One of the Absolute BEST sports books
358302
IF your a rugby fan you'll probably soak this book up in 1 reading.
IF your not a rugby fan you'll probably become one.

The book packs a double punch and does it briliantly:
On the one hand it is a fascinating story of how a national sports team goes from 6th in the world to global domination.
On the other hand it is simply one of the best management books around.

Lessons like: T-CUP (Thinking correctly under pressure)
Energisers vs. energy sappers
Teamship rules
The crazy Dentist
The "IF" counting exercise
Humphrey walter's "Noses pointing in one direction"
etc etc etc.

Absolutley, blindingly brilliant.
1848628
Yes, I concur...this book is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, that discusses in most honest terms, the relationship between sports and politics. It cites examples such as Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson, Tommie Smith, John Carlos and several others that did not permit wealth and fame to discuss issues pertaining to social injustice in the US. Zirin debunks that myth that politics and sports are seperable or that they should be separated. For instance, since it humiliating defeat at the 1998 World Cup soccer-football tournament, including its defeat at one of its perennial adversaries, Iran, the US has strongly built up its soccer squad, thus emerging as an eminent force to be reckoned with. This enables the US to portray its power, the more, especially, in light of the complicated and abysmal standing it has i the eyes of the world, due to its "War on Terrorism," that has included the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq. So since soccer, being the world's favorite past, is a great boon to exhibit some of its military prowess. Thus, one's power need to be felt also in cultural terms, especially within the world's most coveted sport-soccer.

My only problem with this book lay in the author's analysis of Charles Barkley. His portrayal of Charles Barkley as having been always a progressive, defies, the contradictory trajectory and development of this NBA superstar. In his earlier superstar days, Barkley drew a lot of eyebrows, when after the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 on which he was a member of the US dream team, uttered to the defeated Angolan team, that he thought they (Angolans) were coming after him with spears, which drew a lot of hatred for him and the Phoenix Suns when they met in the finals NBA Champonship the following year in 1993. This hatred was further accentuated when he said that he would be a Republican Governor for Alabama, which in the eyes of many made him look like an Uncle Tom. However, since then Barkley's politics has evolved in the progressive domain. Regardless, this book is a classic in discussing the relationship between sports, politics, oppression and resistance. It is definitely a must-read!!!
2644567
A funny and extremely valuable book, packed with examples. Even though Spoelstra's background is sports marketing you can take the ideas and apply them to any industry - I bought a copy for each of my clients
1566833
Al Michaels shares a wealth of his experiences in the world of sports and those who have influenced him over his storied career.  We all have those in our lives who have given us a helping hand and Al Michaels first had his father and later on individuals such as Curt Gowdy and John Wooden who proved to be helpful.  On the negative side were Jack Kent Cooke and Chick Hearns.

Michaels experienced the polar differences in how teams were run with Sparky Anderson's Big Red Machine and the San Francisco Giants led by manager Charley Fox.  In covering such a variety of sports with different networks Al Michaels worked with a number of different personalities ranging from Howard Cosell, O. J. Simpson, Ken Dryden, John Madden, Tim McCarver, Dan Dierdorf, Jim Palmer, and Frank Gifford to name a few.  The book contains anecdotes on all of them.  My favorite is one involving Howard Cosell on page 139 and 140 that is an absolute classic.  I read it in another book on Cosell and Ali but it certainly warrants a retelling in this book.

Anyone who has visions of becoming a sportscaster would do well to read this book.  It's not always the glamorous job that one may envision.  It includes countless meetings and hours of preparation and working well with personalities that may conflict with your own.  I feel if you remember the years during the career of Al Michaels this will be a chance for you to relive the many dramatic moments that he covered in his storied career.  This book is a very worthwhile addition to your sports library.
701571
This book is phenomenal.  It's the best book written on the inner workings of baseball front offices since Moneyball. It's almost a sequel to Moneyball in that it illustrates how the use of analytics has evolved since 2003.  Ben Reiter's writing style is excellent and reminiscent of Michael Lewis.
1491989
The Bill James Handbook is out again as it comes out yearly on November 1st.  The book gets better every year, and for the true Baseball fan it is a must buy.  The 2013 edition is as good as one would come to expect.  All Complete year by year stats of every player to play at least one major league game in 2012. Plus a lot of players who were injured last year but figure to return at some point next year. With all the stats available in this book one will get a LOT of use out of this book.  So to all Baseball fans keep buying this book year after year, and they will continue publishing this book year after year.  It really is a terrific book.
3745407
I read this book before I read Bryant T. Jordans Saving the Lakers: A Be the General Manager Book and would have said this was the coolest sports book Id ever read had I left this review before I read the other book.

But, if Im being honest, the Lakers one is better. Well, maybe better isn't the right word, because they both are awesome. The Lakers one is longer and has a few more twists and turns and is a little harder to beat and win the title. So, honestly I don't know which one I like better, since neither the Lakers or Celtics are my fave team (Raptors) and they're both awesome.

Honestly, I think people should buy both and read the Celtics one first and if and win they beat that book and win the title, move onto the harder Lakers one.

Anyways, both books are absolutely amazing! I have no idea how the author incorporated all the correct player salaries and salary cap issues and real 2014 NBA Draft players in it, but it is just amazing.

Ive never even heard of another Choose Your Own Ending adult sports book but after reading this I hope a ton more are written as it was the most fun Ive ever had while reading a book. Honestly it was almost like a mix between a book and playing NBA2K14  SO MUCH FUN!

The book is extremely hard to beat though (but again, the Lakers one is even harder). I cant imagine there is anyone, other than maybe Jerry West or someone like that, that could actually win the NBA title on the first read through of this book. I got fired in the first chapter!

I think with this one I got fired maybe 4 or 5 times before I finally won the NBA Title, but man, what a ride!

If you like trading and building a roster on NBA2K and trying to win titles like I do, I think youll love this book. And really, I think just about any NBA fan would love this book. Its funny too, I mean really funny; there are some one-liners and things in that had me rolling around. Its fun to read, addicting and you cant really put it down until you beat it, just like a video game.

So, for me, this book is an A+, a 10/10, 5 stars and all that good stuff!!!!
4674764
I had read Will Leitch on his blog, [...] and was very impressed (it's worth noting that there's a ton of new material here, and an unfamiliarity with deadspin in no way inhibits your reading of this book). "God Save The Fan" impressed me ten times more. It is not just fantastic, but singular in sports books.

Leitch is an insightful oberver of sports, of the relationship between sports and fans--and between sports and society in general. He's a great wit too. He also lives and dies with his teams, as much as any fan. His narration of that emotional rollercoaster ride is wonderful. He is such a good reporter (and his army of tipsters are so good) that there is plenty of the inside dope fans love, and no shortage of original reporting. meanwhile his staunch aversion to the lockerroom and the access afforded sportwriters of his stature (and below) gives him a detachment and objectivity that is fresh and winning. And he is so bright that the analysis, of issues like doping, seems definitive.

My fear upon finishing the book is that Leitch's abundance of skills will lead him to writing about something instead of sports. Say it ain't so, Will. I would happily drink up another dozen volumes chronicling his continuing relationship with his teams and sports.
4862364
Professor Alamar sets forth a comprehensive, yet easily readable in depth introduction to sports analytics. The book is a perfect mixture of concepts, explanations and stories, which makes the book very enjoyable and addictive (I read it in two days).  This is a sport neutral book (only anecdotes and examples are sport specific), which makes the content applicable to all sports. It is a must read for anyone interested in sports, from a decision maker at a team, all the way to the most casual of fans as it is an understandable introduction to a very complex and increasingly influential facet of sports.
2916425
Moneyball for the most profitable sports organization in the world.  An essential read for anyone interested in sports management.  The insider access Steven Mandis is able to reference makes the book feel extremely authentic.  5 Stars.
4289367
I have read a several books about baseball in the 1970's and that one is as good as any that I've ever read. The author obviously knows his subject very well and has researched it thoroughly. There are many things in the book that even I didn't know. In my opinion, the Oakland A's dynasty of the early 1970s is often overlooked. This book is a very worthy read for any sports fan
2354265
First of all I love the work Bill Simmons did here and I wish he would do the same for the NHL, NFL and MLB. This is great stuff and he keeps it fresh with witty insights backed up by solid social analysis and intelligent statistical interpretation including stuff he makes up as he is going along. Simmons does not shy away from offering his own biases, (loves the Celtics, hates Kareem)but in the end he remains a reporter and gives the reader a heaping bowl of hoops.

I can't give him five stars and he's hovering between 3 and 4 because he does go on too long. Especially at the end he is arguing for his top players and top teams and while I find them fascinating, I also find it exhausting to read this much information about what is essentially a game. If he does write a Book of Baseball for example, Put the best teams in book one along with the best seasons and then in book two write about the best players and who got robbed for the MVP or what stat is meaningless.

But all in all this is a great book and any sports fan will love it!
676944
This is a great book. Poll not only looks at some of the major controversial events in world cup matches, but in each chapter he's got 5-10 other "refereeing events" that he brings up and discusses. I read the book with my iPad opened to YouTube, as about 95% of what he talks about can be viewed on YouTube, so the reader can go look at the event and read Poll's analysis/advice.

That actually would be a cool add on for the electronic version of this book, direct links to YouTube videos.

Now, why should this be mandatory reading/discussion fodder for young referees?

Two reasons: First, they get to see that even very experienced referees, indeed the best in the world, make blunders or otherwise get themselves into sticky situations. It only takes a second to have a player cross your path of vision for you to not see something that the rest of the stadium sees. So young folks need to understand that this, too, is a part of the game... you aren't perfect and shouldn't beat yourself up when an "event" happens in one of your games.

Second, Poll offers advice in most of these situation has to what would have improved the referee's ability to get the call correct. He clearly states that  he is not second guessing the referees (most of the time, anyway) because he above all realizes that even top referees make mistakes.

I was also very impressed with how well researched the book is. He dug deep into soccer history and tracked down some of the participants in the event (or tracked down their public comments) long after the events occurred to get their take with the vision of history.

So, that means that real soccer buffs will also enjoy this book.

I would also recommend&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/For-the-Good-of-the-Game-Modern-Techniques-and-Practical-Wisdom-for-Today-s-Soccer-Referee/dp/1889424080/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">For the Good of the Game: Modern Techniques and Practical Wisdom for Today's Soccer Referee</a>... it is of a similar genre in that it gets into the mindset of the good soccer referee.

Any referee who thinks that just knowing the laws of the game will get them through a career is doomed to a stressful time of it.
4795257
One of the best sports books I have read. I loved how descriptive the stories were. As a coach and as a man this book taught me so much.
2881374
As a reader of both "Baseball Prospectus" and "Football Prospectus", I was both surprised and pleased to find that both the content and writing style of "Basketball Prospectus" exceeded either of the other two publications.  It is rare, in a Bill James sense, to find a writer who can both dazzle with words and with numbers, but John Hollinger is such a gem.
  His insight into today's pro game is unique.  The chaper  on "Rebounding" in which the numbers of Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell are compared with the players who followed them, should be required reading for any sports fan or any undergraduate taking statistics.  If you are a free-thinker who doesn't merely accept the opinion of the crowd or your local columnist, this is the basketball book for you.  Prepare to be intrigued and to look at the pro game with a new appreciation.
Greg Thomas, Ph. D.
2414071
I was drafted to coach a my son's basketball team a few months ago. An experienced coach, I'm not. It was an absolute delight to have a friend suggest this book. It provides everything from a great youth coaching  philosophy to all the Xs and Os I could ever need. Equally important is  that it provides offensive and defensive schemes that the team could  understand and remember. Bottom line: these kids aren't the athletes they  will be someday, but they have begun to understand how to play the game  intelligently, that they are more successful as a team than as individuals,  and they support one another in games and in practices. There is a  David-and-Goliath element to their play now. They are usually over-matched  physically, but they manage to pull most games out at the end.
This book  will be great for your team and, as time goes on, for the game of  basketball and the kids who play it, too. Coach Faucher really knows how to  capture the kids' attention.
2868714
As a collegiate coach, I have had my team read this book and we had group discussions about it for the past two weeks. In these two weeks, I have seen my players buy in to the book and make significant jumps in their game. Stan directs much attention to the mental side of the game-( i.e. self talk, goal setting, teamwork) and his messages are very clear and simple. I would highly recommend this book to any athlete who is searching for the 'next step' in their game, or anyone who wants to be able to better understand what really matters in sport.