Paid for itself in saved lax balls, hockey pucks and neighbor relationships
351007
Worked well all summer long it was up preventing balls from going into the lake or neighbors yard! Set up with two people make it easy to start shooting quick.
2386542
Great puck for home or pond hockey.  Durable and fun.  Some people complaining about battery life.  A new set of batteries will last a few hours.  Batteries are incredibly inexpensive here at Amazon.  Note: you'll need to stack 2 batteries and put a small piece of tape around them in order to get them down into their compartment correctly...best done inside with warm hands and where you can see well.
4403679
This is what I wanted to hear! I wanted the stories and legendary yarns that made up the league that captured our imaginations as kids. We couldn't see them much because they almost never had a TV contract but we knew something special was happening that was changing hockey as we knew it. The author does a magnificent job in piecing together this wonderful story thru the collections of stories that made it happen. His love for the WHA story shines thru here and the result is brilliant. This challenge was no easy feat as the WHA's disorganization WAS the organization! This book had its shortcomings. There was some obvious editing and proof reading issues. In the excitement to tell the many stories the author was obviously dying to tell he creates some confusion with long sentences and bunching up names to the point you can't tell who he's talking about. It becomes like bar room storytelling...which I love but in a book can lose a reader. The author dotes on the players mounting point totals but fails to completely make a connection that the league was made up of extremes...good to excellent players playing on and against teams with players who without the WHA would never see the roster of major league hockey. He also fails to mention the NHL owners and managers knew those stats would never translate to the NHL. A MAJOR omission in the book is there is no mention that WHA power play rules were different. Icing the puck was not allowed by the killing team. This made a power play goal almost twice as likely in the WHA as the NHL inflating the stats of many players as well.

However it is very hard to be critical of this otherwise amazing book. Its satisfying and lovingly told. The author does a great job outlining the historic ramification that this league's effect still has on hockey today. The players of today need to be grateful for this league for what they have now. This book is a must for the hockey fan in your life!
932281
The Hockey Coaching Bible is a compilation of chapters written about college hockey from some highly prestigious coaches who are experts in the field. Though the book seems to be marketed for coaches at any level, I think it would be a worthwhile read for any hockey parent or spectator who wants to learn more about the game. The early chapters discuss such topics as recruiting practices, team mission, professional responsibility, funding and community support and putting together a new team. They were interesting and informative. However, I really enjoyed the sections which discussed the ideal skills necessary for each position on the team and specific drills, plays and tactics used in practice and competition. As a college hockey season ticket holder, it will increase my ability to understand and appreciate what I am watching. I know some hockey moms who admit to not really knowing the game; this book would certainly help!

Lastly, for those of you like me who have been enjoying the game for decades now, interwoven in the chapters is reference to the evolution of the sport as well as developing trends for the future. These brought back happy memories of my youth and made me feel like I had some insider info for the future.
2994082
the most fun I've had on the computer. The thing that gets to you is how  its totally non-repetitive. The dialog is seamless unlike many sports games  ("forsberg SHOOTS! he SCORES what a great WRIST SHOT") Tons of  useless information great for conversations. Dozens of play modes  throughout each version will definitally keep you playing. Another fun  aspect is the hidden stuff. New play modes, jokes and tricks pop up every  so often(Question: you know what would be really good right about now?  Answers: A. Hot Dog B. Taco C. Pizza D. Nachos). I can reccomend this for  anyone who won't mind simulated insults and the occasional adult themed  question. Its also a great value. Buying all the games seperately(if you  can find them) would exceed this price by far. A nearly perfect  compillation!
3633330
Having played pretty much every sport possible growing up, and then focusing on basketball in high school and college, my passion for sports has been both a gift and my downfall on occasion. At times, it was a great place for me to experience the relationships that can only exist within a team framework. It was also an outlet for an introvert who didn't feel like I belonged except on a basketball court sometimes. On top of those things, it was just fun to play.

Unfortunately, sports also became my God at times. It dominated my time, effort, and focus, pushing other more important things to the background. It also brought out many of my negative qualities (such as anger and pride). As a parent now, I'm concerned about how to engage my kids in sports in a way that will glorify God, and that's why I'm thankful for men like C.J. Mahaney and resources like his new booklet, Don't Waste Your Sports.

This short booklet probes some of the issues that arise in sports, and delves into the purpose behind the games we play. The brevity (only 56 pages) makes it ideal for working through with kids, and the application questions for both athletes and parents are very helpful.

Here's what the back of the booklet says:

  This booklet for athletes, parents, and coaches provides a biblical worldview of sports so that we don't waste this gift. "I had the opportunity to glorify God in my sports," C.J. writes, "and I fumbled it. I wasted my sports. You have the opportunity, by the grace of God, not to waste yours."

In a culture that literally worships athletes and glorifies actions on the playing field that promote arrogance, pride, and selfishness, this booklet is a needed resource for parents who want to teach their kids a different way, God's way. I wish I would have had, and taken to heart, the things in this back when I played. I pray my kids will do just that.
3993147
This book is pretty much exactly what it advertises  it was a light, cute read that gave me the warm and fuzzy feels. I don't know what it is about the fake boyfriend trope, but I love it. Sure, I know how its all going to play out, but that doesnt stop me from enjoying the ride!

What Fed My Addiction:

Sports-minded but not just for people who like sports.
Im not a sports fan, so sometimes Im hesitant to read books that seem like they might focus a lot on athletics. But I thought this book had the perfect balance. There was plenty of hockey talk (and practice, etc) for people who are fans, but the hockey was used as a backdrop for the romance  a way for Toby and Nat to become closer  rather than as something that takes us out of the main story. So people like me, who don't know the first thing about hockey, could still enjoy the scenes that featured the sport prominently because of what was happening to the characters emotionally in those scenes.

The fake romance.
Yep, I already admitted that Im a sucker for this trope, and this book did not let me down. It helped that Toby and Nat had history  they were close in the past but grew apart when Nat started to let her jealousy of Tobys hockey success get in the way, and they drifted apart. So, these two had a shared love of the sport and a bond that had been forged over years when they were younger. It made it easy to connect to them as a couple and believe that the sparks would start to fly once they started fake dating!

A slightly unconventional ending.
Like I said, I thought I knew exactly how this story was going to play out (after all, we;ve all read stories like this before, right?), but I thought that Cameron did a great job of throwing some curve-balls in at the end as far as the relationships between the main characters went. I appreciated the way that Cameron wrapped things up  it wasn't exactly what I was expecting (at least not completely).

What Left Me Wanting More:

Not much.
Honestly, theres not much I can say that I really disliked about this book. For the type of book that it is, it pretty much hit the spot and gave me everything I was hoping for. Was it life changing and the type of book Ill be thinking about for months after reading it? No, but thats not what this book was meant to be. (Not every book has to fit that description, right?)

This was another book that I easily read in a day and enjoyed the whole way through. Ill most likely go back and read the first two books, and Ill definitely be watching for future books in the series. I give it 4/5 stars!

***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
2567041
First of all, ignore the back of the DVD, as the main program runs a full 77 minutes, not 60.  When this first came out, I was very hesitant due to the short running time (which I thought was only 60) and rather steep price.  However, finding it now for a good price and watching how good the main program is, and how long and fulfiling it is, this is well worth the cash.  That's not even to mention all the loads of extras this one disc comes with.

You get the "I Am A Celtic" documentary, which features excellent interviews with Bob Cousy, Sam Jones, and John Havlicek.  It features a lot of clips that are in the main program, but also comes with a lot of stuff I'd never seen before, including the "race" Doc had at one practice, where he made everyone who lost to him in a sprint take an extra round of practice.  He cheated and got a head start and I had only read about this in an article when it happened, and it was nice to see the video behind it.  Both this documentary and the main show contain a lot of humorous and insightful looks into practice, the preseason, and behind the scenes with the coaches and players.  Having seen the entire year unfold on TV, these not on television moments made for a very entertaining watch.

You also get two full 4th quarters from Game 7 of the Cleveland series, and Game 6 of the Detroit series.  Very welcomed extras and nice to see this historic quarters in their entirety.  We will certainly get the entire Lakers series when the full Celtics box set comes out, so there's no need to complain about not getting them now.  We already get what I feel is a great compliment of features for this price.  There are also 7 other bonus features which include features on Ray Allen, Bill Russell and KG, Paul Pierce, and Danny Ainge.

Back to the main show, where we get about 18 minutes of preseason and regular season coverage, then onto the Eastern Conference playoffs for a good 25 minutes, until the 43 minute mark, and then a full half hour of the Lakers/Celtics Finals.  While they didn't dwell too deeply on any one game, it was a well balanced showing of the highlights.  The credits then roll with some humorous and candid moments of the team, ending the program at the 77 minute mark.

I think it was good that I waited nearly 2 months to pick this DVD up, as watching it in the weeks after the win, when the DVD first came out, may have been too premature, and not as impactful as seeing it now, after going a long time without a good Celtics fill.  I did seem to have a problem with the narrator at first, as he seemed kind of dull.  However, as it got deeper and deeper into the show, he seems to grow on you, and to the point where he fits in nicely and his delivery and flow is perfect.

An excellent all around DVD, and in my opinion, well worth it to any Celtics fan.  It's one for the collection, and will be a compliment to the box set due out in November.
2193302
Although I am not very familiar with the 'Hockey The NHL Way' series, this book is a great buy! Many of the pictues in the book are not only of NHL goaltenders, but of young players in the minor and 'pee wee' type leagues. It is written in very simple language, so it's not a difficult read for younger players. Although those of us a little older may find it a tad simplistic, the advice is pretty much what you'll find in any other 300 page book on goaltending, only it's something you can whip through in about 20 minutes. Practical as a quick-reference type thing for those of us older folks who are just getting into the game (if the kiddie pictures don't damage your ego too much, that is!).
Loaded with full color photos and practical advice on how to play well, play fair, and be prepared; it also offers more technically oriented information like the strengths and weaknesses of both the stand-up and butterfly styles of goaltending, as well as the proper way to take care of equipment.
Other things about this book I found to be noteworthy:
- the entire book is written in a format that is not gender specific, and although all the pictures are of young boys or NHL players, there is a quote by Danielle Dube; goaltender of the Canadian Women's National Hockey Team. I have yet to find anything in most of the other books I've purchased that includes any input from female players, or is non-gender specific ... a great book for female goaltenders!
- there is some pretty amazing advice on the less technical and physiological elemets of goaltending, like how to be prepared and how to maintain a good level of concentration, as well as team work and good sportsmanship.
- there is a strong emphasis on non-violent competition.
- the book includes some very basic stretches and exercises for young goaltenders.
All in all this book is valuable for just about anyone who is still learning about the wonderful world of netminding. Most definately a great buy for hockey moms and dads as well, since it's a quick read that will help you undrestand what your child needs as a young goaltender, and what s/he needs to work on to improve. The good majority of the book is full colour photos, but it's cheap and the advice is practical. A pretty good investment by my standards!
2779624
Building his or her own real baseball team is a dream for many fantasy baseball players.  For two editors of Baseball Prospectus (the current and former editors), that dream becomes a reality when they were allowed to run the baseball operations of the Sonoma Stompers of an independent league in California. The adventures of Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller running this team during the 2015 season are captured in this excellent book.

Given their occupations and obsession with statistical analysis, the duo tries to assemble the roster completely through their spreadsheets (even calling some of their prospects spreadsheet guys) but soon come to realize that some old-fashioned scouting and legwork will work as well.  The comparisons to Moneyball are inevitable and they actually provide some of the more entertaining passages from the book. For example, one of the funniest lines of the book states that if the As were a collection of misfit toys, as Micheal Lewis wrote, then well be building a team out of toys that got recalled because they were choke hazards.  I was in tears after reading that line.

Some of the passages are also more serious or even poignant such as some of the exchanges between Sam and/or Ben and the players or the manager. When trying hard to sell a strategy such as a defensive shift or using a closer for more than just the ninth inning, the guys realize that there has to be some trust in the instincts and knowledge of baseball men like the manager and scouts. There is a lot of compromise on these types of conflicts throughout the Stompers season.

This format is a winner for the book as it is one that anyone who is a baseball fan, whether a stat geek or an old-school believer; casual fan or addicted seamhead, young or old, should add to his or her baseball library. It will entertain, inform and delight all readers of baseball books.

I wish to thank Henry Holt and Company Publishing for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
944586
You would think there would be nothing more to write about after the slew of books the Pal Hal era spewed out. Well, you'll be surprised as Damien Cox (one of the few T,O,-based writers who "gets it" and is not madly in love with the Laffs) with help from the Stellickian one put out possibly the finest analysis of the failure of the post-expansion Leafs.
Kudos for Cox focusing in on the true heroes of '67--Pappin, Stemkowski, Pulford, Pronovost and Hillman.  Also, brilliant analysis of how the Leafs' scouting was not to blame but more their anti-union/anti-WHA stance of management for the failures of the team post-'67.
The book is written in a way that focuses on the games of each series in the '67 playoffs without getting bogged down in game stories. The game stories are very brief and act almost as jumping-off points for further discussions on other topics.
For example, who knew GM Punch Imlach kept better players down on the farm in Rochester because he had money invested in the franchise? Who knew disgraced player agent Alan Eagleson had ZERO WHA player clients? That should have been the first sign he was in with the NHL owners despite being an NHLPA executive.
Definitely a must-read for any of us well West of the so-called "Centre of the Universe" who were inflicted with the Laffs on TV every friggin' Saturday night during the '80s. This is sweet revenge for all those nights stuck with Dan Daoust, Pat Boutette and Claire "the Milkman" Alexander skating (and I use that term loosely) across our screens.
3315054
I purchased this for my 9-year-old  nephew as he is staying with me during the day over the summer while his parents work.  He plays ice hockey and loves to skate around with a ball in my driveway.  I bought this for him to save my garage door from a lot of rubber ball hits.  It was very easy to assemble.  My nephew loves it!  We can now have the net in other places to save the garage doors.  I also purchased the roll-a-puck by Franklin which acts more like a hockey puck.  Both have been great.  I'd purchase this again in a heartbeat.
654457
It's one of those things that you may be a little embarrassed about getting, but is actually really worth it. My boyfriend and I have been working a little overtime lately and haven't had a whole lot of time for each other. This was great for those nights when we felt like we needed to reconnect a little. Totally happy with the game and will keep it around for whenever I feel like we're losing touch
1029250
For anyone like me whose love of sports has waned due to money-grubbing owners and right-wing league marketing departments (yay for war!) this book is like medicine.  It managed to remind me that the teams I love don't belong to turds in suits, they belong to the players and us.  (And that the turds can't get away with any more than we let them, so we should stop letting them.)
1459480
As a native Detroiter, I really enjoyed this. I had no idea how much stuff ol papa bear had to go through before making it to the D. Lots of good memories for me as well, seeing Stevie Y score that winner in OT against St. Louis, anything Scotty Bowman has to say...  Highly recommend this program
2307267
Every sports fan has a sports bucket list, places and teams that the fan wants to see at least once in his or her lifetime.  Dubbed Sports Year, author Jamie Reidy set out to do just that by attending one sporting even each day for an entire year. He also wanted to align Sports Year with the Wounded Warrior Project and allow wounded veterans to attend games and events on their bucket lists.

While Sports Year fell short of the goal of one event every day for a year, the book does a fine job of capturing the adventures Reidy encountered while attending events.  He had to do this on a very limited budget as his hopes of obtaining sponsors did not go as well as he hoped (but he did end up sending out some Sports Year koozies for donors as promised).  He talks often about his 10-year-old Saab and the less-than-prime condition it was in to make the long journey.  His tales about his car were quite funny as were many of the other stories he shared.  This humor is the best quality of the book as it is not only entertaining, it kept the book moving along at a good pace.

Another nice touch to not only the book, but also Sports Year, is the variety of sports he attends.  Not only the types of sports, but also the age level of the participants.  During this trip, he becomes a big fan of girls/womens indoor volleyball.  He realizes how trivial his troubles during the trip are when he sees a softball game in which all players have had at least one limb amputated.  He gets to take veterans to some of the biggest venues such as Cowboys Stadium and Lambeau Field.  Through it all he maintains not only his sense of humor but also his sanity  at least enough to be able to write a very different type of sports memoir that any sports fan will enjoy reading.
3152175
This book is a 360 degree overview of life in the minor leagues as exemplified by four teams in Kentucky, not merely the players or the games, but the wives, families, stadiums, managers, coaches, owner shenanigans to raise money, travel and housing horrors, you name it. If you ever wanted to start in baseball from the bottom up, especially if you were from some Caribbean baseball culture, or if you just wanted to know how it would feel to be there or part of it, this is your book.

It pulls no punches, it can be a hard life, and few make it to the majors. The feel one gets from the book, though, at least for the spectators, is that it can be way more fun than the major leagues.

As a recent letter to the Cleveland Plain Dealer put it:"We had the greatest enjoyment while attending the Lake Erie Captains game this past Sunday. They know how to treat the customer. So many neat things were done for the fans and children: The kids running the bases after the game. Singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in Yiddish (it was Jewish Heritage Day), and their nicest act was letting all of the physically challenged children play ball with the Captains players on the field. You had to be there."

This book is the next best thing to being there and behind the scenes, too.