Review of "Roaring Back"

Like the rest of the world, I watched in amazement the final round of the 2019 Masters tourney at the comeback Tiger Woods made to win that Masters. When I saw that a book was coming out on this feat written by one of the best writers in the sport, I had to pick it up. The book was even better than my high expectations.  Here is my review of "Roaring Back."

Title/Author:

“Roaring Back: The Fall and Rise of Tiger Woods” by Curt Sampson

Tags:

Golf, history, biography, championship

Publish date:

October 29, 2019

Length:

304 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

It isn’t too big a stretch to consider the victory by Tiger Woods at the 2019 Masters tournament to be considered the greatest comeback in the history of sports – any sport.  While that claim can be debated, no one will consider that comeback by a man whose many physical issues and personal problems were put on public display as one of the best stories of recent years.  Long time golf writer Curt Sampson tells the story of Woods’ epic win and something that is hard for any golf journalist to obtain or discuss – some insight into Tiger Woods the man.

If a reader is looking for a lot of salacious details about the very public affairs of Woods that led to his divorce and subsequent treatment for sex addiction, the reader will have to look elsewhere.  Sampson rarely mentions these in the book and when he does, he calls the infamous night in which Woods’ wife learned of the affairs as the “Revelation” as in Woods won the Masters nearly 10 years after the Revelation.  This reviewer appreciated this as the book focused more on other aspects of Woods’ life such as his warrior demeanor - the section on his desire to be a Navy SEAL was very interesting reading.

Sampson writes about several people who were close in Woods’ inner circle during his best days in golf but are no longer a part of the circle, such as Steve Williams, Butch Harmon and of course his late father.  These insights, most of which have been told in other publications or media, seemed fresh in this context and will help a reader understand the complex man that is Woods.

Sampson doesn’t leave his good writing only about Woods. His passages about the Augusta National course, especially those about the par three 12^th hole during the last round of the 2019 tourney when three of the four men who were within two shots of the lead were battling to take control of the final round. Woods was the only one of the foursome (Brooks Koepka, Tony Finau and Francis Molinari were the other three) who avoided Rae’s Creek on that infamous hole of Amen Corner. It should also be noted that the reader will learn more about and actually feel a little sorry for these three excellent golfers who succumbed to Woods on that Sunday.

Finally, the ending of the book is also quite good as Sampson reminds the reader that while they are closing the book, the book on Tiger Woods’ career is not closed yet and it will be one of the great mysteries in sports to see how this develops.  Will he regain that form that made him the best player in the game for nearly a decade and one that many consider to be the greatest in the history of golf, or will the 2019 Masters be a once-in-a-lifetime comeback for him?  If one wants to learn more about this comeback and the complete story, this is the book to get.

I wish to thank Diversion 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/Roaring-Back-Fall-Tiger-Woods/dp/1635766834/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review of "World Football Domination"

Rarely do I review fictional books, but when I saw this one on a listserv that I subscribe to, and seeing it was a quick read, I thought I would give it a shot - turned out to be much better than I expected.  Here is my review of "World Football Domination"

Title/Author:

“World Football Domination: The Virtual Talent Scout” by Anthony Ranieri

Tags:

Football (European), soccer, fiction

Publish date:

July 17, 2019

Length:

136 pages

Rating: to

4 of 5 stars (good)

Review:

No matter the sport, scouting for talented players can be one of the most challenging aspects of sports. How does one go about determining who are the best players, let alone trying to cover the entire globe to find those players?  In this quick read, Anthony  Ranieri takes the reader on an adventure into the future where technology will help answer that question, but not without perils.

Gunnar Grimmson has created a player identification drone that will take all the player data and observations for any player and let a scout know whether that player is the one that will take a team to the promised land. It is used successfully to lure a young talented player to Sydney, but there are concerns that this information could be used for espionage and other nefarious activities.  Ranieri keeps the action fast paced, the technology futuristic and the dialogue crisp between all characters.  Because of these traits, this is a story that is one that is not only quick and easy to read, it is one that is very entertaining.

The only part that may leave a reader less than satisfied is the ending, as it is open and doesn't really seem to answer any of the burning questions a reader will have, but this is the first of a multi-part story, so if this topic is one that a reader wants to read about in order to escape the real world for a couple of hours, it is a worthy choice.  

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

                                                                       

Book Format Read:

Ebook (Kindle)                                                                                                                                        

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/World-Football-Domination-Virtual-Talent-ebook/dp/B07SMY1TCV/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review of "Kyrie Irving"

Another of the new baskeball books for the upcoming season is one that was just released on Kyrie Irving.  It is a very detailed look at his baskeball career and how he is both considered one of the best but also heavily criticized.  Here is my review of this book.

Title/Author:

“Kyrie Irving: Uncle Drew, Little Mountain and Enigmatic NBA Superstar” by Martin Gitlin

Tags:

Basketball, professional, biography, Cavaliers, Celtics

Publish date:

October 1, 2019

Length:

224 pages

Rating: to

3 ½ of 5 stars (good)

Review:

Kyrie Irving is one of the most exciting offensive players in professional basketball currently playing in the NBA.  His one-on-one game leaves defenders in the dust as he is among the very best at isolation play.  His play on the court, his relationship with his parents and some of his off-court statements that leave people puzzled are all documented in this book by Martin Gitlin.

As a pure basketball book, this was excellent as Gitlin writes about Irving's basketball life in high school, his brief time at Duke and his years with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics (the book was completed before Irving signed in 2019 with the Brooklyn Nets) in great detail.  Basketball junkies will love the details on Irving's contributions in key games for both teams, especially in the 2016 NBA Finals when he made the decisive three point shot late in game 7 to give the Cavaliers their first championship.  Known in Cleveland as simply "The Shot", there is a whole chapter devoted to this moment.

Speaking of the chapters, they are all short in length but long in basketball information. The best part of this information was the explanation of some of the advanced statistical analytics for basketball, something that may not be familiar to many readers. They are used to explain the criticism behind the weakest part of Irving's game, his defense. This has cause some friction between Irving and his teammates at times, and also been a frequent reason for his criticism in the press.

While the book is plentiful in basketball information, there is not as much information available on the rest of his life, save for his youth when he lost his mother at four and grew even closer to his father as a result.  He still kept his mother, who was part Native American, in his heart as he even was anointed with the Native American name of "Little Mountain."  There is also a few sentences about some of his more unusual statements, such as his questioning of the existence of dinosaurs and whether the earth is round.  While they are in the book, it would have been an even better read had these topics as well as some more about Irving the person would have been included to balance the amount of basketball writing.  

In fairness, Gitlin does mention at the beginning that Irving and his agent would not be contributing in any manner to the book and that would make including more information on his personal life difficult.  Nonetheless, I did believe that this book is one that basketball junkies and hard-core fans will enjoy but for those who enjoy memoirs that are more about the person will come away feeling shortchanged.  Overall, it was a good read for me as the information on the basketball analytics alone made it worthwhile.

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

                                                                       

Book Format Read:

Paperback                                                                                                                                        

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Kyrie-Irving-Mountain-Enigmatic-Superstar-ebook/dp/B07Q6P5XZT/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= 


https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/university-of-nebraska-press/9781496213495/

Review of "Hell With the Lid Off"

I am always grateful for the publishers who regularly allow me to review their books. One of them, University of Nebraska Press, has been very supportive of this blog and the reviews for several years now and they always let me know their upcoming books.  When I saw this one, not only the title was attention-grabbing but so was the subject.  One of the best rivalries in pro football is the subject during the era when I believe the sport was at its best.  Here is my review of "Hell with the Lid Off"

Title/Author:

“Hell With the Lid Off: Inside the Fierce Rivalry Between the 1970’s Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers” by Ed Gruver and Jim Campbell

Tags:

Football (American), professional, rivalry, Steelers, Raiders

Publish date:

October 1, 2019

Length:

400 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Sometimes the best rivalries in sports are not necessarily the longest lasting ones, but shorter ones between two excellent teams in their times when they play several meaningful games. Such was the case in the 1970’s with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Oakland Raiders. They met each other in the playoffs every year between 1972 and 1976, with the winner between them ending up as the Super Bowl champion three of those five years.  Both teams played hard-nosed, hard hitting football, drafted many future Hall of Famers and provided fans with very memorable playoff games. Those five years of the Steeler-Raider rivalry are captured in this excellent book by sportswriters Ed Gruver and Jim Campbell.

Because Campbell is not only a writer but also was an employee of the Steelers during this time frame, the book does slant a little toward more coverage of the Steelers than the Raiders. But that doesn’t mean Oakland get shortchanged in the excellent writing, detailed accounts of their seasons, or interesting stories on their best players. Both teams are praised for their play on the field, their smart drafting, and their coaching staffs from the head coaches (Chuck Noll and John Madden) on down, both teams are given their proper due for their success in the 1970’s.

The book’s tone is set early on.  The first chapter is an excellent account of one of the most famous plays in NFL history, the “Immaculate Reception” when Steelers rookie Franco Harris caught a deflected pass just before it would fall incomplete and ran it all the way for a touchdown to give the Steelers a 13-7 victory over the Raiders in the 1972 AFC divisional playoffs and begin what would be the fiercest NFL rivalry over the next five seasons.  Every aspect of that play was dissected and each of the main players involved not only shared his recollection of the play but was also portrayed in that chapter.  Then the book provides insight into the two owners and their very different philosophies on how to win, Art Rooney of the Steelers and Al Davis of the Raiders.  After them, each season of Raider and Steeler football is recapped along with their playoff matchup and the Super Bowl results on the three times one of them won that game during this time frame covered.

This book does a wonderful job of portraying both franchises and its players and coaches throughout the entire five year stretch and concentrates strictly on the football. There is very little commentary on the social or political situations of the cities or the nation at the time. That is what makes this book one that hard-core football fans of that era will want to read, even if they are not fans of either one of these teams.  That includes this reviewer – I did not care for either of them but respected their success and reading about them brought back some great memories of their classic battles.

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

                                                                       

Book Format Read:

Hardcover                                                                                                                                         

Buying Links:

https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/university-of-nebraska-press/9781496214676/

https://www.amazon.com/Hell-Lid-Off-Pittsburgh-Steelers-ebook/dp/B07Q5L7KC8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review of "Net Work"

There are a slew of basketball books coming out for the upcoming season that look very promising.  This one written by the trainer of some of the best players in the game today is one of them and should be on the wish list of every basketball fan.  Here is my review of "Net Work" 

Title/Author:

“Net Work: Training the NBA’s Best and Finding the Keys to Greatness” by Rob McClangahan

Tags:

Basketball, professional, memoir, training

Publish date:

October 1, 2019

Length:

224 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Rob McClangahan is not a name that basketball fans may recognize, but some of the toplayers who have hired him as a trainer certainly are – players like Derrick Rose, Kevin Love, Kevin Durant, and Stephan Curry have all hired him to help them work on their games through short (one hour) but very intense work outs. In this book, McClangahan provides a fascinating look at not only these players, but life inside the NBA and why these players took their games to higher levels than most other NBA players.

It isn’t inaccurate to call this book a memoir, as McClangahan does talk about his early love for basketball and his story of being a walk-on player at Syracuse for three years while never getting a scholarship is inspiring. Especially because of his work ethic – he always put in the extra work required to not only make the team, but also to ensure he could get some playing time. 

Knowing that he wouldn’t be an NBA player, McClangahan decided to take his basketball passion to help others. He didn’t start out by training NBA players right away – he would be found at the workouts that draft prospects would show their skills for the league’s teams. From there, he would work out players who believed they needed extra help to ensure they would be selected or who wanted to improve their draft position.  His first star client from the NBA was Derrick Rose, who took his “net work” (McClangahan’s term for the extra work players put in to improve themselves – it is used frequently throughout the book) to the MVP award. 

Rose’s story is probably the most gut-wrenching of all the players featured in the book because of his injury history.  It was very heartbreaking to read about his hard work to come back after missing the entire 2011-12 season, only to suffer another season-ending injury in the first month back in November 2012.  Don’t feel sorry for Derrick, however – he still worked his way back to be a serviceable player. The chapter on Rose starts off with a great story – when he scored 50 points while playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2018. It was a moment in which the entire league was congratulating him because of his dedication to make sure he kept his skills sharp. 

While not as inspiring, the chapters on some of McClangahan’s other clients like Kevin Love and Kevin Durant are just as well-written and they provide the reader with an excellent insight into the life of an NBA player – at least as well as one can state without actually BEING a player.  McClangahan has been invited to join many of his clients on trips, charity events and of course, their workouts, including those he hasn’t led. The reader will also see that he enjoys this lifestyle and is grateful that he can have such a successful career in the professional game without having ever played in the NBA.

Basketball fans, no matter what level of interest they have in the professional game, will want to read this book as it provides a very unique look into the game written by a man who has much inside knowledge of the best players in the game. 

I wish to thank Scribner 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/Net-Work-Training-Finding-Greatness-ebook/dp/B07P5HRWNH/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=