Review of “Roll With It”

Taking advantage of some significant downtime that allows for more reading, I finished this book within 24 hours of starting it. It was just so fun to read this one that I spent large chunks of time enjoying the stories of a former roller hockey team’s GM. Here is my review of “Roll With It.”

Title/Author:

“Roll With It: A Trip Back to the ‘90s - Gen X Style” by Brad Porteus

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:  

Being named the general manager of a professional sports franchise is a notable achievement in anyone’s career. To have that title bestowed upon one before the age of 30 is highly unusual, no matter what sport or league. But that honor went to Brad Porteus in 1993 when through a strange sequence of events he became the GM of the San Jose Rhinos of Roller Hockey International (RHI). His adventure to get there is described in this fun, humorous and entertaining memoir.

Porteus was determined to land a job in sports and went through various methods to do so. Through connections, hustle and some good luck, he landed a job in the merchandise warehouse of the San Jose Sharks, who at the time were a new expansion team in the NHL. With the same work ethic and some mentoring, he became an important part of that crew. But when the Sharks left the Cow Palace, their temporary home for the first two seasons, for the new San Jose Arena and Aramark would be running the merchandise sales there, Porteus left that job.

While with the sharks, he did make one important connection - NHL Hall of Fame defenseman Doug Wilson. Wilson ended his career with the expansion Sharks and knowing Brad’s work with them (it should be noted that at the time, Sharks gear was the hottest item in the NHL), Wilson put him in touch with the ownership of the Rhinos, a new team in the second year of RHI.

Porteus’ accounts of his times with both teams, as well as his journey to get there, was just so much fun to read. The subtitle is very appropriate as there are a lot of Generation X references and the lifestyle of that time is captured very well. At the end Porteus states that there were over 50 references in the book and asks the reader if they found them all. While I can’t say I was keeping score, I certainly understood them. There were so many times I was nodding my head while reading and thinking, “Yup, I remember that” or “I can relate.” This was the case whether he was writing about his work with the two hockey teams or about his personal life.

That topic is just as interesting and entertaining for a reader as everything else in the book. His account of his trip to a Grateful Dead concert where Sting was the opening act was excellent. This coming from a reader who was certainly no Deadhead but nonetheless enjoyed reading about the experience at one of their shows. This is just one portion of the plentiful stories that have nothing to do with hockey, so it will appeal to even non-sports fans who are part of Generation X. A must read when one just wants to chill while the VCR is flashing 12:00 and need a break from reviewing the paper maps to chart out the next road trip. 

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

Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Roll-Trip-Back-90s-Style-ebook/dp/B0DJL9GCN4 

Review of "Never Ask 'Why?' "

The books I usually read on sports business and labor issues are on baseball, but this one on football labor strife in the 1970's was quite good.  Written by the late Ed Garvey, this was an excellent look, from the union side, of the labor situation of the NFL at that time. 

Title/Author:

“Never Ask ‘Why?”: Football Players’ Fight for Freedom in the NFL” by Ed Garvey with Chuck Cascio

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: In today’s sports world, players in nearly every team sport can pretty much pick whatever team they wish to play for after their contract expires.  That has not always been the case for every sport, especially in the National Football League (NFL) where for many decades, rules existed to keep players from moving to different teams in order to keep salaries low. 

One of the more restrictive rules was called the “Rozelle Rule”, named after the commissioner of the league at the time, Pete Rozelle.  Briefly, if a player switched teams, the team that lost the player was entitled to compensation that would be determined by Rozelle.  Usually, this was so cost-prohibitive that players very rarely would change teams. Because of this restriction, the players formed a union and it was led by attorney Ed Garvey.  This book, written by Garvey before his death in 2017 and edited for publication by Chuck Cascio, tells of the struggle of NFL players to not only form that union but of their strikes in 1974 and 1975 to gain more freedom for players.  The strike in 1974 lasted two weeks during the preseason and ended when many players decided to play instead of picket.  In 1975, a few teams, led by the New England Patriots, went on strike for one game.  This one was more to illustrate the poor treatment of players by management more than to gain leverage in negotiations.

While fans of a certain age may remember these strikes during pre-season games in those two years, readers of all ages will learn much about the labor climate of the NFL during that era.  The title of book is a good indicator, as a player was to never ask “why” when it came to salaries or movement.  Garvey also talks about the iron fist that Rozelle used with members on his staff and sending them out to have meetings with Garvey and other union representatives.

Even while keeping in mind that the book is written from the point of view of the leader of a union that was in contentious talks with the NFL, it was very shocking to see some of the lengths Rozelle and some NFL owners went to try to ignore the union or even destroy it.  Some of the tactics are comical, some are aggravating and some, as it turned out, were illegal.  The famous case of Mackey v. NFL is detailed well in the book and eventually led to the end of the “Rozelle Rule.”  Reading this made me respect these players and the risks they took in order to benefit not only themselves, but future players. 

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

Link: Amazon.com: Never Ask "Why": Football Players' Fight for Freedom in the NFL: 9781439923153: Garvey, Ed, Cascio, Chuck, Fields, Dr. Sarah K., Page, Judge Alan: Books

Review of "The Book of Joe"

During the holiday season, I always like to pick up a baseball book since it's about halfway between the end of the previous season and the start of spring training.  Usually the baseball news is slow at that time (not this year), so it's the best time to do so.  My choice for that this holiday season is this book on Joe Maddon. 

 

Title/Author:

“The Book of Joe: Trying Not to Suck at Baseball and Life” by Joe Maddon and Tom Verducci

Rating: 

3 of 5 stars (okay)

Review:  

This book fits perfectly with its subject, Joe Maddon, because it’s hard to classify what type of book this is, just as it is difficult to classify what type of baseball manager Maddon is.  He spent 19 years as a major league coach or manager of the Los Angeles Angels (a coach from 2002-2005, then as manager from 2019-2022), Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs.  It was with the latter two teams where he made his mark on the game, first by taking the Rays from the worst record in baseball in 2007 to the American League pennant in 2008, then ending the Cubs’ 108-year championship drought by bringing a World Series championship to Wrigley Field in 2016.

The reason it is hard to classify this book is that it doesn’t have a nice even flow – at times it reads like a memoir, especially when he is talking about his days as a minor league scout and manager.  Other times, he sounds like a philosopher when he is talking to his players, especially when he or the player comes up with a phrase or slogan that is used for motivation.  A great example is in the subtitle of this book – “Try not to suck.”  Then still other times this reads like a baseball history book when explaining the various eras of managerial styles, from dictatorships to being “yes” men to front office personnel making decision by analytics.

The book does illustrate Maddon as a complex person, whether talking about his managerial style, his road to get to the major leagues or even when trying to fit him into one of these categories.  He speaks out frequently against having too much data inside one’s head, whether that is his own head when making game decisions or giving too much to a player that may cause him to overthink and lose sight of what he actually needs to do on the field.  But before saying that Maddon is an “old-school” type of manager, there are passages that talk about his embracing of data, including carrying clunky computers while traveling before the use of this type of data was common in baseball.

This isn’t to say that the book doesn’t have its positive qualities.  Many of the stories Maddon shares are funny and entertaining and it’s clear that while he may have some “old school” thoughts, he certainly is aware of today’s game and players.  Verducci is a well-respected baseball journalist and it is clear that he contributed to the history portions.  This included portraits of past owners and managers such as Gene Mauch and Billy Martin.  They are all interesting and good reads – but thrown together in the manner that they are done so in this book just makes it one that doesn’t seem to be complete.  When finished, I felt that something was missing and that I couldn’t get exactly what message was being sent to me, the reader.  But if one is a fan of Maddon or likes to just read about baseball, this book is for that person.

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

Link: The Book of Joe: Trying Not to Suck at Baseball and Life: Maddon, Joe, Verducci, Tom: 9781538751794: Amazon.com: Books

Review of "The Inside Game"

Reading time has been sparse lately with a move to an new home, but now that we are settled in, time to get back to writing reviews.  Easing back into it with this library book that was first released in 2019 and was a decent read.  Here is my review of "The Inside Game"

Title/Author: “The Inside Game: Bad Calls, Strange Behavior and What Baseball Behavior Teaches Us About Ourselves” by Keith Law

 

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: Hundreds, if not thousands of decisions are made every day by every person.  Of course, some have more consequences and importance than others, but they are still decisions that are made.  Many who enjoy baseball say they do so because it can resemble real life very often.  This book by Keith Law can actually show the correlation – not because baseball decisions such as the Los Angeles Angles giving a 10 year contract to an aging Albert Pujols reflects what most ordinary people will do, but because of how this type of decision was made.

I used this particular baseball decision in this review for two reasons.  One, Law himself refers to this one several times throughout the book and twice for different fallacies that he describes.  Most of the book focuses on bad decisions made in baseball and the biases or fallacies that were used to come up with that conclusion.  Examples of these discussed in the book is recency bias (familiar to many in situations outside of baseball as well as with the game), outcome bias (using Bob Brenley winning the World Series as the manager of the 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks despite making some poor managerial choices) and base rate neglect (why some high school pitchers are still drafted in the first round despite the low percentage of these pitchers who will make the major leagues).  Law writes about these and other reasons that poor decisions could be made in baseball and in other areas.

It was these other areas that made the book a little underwhelming for me – I certainly didn’t want to pick this up to read about the falsehood of linking vaccinations with autism, but there was a considerable amount of text given to this topic.  But when Law stuck with baseball, even when talking about the fictional “Joey Bagodonuts” to illustrate a point, I did enjoy it and there was enough baseball in the book to make this a decent read.

Link: Amazon.com: The Inside Game: Bad Calls, Strange Moves, and What Baseball Behavior Teaches Us About Ourselves eBook : Law, Keith: Kindle Store

Review of "Own the Arena"

Admittedly, I had never heard of Katrina Adams when I saw this book offered on NetGalley and then I kept it buried in my TBR pile (unintentionally, of course).  Glad I finally pulled it out and read it, thanks to a couple of Goodreads challenges.  Here is my review of "Own the Arena."

 

Title/Author: “Own the Arena: Match Points for Winning, From the Blacktop to the Boardroom” by Katrina M. Adams

Rating:  4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: In tennis, the U.S. Open is not only one of the four Grand Slam events, but it has also been compared to the Super Bowl in terms of its power to attract fans, celebrities, top players and generate money.  Katrina Adams provides readers of this book a first-hand look at not only the action on the court, but an inside look at what goes into putting on an event like the U.S. Open, well beyond the two weeks of tennis.

Adams draws on her experience as a college and professional player and later her term as President of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to not only showcase the U.S. Open but also provide readers with glimpses into her life, both personally and professionally.  Her success in both areas was due to many factors and some of those she shares with readers in such a way that no matter one’s profession and athletic interests, if any, they can be used to achieve one’s goals.

Being the first Black woman to hold the position, Adams faced many challenges as one might expect.  She speaks eloquently and passionately about overcoming racism and sexism in the sport and does so without bitterness.  Indeed, she talks glowingly about those who helped her along the way and shared the same passion.  One excellent example is Billie Jean King, who she credits as being a pioneer in brining many issues to the forefront for women’s tennis such as equal pay and facilities.  Her dialogue on these social issues is never condemning – she does include white men when she talks about diversity and welcoming all views – and a reader will come away with a new sense of awareness for these matters.

As for the tennis, her career as a player is covered adequately, but her career in the management of the USTA is much better.  It may be due to recency, or maybe the accomplishments, but for both topics, a reader will learn much about Adams and her work at the USTA and U.S. Open.  An excellent story, for just one of many examples, is how her culinary team makes sure that there is appropriate food for all tastes and cultures of VIPs who visit those suites during the tourney.  One particular guest whose taste for Southern food resulted in collard greens and fried chicken made for a very touching story. 

Accounts like this are what make this book an enjoyable read for any tennis fan, whether or not they are familiar with Adams’ career either as a player or as an executive. The tips are all applicable to her work in both areas and will be for a reader as well.  

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

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Own-Arena-Match-Points-Winning/dp/0062936824/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1659727901&sr=1-1

 

 

Review of "Stumbling Around the Bases"

Some people consider themselves political junkies.  I place myself in that category if the politics are those inside baseball and this book is one that any "junkie" like me should pick up.  Here is my review of "Stumbling Around the Bases."

 

Title/Author: “Stumbling Around the Bases: The American League’s Mismanagement in the Expansion Eras ” by Andy McCue

Rating:  5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:  For a significant portion of the latter half of the 20^th Century, the National League was considered the superior of the two leagues in Major League Baseball.  This was due not only because of the play on the field or the faster pace of racial integration in that league, but also because of its actions taken when its franchises would relocate or be added.  This book by Andy McCue concentrates mainly on the American League on that latter topic and explains why, due to its own missteps, why it was considered to be league that reacts instead of leads.

When the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants relocated to Los Angeles and San Francisco respectively in 1958, the National League realized the market for baseball on the West Coast was untapped and wanted to take advantage of this. Seeing how attendance was boosted significantly for the two franchises, the American League also wanted in on West Coast business.  However, as McCue expertly describes, the owners couldn’t agree on a well-researched and reviewed plan and instead hurriedly decided to expand in 1961 to Los Angeles (where their team, the Angels, had to agree to conditions set by the Dodgers) and in Washington, D.C. 

The latter site was chosen only because the American League feared that Congress would take away from baseball the exemption for anti-trust laws after owner Calvin Griffith moved the Washington Senators to Minnesota to start the 1961 season.  This expansion plan, panned by many observers, only set the stage for even more blunders by American League ownership and McCue doesn’t leave many individuals unscathed in his account of these transactions.

Among those who McCue profile to show how the American League executives were not exactly experts at vetting who would become owners are two men who became enemies of the fraternity. One was Charles O. Finley who purchased the Kansas City Athletics and moved them to Oakland (again, going to a West Coast territory already with a National League). The second was Bob Short, who during the 1960’s purchased the expansion Washington Senators team and ended up moving them to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, becoming the Texas Rangers.  Finley and Short, as well as the sale of the New York Yankees to CBS, are all cited as examples of American League ineptitude as well as the tale of Seattle.

Seattle’s part of American League mishandling of expansion and markets is a very interesting story. The Seattle Pilots were one of two expansion teams in 1969 along with the Kansas City Royals (another team that was provided to a market because of fear of retaliation after the city lost the Athletics) but it was clear that the ownership group did not have the funds and backing necessary to run a major league team, nor was there a stadium up to major league standards.  A well-known story but one that is worth mentioning was that fans who had tickets in the left field bleachers had to wait for the paint to dry on the benches in their seating location.  The Pilots ended up in Milwaukee just days before the 1970 season opened and Seattle got its replacement team (see a pattern here?) in 1977 when the Mariners began play in the new Kingdome.

There is a lot of information told in this compact book of approximately 200 pages and that includes the footnotes and references.  This shows the crisp writing and excellent research into these issues that McCue has done.  Readers who enjoy books on the business side of the game and its politics will enjoy this one immensely.  Some of the information may be known from other larger sources, but it will be hard to find another book that tells of the infamy of the American League brass in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

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

Link:  Stumbling around the Bases: The American League’s Mismanagement in the Expansion Eras: McCue, Andy: 9781496207036: Books (amazon.com)

Review of "Built to Lose"

A hot topic in sports today is "tanking" - purposely losing in order to improve a team's draft position in their respective sport.  While it is talked about in all the major sports, this book concentrates on basketball and the NBA and does a good job of teaching the reader the management and culture of those teams who have engaged in the practice.  Here is my review of "Built to Lose."

Title/Author: “Built to Lose: How the NBA’s Tanking Era Changed the League Forever” by Jake Fisher

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:  In basketball, more than any other professional sport, one draft pick can make or break a team’s future success.  Therefore, draft picks, or more correctly, draft capital, are considered a very valuable commodity.  Because the NBA draft lottery does not guarantee that the worst teams will get the first pick, some teams may want to accumulate draft capital in addition to losing more games, known as “tanking”, in order to improve their draft position.  How this was done by some NBA franchises in the five year period between 2013 to 2018 is chronicled in this very good book by Jake Fisher.

Fisher conducted many interviews with players, coaches and team management personnel to collect the information and stories he uses throughout the book and it provides very good insight into the workings of those teams who sought to improve their draft capital.  While several teams are discussed in the book, the primary focus was on the Philadelphia 76ers and their “process”, as it was called, in obtaining draft capital at the expense of wins.  They came very close to breaking their own record for the worst full season but did get some valuable picks. 

Other teams include two that might surprise people – the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers.  While both of those storied franchises may not come to mind when the subject is tanking, they did fit the profile that Fisher gives to teams who may lose many games, trade veteran players for draft picks or realize that it may be more beneficial to try to gain draft capital instead of chasing a low playoff spot.  The results are mixed – the Celtics and Lakers did not take long to go back to their winning ways while others, such as the 76ers (on the rise, but not a champion yet) or the Minnesota Timberwolves (still struggling at the time of the book’s publication) have not seen the fruits of this type of management.

While the book is a good look at this type of management of a basketball franchise, the stories jump around and at times it’s hard to keep up with all the different names and stories being discussed.  Because of that, no one team’s experience is described fully.  Not even the 76ers’ story could be considered complete here.  There is another book on their process that is recommended if the reader wants to know more about them specifically – “Tanking to the Top” by Yaron Weitzman.  But if a reader wants to learn more about this type of management in a more general sense, this is good reference.

Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Built-Lose-Tanking-Changed-Forever-ebook/dp/B091FVVKFR/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1647543251&sr=1-1

Review of "Tanking to the Top"

 Having a decent library of unused audio books, I decided to go back to occasionally listening to a book instead of reading it, and I settled on this one about the "Process" and the Philadelphia 76ers.  About what I expected, although the author did a decent job considering the lack of cooperation.  Here is my review of "Tanking to the Top"

Title/Author:

"Tanking to the Top: The Philadelphia 76ers and the Most Audacious Process in the History of Professional Sports" written and narrated by Yaron Weitzman

Tags:

Basketball, professional, history, 76ers, audiobook

Publish date:

March 17, 2020

Length:

304 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Fans of professional basketball, especially those of the Philadelphia 76ers, are familiar with "The Process."  In a nutshell, it was the accepting of a few seasons of losing basketball in order to stockpile high draft choices to build a championship team.  Add in a GM who not only used this strategy but also to accumulate second round picks from other teams that usually view them as expendable and you have the basic story of this book by Yaron Weitzman.

One must give credit to Weitzman for being able to put together a complete book when the main subject, the 76ers and their former general manager Sam Hinkle, refused to cooperate or allow Weitzman to interview personnel for the book.  Nonetheless, he crafted a fun-to-read accounting of the team and how it went from the days of Allen Iverson to the current team led by Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. 

Two slight criticisms I have about the book are minor, but should be noted.  One is that Weitzman makes this strategy of "tanking" and stockpiling draft choices as something that was revolutionary, mainly because of the way that Hinkle and the team sold it.  It really isn't anything new – in fact, that is how the Iverson-lead teams in the 2000's were built.  The other one is how one measures that the Process is successful.  If one believes that making it to the second round of the playoffs makes the Process worthwhile, then so be it but many would believe that only a championship can be the crowning achievement.  An achievement the 76ers have yet to accomplish with its current players.

But those are minor compared the wonderfully entertaining stories about the people who played key roles in building this team.  The main subject would certainly be Hinkle and some of the crazy situations in which he found himself.  He also was a polarizing figure, with some saying he had no idea what he was doing, while others were so supportive of his methods that they would go to the NBA draft when the 76ers would have a high draft choice chanting "Process."   Weitzman's descript of Hinkle's reign as the 76ers general manger was engaging, especially on the audio version.  His narrative led credibility to his writing, something I usually find when listening to an audio book that is narrated by the author.

The great stories are not limited to Hinkle.  The adventure of Joel Embiid from a middle-class life in Cameroon to the NBA is a fascinating adventure.  The ups and downs of Jimmy Butler are also great, from his demands to leave Minnesota to his leadership in his one 76ers season to when he too was shown the exit door, leaving as a free agent to sign with the Miami Heat.  Information on Ben Simmons is also very good.  That was the best part of this book – the human stories behind the Process.

Overall, this book is best read by those who are not familiar with the history of the team or this "new" method of building the team as there isn't any new or groundbreaking material, mainly due to the limits mentioned earlier. But still a good read or listen.

Book Format Read:

Audio

Buying Links:

Amazon.com: Tanking to the Top: The Philadelphia 76ers and the Most Audacious Process in the History of Professional Sports (Audible Audio Edition): Yaron Weitzman, Yaron Weitzman, Grand Central Publishing: Audible Audiobooks

Review of "Mat Memories"

This book is one of the few in which the subject had more success in a career outside of sports instead of his time in them.  This memoir is written by a man who was a key figure in the world of professional wrestling for many years doing many different jobs but yet is probably best known for his work in country music.  Wrestling is his first love, however, as evidenced by the title of this book, "Mat Memories"

Title/Author:

"Mat Memories: My Wild Life in Pro Wrestling, Country Music and with the Mets" by John "Alexander" Arezzi and Greg Oliver

Tags:

Wrestling, Baseball, professional, memoir, management, Mets

Publish date:

April 6, 2021

Length:

264 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

John Arezzi has led a very interesting and varied life.  He has held jobs in three very different entertainment industries – baseball, country music and professional wrestling.  He has also had three different names he used at various times in these professions.  His story is told in this very entertainment memoir written with Greg Oliver, a respected author on professional wrestling. 

Arezzi grew up with two loves: professional wrestling and the New York Mets. As a teenager, he started a fan club for his favorite wrestler, "Classy" Freddie Blassie and even wrote a regular newsletter about the heel. While he remained a wrestling fan, the pull of getting a chance to work in the Mets organization was too strong and in 1981, he worked for one of the Mets' minor league teams.  However, the wrestling bug had bitten him too much and he ended up going back to that business.  He even appeared in the ring as John Anthony.  In a book filled with entertaining stories, that one is probably the funniest and most entertaining of them all as he flubbed some of his parts but somehow was able to finish two matches. 

After that, he hung up the tights for good and settled in for various jobs in the industry.  Whether it was hosting a radio show, writing newsletters and articles, managing wrestlers – you name it, Arezzi was involved. His most notable accomplishment was organizing the first wrestling conventions in which fans could meet their favorite wrestlers and purchase pictures and autographs.  His time in wrestling was filled with conflict as well as success and Arezzi pulls no punches when he describes the difficult times as well as the good times.

In an unusual switch, when he had reached the end of his rope in the wrestling business, he took a job selling advertising time for a country music radio station.  From here, he started a successful stint in that music genre in which he was responsible for the discovery and start of three women who went on to successful country music careers:  Patty Loveless, Sarah Darling and Kelsea Ballerini.  Through this, he went by the name of John Alexander, mainly to have a more "conventional" name upon advice from another woman in the business, Suzanne Alexander. While it was hard for him to give up the wrestling, it is clear from his writing that he was very grateful for the success and relative calm that country music gave him compared to wrestling.

Whether his story is about wrestling, music or baseball, Arezzi drops a lot of names and doesn't hold back anything.  The stories are plentiful and entertaining. The worst that can be said about the book is that at times, the details in some of the wrestling accounts get bogged down that it is difficult to follow and has so many names that a casual fan may not understand the full picture.  What keeps them going is Arezzi's enthusiasm and honesty about everything, making for a good read that anyone who follows wrestling or country music will enjoy.

I wish to thank ECW 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://ecwpress.com/products/mat-memories

https://www.amazon.com/Mat-Memories-Wrestling-Country-Music/dp/1770415645/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

 

Review of "The Q Factor"

Thanks to a couple of reading challenges and also with my sports attention on football with the start of the NFL playoffs, I picked up this book that had been sitting in my TBR since its publication in September.  It was worth the wait, especially with three of the quarterbacks playing a prominent role in the book playing for their teams in the playoffs this weekend.  Here is my review of "The Q Factor"

Title/Author:

“The Q Factor: The Elusive Search for the Next Great NFL Quarterback” by Brian Billick and James Dale

Tags:

Football (American), professional, coaching, management

Publish date:

September 29, 2020

Length:

272 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

The position of quarterback has always been the most important in professional football, but has become even more so in today’s game with the increase of scoring and with a quarterback’s mobility becoming more important in evaluation.  Former NFL head coach Brian Billick, considered to be one of the more knowledgeable coaches for offense, provides an in-depth look at how college quarterbacks have been evaluated and offers his take on what works, what doesn’t and what should be measured or considered when a team wants to draft a quarterback.

The book stars by focusing on the 2018 draft in which five quarterbacks were selected in the first round: Baker Mayfield by the Cleveland Browns, San Darnold by the New York Jets, Josh Allen by the Buffalo Bills, Josh Rosen by the Arizona Cardinals and Lamar Jackson by the Baltimore Ravens.  Billick offers both the good and the bad in his description of reports from teams on each one of these quarterbacks and follows them throughout the book through the 2019 season.  As is the case with any other group of young quarterbacks taken in a single year, there were those who became stars (Jackson), those who are believed to not be quite there but are improving with some warning signs (Allen, Mayfield), those for whom there are still many question marks after two years (Darnold) and some who just were not good enough to hold a job (Rosen).  It should be noted that any and all of these statuses may change soon as this was determined before the 2020 season commenced in which both Allen and Mayfield took steps forward. 

This start was a tough read unless one is a football junkie with advanced knowledge of how to read scouting reports, playbooks and other such material.  However, once one gets past this chapter, the book is filled with terrific observations that go just beyond what a scout will observe or loads of advanced statistics that read alone will not only seem complicated, but will not give a true picture of how a quarterback will perform. 

Billick’s belief that data alone, especially one particular statistic such as pass completion rate, will not sufficiently determine the ultimate success or failure of a quarterback is a key part of his observation and is one that he repeats frequently in the book.  Another frequently mentioned word is “extrapolation.” Observing a young college quarterback for just one or two seasons, no matter what a scout or coach is looking at, cannot accurately predict how he will do in that area over a long period of time without proper extrapolation.    

When Billick talks about extrapolation and his wish that it could be used, as well as more quantifiable data on characteristics a good quarterback needs such as leadership, intelligence (his opinion on the current use of the Wonderlic test is quite pointed to say the least) and the ability to make quick decisions, it makes for great reading as he explains in detail why these traits are important. He does so in a careful manner so that more casual fans of the game will be able to understand the concept, but yet he also states this in a way that football nerds will enjoy as well. Billick’s experience as a long-time football coach and analyst comes through in this and other passage when he explains why he believes that there is more needed in order to fully analyze a quarterback properly.

Even with all this, another key point he makes is that in the end, this is still basically an endeavor that has a 50/50 split in determining which ones will pan out as expected and which ones will become a bust. A good example of this is the classic comparison of Ryan Leaf and Peyton Manning in the 1998 NFL draft.  However, what Billick did instead of that one was to take the scouting consensus on Leaf, who was considered a can’t-miss project, and compare him to a different college quarterback who didn’t measure up to Leaf in every single category and was taken in a later round. That quarterback – Drew Brees. That is a fresh take on a common topic that many football fans hear about regularly and it is also a reason, among others, why this book comes recommended for any fan of NFL football.  

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)                                                                                                                             

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