Review of "Game Changer"

Normally, the books I read about the business side of sports are about labor disputes.  This one instead focuses on on the work of a team's general manager.  It's a very good description of the job. 

Title/Author:

“Game Changer” by Bob Whitsett

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good) 

Review:

If someone followed professional sports in the Pacific Northwest during the 1990’s, chances are good that he or she has heard of Bob Whitsett. He was the general manager for the two NBA teams in that region at the time, the Seattle SuperSonics and the Portland Trail Blazers.  Plus, for a short time, he was also the GM of the Seattle Seahawks.  All of this work made him one of the more prominent front office personnel at the time and he writes about this work in this memoir.

The most interesting story of the book, in my opinion, was the work he did to keep the Seahawks in Seattle.  For those who were not aware or did not follow football at that time, the team threatened to move to Anaheim unless Seattle built the team a new stadium. Whitsett worked hard to secure the votes to get the stadium, negotiated contracts (his arrangement to sign two players in the midst of the campaign for the new stadium was very good) and still ran the Trail Blazers at that time. It shows just how much multitasking that he was doing.

Multitasking is a good word to describe what Whitsett writes about, as he was constantly at work – or so it seemed.  Whether it was contract negotiations, putting out fires, public relations, working with players or a multitude of other tasks, Whitsett was on top of his work.  It goes with his upbringing, and he started out in the business by doing anything needed.  As he called it, he started as a “gopher” with the Indiana Pacers and worked his way up, becoming one of the youngest GM’s in the NBA when he got the job with the SuperSonics.

One of the big topics he has in the book is negotiations. On this topic, I do believe that this topic had the best stories and also included a nice checklist for anyone who has to do negotiating in their job. While each skill he describes is explained by how he handled contract negotiations with players and their agents, they had great tips for everyone else as well.  Also, he had a great story about his first draft choice signing, Clark Kellogg.  Kellogg was a first round draft choice by the Pacers, but at the time, the team didn’t have enough revenue to pay Kellogg the going rate for a first round draft choice. As Whitsett could only amount one maximum amount and let Kellogg and his agent know this, he nonetheless signed the player. How he pulled it off is an excellent tale on how one can still accomplish their negotiating goals. An excellent book by an excellent sports executive

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

Link: Amazon.com: Game Changer: An Insider's Story of the Sonics’ Resurgence, the Trail Blazers’ Turnaround, and the Deal that Saved the Seahawks: 9781959411260: Whitsitt, Bob: Books

Review of "The Warner Boys"

Let me start this post by saying that this is NOT the typical book I will review.  Yes, there is an athlete who is a co-author of the book and yes, he does talk a little about his career in football.  But that is about it for any sports connection.  However, the story shared here by Curt Warner and his wife Ana is a must read - a powerful story about their lives raising twin boys with autism.  Here is my review of "The Warner Boys"

Title/Author:

“The Warner Boys: Our Family’s Story of Autism and Hope” by Ana and Curt Warner with Dave Boling

Tags:

Family, Autism, Memoir, Football (American), Seahawks

Publish date:

December 1, 2018

Length:

193 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Curt Warner was an All-Pro running back for the Seattle Seahawks after enjoying an outstanding college football career at Penn State.  He met and married a striking woman from Brazil, Ana and after their first son, Jonathan, was born, it seemed like they would be able to live a comfortable life as Curt was smart with his money while he was a professional athlete.

However, all that changed when their twin sons, Austin and Christian, were born. Early in their lives, it was apparent that something was different about the twins and they were diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder.  Of course, this profoundly changed the dynamic of the Warner family and their story is told in this unforgettable memoir co-written by Curt and Ana.

The book covers so many different aspects and topics. Not only about the Warner’s life trying to raise two boys with autism and all of the challenges that encompasses, but they also talk about their own feelings, their own actions and there is even a chapter in which Jonathan talks about his struggles, especially when he was a teenager and he would not have friends come over to his house for fear of not only embarrassment, but also for the protection of his brothers.

There are many different events that run the gamut of emotions for the Warners. The hopes and disappointments when treatment options don’t work. The never-ending vigilance they exhibit to ensure that neither boy harms himself or others when they express themselves in ways such as biting or hitting their heads against objects. The fear and subsequent relief when their house was destroyed by a fire set by Austin trying to reenact a scene from a Disney movie. The adoption of a little girl, Isabella, in the middle of all this and her immediate taking to her older brothers (all three of them). The pride of seeing Austin and Christian graduate from high school.  This is only a small sample of the events that are described by the Warners that had to be difficult for them to say, but felt that they had to share.

Words in a review cannot do justice to describe the feelings one will have when reading this book.  It is both sad and happy.  It is both hard to read and very uplifting.  The best description of what this book is truly about was written by Curt – “When we tell them about the things that have given us strength, some say that ours isn’t an autism story – it’s a love story.”  That sums up what I took away from this book – it is truly a story of love. Anyone who has family members who are autistic, or anyone who wants to learn more about what it is like to live with loved ones suffering from this disease needs to read this book.

Book Format Read: 

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Warner-Boys-Familys-Story-Autism-ebook/dp/B07B9KR118/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-warner-boys-curt-warner/1128305993;jsessionid=B0FB6B17385B0E0DFA9148CB4291D6C4.prodny_store02-atgap01?ean=9781503901469#/

Review of "Dead Line"

Just a bit different here - another review on another football book.  However, this time it's a fictional book and a very different type of story.  One that is gripping and a very quick read. Here is my review of "Dead Line" by Jack Patterson.

Title/Author:

“Dead Line” by Jack Patterson

Tags:

Football (American), fiction, drama, Seahawks, Dolphins, audio book

Publish date:

August 28, 2014

Length:

258 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good) 

Review:

This story of kidnapping, gambling, greed, drug cartels - and oh, yeah a little football game called the Super Bowl was a great story.  Cal Murphy, an up-and-coming sportswriter for the Seattle Times, gets the dream assignment of every sportswriter - to cover the Super Bowl.  To make it even sweeter, the game pits the Miami Dolphins against Murphy's team he has followed since childhood, the Seattle Seahawks.

However, there is trouble.  Veteran Seattle quarterback Noah Larson, who will retire after the game, receives a call telling him that his six year old son Jake has been kidnapped and the only way Noah will see Jake alive is if he fixes the game so that his team loses.   Murphy, instead of writing about the game, will work with photographer Kelly Mendoza (who worked with Cal in the first book of the series as well) and the FBI to rescue little Jake. 

While the story is compelling, fast paced and fun to read, I was mildly disappointed in the lack of true suspense.  Every possible time that there was some kind of twist or unexpected development, it was one that I had predicted - even the one at the end which was the closest to a true surprise.  That, however, doesn't stop me from recommending this book for fans of football or drama.  The characters are all believable and well-developed, from the protagonists Cal and Kelly (for whom the reader can't help but cheer for) to the ruthless drug cartel hit men.

Note that this is the second book in a series.  The book can be read as a stand alone, as I did not read the first one previously and had no trouble connecting with Cal and Kelly or following the story.  The end does leave room for a third book, and it is one that I want to add to my list, along with going back to read #1.

Book Format Read:

Audio book

Buying Links:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dead-line-jack-patterson/1120252098?ean=9781938848544

https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Line-Murphy-Thriller-Book-ebook/dp/B00AA49Y2Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1501893397&sr=1-2&keywords=dead+line