Review of "The Players' Coach"

Having read this book as part of a Goodreads challenge, I found this to be okay.  There was a lot of name dropping by the author as well as some great stories, and some may really enjoy them.  Here is my review of "The Players' Coach."

Title/Author:

“The Players’ Coach: Fifty Years Making NFL’s Best Better – From Bradshaw, Manning, Brady and Beyond” by Tom Moore with Rick Stroud

Rating: 

3 ½  of 5 stars (okay)

Review:

Tom Moore is a person who would be considered a football “lifer.” He proclaims himself to be one in this memoir co-written with Rick Stroud.  Even though he never was named as a head coach of any team, college or NFL, one cannot say that he has not had a successful and interesting career.

Moore shares many stories about himself as well as some of the great players that he has coached.  After getting his first college coaching job at Iowa after graduation, he went on to be an assistant at several colleges, including a rival of Iowa, the University of Minnesota (a place where he considered becoming a head coach before they hired Lou Holtz in 1984).  From there, he transitioned to the NFL in 1977, becoming an assistant to Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Chuck Noll.  After a successful stint in Pittsburgh that included two Super Bowl victories and a promotion to offensive coordinator, he held similar roles for several other NFL teams, including the Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints (he talks very little about his time there in this book), Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  He won two more Super Bowls – one with the Colts, one with the Buccaneers, and coached in another with the Cardinals.

With a resume like this, it naturally follows that Moore has coached some of the greatest players in this era of football and three of them are in the subtitle.  He has good stories about each one of them, and even better stories about some who were very good but not at the legendary level of these three.  There is a great story on Vikings wide receiver Jake Reed on the assistance Moore gave him when it was discovered a vision problem was hindering his ability to catch passes.  Moore also has kind things to say about his quarterback in Detroit, Scott Mitchell.  When Moore talks about some of these players, those are the best sections to read.

Unfortunately, the rest of the book didn’t hold my interest as much as these stories as the talk about his moves, the X’s and O’s and other parts of his career just didn’t seem to have the same level of enthusiasm and intangibles. I use that word for this description – just like when an athlete has something extra that can’t be described so it is said that person has “intangibles”.  In this case, those chapters and sections LACK those “intangibles” to make them must-read areas.

That aside, any reader with an interest in a football coach with a lengthy and successful career despite never holding a head coaching position will want to read this book.  If nothing else, read it for some good stories on some of the legendary players in recent NFL history.

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

Link: The Players' Coach: From Bradshaw to Manning, Brady, and Beyond: Moore, Tom, Stroud, Rick: 9781635769852: Amazon.com: Books

Review of "Tales from the Minnesota Sports Beat"

While I may not be living in Minnesota any longer, I still read the Star Tribune sports page daily online and was thrilled to learn one of the long-time writers there, Patrick Reusse has written a memoir.  Of course I had to get a copy and it was as good as I had hoped.  Here is my review of his memoir. 

Title/Author: “Tales from the Minnesota Sports Beat: A Lifetime on Deadline” by Patrick Reusse with Chip Scroggins

Rating: 5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:  Many cities have a sports broadcaster or sportswriter who over the years become very familiar to the fans of that city.  Often they are recognized when one states just either their first or last name.  In the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Patrick Reusse is one of those sports writers as one just needs to say “Reusse!” and fans will know not only who that is but will have both an opinion and a memory or two about him.  Reusse, who has been a sportswriter in Minnesota since 1965, teams up with Chip Scroggins to produce this excellent memoir.

No matter which sport or team is the favorite of a Minnesota sports fan (including this reviewer), Reusse will have seen them, written about them and includes them in this book.  He does share his preferences on which sports he prefers to write about (baseball and golf are his favorites), which sports he admits to covering but not knowing much about it (hockey and figure skating) and a sport that he initially knew nothing about but became a big fan (volleyball).  He writes about these in the same style in which he has written his column for many years – some are flattering, some are biting and some are humorous but all are clearly written from the heart.

As one would expect, he has plenty of stories with his interactions with not only some of the best athletes around but also with other sportswriters and other notable personalities.  Because some of the stories come from a different time, he does note that when some of them took place, certain comments and actions would not be likely to be taken well today.  While the stories with athletes are great and some brought back some nice memories of sports events, the best ones were about other journalists.  His tales of pranks played on another long time Minnesota sports writer, Sid Hartman, left me in stitches.

Reusse not only worked for the newspapers in both cities, but he was also a radio personality for many years.  He teamed up with another sportswriter, Joe Soucheray, for a Monday night sports talk show (originally on Sunday night) that took on a personality of its own, attracted many regular callers and was a can’t miss event that had the ears of many Twin Cities residents.  In this chapter, Reusse is at his most humble self, giving all the credit to Soucheray for the success of the show.  As one who was a regular listener before leaving the area, I can state that it took both to make that show as good as it was.  Something in the book that Reusse states that seems amazing is that neither of them came in with a specific topic in mind to discuss – they simply let the callers drive the program.  Whatever they did, it certainly worked.

Of course, there are sports stories in the book.  Whether it was the good times, such as the two World Series titles for the Twins in 1987 and 1991, the bad times such as the Vikings’ loss to the Atlanta Falcons in the 1999 NFC Championship (he came up with the name of the famous “Weeping Blondes” photo from that game) or the background stories of various teams, such as the football team for the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the 1960’s, Reusse covers it all.  If there is something the reader remembers about Minnesota sports in the last 55 or so years, chances are Reusse has written about it or was there in some manner.  Minnesota sports fans, whether they are fans of Reusse or or think he’s just a curmudgeon, should pick up this book as it is sure to be one that will contain at least some material that will be pleasing to them.

I wish to thank Minnesota Historical Society Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Links:   Tales from the Minnesota Sports Beat: A Lifetime on Deadline: Reusse, Patrick, Scoggins, Chip, Barreiro, Dan: 9781681342306: Amazon.com: Books

Review of “The 50 Greatest Players In Minnesota Vikings History”

 As a lifetime Vikings fan, I was thrilled to see review copies of this book offered and even more happy when my request was granted. Here is my review of this list of all-time Vikings greats.

Title/Author: "The 50  Greatest Players in Minnesota Vikings History " by Robert W. Cohen

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: While they may have never won a Supr Bowl, the Minnesota Vikings have a long list of exceptional players who have won several awards, complied excellent statistics and careers, and have given their all for the team. Author Robert W. Cohen, who is noted for writing books containing lists of the 50 greatest players for various team, chooses the Vikings for his latest compilation.

As with his other books, Cohen doesn’t make the reader wait to find out who is #1 on the list. Starting with the player who ranked the highest using his scale (which is always explained well at the start of his books), he will write a chapter on each of the top 50 with a very brief biography, a chronology of his career which would include his best season(s) and his life after retirement. Then Cohen lists some of the best games and moments in that player’s time with the Vikings.

It should also be noted that Cohen stresses that his ranking will count only for the time a player is with the team who is the subject of the book. So, for example, Brett Favre would not make this list even though he is a Hall of Fame quarterback since he only spent his last two seasons with the Vikings. There are some players whose time with the Vikings was long enough and good enough to make this list even if they were also successful elsewhere such as Gary Zimmerman.

Also, like any other book that lists the greatest of all time, some readers will disagree with either the ranking, the players included or both. This reviewer felt the list of players is mostly correct but has some issues with the ranking. And what good would a book like this be if there wasn’t some disagreement? Cohen always makes these lists of greatest players interesting and this lifetime Vikings fan is grateful that he picked the team for his latest project.

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

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Players-Minnesota-Vikings-History-ebook/dp/B093P43Q96/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=50+greatest+Vikings&qid=1628971258&sr=8-1 

Review of "You Ought To Do a Story About Me"

While the title of this book is certainly attention-grabbing, what drew me into choosing this book was that I remembered Jackie Wallace as a defensive back for my favorite football team, the Minnesota Vikings.  I recalled him playing later for the Colts and Rams and wondered whatever happened to him.  This book answers that question, and it's a very good read.  Here is my review of "You Ought To Do a Story About Me"

Title/Author:

“You Ought To Do a Story About Me: Addiction, An Unlikely Friendship and the Endless Quest for Redemption” by Ted Jackson

Tags:

Football (American), professional, biography, drugs, Vikings, Colts, Rams

Publish date:

August 25, 2020

Length:

336 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

It is not unusual for professional athletes to encounter hard times after their playing careers end. This book that tells the story of Jackie Wallace, a former NFL defensive back with the Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Colts and Los Angeles Rams is a little different in the telling of the story of former star athlete who encounters tough times, recovers and falls back again in a seemingly never-ending cycle.

What makes this story about Wallace written by photojournalist Ted Jackson different is that Jackson shows genuine concern for Wallace long after finding him sleeping under a highway overpass in New Orleans in 1990. Those photos along with the story written by another journalist brought attention to Wallace’s plight. Some would have just left the story there, but not Jackson.  For more than twenty-five years, Jackson would attempt to reach Wallace to find out what he is doing, how is his recovery from drug addiction going and if he has any future plans.  Sometimes the reunion between the two men was heartwarming, other times it was heart-wrenching as Wallace fell into the pattern of recovery and remission back into drug addiction. 

Wallace’s football career is recapped in nice fashion, especially when one considers that Jackson isn’t a sportswriter.  Wallace was originally a quarterback, but switched to defensive back when it was realized he had a better chance to obtain a football scholarship at that position, which was awarded to him by the University of Arizona.  From there, he spent seven years in the NFL and played in three Super Bowls between 1973 and 1980.  However, that isn’t the main subject of the book as the reader is taken along the journey Jackson takes to follow Wallace after that chance encounter in New Orleans. 

Speaking of that city, there is plenty of material on New Orleans history, culture and politics as well as Jackson worked many years for the city’s daily newspaper.  Everything from the Jim Crow era to Hurricane Katrina is covered and while long, it does play an important part in the book to frame the story of Wallace, who despite seeming to have recovered from his addiction and found a good life in Baltimore in the early 2000’s, kept slipping and ended up back in New Orleans.

Through the entire time, Jackson paints a tough but sympathetic portrait of Wallace, neither criticizing him too much nor attempting to make the reader feel sorry for him.  It is just a very good story of addiction, recovery and friendship that will keep readers engrossed.  One doesn’t have to be a football fan or remember Jackie Wallace’s career to enjoy this book.

I wish to thank Dey Street Books 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/You-Ought-Story-About-Friendship-ebook/dp/B07XKVQ1G2/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1594570522&sr=1-1

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/you-ought-to-do-a-story-about-me-ted-jackson/1133418334?ean=9780062935670  

Review of "Tales From the Minnesota Vikings Sideline"

When I saw this book was available for the Kindle, I was very excited as I have been a Minnesota Vikings fan for over 40 years.  I picked up to read on my vacation and I did so - and was sorely disappointed.  Here is my review of "Tales From the Minnesota Vikings Sideline."

Title/Author:

“Tales From the Minnesota Vikings Sideline: A Collection of the Greatest Vikings Stories Ever Told” by Bill Williamson

Tags:

Football (American), Vikings, history

Publish date:

September 7, 2012

Length:

192 pages

Rating: 

2 of 5 stars (not so great)

Review:

As a longtime Minnesota Vikings fan, I am always on the lookout for books on the team, especially those that would have good stories on the great Viking teams of the 1970’s.  I was able to obtain a copy of this book, but I was sorely disappointed with it.  A collection of the “greatest” Vikings stories ever is a stretch, to put it kindly.  Most of the stories could be written by most fans with either long memories or a little research. 

Not all of them are bad – some are downright entertaining, such as Bob Lurtsema’s party habits during training camp or some of the Randy Moss antics.  But overall, the stories about the great players for the Vikings during the entire history of the team are very short and not very entertaining.  They come mostly from other people’s recollection of them, such as coaches or teammates.  This does a disservice to great players of the team’s history.  How does a Hall of Fame player like Carl Eller get only a short six-paragraph mention lumped in with other defensive linemen? 

There are also several editing errors or typos that could easily be caught but somehow made it into the final copy.  One example is a 2001 story on Ron Yary that mentions a grass roots campaign led by then-owner Red McCombs “who both the team three years age.”   Another example is when talking about defensive lineman John Randle, a play “just con apses on John.”  Huh?  Collapses? 

The stories and chapters, such as the one on the death of Korey Stringer, seem very choppy and there are either abrupt endings to short stories or confusing breaks in longer ones.  There is not a good flow for continuous reading, nor are many good stopping points for those who like to read just a few pieces at a time.  It just feels like the book was quickly put together in a rush to beat a deadline.  This is how I felt for both the main section of the book which was published in 2004, and the extra chapter added in 2012 for the 2005 to 2010 seasons.  I could not get into a good rhythm for reading, which in turn decreased my enjoyment of the book. 

Did I skim?

No

Pace of the book: 

This was a quick read, but because of the poor editing and sudden breaks in the stories, I had to stop every now and then to get back on track.

Do I recommend? 

Fellow Vikings fans may enjoy some of these tales, especially those with old time players like Bob Lurtesema and Bill Brown.  However, I don’t recommend this book for those strolls down memory lane as there are books with more complete stories.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009WSRGQW/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

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

Vacation and upcoming reviews

Taking a break from the blog while on vacation in my home state of Minnesota.  I went to games of two of the team's that I have followed my entire life.  At least since I was old enough to understand sports.  Since this is the last season the Minnesota Vikings will play at the Metrodome (I refuse to call it by its corporate name), I wanted to see one last game there.  My lovely wife Deb and I saw the game this past Sunday and sure enough the Vikings broke my heart again.

Then on Monday we went to Target Field and not only enjoyed a thrilling come-from-behind extra inning win by the Twins, we took a tour of the stadium and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Target Field is certainly the best baseball stadium I have seen.  I also had another bout of laryngitis for the second straight day as I was yelling my lungs out for my teams.

These two days of sports, a wonderful birthday gift from my wife, confirmed my belief that sports are the best form of entertainment.  I will make my case for it in a future post when I am between reviews, but I wouldn't trade the experiences of the last two days (except maybe the results of the Vikings game) for any other entertainment.

When I get back...five or six books will have been read and reviewed.  On the way out,I finished a football book and a hockey book, and am halfway through a YA book on motorcycle racing.  So with plenty of reading time on the trip back....there are more reviews to come.  Thanks for reading, for commenting and for sharing the love of sports and reading about them.