Review of "Infractions"

This book captured my attention not only because it is about NCAA rule breakers, but because I work in healthcare compliance, the work done by the people in the Infractions Committee, which is where the author had worked, is very similar in nature to my profession.  For both a sports book and a book on a profession, I thought it was excellent.  Here is my review of "Infractions"

Title/Author:

“Infractions: Rule Violations, Unethical Conduct and Enforcement in the NCAA” by Jerry Parkinson 

Tags:

Football (American), basketball, college, ethics

Publish date:

September 1, 2019

Length:

376 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (outstanding

Review:

It is no secret that schools that compete in college sports have broken many rules, especially when it comes to recruiting, in order to gain a competitive edge.  The governing body of college sports, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) oversees compliance with the rules, investigates allegations of violations and deals out punishments to schools that are found guilty.  This book written by a former member of the NCAA's Committee on Infractions is an excellent look inside this segment of the organization.

Even though the NCAA has come under heavy criticism in the last few years, readers should not expect this book to be either a defense of the organization, nor is another one that bashes the NCAA because of unfair punishments, vague rules or any of the other reasons why NCAA-bashing has become popular. Instead Parkinson uses his experience in the rules enforcement area to explain to readers the inner workings of that committee through stories of past rule breakers.

Some of these incidents are well known, such as Southern Methodist University's (SMU) slush fund payments to players in the 1980's that resulted in the school receiving the only "death penalty" dished out by the NCAA. Two little known facts about this tawdry scheme and punishment for SMU are provided by Parkinson.  One, because SMU did not field a football team for two years (1987 and 1988) it is often reported the NCAA suspended the program for those two years.  Parkinson notes the penalty was only for one year and SMU voluntarily kept the program closed the second year believing they could not field a competitive team.  He also documents the school's basketball violations which are usually ignored in media reports, but were important in the decision to give such a harsh penalty because it made SMU have multiple major violations.

When discussing this case and the others, Parkinson writes in a balanced and fair manner. He states the facts of each case, he explains the cooperation or lack thereof by each school (an important factor in determining the result of the case) and what the Committee on Infractions did with the information provided. His inside look at the committee was also enlightening and will make a reader appreciate just how difficult the work can become.  For example, since the Committee does not have powers that some other investigative bodies have, such as the power to subpoena witnesses, it may be working without key evidence. 

While much of the reading is excellent, it can also be hard to digest. As one might imagine, the story of Penn State's assistant football coach who was found guilty of abusing children is still a difficult read, but even in cases like this, the material is enlightening as the reader will learn once again the difficulty of reviewing the infractions done by athletic programs, teams and coaches in order to win sporting contests.  This is a recommended read for not only college sports fans, but those who work in fields such as compliance and law for gaining an understanding of this profession in the world of athletics.

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/9781496205476/

https://www.amazon.com/Infractions-Violations-Unethical-Conduct-Enforcement/dp/1496205472/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review of "Line Change"

When I saw this book offered on NetGalley, I immediately thought of a similar story I read several years ago, "Elven Seconds" by Travis Roy.  While there are similarities, Matt Brown's story is very different and worth taking the time to read, even if the reader is familiar with Roy's story.  Here is my review of "Line Change"

Title/Author:

“Line Change: A True Story of Resilience in the Face of Adversity” by Matt Brown with Todd Civin

Tags:

Ice Hockey, memoir, high school, injuries, Bruins

Publish date:

March 5, 2019

Length:

193 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Anyone who has played or watched ice hockey knows it can be a brutal game. Because of its violence and its speed, something awful can happen in an instant. For sophomore player Matt Brown of Norwood High School in Massachusetts, that happened during a game in 2010.  As the puck came off the boards and into his skates, he was hit from behind with a clean, legal check.  Brown fell, hitting his head on the boards and immediately could not move any of his limbs.  The crowd went silent, a nurse rushed to the ice from the stands as medical personnel later took him off the ice in a stretcher.  The play turned out to be the last of his hockey career as he became permanently paralyzed. 

However, that didn’t stop Matt from not only recovering and earning his diploma and a college degree, but he also became an inspiration to many hockey players and teams, including the Boston Bruins.  Brown writes about all of his experiences with his recovery and the love shown him by many in this inspiring memoir. 

Hearing that the hockey community embraced Matt isn’t a surprise to anyone who follows the sport as hockey players are known for their generosity and support for those less fortunate. In Matt’s case, the Bruins not only let him drop the puck at an opening faceoff, he also was shown the Stanley Cup after the Bruins won it in 2011 and also was given an army ranger jacket that the 2013 used to honor players on their run to the Stanley Cup finals that year.  It is clear from the writing that Brown was humbled and overjoyed to be a part of the Bruins’ teams those years.

More than the hockey, however, the reader will be inspired by Matt’s unwavering optimism in both his physical recovery and the way he handled life situations such as adjusting to college life and breaking up with his first girlfriend – things that many teenagers typically face.  That makes some parts of the book special – you realize Brown is a young man just trying to live his life like any other young man.

Also inspiring is his participation in the Boston Marathon.  He has done so six time, the first time in 2012 with runner Lucas Carr pushing Matt in his wheelchair to the finish line.  While Matt acknowledges that Lucas has the more physically demanding portion of their team, it should be noted that he had to endure a lot physically himself as the wind and bumpy ride in the wheelchair would leave him just as exhausted as Carr when they would cross the finish line.  It should be noted that they were going to participate again in 2013, the year of the Boston Marathon bombing, but Matt was suffering with chest colds and his physician recommended that he not participate so Matt obeyed his physician.  I shuddered when I read that to think what would have become of him, especially when he noted that Carr ran himself and crossed the finish line about a minute before the first bomb exploded.

Avid hockey readers will not be able to compare this book to another story of a hockey player suffering a similar fate, Travis Roy’s “Eleven Seconds.”  Both stories need to be told, but just as they are two different people, these are very different stories.  Matt’s is one that anyone will enjoy reading whether or not or one is a hockey fan.

I wish to thank Mascot 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/Line-Change-Matt-Brown/dp/1643072102/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review of "A Whole New Ballgame"

There is a lot of baseball buzz in Washington right now with the Nationals playing in the World Series for the first time in franchise history and the first time for any Washington team since 1933.  However, there was some baseball excitement created 50 years ago by the second Washington baseball team and that is the story behind this excellent book.  Here is my review of "A Whole New Ballgame."

Title/Author:

“A Whole New Ballgame: The 1969 Washington Senators 50^th Anniversary Edition” by Stephen J. Walker

Tags:

Baseball, professional, history, Senators

Publish date:

April 15, 2019

Length:

257 pages

Rating: to

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

Until the 2019 season, baseball in Washington D.C. has had a dreadful history. The current team is the third Major League team to call Washington home, and this excellent book by Stephen J. Walker chronicles the only winning season for the second team in Washington called the Senators during its 10-year stay before becoming the Texas Rangers in 1972.

That Senators team was an expansion team that began play in 1961 to replace the team, an original American League franchise, which moved to Minnesota and became the Twins.  This second team was even more dreadful than the first one (who had only one championship season, 1924) and helped keep alive the phrase made popular by the original team "Washington – first in war, first in peace and last in the American League."

When businessman Bob Short (ironically, from Minneapolis) bought the struggling franchise, he got an idea that was inspired by the city's football team, the Redskins.  When they hired legendary coach Vince Lombardi and interest in the Redskins increased, Short thought the same could happen for his baseball franchise.  So, in a surprise move, he coaxed legendary Red Sox hitter Ted Williams to be the manager of the Senators for the 1969 season.

This did more than just sell tickets. The Senators still had pretty much the same team as 1968, yet they improved to record 84 wins which gave hope to the pennant-starved fans in the nation's capital. However, those players, almost to a man, gave credit to Williams for not only learning how to better themselves as ballplayers but also to believe in themselves.  The book tells these recollections and stories told by so many players, such as catcher Jim French, pitcher Dave Baldwin and outfielder Bernie Allen.  These are not the typical stories one reads in a newspaper or book that is pieced together from various sources.  These came from the players themselves through numerous interviews and the reader will immediately be able to tell that these stories are genuine and from the hearts of these men.

Of course, the few star players on the Senators such as Frank Howard and Mike Epstein are told as well, but because Walker devoted a lot of space for the not-so-well-known players, the book has an everyman feel to it and because of this, many readers will connect with the players that gave Washington a summer to remember. 

                                                                   

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Whole-New-Ballgame-Washington-Anniversary-ebook/dp/B07QS1TFD4/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Review of "Minnesota's 50 Greatest Baseball Players"

Being a Minnesota Twins fan, I was very interested in this book to see who the author considered to be the greatest player on the team in their 59 year history.  However, this short book was more than just a listing of the best Twins - any player who spent time in the Gopher State was eligible and it made for a good read.  Here is my review of this book

Title/Author:

“Minnesota's 50 Greatest Baseball Player” by Jonathan Sweet

Tags:

Baseball, professional, minor leagues, Twins

Publish date:

May 2, 2019

Length:

186 pages

Rating: to

4 of 5 stars (good)

Review:

One might be surprised to realize how many great baseball players have plied their trade in Minnesota. In this quick-to-read book by Jonathan Sweet, readers will learn a little bit about 50 players, many of whom are enshrined in the baseball Hall of Fame, who spent some time in Minnesota. This can be with the major league Minnesota Twins or one of the minor league teams that called a Minnesota city its home. These include the Minneapolis Millers, the St. Paul Saints, and the St. Cloud Rox.

It should be noted that Sweet wisely did not rank these players from 1-50. Instead he listed them in alphabetical order. And what a list this turned out to be! It didn’t matter how long a player played in Minnesota or how well he performed while in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.  All that mattered was that the player put on the uniform of a Minnesota team.

Some of those players spent their entire careers in Minnesota with the Twins - Kirby Puckett and Joe Mauer, for example. A few were in a Twins jersey for only a short time - Steve Carlton is a good example. Carlton was also one example of a player who made Sweet’s list by not performing well in Minnesota but excelling elsewhere.

As for outstanding players who spent time with minor league teams in Minnesota, Sweet included not only the well known stories about players with the Millers or Saints like Ted Williams and Willie Mays, but also other Hall of Fame players whose time in Minnesota was not as well known. Just for starters, before reading this book, I did not realize that Lou Brock, Roy Campanella, Ray Dandridge, Hoyt Wilhelm and Orlando Cepeda all played in Minnesota. Just to learn about these Hall of Fame players’ time in the state made the book a worthwhile read.

While readers will get only snippets about these men in each chapter, they are filled with information about their time on a Minnesota diamond as well as their career accomplishments. Any reader who has an interest in Minnesota baseball will want to read this book.

I wish to thank Brick Pickle Media 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/Minnesotas-50-Greatest-Baseball-Players/dp/1095694359/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Short review of "Pickleball 5.0"

As I have started playing this great game, I wanted to pick up a book that would help with the basics of the game.  This one does that and so much more.  Whether one is a raw beginner like me (have been on the courts twice), an instructor, or a seasoned player, this book has something for everyone.  I have only written a short review of it because I was only skimming the sections on teaching and advanced play, but I still wanted to share my thoughts on a book that for me was just as great to read as pickleball is to play.

Title/Author:

“Pickleball 5.0” by Phil Dunmeyer

Tags:

Pickleball, instructions, rules

Publish date:

November 17, 2017

Length:

282 pages

Rating:

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

When I started reading this book, I thought it was mistitled because it seems very advanced and not a good fit for players like me who are beginners or are social players (the "2.0" players in the title) . However, that really is not the case because it really is a book for any level of player. Everything from shots to court position to proper etiquette is covered. It is also an excellent book for instructors as there are many teaching trips and drills provided. Whether one is new to the game like me or has played in tournaments for many years, this is an excellent book to pick up

                                                                       

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)                                                                                                                                

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Pickleball-5-0-Journey-black-white/dp/1979755833/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=