This enthusiasm was evident in many ways.  The writing was an excited conversation style, meaning that it read like he was talking about the championship team over beers with buddies at a Boston pub.  There were many sentences that ended with exclamation points to emphasize his enthusiasm. While it is great to hear or read stories from excited fans (or writers in this case), sometimes it can feel over the top if the reader or listener isn’t a loyal fan of said team. 

That doesn’t mean this is a bad book – indeed, if the reader is a fan of Boston sports, he or she will love this book.  Taking an objective look at it, from the viewpoint of a reader who may not be a fan of any Boston team, the book may not get quite the positive reception.  Nevertheless, the book does what it sets out to do and give Boston fans a chance to relive those frequent moments of glory they have felt throughout most of the 21^st century.

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

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Count-Rings-Bostons-Awesome-Champions/dp/1493030086/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Final review of 2017 - "Present at the Creation"

For the last review of 2017, I went to a memoir of a former NFL scout and general manager with some famous genes.  I didn't know too much about Upton Bell's career in the NFL but I did know that he was the son of former commissioner Bert Bell.  His memoir is one of the best football books I have read.  Here is my review of "Present at the Creation."

Title/Author:

“Present at the Creation: My Life in the NFL and the Rise of America’s Game” by Upton Bell with Ron Borges

Tags:

Football (American), professional, memoir, Colts, Patriots

Publish date:

November 1, 2017

Length:

416 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

To say that Upton Bell is a football lifer would be an understatement.  He is the son of former NFL commissioner Bert Bell, the man many consider to be the one who ushered professional football into the modern age.  He saw his father die in the stands at a football game. From that heartbreaking moment, he became a scout and general manager in the league.  His stories about those times and more are captured in this wonderful memoir co-written with Ron Borges.

Upton Bell was one to let his opinions be known when he was a scout for the Baltimore Colts and he pulls no punches in this book either.  The chapters on who he believes are the greatest coaches and greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL were fantastic. He is fair and bases his opinions on the eras that the men played or coached the game.  He took into account how much different the game is today than it was in the 1960’s when he was scouting for the Colts or in the early 1970’s when he was the general manager of the New England Patriots. I won’t give any spoilers away for his top ten in either category, but they won’t come as a surprise and both cover a wide time frame.

The stories he shares about his scouting days are excellent as well. They not only entertain the reader, but also illustrate how different the profession was back then compared to today. There were no combines, televised college drafts or social media at the time, so scouts had to rely on their eyes and ears to find talent. Bell was considered one of the best in the game. The reader will learn much about scouting and also about running a football team.  This is both as a general manager and also as an owner, as Bell was also the owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the ill-fated World Football League in 1974-75.

Of course, Bell’s life outside of football, including his post-football media career, are told in the book as well.  But the knowledge of the game, his connections to so many people inside the game and his experience all make for a book that every football fan will want to read.  It doesn’t matter if the reader prefers the more physical football of the 1960’s or the sport today which encourages the passing game. This book is certain to be enjoyed by fans of all stripes.

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

Book Format Read:

Hardcover

Buying Links:

http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/university-of-nebraska-press/9781496200396/

https://www.amazon.com/Present-Creation-Life-Rise-Americas-ebook/dp/B075YBG7CD/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review of "Drive for Five"

Just when I thought there wasn't anything else that could be said or written about last February's Super Bowl, here came a book about the New England Patriots on NetGalley.  Of course, the 2016-17 Patriots are one of the more remarkable teams in recent years, so I picked up the book and it was even better than I hoped it would be.  Here is my review of "Drive for Five."

Title/Author:

“Drive for Five: The Remarkable Run by the 2016 Patriots” by Christopher Price

Tags:

Football (American), professional, Patriots, championship

Publish date:

September 5, 2017

Length:

320 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

The New England Patriots have been one of the most successful franchises in all of professional sports in the last fifteen years. They have won five Super Bowls in that time frame and the latest one, Super Bowl LI, was the biggest comeback win for any team in Super Bowl history. The story of that championship season for the Patriots is captured in this well written, well researched book by Christopher Price.

This championship was probably the most unusual of the five for New England because of the controversy and turmoil surrounding the team through most of the season.  It started when quarterback Tom Brady was suspended for four games after the investigation into the “Deflategate” controversy.  It continued with the sudden trade of linebacker Jamie Collins to the Cleveland Browns and even ventured into the tumultuous 2016 presidential election when Donald Trump mentioned Brady and coach Bill Belichick during the campaign.

Despite all this, the Patriots managed to win three of the four games without Brady and maintain a professional demeanor off the field and a winning performance on it. How they did it is captured beautifully through Price’s writing. His access to the players and coaches was a key factor in bringing the reader inside the team’s locker room (his account of how a player is picked to get “The Locker” was great writing) and the players’ insights.

Much like the season on the field, the book builds to a climax as the Patriots earn the top seed during the regular season, win two playoff games, then pull off the incredible comeback against the Atlanta Falcons. There is no need to recap all of those games in this review – the book does a fantastic job of doing that.  Even though readers will most likely already know the results, it felt like reading a dramatic novel when the Patriots were making their historic run in the fourth quarter and overtime of Super Bowl LI.

Something that makes this book stand out is all parts of the entire team – offense, defense and special teams – are featured in the book.  While Brady captures a majority of the text (much like any quarterback dominates the play and coverage of professional football today), Price does a very good job of featuring others such as Collins, running back James White (whom Brady himself said should have been the Most Valuable Player in the Super Bowl) and kicker Steve Gostkowski.

There are passages in the book where Price does show a bit of “homerism” toward the Patriots, such as a passage in which he believes there is a double standard on offensive pass interference calls on tight end Rob Gronkowski. There are not too many of these to make the book too much of a “homer” book and as is the case with many books about teams or players that have long stretches of success, there is a little chest puffing about the accomplishments.  That is understandable and at times, as it is here, perfectly fine to brag.

This is an outstanding book on a remarkable football team and is one that every Patriots fan will want to read to relive the 2016-17 season.  Even more neutral or casual football fans will enjoy reading about this team and its accomplishments.

I wish to thank St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Drive-Five-Remarkable-2016-Patriots/dp/1250167051/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/drive-for-five-christopher-price/1126012227;jsessionid=22F4688ABBF00265D1DDD7BD66878029.prodny_store01-atgap07?ean=9781250167057

Review of "Boston's 100 Greatest Games"

I will admit, I love to read books like this one.  Lists of the greatest or the worst of anything are sure to generate arguments, discussions and second guessers.  Even if I agree 100% or don't otherwise have a great interest in a subject, it is always interesting to read about someone's choice of the best. This book is one of those books - here is my review of "Boston's 100 Greatest Games."

Title/Author:

“Boston’s 100 Greatest Games” by Rob Sneddon

Tags:

Baseball, Football (American), ice hockey, basketball, Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, Celtics

Publish date:

February 15, 2017 (Third edition)

Length:

290 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:  

Any book that contains a list of the greatest games, players or teams (or worst for that matter) is sure to generate conversation, arguments and second guessing.  When that happens, that means the book has done what it was supposed to do. This list of the 100 greatest games involving a Boston team by Rob Sneddon does that and a whole lot more.

What I liked best about the book was Sneddon’s explanation at the beginning that explained his criteria for selecting the game.  They were magnitude, closeness, level of play and historical context. This might hurt some teams that would otherwise be closer to the top – such as the 2007 Red Sox, who were champions soon after the 2004 edition broke the mythical “curse.” 

All four major sports and Boston professional teams are included, as well as Boston College and Harvard football and Boston University hockey.  Therefore, no matter what team a Boston fan roots for, he or she is sure to find that team represented in the book. The rankings, despite the explanation of the reason for them, are sure to generate debates, even amongst the fans of the same team. Which of the Patriots’ five Super Bowls was the best one? (Given the date of this third edition, most can figure out that answer)  Was winning the 2004 World Series the best moment for the Red Sox, or was it beating the Yankees that same year in the American League Championship Series after being down three games to none?  There are plenty of Celtics and Bruins moments as well and all four teams are represented in the top ten, so no bias toward one sport exists either.

Boston sports fans will want to pick up a copy of this book as the short story of each game will bring back great memories or let the fans learn a little history about their favorite teams.  Even those who are not Boston fans, like myself, but always like to find books like this for trivia information and a good debate will enjoy it just as well.

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

Book Format Read:

Paperback

Buying links:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615932711/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0615932711&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bostons-100-greatest-games-rob-sneddon/  

Thanksgiving football book review - 50 Greatest Players in New England Patriots History

I want to wish all who are celebrating a very happy Thanksgiving.  Part of the holiday is football and like many other fans, I was watching the games today in between eating and playing nine holes of golf.  While the New England Patriots were not one of the teams participating today, I did want to post this review today in order to make the connection between football and Thanksgiving.  Here is my review of this list of great players in Patriots history.

Title/Author:

“The 50 Greatest Players in New England Patriots Football History” by Robert W. Cohen

Tags:

Football (American), professional, list, Patriots

Publish date:

November 15, 2015

Length:

334 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Books that list the best or worst of a particular sport, team, era or similar grouping are ones that are always interesting.  They usually are good for a sports bar discussion, with arguments ensuring between participants on the rankings (“How is HE #1??”) or on the merits of including or excluding a certain person (“How in the world did so-and-so NOT make the list??”)

This list of the fifty greatest players in the history of the New England Patriots reads much like other books of this type.  Author Robert W. Cohen sticks with the same format for each player – a photo, a complete description of the player’s career and the best Patriot games and moments in that player’s career.  It doesn’t matter the position of the player; he breaks down each player in the same manner. 

How he assesses the players and ranks them is explained in the introduction and it is an extremely fair method in which he does so. Cohen explains how he uses statistical analysis for each position, even those in which there are very few methods to use statistics to measure that player’s performance, such as offensive linemen. The rules and style of play between eras are also considered. For example, a quarterback or wide receiver who plays now when the rules favor the passing game will not necessarily have an advantage over great players of earlier eras when passing statistics were not comparable to today.  Cohen also explains that only the statistics for when the player was a member of the Patriots are considered for these rankings, which helps explain why some great players who are in the book are ranked lower than one might expect.

The biggest difference between this book and others that I have read of this type is that it starts at #1 and goes on to #50 instead of the usual countdown format. That took some of the drama away. It was also good to see the author recognize many of the past great players for the Patriots. The franchise has had its best success the last 15 years, so naturally contemporary players are prominent, but there are also several players from the early days of the franchise and also a few from the years when the team was struggling on the field.  Players such as Jim Nance (not to be confused with the current broadcaster), Stanley Morgan and Gino Cappeletti are fondly remembered and recognized in this book for the contributions they made to the franchise.

This book is one that every Patriots fan must have in his or her library as it covers the entire history of the franchise. Football historians and even fans of other teams will enjoy this book as well as these books are always fun to read and agree or disagree with the author’s rankings.

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

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Players-England-Patriots-Football/dp/1608934527

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-50-greatest-players-in-new-england-patriots-football-history-robert-w-cohen/1121268322?ean=9781608934522

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.

Model Sports Franchises

Just received the latest issue of Sports Illustrated and the cover States that the St.Louis Cardinals are baseball's model franchise. Have not read the article yet...have to get through the next book for this blog! :) Anyway, it got me thinking about model franchises and what makes a franchise "a model" one. I see three important characteristics. 1) Consistent results on the field. This doesn't mean championships every year or even playoffs. But the team will be a factor year in and year out. 2) Stability in the owner's box, coaching staff and roster. The best example of this is the NBA's model franchise, the San Antonio Spurs. When was the last time you heard that the Spurs were for sale, fired the GM, or let go of the coach? And how long has the core of Duncan, Ginobli, and Parker been there? Stability at its finest. 3) Players want to play for the team for reasons other than money. Yes, today's sports landscape rarely allows players to stay with one team for long. But when players want to sign with a team like the New England Patriots, how can you not take notice and try to see what they are doing right? Those three teams, along with the NHL's Detroit Red Wings, make up the model franchises for each sport. Do you agree? If not, which franchises are they? And why? Let's have some fun with this topic.