Review of “Fever Pitch”

This was not a book I was searching for, nor was it one I was asked to review. Instead, I read it as a buddy read on Goodreads and I’m glad I did so. Here is my review of the memoir that inspired two movies with the same title. 

Title/Author: “Fever Pitch” by Nick Hornby

Rating:  3 ½  of 5 stars good)

Review:  It’s not often that I will review a book from more than 30 years ago, but when I was asked if I would do a buddy read on Goodreads for this book, I gladly accepted. This memoir by Nick Hornby about his ultimate fandom of the English football team Arsenal is really a story that many fans of a particular team can at least partially see themselves. 

How this book reads is really a matter of what the reader is looking for. If one wants to learn more about English football at that time, this really won’t help, mainly because unless the reader followed the sport at that time, the names will not be familiar. Nor will there be a lot of description of the action on the pitch as Hornby concentrates on what’s going on in the stands. Hoping to learn more about the game before the creation of the Premier League in 1992, this was a disappointment.

However, the other expectation that I had when picking up this book was not only met, but exceeded. I wanted to read about what it would be like to be so obsessed with one team and its ups and downs. Hornby explains how he started following Arsenal as a young lad as a time for bonding with his father. From there his obsession with the team grew, affecting his studies, occupational aspirations and relationships. He also addresses issues that plagued English football at the time, mainly hooliganism and racism. He approaches these topics from the viewpoint of a fan, which was fair. All the while, Hornby throws in plenty of self-deprecating humor and some thoughtful introspection making the book feel like the reader is having a conversation with him. 

This book is not to be confused with the 2005 movie starring Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore about an obsessed Red Sox fan - but there was a movie made in the United Kingdom in 1997 adapted directly by Hornby and follows the book closely about a fan obsessed with Arsenal. While I could not understand much of the football talk and I don’t believe I rise to the level of fandom that Hornby does with Arsenal, I could see myself with my fandom of the Minnesota Twins many time while reading this. That is the strength of this book and why it’s a fun book for sports fans who have followed one team in a particular sport for a long time. 

Link:https://www.amazon.com/Fever-Pitch-Nick-Hornby/dp/0575053151/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 

Short review - "Riding With the Rocketmen"

While both reading this book as part of a challenge and trying to clean out some books previously sent to me, I found this one.  Having enjoyed other books on cycling, this premise sounded very interesting. However, while the book was one that cycling enthusiasts will like, it wasn't really for me.  Here is my review of the book.

Title/Author: "Riding With the Rocketmen: One Man's Journey on the Shoulders of Cycling Giants" by James Witts

Rating: 3 of 5 stars (okay)

Review: The book was far beyond my knowledge of cycling and the equipment, training and vocabulary used. It is clear Mr. Witts uses his extensive experience in writing about the sport in order to undertake this challenge, but because I am at best a casual fan of the sport - watching some of the Tour de France and read about some of the history is about the extent of how much I follow cycling - this book was certainly not written for a reader like me.

The humor, especially the self-deprecating kind, was excellent and it was okay to read about his own adventures as he attempts to complete a leg of the famous course. But all of the technical jargon, the many people involved in his journey and the sheer volume of this material in a fairly short book made it very tough for me. I am rating this book three stars as while it wasn't my cup of tea, cycling enthusiasts will really enjoy this one and that is the intended audience, not the casual, occasional fan like me.

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

Link: Riding With The Rocketmen: One Man's Journey on the Shoulders of Cycling Giants: Witts, James: 9781399403504: Amazon.com: Books

Review of "Memoir of a Hockey Nobody"

When the author of this book wrote to me offering the book for a review, he added some humor in the message.  After saying yes to his request, I received the book and his signature on the title page included more humor as he was worried that I, an American, would need to have the book translated as it was written in Canadian.  This was a theme throughout the book - the humor along with the great storytelling make this book a great read.  Here is my review of "Memoir of a Hockey Nobody"

Title/Author:

“Memoir of a Hockey Nobody: They Said I Couldn't Make the NHL So I Went Out and Proved Them Right" by Jerry Hack

Tags:

Ice Hockey, professional, memoir, humor

Publish date:

March 24, 2020

Length:

230 pages

Rating: to

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Most sports memoirs are written by athletes who have achieved great success in their sports career, have very interesting stories to share along the way, and then somehow tie this all in with what has happened in their lives that makes for an ending that often sounds like one from a storybook.  This hockey memoir by Jerry Hack has only the interesting stories from this list. 

However, one should not let that fact deter him or her from reading this book as not only is it filled with great and humorous stories, it is certainly an "everyman" story as Hack did not become an NHL player, was not blessed with superior skills in an early age and did not have a lot of playing time as a child or teenager.  He ended becoming a goalie because that was a position in which anyone who would be willing to be in front of the goal and block shots would be a goalie.

Hack tells his story in a funny, self-deprecating manner that is easily read and absorbed.  He states at the very beginning that he is not a writer and this was his first attempt at crafting a book.  This is in line with his hockey story as he didn't learn to skate until his teenage years (he played street hockey before this), he had to use second hand equipment and when he finally had some success in the amateur and senior leagues in which he played, many times he was either footing the bill, collecting unemployment so he could chase his dream or both.  His determination and stubbornness (it is quite entertaining to read about his phone exchanges with coaches and managers who didn't want to give him the time of day) are what led him to his hockey success as much as his talent.

Hack was a native of Vancouver and his stories take him all over western Canada, with a good bulk of the time in Saskatchewan.  He also played for teams in the Yukon territory and California.  Along every stop, along with the humor, it is easy to tell that Hack was enjoying himself.  He doesn't brag about it, dismiss the skills he did have, nor does he tear down other goalies against which he was competing.  He just writes his story in a manner in which the reader will think Hack is sitting in the same room, beer in hand, just passing the time by storytelling. If nothing else, for that reason alone, any reader who likes hockey, or just enjoys a good personal adventure, should pick up this book and experience the life of a "hockey nobody."

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

                               

Book Format Read:

Paperback

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Memoir-Hockey-Nobody-couldnt-proved/dp/0228828023/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review of "The Fundies"

Making a book based off of a series of comedy videos doesn't sound like it would be interesting, but this hilarious book on hockey fundamentals, or "fundies" will make hockey fans laugh long and hard.  Here is my review of "The Fundies"

Title/Author:

“The Fundies: The Essential Hockey Guide from On the Bench” by Olly Postanin and Jacob Ardown

Tags:

Ice Hockey, advice, humor

Publish date:

October 22, 2019

Length:

248 pages

Rating: to

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Two minor hockey coaches, Steven Campbell (Olly Postanin) and Ryan Russell (Jacob Ardown) have created a series of hockey videos titled "On the Bench" and they have developed a large following in Canada.  The videos are meant to be both instructional and entertaining.  They have brought the subject to book format in this book that is very entertaining to read and may even leave hockey fans a little more knowledgeable.

Something to know before opening the book is that a reader will encounter a lot of words ending in "y" or "ie" that are shortened versions of commonly used words. A few examples are "celly" for celebration, "tendy" for a goaltender, "bisscy" for the biscuit (a slang term for the puck) and of course, in the title, "fundies" for fundamentals. These were a bit confusing at first, but as one progresses through the book, they make more sense, as does the purpose of the book.

While there is some great information about some of the basics and even more abbreviations, such at "T.J." for tape job on one's stick, be warned that not all of the advice should be taken as a player.  One such example is in Chapter 5, when the object of all players should be to get their names in the scoresheet as much as possible.  If that means taking more penalties, especially for the ones who don't score often, then so be it. Their objective should be to get those scouts to notice you.  Whether a forward, d-man or tendy, the more you are seen, the better you are at the game. This is especially true for your celly – the more outrageous the better.  In fact, the authors state this is especially important for the tendy.

If this review makes you chuckle, then this would be the book for you if you are looking for a book with some humor, as this is the main draw of "On the Bench."  Whether that comes from this book or the videos, the comedy is excellent, entertaining and will leave you laughing very hard.  It is recommended to have tissues handy if a reader is prone to crying when laughing, as that will be the dominant emotion when reading this book.  When finished, the reader will be ready to show off that wild celly.

I wish to thank Penguin Random House Canada 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/Fundies-Essential-Hockey-Guide-Bench/dp/0735236984/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Reivew of "The 'Down Goes Brown' History of the NHL"

The title of this book intrigued me, as I never heard of "Down Goes Brown."  Otherwise known as Sean McIndoe, he now has a new fan as I loved this book on some of the more wackier moments in NHL history. Here is my review.

Title/Author:

“The ‘Down Goes Brown’ History of the NHL: the World’s Most Beautiful Sport, the World’s Most Ridiculous League” written and narrated by Sean McIndoe

Tags:

Ice Hockey, humor, professional, history

Publish date:

October 30, 2018

Length:

272 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Having just recently celebrated its 100^th anniversary, the National Hockey League (NHL) has had an interesting and colorful history. Sean McIndoe, also known as “Down Goes Brown” with his popular hockey blog, writes and narrates an excellent book on this history, highlighting some of the more strange moments.

While the book follows the history of the league in a chronological format, that is about the only thing that is “regular” about this book.  Sure, the reader will learn about the origins of the league and how it began with four teams, nearly folded when it was down to three, the Original Six era (which nearly became the Original Seven in the early 1950’s when the league nearly added the Cleveland Barons), the Great Expansion of 1967 and the future expansions to the current league of 31 teams. 

There is also mention of equipment, great players of each era, the styles of play from the wide open offenses of the 1980’s to the trap defensive style made popular by the surprise Stanley Cup championship of the New Jersey Devils in 1995. BUT…and this is a big BUT…this type of writing is not what sets this book apart from the rest.

What DOES make it memorable and one that every hockey fan should read, whether or not they know about “Down Goes Brown”, are the quirky stories that fill every chapter and also serve as a segue between each chapter.  Most likely, many fans have not heard about these occurrences or near-occurrences in the league’s history.  One of my favorites occurred in 1970 when two new teams, the Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks, entered the league.  One of them would be able to get the first pick in the entry draft. The best player in the draft that year was Gilbert Perrault by far and away. So, to try to be fair, the league decided to use a wheel with various numbered slots to determine which team gets the pick – each team had an equal number of slots.  But how to determine who spins?  Well, that was easy – flip a coin.  Now, you may ask, why didn’t they just use that coin flip for the pick?  As the book notes time and time again, this is the NHL – they don’t do anything the easy way.  For the record, the Sabres won the pick and Perrault enjoyed a Hall of Fame career playing 18 seasons in Buffalo. 

This was just one of the many crazy stories told with humor (mostly – the discussion on the violence in the sport certainly was not).  For a funny line, try this on for size – but first a little background.  In 1984, the Montreal Canadiens and Quebec Noridques had a huge brawl that became known as the Good Friday Massacre.  Then in 1991, the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues had a similar melee known as the St. Patrick’s Day Massacre.  They got their monikers because of the holidays on which these took place.  McIndoe wrote the “The NHL – the only sport where you make reference to a holiday-themed massacre and you have to ask to be more specific.”

This book is a must-read for all hockey fans no matter their interest level or their favorite teams or eras.  Very entertaining, very easy to read and informative as well, it is one that is sure to be added to many hockey libraries.

Book Format Read:

Audiobook

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Down-Goes-Brown-History-NHL/dp/B07JVGYGT4/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-down-goes-brown-history-of-the-nhl-sean-mcindoe/1128472746?ean=9780735273917#/  

Review of "Upon Further Review"

While I am day late, I hope all Americans reading this enjoyed Independence Day.  Sports have been a part of American culture for nearly its entire life and like with other aspects of life, "what-if's" are a part of the sports landscape.  This book takes a look at a few of these possible "what-if's"  Here is my review of "Upon Further Review"

Title/Author:

“Upon Further Review: The Greatest What-Ifs of Sports History” by various authors, edited by Mike Pesca

Tags:

Baseball, Football (American) basketball, ice hockey, boxing, horse racing, Olympics, fiction, humor

Publish date:

May 15, 2018

Length:

308 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Not just in sports, but in many aspects of life, “what if” is a question often asked when wondering if something could have happened differently.  For 31 sports occurrences, this question is answered by many authors in an entertaining book edited by Mike Pesca, who also wrote one of the stories.

Many different sports are addressed in the book, from baseball to horse racing to an obscure Olympic event, the tug of war.  Most the stories make for great reading. The reader will see that there is really no specific theme to the collection of stories – some are meant to be factual and the conclusions are based on research of the key people in the occurrence.  Some read like pure fiction and really should be treated as such.  Some can be downright funny, such as the last story about game 7 of the 2016 World Series and comparing it to many sports movies.

One quibble I have with the book is the cover. On the cover there are four classic sports moments. They are Bill Buckner’s error in the 1986 World Series, “The Catch” by the late Dwight Clark, a photo from Super Bowl XXXIV when Kevin Dyson fell just short of the end zone on the last play (although the photo is not from that play) and Charles Barkley holding the NBA championship trophy with the Phoenix Suns.  The last one is fictional – and the only one in which there is a story to go with the photo. Why would the other three photos be used if stories were not in the book to go with them?

As with any collection, there are some great stories (the aforementioned 2016 World Series, Sweetwater Clifton and the early days of the NBA and Muhammad Ali receiving his draft deferment) and a few clunkers (Bucky Dent not hitting the famous homer in 1978) but there are many more of the former than the latter. Between the variety of sports, the variety of styles to tell the story, and even the variety from fact to pure fiction, this book should have something for everyone who enjoys reading about sports.

I wish to thank Twelve 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/Upon-Further-Review-Greatest-What-Ifs/dp/1455540366/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/upon-further-review-mike-pesca/1127061684;

Review of "The Average Joe's Super Sports Almanac"

Every now and then, it is a treat to review a book that is simply filled with interesting stories and facts instead of a serious tome about a particular person, team or sport. This is one of those books.  It frequently made me smile or laugh so it was very entertaining and a quick read as well.  Here is my review of "The Average Joe's Super Sports Almanac"

Title/Author:

“The Average Joe’s Super Sports Almanac” by Steve Riach

Tags:

Sports, history, trivia, humor

Publish date:

April 3, 2018

Length:

224 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (Very good)

Review:

At times, it is refreshing to read a book that is simply filled with interesting stories and facts.  Instead of delving into a particular athlete, team or sport with minute detail, “The Average Joe’s Super Sports Almanac” takes short stories, little-known facts and other tidbits of information on a variety of sports and melds them together into a fun, quick easy read.

Steve Riach uses his many years of covering a variety of sports to collect many entertaining facts and stories on various sports – mostly the main four team sports in North America and some Olympic stories as well.  The subjects vary widely – from examples of excellent sportsmanship (the Olympics are the source of many of these anecdotes) to funny quotes to unusual facts.

To illustrate the variety of topics, here are three facts that the reader will learn while reading this book. First, one of the most memorable golf meltdowns occurred on April 14, 1996 when Greg Norman lost a big lead in the final round of the Masters.  Coincidently, April 14 is also when two other tragedies occurred: the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.  Second, the athletes with the most Instagram followers is LeBron James with over 26 million followers.  Other athletes with large followings on social media are Stephan Curry, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Ronda Rousey and Dwayne Wade. Third, the only member of any sports Hall of Fame born on a train was Rod Carew.

These types of unusual facts, along with some humorous quotes (who can forget Latrell Sprewell rejecting a $29 million contract from the Timberwolves because “I’ve got my family to feed”?) and stories of the origins of several sports make the book a fun one to not only read in short bursts but also one that can be used to settle bets or instigate a debate.  This latter idea will most likely happen after the readers learns the author’s choices for the greatest teams in the four major sports (I agreed with three of his four choices).

Any sports fan, no matter how big a fan he or she is, will enjoy this book that is a quick and easy read that can be finished easily in one sitting or enjoyed in short bursts, depending on the preference of the reader. Because so many sports are covered in this volume, no matter which sport readers prefers, they are sure to find something interesting about their favorite game.

I wish to thank Harvest House Publishers 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/Average-Joes-Super-Sports-Almanac/dp/073697248X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= 

Review of "Insight Pitch"

The second of the two opening weekend baseball reviews is one on a great memoir of a nondescript pitcher from the 1970's.  Even if you have never heard of Skip Lockwood, you will certainly want to read his book full of interesting and funny stories about his time in baseball.  Here is my review of "Insight Pitch"

Title/Author:

“Insight Pitch: My Life as a Major League Closer” by Skip Lockwood

Tags:

Baseball, professional, memoir, humor, Brewers, Athletics, Mets

Publish date:

March 6, 2018

Length:

248 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Claude “Skip” Lockwood was a major league pitcher who was on six different teams over a 12 year career. He wasn’t a star player on any of them, never won any awards or all-star appearances or had an extraordinary game that will be seen forever on videos. However, what he did collect during his career was many humorous and interesting stories.  He shares them in this very entertaining and fast paced memoir, “Insight Pitch.”

Lockwood was originally signed by the Kansas City Athletics as a 17 year old “bonus baby” infielder and it is this signing where he shares one of his many humorous stories. When the A’s sent a team executive named Pat Friday to the Lockwood residence to sign Skip, the negotiations went fine with Skip and his father, but when the moment came for the final decision to sign, Dad left the room, leaving Skip and Friday alone.  Skip took a pen and made two changes to the contract.  One was to correct the name on the contract to his given name, “Claude Edward Lockwood, Jr.”  Then came this gem: “Then I said ‘There’s just one more thing right here,’ pointing to the space where the number $35,000 had been written. I put an oversized ‘1’ in front of it.”

Then Friday calls owner Charlie Finley, who asks Skip why he should pay him that kind of money – the answer was “Because I’ll make you a winner.”  The phone is given back to Friday, Finley agrees to the new amount and Lockwood becomes a bonus baby. This story was one the best of many great ones in the book, mainly because of the guts it took for a 17 year old kid to do that in the days of the reserve clause and no major league draft.

Lockwood shares the same type of stories through his transformation from an infelider to a pitcher in the minors, then from a struggling starting pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers to a more successful relief pitcher for the New York Mets. The best of these was the prank that Mets clubhouse manager Herbie Norman played on Lockwood on his first day as a Met.

Immediately upon arrival at Shea Stadium, Norman hurries Lockwood out to the bullpen, as he keeps saying how the team needs Skip to be ready to pitch right away. Norman leads him to the bullpen, where Lockwood greets each man personally and tells them how he is excited to be on the team. Problem was that this was the VISITING bullpen and each man he spoke to was a member of the Montreal Expos.

These are just two of the many examples of the captivating and funny stories that Lockwood shares and makes the book one that any baseball fan will enjoy, whether or not he or she has ever heard of Lockwood without having to look up his statistics on Baseball Reference.  This page-turner is one of the best sports memoirs I have read.

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

Book Format Read:

Hardcover

Buying Links:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/masters-of-modern-soccer-grant-wahl/1127023621?ean=9780307408600

https://www.amazon.com/Masters-Modern-Soccer-Worlds-Twenty-First-Century/dp/0307408604/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=  

Review of "This Book Has Balls"

Book #2 for the holiday weekend reviews was written by actor Michael Rapaport, who shows that he knows a thing or two about basketball.  Oh, and it is very funny as well.  Here is my review of his book "This Book Has Balls."

Title/Author:

“This Book Has Balls: Sports Rants from the MVP of Talking Trash” by Michael Rapaport

Tags:

Basketball, essays, humor

Publish date:

October 24, 2017

Length:

305 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Michael Rapaport is an actor who knows his sports, especially basketball.  He has a very popular podcast in which he rants on many different sports topics.  Sometimes he is crass, often his commentary is laced with colorful language but he also emphatically makes his point and if doesn’t matter if you agree or not, it’s his way or the highway.

This book is a collection of essays written in the same manner as these commentaries.  Therefore, if a reader is familiar with Rapaport’s style, then he or she will love this book.  For a reader like me, who knows of it and has seen him on television in various roles, then this will be an introduction to his sports side.

The first impression I had was that is basketball cred is outstanding, despite never playing in college or professional basketball.  He writes great essays on Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Allan Iverson, the New York Knicks and Madison Square Garden, the “mecca” of basketball.  These were my favorite ones and I found myself agreeing with him on just about every story about this sport.

The book is not limited to basketball, however, as he also writes about Tiger Woods, Lawrence Taylor (which I thought was the funniest story), athletes whose prowess in the bedroom as well as the playing arena was legendary, and, in a non-sports rant that surprised me, the Real Housewives series which he believes was great television. 

Since his calling is comedy, of course the book is filled with humor, from the beautifully sublime to the crude and obvious.  I mentioned the Lawrence Taylor story, in which Rapaport believes LT is the greatest player in football history because he played while under the influence of cocaine.  That was hilarious as well as some other stories and excerpts. 

I will give one more example of this comedy that left me in tears.  To put it in proper context, this is about Shawn Kemp, a star NBA player in the 1990’s who was as well known for fathering children with numerous women as well as his play on the court.  This is about a dream Rapaport had: “I actually had (a dream) a few nights ago that I was playing for the Seattle Supersonics during the Nineties and Shawn Kemp and I were having an extensive conversation on the layup line about getting vasectomies.” 

While certainly this book has to be read only by adults because of the language, it is a very funny and entertaining book that is recommended for fans of Rapaport, basketball fans, or those who want to just laugh out loud while reading a book with sports content. 

I wish to thank Touchstone Publishing 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/This-Book-Has-Balls-Talking-ebook/dp/B071RBQCCW/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/this-book-has-balls-michael-rapaport/1126269207?ean=9781501160332#/