Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. These two will go down in the annuals of not just basketball history, but sports history, tied hand in hand. They revitalized the National Basketball Association with their fierce rivalry. But it started in an NCAA Division I college basketball championship game in 1979.
In When March Went Mad, Seth Davis recounts how the irrepressible and talented Ervin Magic Johnson of the Michigan State Spartans squared off against the small school hero Larry Bird of the Indiana State University Sycamores in what will always be a storied NCAA Championship Game.
In these pages Davis recounts the early lives of both of these young men, whose personalities and court styles were polar opposites. Bird, an introverted, hard working player who would have been just as happy cutting grass for the local Parks and Recreation Department as he was playing professional basketball, and the larger than life, happy go lucky, Ervin Johnson, with his huge smile and phenomenal basketball skills.
Headed toward a collision course, these two would remake the NCAA and it’s now wildly successful tournament. They were such great talents and good stories, they made the NCAA Championship Game must see TV before 24-hour news coverage and the over exposure of college basketball. In fact, outside die hard fans, few knew much of anything about Larry Bird, and not a great deal about Magic Johnson. Today of course we’d know what they ate for breakfast (and maybe even something about their bowel movements) during the tournament. In 1979, they created hoopla with their talent, as newspaper and magazine articles touted their exploits during the regular season.
Davis does an outstanding job of delving into the personality of both of these athletes and their route to that 1979 championship game where Earvin Johnson will forever have one up on Larry Bird. He provides stories behind each player’s team and teammates, how they interacted with the press, their peers, and their coaches, and how each lead their team to the showdown that changed the face of college basketball.
Beyond the obvious, detailing the first collision between two of the greatest basketball players of all time, this book has a theme. How this rivalry, which saved even the NBA from the doldrums, revitalized college basketball and made it relevant, and launched the careers of two superstars.
Highly recommended.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Tom Brady on the Couch
Moving the Chains: Tom Brady and the Pursuit of Everything by Charles P. Pierce
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007
ISBN-13: 978-0374214449
This is undoubtedly one of the oddest biographies I have ever read. And one of the most intriguing.
Author Charles Pierce tries to uncover what makes Tom Brady tic. What makes him such a consummate team player and leader on the field? What made a player drafted in the sixth round, whom nobody but maybe Bill Belichick and Scott Piloli, thought would ever amount to much in the pros, become a Hall of Fame bound quarterback, one of the best to have ever played?
There are a lot of things.
First, Brady was never the most gifted athlete and he had to work for everything through high school and college. In fact, he was barely recruited and his father put together a video package and he ultimately ended up at the University of Michigan. He persevered despite not even being a full time starter, even as a senior, despite that he was a winner.
Second, in the pros his work ethic is infectious to his teammates. He is the first to arrive and the last to leave. His hard work put him in a position to take over for Drew Bledsoe when he was hurt during the 2001 regular season and progress. He became the team leader that despite his talents Beldsoe never really was.
Third, he is a team first player. He truly buys in to the Patriots' modern day credo, there is no "I" in team. He doesn't care about stats, he cares about wins. But that has propelled him to put up unbelievable stats.
Elsa/Getty Images
And he his simply a nice person. He gives credit where credit is due. He doesn't do a lot of endorsements. And when he had the opportunity to do one for a credit card company he refused to do it unless his offensive linemen, his protectors, were involved. He wanted them to shine to.
Don't believe Tom Brady is a really good guy in a sport fraught with me first, selfish, athletes with an undertone of criminality? Read Charlie Weiss's book about his near death experience and how Brady helped him and his wife out in their time of greatest need. Read Tedy Bruschi's book that has a few anecdotes about what Brady's friendship means. Or simply read this book about to hear what his family, friends, and teammates have all said about his leadership skills. There is a reason his teammates and coaches have the utmost confidence in him.
The oddest aspect of this book is Brady himself did not participate in it and it really takes somewhat of a psychologist's approach at times in examining its subject. From the influence of his Catholic upbringing, the impact of his athletic older sisters who sometimes outshined him in his youth, to his perseverance in the face of sports adversity, you learn the inner workings of one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
This is a recommended read.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007
ISBN-13: 978-0374214449
This is undoubtedly one of the oddest biographies I have ever read. And one of the most intriguing.
Author Charles Pierce tries to uncover what makes Tom Brady tic. What makes him such a consummate team player and leader on the field? What made a player drafted in the sixth round, whom nobody but maybe Bill Belichick and Scott Piloli, thought would ever amount to much in the pros, become a Hall of Fame bound quarterback, one of the best to have ever played?
There are a lot of things.
First, Brady was never the most gifted athlete and he had to work for everything through high school and college. In fact, he was barely recruited and his father put together a video package and he ultimately ended up at the University of Michigan. He persevered despite not even being a full time starter, even as a senior, despite that he was a winner.
Second, in the pros his work ethic is infectious to his teammates. He is the first to arrive and the last to leave. His hard work put him in a position to take over for Drew Bledsoe when he was hurt during the 2001 regular season and progress. He became the team leader that despite his talents Beldsoe never really was.
Third, he is a team first player. He truly buys in to the Patriots' modern day credo, there is no "I" in team. He doesn't care about stats, he cares about wins. But that has propelled him to put up unbelievable stats.
Elsa/Getty Images And he his simply a nice person. He gives credit where credit is due. He doesn't do a lot of endorsements. And when he had the opportunity to do one for a credit card company he refused to do it unless his offensive linemen, his protectors, were involved. He wanted them to shine to.
Don't believe Tom Brady is a really good guy in a sport fraught with me first, selfish, athletes with an undertone of criminality? Read Charlie Weiss's book about his near death experience and how Brady helped him and his wife out in their time of greatest need. Read Tedy Bruschi's book that has a few anecdotes about what Brady's friendship means. Or simply read this book about to hear what his family, friends, and teammates have all said about his leadership skills. There is a reason his teammates and coaches have the utmost confidence in him.
The oddest aspect of this book is Brady himself did not participate in it and it really takes somewhat of a psychologist's approach at times in examining its subject. From the influence of his Catholic upbringing, the impact of his athletic older sisters who sometimes outshined him in his youth, to his perseverance in the face of sports adversity, you learn the inner workings of one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
This is a recommended read.
The 1970's Oakland Raiders
Love them or hate them, the 1970’s Oakland Raiders under John Madden were certainly an entertaining cast of misfits in the guise of one the best professional football teams of their era. Here, Peter Richmond tells the story of this cast of characters, and characters they were.
The distinctive personality of this team that set it apart from all others of the 1970’s was the perception that this was a group of outlaws and rebels who thumbed their noses at convention. Add to this the fact many were castoffs from other teams for behavioral or other issues, and you had a truly volatile band of misfits. But somehow the affable John Madden, who was the perfect coach for this team, was able to take this group of irrepressible “adults” and mold them into a feared, championship football team. Having read this account of the 1970’s Raiders, I almost liken John Madden to Santa Clause trapped on the island for misfit toys trying to using his magic to make them whole.
Many of the players on these teams are ones most football fans will remember in perpetuity. You had Jack “The Assassin” Tatum, Gene Atkinson, Skip “Dr. Death” Thomas, and Willie Brown, aka The Soul Patrol, one of the most feared set of defensive backs in the league who relished huge hits, clothesline tackles, and knocking their opponents out of games. They also had characters like quarterback Ken Stabler, the bad southern Alabama boy, carouser and partier extraordinaire, linebackers Phil Villapiano and Ted Hendricks, and the truly crazy John Matuszak, along with the rest of the team full of similar head cases, creating a volatile mix of testosterone, craziness, and child like desire to have fun, on the field and off.
This was a hard partying team and not an insignificant part of the book talks about Raiders’ training camps that were part hard partying and hard practicing and all the pranks the players pulled while preparing for the season. It was a fun loving and wild group of men who John Madden somehow molded into winners.
Partially he did it by letting them have their fun and treating them like men, but making sure that they practiced and played hard. While they might have been a wild, fun loving bunch, they also loved football and wanted to win.
This book is clearly told from an unabashed Oakland Raiders fan’s perspective, which really worked well in this case. The author revels in the outlaw persona of this team, which went all the way up to the owner Al Davis, who also flouted convention and thumbed his nose at the powers that be in the National Football League.
And while they only won one Super Bowl in this era, a 32-14 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI after the 1976 season, they were always in the mix. They built up a strong rivalry with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who the author draws a clear contrast with. Had they not had one of the greatest football teams of all time as their nemesis, the Oakland Raiders may have been the team of the 1970’s.
The author starts the book with the “Immaculate Reception,” one of the most famous plays in NFL history. With the Steelers desperately trying to stage a comeback in the 1972 playoffs against Oakland, down 7-6 with 22 seconds left in the game and hardly a prayer, Bradshaw threw a pass that careened off a receiver and was picked up off his shoe tops by running back Franco Harris who ran it in for the go ahead score. At that time, if an offensive player touched the ball while it was in the air, another offensive player could not catch it. Argument ensues to this day whether they ball bounced off “Frenchy” Fuqua, the Pittsburgh running back, or Jack Tatum, who nailed him just as the ball arrived.
The author marks this as the beginning of the rise the Oakland Raiders whose “rebel image, their defiant owner, had stamped them as an enemy of civilized football.” He contrasts the “staid, old-world NFL Rooney’s franchise” with the “rebels of Al Davis, a man who bowed to no higher power.” He also throws words around like “benevolent” versus “demonic” and the “dark side.” That was the Oakland Raiders image, and they came to revel in it.
While this book chronicles the Oakland Raider’s seasons of the 1970’s, it as much about the unusual character of the team as it is their exploits on the field. The author conducted extensive interviews with players from that era and has crafted a well done and very interesting read, really a must read for Oakland Raiders fans, but one that all football fans can enjoy. The only real drawback to the book is the author only had a very short and not very illuminating interview with Al Davis, who did seem very cooperative. But his perspective can be rather easily gleaned from his own actions and public pronouncements, so this has little impact on the completeness of this work.
The distinctive personality of this team that set it apart from all others of the 1970’s was the perception that this was a group of outlaws and rebels who thumbed their noses at convention. Add to this the fact many were castoffs from other teams for behavioral or other issues, and you had a truly volatile band of misfits. But somehow the affable John Madden, who was the perfect coach for this team, was able to take this group of irrepressible “adults” and mold them into a feared, championship football team. Having read this account of the 1970’s Raiders, I almost liken John Madden to Santa Clause trapped on the island for misfit toys trying to using his magic to make them whole.
Many of the players on these teams are ones most football fans will remember in perpetuity. You had Jack “The Assassin” Tatum, Gene Atkinson, Skip “Dr. Death” Thomas, and Willie Brown, aka The Soul Patrol, one of the most feared set of defensive backs in the league who relished huge hits, clothesline tackles, and knocking their opponents out of games. They also had characters like quarterback Ken Stabler, the bad southern Alabama boy, carouser and partier extraordinaire, linebackers Phil Villapiano and Ted Hendricks, and the truly crazy John Matuszak, along with the rest of the team full of similar head cases, creating a volatile mix of testosterone, craziness, and child like desire to have fun, on the field and off.
This was a hard partying team and not an insignificant part of the book talks about Raiders’ training camps that were part hard partying and hard practicing and all the pranks the players pulled while preparing for the season. It was a fun loving and wild group of men who John Madden somehow molded into winners.
Partially he did it by letting them have their fun and treating them like men, but making sure that they practiced and played hard. While they might have been a wild, fun loving bunch, they also loved football and wanted to win.
This book is clearly told from an unabashed Oakland Raiders fan’s perspective, which really worked well in this case. The author revels in the outlaw persona of this team, which went all the way up to the owner Al Davis, who also flouted convention and thumbed his nose at the powers that be in the National Football League.
And while they only won one Super Bowl in this era, a 32-14 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI after the 1976 season, they were always in the mix. They built up a strong rivalry with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who the author draws a clear contrast with. Had they not had one of the greatest football teams of all time as their nemesis, the Oakland Raiders may have been the team of the 1970’s.
The author starts the book with the “Immaculate Reception,” one of the most famous plays in NFL history. With the Steelers desperately trying to stage a comeback in the 1972 playoffs against Oakland, down 7-6 with 22 seconds left in the game and hardly a prayer, Bradshaw threw a pass that careened off a receiver and was picked up off his shoe tops by running back Franco Harris who ran it in for the go ahead score. At that time, if an offensive player touched the ball while it was in the air, another offensive player could not catch it. Argument ensues to this day whether they ball bounced off “Frenchy” Fuqua, the Pittsburgh running back, or Jack Tatum, who nailed him just as the ball arrived.
The author marks this as the beginning of the rise the Oakland Raiders whose “rebel image, their defiant owner, had stamped them as an enemy of civilized football.” He contrasts the “staid, old-world NFL Rooney’s franchise” with the “rebels of Al Davis, a man who bowed to no higher power.” He also throws words around like “benevolent” versus “demonic” and the “dark side.” That was the Oakland Raiders image, and they came to revel in it.
While this book chronicles the Oakland Raider’s seasons of the 1970’s, it as much about the unusual character of the team as it is their exploits on the field. The author conducted extensive interviews with players from that era and has crafted a well done and very interesting read, really a must read for Oakland Raiders fans, but one that all football fans can enjoy. The only real drawback to the book is the author only had a very short and not very illuminating interview with Al Davis, who did seem very cooperative. But his perspective can be rather easily gleaned from his own actions and public pronouncements, so this has little impact on the completeness of this work.
Ridiculous Plots are Ruining Jack Reacher
I really like the Jack Reacher character that Lee Child has created but his plotlines are starting to become a bit inane and annoying.
In this novel Jack Reacher is once again in a small town, sticks his nose in other people’s business and finds himself neck deep in another battle against evil doers. As Reacher is ambling through an out of the way small Nebraska town he becomes involved in a dispute with the Duncan’s, a family that is involved in some kind of illegal trafficking that stems from them and on up to more organized and evil criminals.
The Duncan’s are an abusive group of men who not only dominate and run the town, but abuse its residents, holding them in subjugation with the threat of violence. As the novel progresses, Reacher starts to unravel the dastardly acts of these men when he seeks to find out what happened to a missing eight year old girl who disappeared decades ago.
After a great deal of violence and using tricks of the trade he used in the military, Reacher battles the Duncan’s to the bitter end.
While this novel is a rather fun read, as most Reacher novels are, it also stretches credulity and has as stale plotline. I mean really, how many small towns are there in American dominated by a corrupt and evil criminal oligarchy using extreme violence to suppress the town’s residents? This plot device is starting to get a little ridiculous.
And for the real kicker, the last Reacher novel, 61 Hours, seemed to have ended on a cliffhanger. Other than seeing that Reacher survived, we really never find out exactly how. That makes 61 Hours a rather tepid and unsatisfying work itself.
I hope Child comes up with a more clever storyline for Reacher in the future.
In this novel Jack Reacher is once again in a small town, sticks his nose in other people’s business and finds himself neck deep in another battle against evil doers. As Reacher is ambling through an out of the way small Nebraska town he becomes involved in a dispute with the Duncan’s, a family that is involved in some kind of illegal trafficking that stems from them and on up to more organized and evil criminals.
The Duncan’s are an abusive group of men who not only dominate and run the town, but abuse its residents, holding them in subjugation with the threat of violence. As the novel progresses, Reacher starts to unravel the dastardly acts of these men when he seeks to find out what happened to a missing eight year old girl who disappeared decades ago.
After a great deal of violence and using tricks of the trade he used in the military, Reacher battles the Duncan’s to the bitter end.
While this novel is a rather fun read, as most Reacher novels are, it also stretches credulity and has as stale plotline. I mean really, how many small towns are there in American dominated by a corrupt and evil criminal oligarchy using extreme violence to suppress the town’s residents? This plot device is starting to get a little ridiculous.
And for the real kicker, the last Reacher novel, 61 Hours, seemed to have ended on a cliffhanger. Other than seeing that Reacher survived, we really never find out exactly how. That makes 61 Hours a rather tepid and unsatisfying work itself.
I hope Child comes up with a more clever storyline for Reacher in the future.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Michael Oher in His Own Words
Michael Oher has had so many other people tell his story that he must have felt he finally had to tell his own story in his own words.
Michael Oher may be the most well known offensive lineman in the history of the National Football League after the movie, The Blind Side, based on the best selling book of the same name by Michael Lewis. The Blind Side tells of an inner city Memphis kid who grew up virtually homeless but rose to become the first round pick of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League.
Anyone who read or saw The Blind Side knows the basics of Oher's story. He grew up in drug infested neighborhoods in Memphis with an indifferent mother addicted to crack cocaine, who often left her many kids to fend for themselves and was at times homeless.
Oher grew up often not knowing where his next meal was coming from or even where he would sleep. In an out of foster care, sometimes homeless, always destitute in if not the basics, direction and care, his character and work ethic, along with a lot of help from some very generous people, eventually landed him at a private school in well to do part of Memphis.
The amazing aspect of Oher's success beyond people like the Tuohy family who took him into their home and made him part of their family, is his work ethic and perseverance through severe disadvantages.
Yes, Oher got lucky that there were enough people to help him along the way achieve his dreams. But it takes more than being huge and athletic to take those opportunities and turn them into success. While there are many, many, better off, less disadvantaged athletes that never graduate from college or achieve any level true success in professional sports, Oher graduated and had had success as a pro. Regardless of talent and background, that takes a lot of hard work. And despite the unbelievable disadvantages, Oher took the opportunities in front of him and made a success of his life.
In this book Michael talks about his life growing up, his love for his siblings and his adopted family, the Tuohys, but he also has a message. And that message is to those in similar circumstances not to give up, work hard, and take the opportunities afford and make the best of them. While not all kids in Oher's situation will be quite as lucky, and probably not have quite the perseverance, Oher's success creates a model and gives hope to others.
And another amazing thing about Oher is how self aware he is. He notes that the life of a professional football player is short, so he doesn't live lavishly and plans to save and have a plan for the future. He understands that he doesn't know everything about football and the professional game and understands he has to continue to learn and improve. It's a rather refreshing perspective.
This book is readable, interesting, and while it will not really tell much that is not basically known about Oher's life and success, it is his message of hope and perseverance that makes it a worthwhile read.
Michael Oher may be the most well known offensive lineman in the history of the National Football League after the movie, The Blind Side, based on the best selling book of the same name by Michael Lewis. The Blind Side tells of an inner city Memphis kid who grew up virtually homeless but rose to become the first round pick of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League.
Anyone who read or saw The Blind Side knows the basics of Oher's story. He grew up in drug infested neighborhoods in Memphis with an indifferent mother addicted to crack cocaine, who often left her many kids to fend for themselves and was at times homeless.
Oher grew up often not knowing where his next meal was coming from or even where he would sleep. In an out of foster care, sometimes homeless, always destitute in if not the basics, direction and care, his character and work ethic, along with a lot of help from some very generous people, eventually landed him at a private school in well to do part of Memphis.
The amazing aspect of Oher's success beyond people like the Tuohy family who took him into their home and made him part of their family, is his work ethic and perseverance through severe disadvantages.
Yes, Oher got lucky that there were enough people to help him along the way achieve his dreams. But it takes more than being huge and athletic to take those opportunities and turn them into success. While there are many, many, better off, less disadvantaged athletes that never graduate from college or achieve any level true success in professional sports, Oher graduated and had had success as a pro. Regardless of talent and background, that takes a lot of hard work. And despite the unbelievable disadvantages, Oher took the opportunities in front of him and made a success of his life.
In this book Michael talks about his life growing up, his love for his siblings and his adopted family, the Tuohys, but he also has a message. And that message is to those in similar circumstances not to give up, work hard, and take the opportunities afford and make the best of them. While not all kids in Oher's situation will be quite as lucky, and probably not have quite the perseverance, Oher's success creates a model and gives hope to others.
And another amazing thing about Oher is how self aware he is. He notes that the life of a professional football player is short, so he doesn't live lavishly and plans to save and have a plan for the future. He understands that he doesn't know everything about football and the professional game and understands he has to continue to learn and improve. It's a rather refreshing perspective.
This book is readable, interesting, and while it will not really tell much that is not basically known about Oher's life and success, it is his message of hope and perseverance that makes it a worthwhile read.
Bigger than the Game: The Self-Aggrandizement of the Modern Athlete
Bigger than the Game is an outstanding treatise on the self-aggrandizement of the modern athlete. The author chose the year 1986 as somewhat of a watershed year. 1986 saw: Bo Jackson play two professional sports, a steroid laden and overrated linebacker at the University of Oklahoma, Brian Bozworth, become the face of the college football, the cocaine induced death of University of Maryland basketball star Len Bias, and the crowning of the Chicago Bears as NFL champions behind the brash quarterback Jim McMahon, the outspoken coach Mike Ditka, and everyone's darling 330 plus pounder William "The Refrigerator" Perry.
The theme of this book is how the modern athlete in the media age has become bigger than the sports they play. It's about narcissist self promotion, the breakdown of the team concept where there is only "I" not "we." Or, as the dust jacket says, it was "the era when athletes evolved from humble and honest to brash and branded." There is certainly a little hyperbole to this description as there are scores of athletes in all eras that fit this mold, but there was not a 24 hour news cycle and the Internet for any but the greatest superstars to rise to such fame (or infamy).
After reading this book we should have predicted the steroid scandals that have wracked baseball, track and field, and cycling, the despicable display of self adulation in the Lebron James reality TV hype surrounding his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers, the sniping between superstars Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, the Allen Iverson type athletes with great talent that can't seem to find a way to play for anything other than themselves thus never fulfilling championship potential, the criminality of college athletes with the University o f Miami football team being exhibit A and B, and even the tiresome will he, won't he perennial retirement saga of Brett Favre. Maybe it didn't all start in 1986, but the stories the author tells are a prelude of what came after.
The book centers mainly on four athletes with ESPN and the advent of 24 hour sports coverage in the foreground of the revolution. First, Jim McMahon, the "punky QB" in the clunky title, is a fascinating case of self promotion and thumbing his nose at authority, especially because he readily admits he did and does care. He went to Brigham Young University for one thing and one thing only, to start at quarterback for the football team. He didn't go to get an education or graduate, and he certainly didn't go for any religious purposes. In fact, he almost openly flaunted the rules, drinking and carousing his way through a solid college career. And then with the Bears he was the unorthodox quarterback who defied and fought with his coach, thumbed his nose at NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, but was winner. And that's all that mattered.
Brian Bozworth, the self-admitted steroid laden Oklahoma Sooners linebacker spent much of his college career trying to gain attention. His Mohawk and constantly taking his helmet off to play to the cameras and his brash mouth made him one of the faces of college football. Of course, he was a high draft pick in the NFL and was a complete bust. Bozworth built an image that had little substance, other than steroids, behind it. I will never forget the game where Bo Jackson ran over "The Boz" on national television.
And perhaps the saddest story is the untimely cocaine induced death of Len Bias. Weinreb completely dispatches all the myths surround Bias's death. It was clear from who he hung out with and those who knew and talked about him that he was not a first time cocaine user, but appears to have at least been an occasional, recreational user of the drug. After being drafted by the Boston Celtics he went on a little cocaine binge that killed him. Len Bias may have been a great player, but a certain myth built up around his innocence, suggesting even naivety, that doesn't stand up to reality.
Bo Jackson is mostly a foil to all this. Jackson was a quiet, mostly unassuming personality who chose baseball over football but ultimately decided he wanted to play both, and did. His rise to fame from a poor, rural childhood was marked by a shyness and lack of desire for the spotlight. But he parlayed his fame into endorsement opportunities long after his untimely retirement from sports because of an unfortunate, freaky hip injury. The ability to be a relevant marketing personality long after his career was over could have only happened in burgeoning electronic era.
Despite the unfortunate choice of title, this book is very readable and bring backs memories for those whose formative years were the mid-1980s. While ultimately the theme of the book is darker one, for better or worse we live in the era that might not have started exactly in 1986, but certainly that year is as good as any to point to the beginning of the aggrandizement of the modern athlete.
The theme of this book is how the modern athlete in the media age has become bigger than the sports they play. It's about narcissist self promotion, the breakdown of the team concept where there is only "I" not "we." Or, as the dust jacket says, it was "the era when athletes evolved from humble and honest to brash and branded." There is certainly a little hyperbole to this description as there are scores of athletes in all eras that fit this mold, but there was not a 24 hour news cycle and the Internet for any but the greatest superstars to rise to such fame (or infamy).
After reading this book we should have predicted the steroid scandals that have wracked baseball, track and field, and cycling, the despicable display of self adulation in the Lebron James reality TV hype surrounding his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers, the sniping between superstars Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, the Allen Iverson type athletes with great talent that can't seem to find a way to play for anything other than themselves thus never fulfilling championship potential, the criminality of college athletes with the University o f Miami football team being exhibit A and B, and even the tiresome will he, won't he perennial retirement saga of Brett Favre. Maybe it didn't all start in 1986, but the stories the author tells are a prelude of what came after.
The book centers mainly on four athletes with ESPN and the advent of 24 hour sports coverage in the foreground of the revolution. First, Jim McMahon, the "punky QB" in the clunky title, is a fascinating case of self promotion and thumbing his nose at authority, especially because he readily admits he did and does care. He went to Brigham Young University for one thing and one thing only, to start at quarterback for the football team. He didn't go to get an education or graduate, and he certainly didn't go for any religious purposes. In fact, he almost openly flaunted the rules, drinking and carousing his way through a solid college career. And then with the Bears he was the unorthodox quarterback who defied and fought with his coach, thumbed his nose at NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, but was winner. And that's all that mattered.
Brian Bozworth, the self-admitted steroid laden Oklahoma Sooners linebacker spent much of his college career trying to gain attention. His Mohawk and constantly taking his helmet off to play to the cameras and his brash mouth made him one of the faces of college football. Of course, he was a high draft pick in the NFL and was a complete bust. Bozworth built an image that had little substance, other than steroids, behind it. I will never forget the game where Bo Jackson ran over "The Boz" on national television.
And perhaps the saddest story is the untimely cocaine induced death of Len Bias. Weinreb completely dispatches all the myths surround Bias's death. It was clear from who he hung out with and those who knew and talked about him that he was not a first time cocaine user, but appears to have at least been an occasional, recreational user of the drug. After being drafted by the Boston Celtics he went on a little cocaine binge that killed him. Len Bias may have been a great player, but a certain myth built up around his innocence, suggesting even naivety, that doesn't stand up to reality.
Bo Jackson is mostly a foil to all this. Jackson was a quiet, mostly unassuming personality who chose baseball over football but ultimately decided he wanted to play both, and did. His rise to fame from a poor, rural childhood was marked by a shyness and lack of desire for the spotlight. But he parlayed his fame into endorsement opportunities long after his untimely retirement from sports because of an unfortunate, freaky hip injury. The ability to be a relevant marketing personality long after his career was over could have only happened in burgeoning electronic era.
Despite the unfortunate choice of title, this book is very readable and bring backs memories for those whose formative years were the mid-1980s. While ultimately the theme of the book is darker one, for better or worse we live in the era that might not have started exactly in 1986, but certainly that year is as good as any to point to the beginning of the aggrandizement of the modern athlete.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Archie Sheidan Chases another Weird Serial Killer
In The Night Season Chelsea Cain's continues her promising series of thrillers featuring detective Archie Sheridan and a fascinating cast of characters, with the free spirited reporter Susan Ward being at the epicenter of this adventure.
In this new novel, the Beauty Killer Gretchen Lowell is finally in the background, but she will never be out of the picture as Archie will be forever damaged and sickeningly drawn to this dastardly beautiful female serial killer. But it is time that we all get on with our lives without her.
The Night Season is set around a flooding Portland, Oregon with a weird serial killer on the loose. First, a woman's body is discovered on carousel in small amusement park that appears to be a drowning but the body has been moved. Closer inspection at the morgue reveals some odd things about the corpse. And suddenly, Archie is faced with another killer who has a very unusual way dispatching the victims. Add to that some weird clues and a missing boy, we are set up for another crime thriller. With the water level rising and a flooded city imminent, Archie has to find the killer before he or she strikes again, or escapes without punishment for their deeds.
This novel is has a very clever setting. Susan Ward has written about a skull found in a 1948 flood near Portland that she wants to solve the mystery of, while at the same time facing a present day flood and finding herself involved once again with Archie in the midst of a case. We are left wondering throughout the novel what, if anything, this old skull might have to do with the present case. And we have a very unique killer on the loose with a strange modus operandi and an unknown motive to the very end.
Despite this clever setting and very interesting characters, this novel did not live up the previous three installments. The novel does keep the reader's interest but it simply is not the spellbinding page turner as those featuring Gretchen Lowell more prominently. It seems the characters personalities are stuck in place without much development and plot is interesting but a bit plodding.
While I think this series needs to put Gretchen in the background, it needs to do more to bring the rest of characters to the forefront in a way that advances their stories instead of rehashing the past. While overall I would recommend this novel to fans of the previous installments, I hope to see better in the future.
In this new novel, the Beauty Killer Gretchen Lowell is finally in the background, but she will never be out of the picture as Archie will be forever damaged and sickeningly drawn to this dastardly beautiful female serial killer. But it is time that we all get on with our lives without her.
The Night Season is set around a flooding Portland, Oregon with a weird serial killer on the loose. First, a woman's body is discovered on carousel in small amusement park that appears to be a drowning but the body has been moved. Closer inspection at the morgue reveals some odd things about the corpse. And suddenly, Archie is faced with another killer who has a very unusual way dispatching the victims. Add to that some weird clues and a missing boy, we are set up for another crime thriller. With the water level rising and a flooded city imminent, Archie has to find the killer before he or she strikes again, or escapes without punishment for their deeds.
This novel is has a very clever setting. Susan Ward has written about a skull found in a 1948 flood near Portland that she wants to solve the mystery of, while at the same time facing a present day flood and finding herself involved once again with Archie in the midst of a case. We are left wondering throughout the novel what, if anything, this old skull might have to do with the present case. And we have a very unique killer on the loose with a strange modus operandi and an unknown motive to the very end.
Despite this clever setting and very interesting characters, this novel did not live up the previous three installments. The novel does keep the reader's interest but it simply is not the spellbinding page turner as those featuring Gretchen Lowell more prominently. It seems the characters personalities are stuck in place without much development and plot is interesting but a bit plodding.
While I think this series needs to put Gretchen in the background, it needs to do more to bring the rest of characters to the forefront in a way that advances their stories instead of rehashing the past. While overall I would recommend this novel to fans of the previous installments, I hope to see better in the future.
Concise Overview of ben Laden
Having read many books on Osama Bin Laden since 9/11 I would say this is probably the most concise quasi-biography of Bin Laden and al-Qaeda. I say quasi because the point of the book is not to tell the entire life history of Bin Laden but to make a very clear point and debunk myths.
The point? Bin Laden is alive and well. He still has great influence and ability to lead the al-Qaeda terrorist network. He is not an unintelligent figurehead swayed by others. And he remains one of the biggest threats to US national security. The author debunks that he is sick or dead, that al-Qaeda is a fractured and declawed organization, and that it does not pose as great a threat as it once did, as some journalists and even government officials will claim.
He also clearly lays out that the prime reason for Bin Laden's call to arms is US policy toward Israel and the Middle East, and his anti-Saudi stance because they have allowed infidel troops into the holy land.
While close readers of the literature of Bin Laden will not find a lot new here, what you will find is a well laid out, concise debunking of the myths perpetuated by the media and review of Bin Laden's life and reasons for his stance against the West and other Arab leaders.
The point? Bin Laden is alive and well. He still has great influence and ability to lead the al-Qaeda terrorist network. He is not an unintelligent figurehead swayed by others. And he remains one of the biggest threats to US national security. The author debunks that he is sick or dead, that al-Qaeda is a fractured and declawed organization, and that it does not pose as great a threat as it once did, as some journalists and even government officials will claim.
He also clearly lays out that the prime reason for Bin Laden's call to arms is US policy toward Israel and the Middle East, and his anti-Saudi stance because they have allowed infidel troops into the holy land.
While close readers of the literature of Bin Laden will not find a lot new here, what you will find is a well laid out, concise debunking of the myths perpetuated by the media and review of Bin Laden's life and reasons for his stance against the West and other Arab leaders.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Well Done Short History of the New England Patriots
There are so many "The Best Stories Ever Told" books about the New England Patriots and other NFL teams it all starts to get jumbled together and there is very little to distinguish between them.
While there is nothing really new in this volume, it is well written and organized and has a bit more than similar books on the New England Patriots of the new century.
There are a lot good, short player profiles of the prominent Patriots' players throughout its history and of course good stories on the biggest games, including all the Super Bowl's.
The chapter on the 1985 Patriots discussing the relationship between Steve Grogan and Tony Eason is a very good synopsis and a reminder that Eason was a pretty good quarterback.
Chapters 9-11 talk about the reemergence of the Patriots as a competitive to eventually championship team starting with Bill Parcels becoming the head coach to Bill Belichick, to Tom Brady, to new owner Robert Kraft. These are also nicely done.
A good bonus feature is an audio CD that has interviews with Steve Grogan, Jon Morris, and Larry Eisenhauer that I really enjoyed.
Overall, if you want to get a "greatest stories" book and want to relieve the good times and the bad, this book is one of the better ones.
While there is nothing really new in this volume, it is well written and organized and has a bit more than similar books on the New England Patriots of the new century.
There are a lot good, short player profiles of the prominent Patriots' players throughout its history and of course good stories on the biggest games, including all the Super Bowl's.
The chapter on the 1985 Patriots discussing the relationship between Steve Grogan and Tony Eason is a very good synopsis and a reminder that Eason was a pretty good quarterback.
Chapters 9-11 talk about the reemergence of the Patriots as a competitive to eventually championship team starting with Bill Parcels becoming the head coach to Bill Belichick, to Tom Brady, to new owner Robert Kraft. These are also nicely done.
A good bonus feature is an audio CD that has interviews with Steve Grogan, Jon Morris, and Larry Eisenhauer that I really enjoyed.
Overall, if you want to get a "greatest stories" book and want to relieve the good times and the bad, this book is one of the better ones.
Comprehensive Chronice of the 1946-1955 Cleveland Browns
This is an extremely comprehensive history of the Cleveland Browns from 1946-1955. It is also a very well done argument that the Cleveland Browns team of that era is the greatest dynasty of all time.
Despite playing in the All American Football Conference from 1946-1949, a competitor to the National Football League at the time, Piascik makes a great case for the greatness of the Cleveland Browns. They won seven championships in ten years, an unbelievable feat. But four of those championships came as members of the AAFC, which many consider to be an inferior league. The AAFC folded in 1950 but took in some of the old AAFC teams, with the Cleveland Browns being one of them.
The greatness of the Browns' however is evident in that they won the 1950 NFL Championship in their first season in the NFL. They also won it again in 1954 and 1955. It is pretty clear that despite playing in the AAFC they were a great team, and maybe the best of that time period.
Beyond the argument that the Browns are the greatest dynasty of all time this book chronicles the rise of Paul Brown as the taskmaster head coach who sought perfection and greatness from his players. And possibly the greatest quarterback of all time, Otto Graham, was at the helm in these winning years. This book does a fine job of chronicling the team and its players of this era, and also serves as partial history of the AAFC. This by itself makes the book a worthy read for those who like football history.
Despite playing in the All American Football Conference from 1946-1949, a competitor to the National Football League at the time, Piascik makes a great case for the greatness of the Cleveland Browns. They won seven championships in ten years, an unbelievable feat. But four of those championships came as members of the AAFC, which many consider to be an inferior league. The AAFC folded in 1950 but took in some of the old AAFC teams, with the Cleveland Browns being one of them.
The greatness of the Browns' however is evident in that they won the 1950 NFL Championship in their first season in the NFL. They also won it again in 1954 and 1955. It is pretty clear that despite playing in the AAFC they were a great team, and maybe the best of that time period.
Beyond the argument that the Browns are the greatest dynasty of all time this book chronicles the rise of Paul Brown as the taskmaster head coach who sought perfection and greatness from his players. And possibly the greatest quarterback of all time, Otto Graham, was at the helm in these winning years. This book does a fine job of chronicling the team and its players of this era, and also serves as partial history of the AAFC. This by itself makes the book a worthy read for those who like football history.
Informative History of the NFL/AFL Merger
Despite the stodgy prose this is a comprehensive history of the merger between the American Football League and the National Football League in 1966.
The most informative aspect of this book is story behind the formation and advancement of the upstart American Football League when several wealthy (and some not so wealthy) businessmen wanted into the professional football fold. Thwarted by the NFL and desiring a team, it was Lamar Hunt, owner of the Dallas Texans (later the Kansas City Chiefs) that really brought the AFL to fruition and helped create a league that was competitive with the long established NFL.
The story behind the merger is equally as fascinating, especially the clear lack of trust AFL Commissioner Al Davis had among owners, as they essentially worked for a merger behind his back while he was taking a all out go to war approach in trying to sign the biggest stars from the other league. I also learned a great deal about how the television contacts the AFL was able to garner greatly helped the league, and the integral role Ralph Wilson played in the not only this, but the eventually merger itself. It's surprising that it took so long for Ralph Wilson (owner of the Buffalo Bills) to be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
For those interested in NFL history and how the AFL was founded, grew, and eventually managed to merge with the NFL, this book is worth reading. But I will warn that the writing and organization of the book lack a lot to be desired.
The most informative aspect of this book is story behind the formation and advancement of the upstart American Football League when several wealthy (and some not so wealthy) businessmen wanted into the professional football fold. Thwarted by the NFL and desiring a team, it was Lamar Hunt, owner of the Dallas Texans (later the Kansas City Chiefs) that really brought the AFL to fruition and helped create a league that was competitive with the long established NFL.
The story behind the merger is equally as fascinating, especially the clear lack of trust AFL Commissioner Al Davis had among owners, as they essentially worked for a merger behind his back while he was taking a all out go to war approach in trying to sign the biggest stars from the other league. I also learned a great deal about how the television contacts the AFL was able to garner greatly helped the league, and the integral role Ralph Wilson played in the not only this, but the eventually merger itself. It's surprising that it took so long for Ralph Wilson (owner of the Buffalo Bills) to be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
For those interested in NFL history and how the AFL was founded, grew, and eventually managed to merge with the NFL, this book is worth reading. But I will warn that the writing and organization of the book lack a lot to be desired.
The Real 1925 NFL Champions: The Pottsville Maroons
If you love good writing, football history and the meaning of football to society, look no further than this account of the 1925 Pottsville Maroons. This is sports history and sports writing at its very best.
The Pottsville Maroons were a team located in a small, hard scrabble coal mining town in Eastern Pennsylvania, the kind of small town that would never be able to successfully host a professional team in 2010. But 1925 was a different era when professional football was a more quixotic endeavor and college football reigned supreme.
The team featured some great players that came from the coal mines, like the tough running back Tony Latone, who the author convincingly argues should be in the NFL Hall of Fame. The author tells the stories of many of the key players on this team, including the player/coach Dick Rauch and the colorful owner Dr. John G. Striegel. It was a very fascinating era and group of men.
This book also does an outstanding job of placing the team in its era and locale. He renders up what it must have been like to live in a tough coal mining town in the 1920's, as well as what professional football was like at a time when many of the professional teams were located in smaller markets.
He also relates the importance of the team to the town. It was the one common element between the poorest of the poor, the hard working coal miners, and the wealthy owners of the mines and other establishments. This team was the one thing the entire town could rally around. It gave the very hard working denizens of Pottsville something to look forward to.
And of course the team itself is just absolutely fascinating. It was a motley group of men with some great players and a dedicated coach who had a year that should have crowned them in perpetuity as champions of the football world.
This book walks us through the entire 1925 seasons with the context of previous seasons mixed in so we understand just where the Pottsville Maroons stood. They only lost two games that year but they avenged each close loss later in the season with convincing blow out wins over the Providence Steam Roller and the Frankford Yellow Jackets. The 1925 Pottsville Maroons went 14-2 including a 9-7 win over the Notre Dame All Stars. At that point in history, college teams were superior to professional football teams and no professional team had ever won this exhibition game. This win over the storied Notre Dame players and the Four Horsemen put the NFL on the map and legitimized professional football.
At the end of the season the Pottsville Maroons were the rightful owners of the NFL title. But then a travesty occurred. At that time in professional football they had "territories" where no other professional team could play an exhibition game in another teams "territory." Being cash strapped and wanting to prove to the world how great they were, the Pottsville Maroons played the exhibition game against the Notre Dame All Stars in Philadelphia, the territory of the Frankford Yellow Jackets (a suburb of Philadelphia). The jealous general manger of the Frankford Yellow Jackets, Shep Royle, protested and in a convoluted turn of events the Pottsville Maroons had their title striped from them by then NFL commissioner Joseph Carr.
The championship was given to the Chicago Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals) who are officially listed at the NFL Champion of 1225, despite that the Pottsville Maroons beat them convincingly 21-7 in the lat game of their season. The controversy of the Pottsville Maroons continues today.
The Pottsville Maroons were a team located in a small, hard scrabble coal mining town in Eastern Pennsylvania, the kind of small town that would never be able to successfully host a professional team in 2010. But 1925 was a different era when professional football was a more quixotic endeavor and college football reigned supreme.
The team featured some great players that came from the coal mines, like the tough running back Tony Latone, who the author convincingly argues should be in the NFL Hall of Fame. The author tells the stories of many of the key players on this team, including the player/coach Dick Rauch and the colorful owner Dr. John G. Striegel. It was a very fascinating era and group of men.
This book also does an outstanding job of placing the team in its era and locale. He renders up what it must have been like to live in a tough coal mining town in the 1920's, as well as what professional football was like at a time when many of the professional teams were located in smaller markets.
He also relates the importance of the team to the town. It was the one common element between the poorest of the poor, the hard working coal miners, and the wealthy owners of the mines and other establishments. This team was the one thing the entire town could rally around. It gave the very hard working denizens of Pottsville something to look forward to.
And of course the team itself is just absolutely fascinating. It was a motley group of men with some great players and a dedicated coach who had a year that should have crowned them in perpetuity as champions of the football world.
This book walks us through the entire 1925 seasons with the context of previous seasons mixed in so we understand just where the Pottsville Maroons stood. They only lost two games that year but they avenged each close loss later in the season with convincing blow out wins over the Providence Steam Roller and the Frankford Yellow Jackets. The 1925 Pottsville Maroons went 14-2 including a 9-7 win over the Notre Dame All Stars. At that point in history, college teams were superior to professional football teams and no professional team had ever won this exhibition game. This win over the storied Notre Dame players and the Four Horsemen put the NFL on the map and legitimized professional football.
At the end of the season the Pottsville Maroons were the rightful owners of the NFL title. But then a travesty occurred. At that time in professional football they had "territories" where no other professional team could play an exhibition game in another teams "territory." Being cash strapped and wanting to prove to the world how great they were, the Pottsville Maroons played the exhibition game against the Notre Dame All Stars in Philadelphia, the territory of the Frankford Yellow Jackets (a suburb of Philadelphia). The jealous general manger of the Frankford Yellow Jackets, Shep Royle, protested and in a convoluted turn of events the Pottsville Maroons had their title striped from them by then NFL commissioner Joseph Carr.
The championship was given to the Chicago Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals) who are officially listed at the NFL Champion of 1225, despite that the Pottsville Maroons beat them convincingly 21-7 in the lat game of their season. The controversy of the Pottsville Maroons continues today.
A Comprehensive If Not Always Well Organized Encyclopedia of the New England Patriots
Being a rather comprehensive encyclopedia of the New England Patriots this is clearly a must have for any Patriots fan. It has a synopsis of ever single New England Patriots season in it's history, a list of every single player who ever played a game for the Patriots, profiles of historical and current players, and game synopsis of all the playoff and prime time games ever played. And of course it has about every single record imaginable.
While this is a great, great resource for Patriots fans, I have many suggestions for any future editions because I found it lacking in many areas.
First, the writing is rather pedestrian and dry. This was a ton of work for just one author so I can certainly understand that. But the prose is uneven and often inconsistent, which leads me to my next point.
In the season by season synopsis the author does a poor job of really providing a theme for the season. It's just dry prose walking the reader through what happened that year. Worse yet the major title to each season doesn't even always tell you what the ultimate result was. For example, under the 1978 season it does tell you the last game was a 31-14 loss to the Houston Oilers in the playoffs. And in fact it barely even mentions the game at all. Yet later, for example the 1998 recap, the header does tell you that the Patriots lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars 25-10 in the Wild Card playoff. I would have found it extremely helpful for this information to be more prominent throughout.
Further, I really wish in this section the player statistics didn't talk about touchdown's thrown or interceptions made, but gave us the leading rusher, passer, receiver, kick returner, tackler, interceptions leaders, similar to what is done in the NFL Record and Fact Book. I found the information on player statistics here to be interesting but not greatly informative.
I did greatly enjoy the player profiles, which were mini-biographies of all the Patriots' great players throughout it's history, some with a list of their biggest highlights for moments as Patriots players. I did wonder why safety Ron Hall didn't merit a bio (1961-1967). He still holds the team record with the most interceptions in a season with 9 and was an important part of the defense in the Patriots' early years, including some of the more successful seasons.
There are all kinds of records in this book, even very obscure ones. And the author does a nice of job of walking the reader through the progression of records being made and broken. But I found this section somewhat disorganized and were you looking for one specific fact it would take a while to wade through all the information to get to what you are looking for.
There is a good, concise synopsis of the major records at the end of the book, but it would be nice to have one little area with all the major ones listed instead of having to wade through to find what you are looking for.
There is also a trivia section near the end which is sometimes pretty entertaining but like the rest of the book I often found the way it was organized off putting.
All this aside, this is truly a great resource for almost anything you'd want to know about the New England Patriots.
While this is a great, great resource for Patriots fans, I have many suggestions for any future editions because I found it lacking in many areas.
First, the writing is rather pedestrian and dry. This was a ton of work for just one author so I can certainly understand that. But the prose is uneven and often inconsistent, which leads me to my next point.
In the season by season synopsis the author does a poor job of really providing a theme for the season. It's just dry prose walking the reader through what happened that year. Worse yet the major title to each season doesn't even always tell you what the ultimate result was. For example, under the 1978 season it does tell you the last game was a 31-14 loss to the Houston Oilers in the playoffs. And in fact it barely even mentions the game at all. Yet later, for example the 1998 recap, the header does tell you that the Patriots lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars 25-10 in the Wild Card playoff. I would have found it extremely helpful for this information to be more prominent throughout.
Further, I really wish in this section the player statistics didn't talk about touchdown's thrown or interceptions made, but gave us the leading rusher, passer, receiver, kick returner, tackler, interceptions leaders, similar to what is done in the NFL Record and Fact Book. I found the information on player statistics here to be interesting but not greatly informative.
I did greatly enjoy the player profiles, which were mini-biographies of all the Patriots' great players throughout it's history, some with a list of their biggest highlights for moments as Patriots players. I did wonder why safety Ron Hall didn't merit a bio (1961-1967). He still holds the team record with the most interceptions in a season with 9 and was an important part of the defense in the Patriots' early years, including some of the more successful seasons.
There are all kinds of records in this book, even very obscure ones. And the author does a nice of job of walking the reader through the progression of records being made and broken. But I found this section somewhat disorganized and were you looking for one specific fact it would take a while to wade through all the information to get to what you are looking for.
There is a good, concise synopsis of the major records at the end of the book, but it would be nice to have one little area with all the major ones listed instead of having to wade through to find what you are looking for.
There is also a trivia section near the end which is sometimes pretty entertaining but like the rest of the book I often found the way it was organized off putting.
All this aside, this is truly a great resource for almost anything you'd want to know about the New England Patriots.
The Fall Strains as the Middle of this Promising Trilogy
The Fall suffers from the dreaded middle of the trilogy syndrome badly. I loved The Strain, the first book in this vampire's take over the world trilogy. It set up the "problem" nicely, giving us great detail as to the biology and make-up the vampire cabal that had been living off humans forever.
And we meet our protagonists. Abraham Setrakian, who first encountered the vampire mastermind behind the current plot to wipe out humans while trapped in a concentration camp during World War II. Eph Goodweather, the CDC scientist, his son and lover. Then we get the gang bangers who take up the human cause, and the rat catcher. All band together to stop the fall, or least prevent humankind from going totally down the tubes.
Too bad but by the end of this book, it looks like humankind is in for being at the bottom of the food chain behind the vampires.
While this book as great action as we watch the futile effort to stave off what seems inevitable, and this novel does certainly advance the story, it could have been written in half the number of pages and words. It starts to seem like a grade B horror flick that breaks the reader's suspension of belief instead of serious novel about the fall of the world to vampires.
This middle book of the trilogy is a fun read nonetheless, but I hope for better in the final chapter of the story. And very much look forward to it.
And we meet our protagonists. Abraham Setrakian, who first encountered the vampire mastermind behind the current plot to wipe out humans while trapped in a concentration camp during World War II. Eph Goodweather, the CDC scientist, his son and lover. Then we get the gang bangers who take up the human cause, and the rat catcher. All band together to stop the fall, or least prevent humankind from going totally down the tubes.
Too bad but by the end of this book, it looks like humankind is in for being at the bottom of the food chain behind the vampires.
While this book as great action as we watch the futile effort to stave off what seems inevitable, and this novel does certainly advance the story, it could have been written in half the number of pages and words. It starts to seem like a grade B horror flick that breaks the reader's suspension of belief instead of serious novel about the fall of the world to vampires.
This middle book of the trilogy is a fun read nonetheless, but I hope for better in the final chapter of the story. And very much look forward to it.
Well Done Illustrated History of the New England Patriots' Greatest Plays
This is a well organized illustrated compendium of the greatest plays in the New England Patriots history. From the heart warming and happiest moments like Adam Vinatieri's 45 yard field goal in a blizzard to beat the Oakland Raiders in 2002, a kick that launched us to our first Super Bowl victory, to the heartbreakers like David Tyree's' miraculous catch in Super Bowl XLII that ultimately doomed the Patriots chase for a perfect season. It's all here.
There is a lot to like about this book. First, I really can't think of a single play that was left out of the book that I would have included. Certainly given a 50 year history there are tons of good plays, but the author has done well in choosing the most definitive plays of the Patriots' long history.
Second, the book is very well organized in a logical fashion. Thankfully the "heartbreakers" were left until the last chapter of the book. The punch in the gut over the worst plays in Patriots' history is easier to digest after reliving the highlights of Patriots' successes.
Third, the illustrations and layout of the book are quite nicely done as well. It's a slightly oversized book that will be great on a bookshelf or as a coffee table book to show off to friends and family.
Fourth, I really liked the added touch of text boxes that point out other great plays, players, or side stories that were not included in main list, but made it into the book with special mentions and asides.
And finally, the nostalgia of reliving all the great plays in Patriots' history is always great fun, except of course when you hit the bad ones.
This book is written from the point of view of an avid Patriots fan which is also perfect for a book of this nature.
I highly recommend this book to fellow fans of the New England Patriots.
There is a lot to like about this book. First, I really can't think of a single play that was left out of the book that I would have included. Certainly given a 50 year history there are tons of good plays, but the author has done well in choosing the most definitive plays of the Patriots' long history.
Second, the book is very well organized in a logical fashion. Thankfully the "heartbreakers" were left until the last chapter of the book. The punch in the gut over the worst plays in Patriots' history is easier to digest after reliving the highlights of Patriots' successes.
Third, the illustrations and layout of the book are quite nicely done as well. It's a slightly oversized book that will be great on a bookshelf or as a coffee table book to show off to friends and family.
Fourth, I really liked the added touch of text boxes that point out other great plays, players, or side stories that were not included in main list, but made it into the book with special mentions and asides.
And finally, the nostalgia of reliving all the great plays in Patriots' history is always great fun, except of course when you hit the bad ones.
This book is written from the point of view of an avid Patriots fan which is also perfect for a book of this nature.
I highly recommend this book to fellow fans of the New England Patriots.
Unsatisfying Account of the Life of Professional Football Players
NFL Unplugged tries to take the reader into the nitty-gritty world of the National Football League. It primarily focuses on injuries, pain, and the locker room, male dominated hijinks of professional football players. In many instances it relies on the stories of unnamed players, usually not the superstars, and we get a glimpse of their life in the trenches.
Unfortunately, this book fails on many fronts. First, there really isn't anything new here. None of the stories told are surprising and many of them are the types of things we have heard from other sources. Second, the writing relies too heavily on Philadelphia Eagles players. While players from other teams are included, there isn't a lot of breadth in this book.
And finally, the writing is sometimes so over the top pretentious as to be laughable. The author tries to show off his erudite writing skills in a way that is frankly a little embarrassing. It made for long, unnecessary "literary" attempts to tell stories that were best left unadorned with unnecessary verbiage. It tried to describe the guts and sweat and pain of professional football with ill advised flowery language.
While overall I more or less enjoyed this book, being a football fan. But I would not recommend it, nor would I felt I had missed out anything had I quit halfway through.
Unfortunately, this book fails on many fronts. First, there really isn't anything new here. None of the stories told are surprising and many of them are the types of things we have heard from other sources. Second, the writing relies too heavily on Philadelphia Eagles players. While players from other teams are included, there isn't a lot of breadth in this book.
And finally, the writing is sometimes so over the top pretentious as to be laughable. The author tries to show off his erudite writing skills in a way that is frankly a little embarrassing. It made for long, unnecessary "literary" attempts to tell stories that were best left unadorned with unnecessary verbiage. It tried to describe the guts and sweat and pain of professional football with ill advised flowery language.
While overall I more or less enjoyed this book, being a football fan. But I would not recommend it, nor would I felt I had missed out anything had I quit halfway through.
Rather Flimsy Account of the Brewing Industry
I am not really sure what to make of this book. The cover blurb claims to be "the most compelling social history of beer ever written." That is laughable. This is a short, quick read that really was not that enlightening and certainly not a "compelling social history of beer."
I am a big fan of beer, but not of this book. Avoid it.
I am a big fan of beer, but not of this book. Avoid it.
An Uninspried Third Novel in the Sirantha Jax Series
This is the third novel in the Sirantha Jax series. With so much potential it utterly falls flat, for the most part, in advancing the story. Worse yet, it really does not advance any of the characters and sadly fails to provide very good insight into the Ithiss-Tor.
If you have not read the first three books in this series this review will make little sense, nor will this particular novel in most respects. It relies, rightfully so in a series of this nature, in its predecessors.
This book finds Sirantha Jax on Ithiss-Tor as an ambassador for The Conglomerate that has take over as governing body of human habitable space. In the last novel we saw a nasty race of war like creatures who find humans tasty, the Morgut, spreading into the universe. The Ithorians are a warlike race, looking somewhat to me like a black Praying Mantis, who have the potential to thwart the Morgut. Problem is, they are not too fond of humans and have no strong reason for helping them. But humanity, now ruled by the Conglomerate, through their new found, mostly reluctant ambassador (see previous novels), must convince the Ithtorians to enter into an alliance to thwart the Morgut.
Unfortunately, this novel takes a second rate science fiction series a notch down. The previous novels were entertaining enough in their own right, but this was a huge disappointment on many levels.
First, Sirantha Jax is pretty much the same person not learning all that much from her pervious experiences. I want to call her a Heinleinesque reluctant hero, but that would be an abomination to the Grand Master. But she does rather bumble along and make do with she has, mostly successfully.
Second, the Ithiss-Tor are an interesting race but they seem utterly uninteresting in this novel. While an attempt is made to "characterize" these alien beings, it is rather poorly done and a lost opportunity. And then the mentally damaged love interest of Jax, March, is simply a post-traumatic stress disorder mess. His character seems the most combustible and least understandable and basically our understanding of him goes nowhere here. And frankly, he becomes kind of a ridiculous character as well.
And none of the other intriguing characters like the Doc and Diana are developed in the least.
Even Vel, the Ithtorian who is an outcast of his own race and maybe the most interesting of all the characters, isn't advanced much here, but maybe a little. His role as an outcast of his own race and his empathy for humans is endearing.
Third, and finally, the story is just dull, uninspiring, and maybe is just filler and a set up for something in the future.
I hope for better in new installments.
If you have not read the first three books in this series this review will make little sense, nor will this particular novel in most respects. It relies, rightfully so in a series of this nature, in its predecessors.
This book finds Sirantha Jax on Ithiss-Tor as an ambassador for The Conglomerate that has take over as governing body of human habitable space. In the last novel we saw a nasty race of war like creatures who find humans tasty, the Morgut, spreading into the universe. The Ithorians are a warlike race, looking somewhat to me like a black Praying Mantis, who have the potential to thwart the Morgut. Problem is, they are not too fond of humans and have no strong reason for helping them. But humanity, now ruled by the Conglomerate, through their new found, mostly reluctant ambassador (see previous novels), must convince the Ithtorians to enter into an alliance to thwart the Morgut.
Unfortunately, this novel takes a second rate science fiction series a notch down. The previous novels were entertaining enough in their own right, but this was a huge disappointment on many levels.
First, Sirantha Jax is pretty much the same person not learning all that much from her pervious experiences. I want to call her a Heinleinesque reluctant hero, but that would be an abomination to the Grand Master. But she does rather bumble along and make do with she has, mostly successfully.
Second, the Ithiss-Tor are an interesting race but they seem utterly uninteresting in this novel. While an attempt is made to "characterize" these alien beings, it is rather poorly done and a lost opportunity. And then the mentally damaged love interest of Jax, March, is simply a post-traumatic stress disorder mess. His character seems the most combustible and least understandable and basically our understanding of him goes nowhere here. And frankly, he becomes kind of a ridiculous character as well.
And none of the other intriguing characters like the Doc and Diana are developed in the least.
Even Vel, the Ithtorian who is an outcast of his own race and maybe the most interesting of all the characters, isn't advanced much here, but maybe a little. His role as an outcast of his own race and his empathy for humans is endearing.
Third, and finally, the story is just dull, uninspiring, and maybe is just filler and a set up for something in the future.
I hope for better in new installments.
A Paean to a Great Leader
I have somewhat mixed reactions to this portrait of Ahmad Shah Massoud. On reflection I found it a worthwhile and rewarding read, particularly as it dispels myths perpetrated by others (such as Massoud being as vicious as his enemies) and makes it rather clear that the Pakistani ISI is greatly responsible for the rise and arming of the Taliban to control and subjugate Afghanistan (even though this is tangential to the book).
But this is really a collection of stories, blurbs, and remembrances of Massoud that tell what he was like as a man and leader through the eyes of others. It paints Massoud as an intuitively excellent military strategist and a deeply humble and spiritual leader. It clearly puts Massoud on a very high pedestal as a Sufi like Islamic leader, not only humble but with an ability to deeply affect others on a spiritual level. He was also forward thinking as a believer in rights for women (such as having an education and career), tolerant of the religion of others, and kind (or at least not brutal) to his enemies. He contradictorily abhorred violence yet had to embrace it given the circumstances.
His failures in an impossible situation once the Soviets were thrown out of Afghanistan as Defense Minister under a shaky regime are probably the best sections of the book, as they allow us to see Massoud from a different, less critical angle, that is no doubt as true, if not more so, than those of his critics.
The author makes it very clear that this is not a critical biography of Massoud but look at this life through eyes of his close family, friends, and others that knew him very well. She does the reader a service by this (even though the disclaimer is in obscure place).
While I found the structure of the book, mostly very short vignettes from those close to Massoud, off putting at times, it was mostly well organized. It is structured in a logical and mostly chronological order, although sometimes the book is structured around themes especially toward the end.
If you want to know more about Massoud, at least from those who admired him most, this book is a good introduction. But as the author says herself, if you are look for a well rounded biography of Massoud that places him more clearly the entire context of Afghan history and culture, this is not the book for you.
But this is really a collection of stories, blurbs, and remembrances of Massoud that tell what he was like as a man and leader through the eyes of others. It paints Massoud as an intuitively excellent military strategist and a deeply humble and spiritual leader. It clearly puts Massoud on a very high pedestal as a Sufi like Islamic leader, not only humble but with an ability to deeply affect others on a spiritual level. He was also forward thinking as a believer in rights for women (such as having an education and career), tolerant of the religion of others, and kind (or at least not brutal) to his enemies. He contradictorily abhorred violence yet had to embrace it given the circumstances.
His failures in an impossible situation once the Soviets were thrown out of Afghanistan as Defense Minister under a shaky regime are probably the best sections of the book, as they allow us to see Massoud from a different, less critical angle, that is no doubt as true, if not more so, than those of his critics.
The author makes it very clear that this is not a critical biography of Massoud but look at this life through eyes of his close family, friends, and others that knew him very well. She does the reader a service by this (even though the disclaimer is in obscure place).
While I found the structure of the book, mostly very short vignettes from those close to Massoud, off putting at times, it was mostly well organized. It is structured in a logical and mostly chronological order, although sometimes the book is structured around themes especially toward the end.
If you want to know more about Massoud, at least from those who admired him most, this book is a good introduction. But as the author says herself, if you are look for a well rounded biography of Massoud that places him more clearly the entire context of Afghan history and culture, this is not the book for you.
Old Time Professional Rasslin'
Wrestling at the Chase is a nice little memoir of old time professional wrestling the way it was supposed to be. Back in the days with tough, realistic matches, and big mean, but realistic looking fighters. Back in the day when there were strong storylines that did not often cross over into the phony or unbelievable.
Back in the day, St. Louis, under promoter Sam Muchnick, was one of the many loci of professional wrestling. It was a regional promotional system that was held together in the National Wrestling Alliance before Vince McMahon came along and ruined the sport.
Here we get the real stories behind legends that wrestled not only in St. Louis, but across the NWA spectrum. The ill fated Von Erich clan, Jack Brisco, Dory Funk, Jr. and his brothers, including the wild Terry Funk, the oddball Bulldog Bob Brown, Rocky Johnson (father of The Rock), Macho Man Randy Savage, Andre the Giant, Bruiser Brody, Harley Race, Ric Flair, Dirty Dick Murdoch, and others. It was a time when professional wrestling seemed real. And sometimes it was. Pity the poor rookie that went into a match and didn't "sell" for the star. Sometimes, they really did get beaten up.
This book harkens back to an era when the sport was fun. Sure, it was really a carnival like atmosphere but it was a real show.
The last part of this book is discusses the monopolization of the sport by Vince McMahon, Jr. The regional promotions made money but they never generated great wealth. Many of the regions catered to one big city but really depended on very small venues in rural areas to survive. This was not in the day of huge TV contracts and in fact often TV didn't pay the promotions at all, the promotions used TV to sell live shows. Being in New York and having a cache of cash and one of the largest media markets in the world, Vince McMahon destroyed what professional wrestling was all about.
The author, Larry Matysik, attempted his own promotion but had limited success and ultimately got out. McMahon had too many resources and some old stars who started a rival promotion were too political and out for themselves to thrive.
So, Matysik harkens back to the day, when Sam Muchnick and St. Louis wrestling was one of the true last bastions of the sport.
For those who like wrestling history, this is certainly an interesting, nostalgic read.
Back in the day, St. Louis, under promoter Sam Muchnick, was one of the many loci of professional wrestling. It was a regional promotional system that was held together in the National Wrestling Alliance before Vince McMahon came along and ruined the sport.
Here we get the real stories behind legends that wrestled not only in St. Louis, but across the NWA spectrum. The ill fated Von Erich clan, Jack Brisco, Dory Funk, Jr. and his brothers, including the wild Terry Funk, the oddball Bulldog Bob Brown, Rocky Johnson (father of The Rock), Macho Man Randy Savage, Andre the Giant, Bruiser Brody, Harley Race, Ric Flair, Dirty Dick Murdoch, and others. It was a time when professional wrestling seemed real. And sometimes it was. Pity the poor rookie that went into a match and didn't "sell" for the star. Sometimes, they really did get beaten up.
This book harkens back to an era when the sport was fun. Sure, it was really a carnival like atmosphere but it was a real show.
The last part of this book is discusses the monopolization of the sport by Vince McMahon, Jr. The regional promotions made money but they never generated great wealth. Many of the regions catered to one big city but really depended on very small venues in rural areas to survive. This was not in the day of huge TV contracts and in fact often TV didn't pay the promotions at all, the promotions used TV to sell live shows. Being in New York and having a cache of cash and one of the largest media markets in the world, Vince McMahon destroyed what professional wrestling was all about.
The author, Larry Matysik, attempted his own promotion but had limited success and ultimately got out. McMahon had too many resources and some old stars who started a rival promotion were too political and out for themselves to thrive.
So, Matysik harkens back to the day, when Sam Muchnick and St. Louis wrestling was one of the true last bastions of the sport.
For those who like wrestling history, this is certainly an interesting, nostalgic read.
Fascinating Biography of Bruiser Brody, Wrestling Legend
When I was a kid growing up watching professional wrestling, Bruiser Brody was one of the scariest wrestlers and one I enjoyed watching the most. His matches were often extreme and bloody. This biography, written by Larry Matysik whose professional career revolved around wrestling as an announcer, booker, and failed promoter, and Bruiser Brody's wife, Barbara Goodish, brings the real Bruiser Brody to life.
Bruiser Brody, whose real name was Frank Goodish, was old school. His matches were "stiff" and he put on a real show for the crowd. He also embraced "blading" or cutting his forehead during matches. Some of his matches with Abdullah the Butcher were blood fests. And let's face it, entertaining.
Goodish grew up outside Detroit, Michigan and was a rebel from the start. His lack of focus led him to West Texas State instead of a big time college to play football, but he could not quite make in the pros because he lacked the discipline and technique he should have picked up in college. Eventually, this huge beast of a man turned to professional wrestling. And he certainly had the look. At 6 feet 5 inches tall and around 300 pounds, with long curly black hair, a beard, and character that embraced and enjoyed the violence, he was perfect for the business.
Brody was a very independent man who did not stick with one promotion, but instead rode the circuit to the places where he could make the most money. He was a huge star as "King Kong" Brody in the St. Louis region, and was a huge superstar in Japan. Over time Brody was able to become an international star, which was difficult to do without sticking with one promotion that could push him to the top.
But Bruiser Brody had another side, and that was Frank Goodish. Outside the ring he was smart, articulate, a good business man, and great husband and father. But he did what he could in his profession to make money and often rubbed promoters the wrong way. Wrestlers were often treated by promoters as mere commodities and it was not uncommon for them to cook the books to cheat wrestlers out of their appropriate pay or manipulate them in other ways. Brody would have none of it and made sure he got his due.
And Brody wouldn't "go over" for just anyone. He had to make sure he kept his character strong and it had to make sense before he would allow himself to be pinned in the ring. As a result he sometimes clashed with promoters and sometimes other wrestlers, such as Jose Huertas Gonzales, who was also a part of the wresting promotion in Puerto Rico. Brody and Gonzales, who wrestled as the masked "Invader" evidently didn't like one another.
Frank Goodish, wresting in Puerto Rico, was stabbed to death in the bathroom of the locker room before a fight in Puerto Rico by Gonzales. Gonzales got off the murder wrap claiming it was self-defense, even though the details of the murder clearly show otherwise. This guy should be in jail. Unfortunately he isn't. It was a tragic end to a fascinating man with a personality that was part the querulous, violent Bruiser Brody, and part the quiet, smart, articulate, family man Frank Goodish.
Brody's career spanned the most of the 1970's and 1980's, linking the old school, bruising style of professional wrestling of the regional promotions, to the beginning of Vince McMahon, Jr. destroying the regional system and creating a near monopoly on the sport. Had Brody lived, it would have been interesting to see if he would have ever toed the line and fought in the WWF (now WWE) given the dictatorial management style of McMahon. Regardless of whether he wrestled for McMahon, overseas, or with rival promotions, there would undoubtedly be many more tales to tell about this fascinating individual.
The one quibble I have with this biography is Matysik does not go into more detail about the circumstances of the murder. For example, Tony Atlas, a former wrestler who was there the day Brody was killed and took him to the hospital, believes there was a conspiracy to murder Brody. Brody had bought into the Puerto Rico promotion and wanted to have his say in how things were run, and he clashed over the ending of matches. Maybe they just wanted him out of the way. Or maybe Gonzales simply didn't like Brody, who belittled him and clearly didn't like him. Certainly the shady circumstances that lead Gonzales to getting a free walk after committing murder could have been more closely examined. On the other hand, so much time as passed maybe Matysik decided simply to focus on the life of Frank Goodish.
Overall, this biography is an excellent tribute to and intriguing look at a forgotten legend in professional wrestling from two of the people who knew him best - his close friend Larry Matysik and his widow Barbara Goodish.
Bruiser Brody, whose real name was Frank Goodish, was old school. His matches were "stiff" and he put on a real show for the crowd. He also embraced "blading" or cutting his forehead during matches. Some of his matches with Abdullah the Butcher were blood fests. And let's face it, entertaining.
Goodish grew up outside Detroit, Michigan and was a rebel from the start. His lack of focus led him to West Texas State instead of a big time college to play football, but he could not quite make in the pros because he lacked the discipline and technique he should have picked up in college. Eventually, this huge beast of a man turned to professional wrestling. And he certainly had the look. At 6 feet 5 inches tall and around 300 pounds, with long curly black hair, a beard, and character that embraced and enjoyed the violence, he was perfect for the business.
Brody was a very independent man who did not stick with one promotion, but instead rode the circuit to the places where he could make the most money. He was a huge star as "King Kong" Brody in the St. Louis region, and was a huge superstar in Japan. Over time Brody was able to become an international star, which was difficult to do without sticking with one promotion that could push him to the top.
But Bruiser Brody had another side, and that was Frank Goodish. Outside the ring he was smart, articulate, a good business man, and great husband and father. But he did what he could in his profession to make money and often rubbed promoters the wrong way. Wrestlers were often treated by promoters as mere commodities and it was not uncommon for them to cook the books to cheat wrestlers out of their appropriate pay or manipulate them in other ways. Brody would have none of it and made sure he got his due.
And Brody wouldn't "go over" for just anyone. He had to make sure he kept his character strong and it had to make sense before he would allow himself to be pinned in the ring. As a result he sometimes clashed with promoters and sometimes other wrestlers, such as Jose Huertas Gonzales, who was also a part of the wresting promotion in Puerto Rico. Brody and Gonzales, who wrestled as the masked "Invader" evidently didn't like one another.
Frank Goodish, wresting in Puerto Rico, was stabbed to death in the bathroom of the locker room before a fight in Puerto Rico by Gonzales. Gonzales got off the murder wrap claiming it was self-defense, even though the details of the murder clearly show otherwise. This guy should be in jail. Unfortunately he isn't. It was a tragic end to a fascinating man with a personality that was part the querulous, violent Bruiser Brody, and part the quiet, smart, articulate, family man Frank Goodish.
Brody's career spanned the most of the 1970's and 1980's, linking the old school, bruising style of professional wrestling of the regional promotions, to the beginning of Vince McMahon, Jr. destroying the regional system and creating a near monopoly on the sport. Had Brody lived, it would have been interesting to see if he would have ever toed the line and fought in the WWF (now WWE) given the dictatorial management style of McMahon. Regardless of whether he wrestled for McMahon, overseas, or with rival promotions, there would undoubtedly be many more tales to tell about this fascinating individual.
The one quibble I have with this biography is Matysik does not go into more detail about the circumstances of the murder. For example, Tony Atlas, a former wrestler who was there the day Brody was killed and took him to the hospital, believes there was a conspiracy to murder Brody. Brody had bought into the Puerto Rico promotion and wanted to have his say in how things were run, and he clashed over the ending of matches. Maybe they just wanted him out of the way. Or maybe Gonzales simply didn't like Brody, who belittled him and clearly didn't like him. Certainly the shady circumstances that lead Gonzales to getting a free walk after committing murder could have been more closely examined. On the other hand, so much time as passed maybe Matysik decided simply to focus on the life of Frank Goodish.
Overall, this biography is an excellent tribute to and intriguing look at a forgotten legend in professional wrestling from two of the people who knew him best - his close friend Larry Matysik and his widow Barbara Goodish.
Too Basic for the Avid Football Fan
For avid football fans this book is pretty much useless. It's too basic and really not that interesting. Almost everything in the book the avid fan will already know.
There are some decent chapters in the book. Chapter 4 on running backs, especially the differences in skill sets and what makes one running back better suited to a team's scheme than another was well done.
Chapter 6, with it's explanation of zone blocking schemes was well done as well and should help the average fan understand the differences in line technique.
And Chapter 8's explanation of the differences between a 3-4 and 4-3 defense were nicely done.
Otherwise, if you know your football, there is not much here for you.
There are some decent chapters in the book. Chapter 4 on running backs, especially the differences in skill sets and what makes one running back better suited to a team's scheme than another was well done.
Chapter 6, with it's explanation of zone blocking schemes was well done as well and should help the average fan understand the differences in line technique.
And Chapter 8's explanation of the differences between a 3-4 and 4-3 defense were nicely done.
Otherwise, if you know your football, there is not much here for you.
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