More Than Just a Story About Football
353454
While I agree with most of the reviews here, I see an even bigger moral in the book.

Had Grant Feasel actually "failed" as a college football player and became a dentist (or a doctor) as he had originally intended, he would likely still be with us. In addition, he would be enjoying life with his wife, sons and daughter, whom he obviously loved. As a dentist or doctor, he probably would be providing them a comfortable life.

Instead, he (like many of us men) got completely consumed in his work. For many men (not just football players), their career can become so exhilarating and intoxicating to the point that everything else (even those whom they love) can take a back seat. Now that the cheering has stopped, was his career worth all of his attention, especially since he can no longer be with those whom he loved? Many other career men also need to take a step back occasionally and reevaluate their lives. Maybe even discuss it with their wives and family. They need to realize that continuing to do what they are doing may not be just "for the family."

Since this book was such a powerful, riveting read, I hope that Cyndy Feasel has the opportunity to turn her story into a blockbuster movie. As a result, her story could make an even bigger impact.
1741476
The story of the Mannings ebbs and flows around the football pursuits of father Archie and sons Cooper, Peyton and Eli; however, the book reveals much more than a football family.  The Mannings definitely shows three paths to the NFL and 4 super bowls, MVP's and All-Pro awards.  Readers see the incredible dedication of all three Mannings who played in the NFL that complemented their athletic abilities.  We also see the grief and acceptance when the oldest son Cooper realized he could no longer play football after accepting a football scholarship with great expectations.

The story begins with Archie's family and shares much about his dad and mom.  This reveals much about the roots and foundations of the Manning family that becomes the focus of the book.  In addition to being sports fanatics, including mom Olivia, they are fanatics about their family.  As readers suffer through hearing about Archie's difficult decade on the field with the New Orleans Saints, we wonder like so many others why such a talented player stayed at such a miserable team.  We learn that it was for his family who were all happy in New Orleans.  We hear about Archie telling his sons every night how much he loved them.  This love and encouragement spills over into the relationships between the sons.

Prior to reading this book, I knew as much about the Mannings as any average football fan not following any of the Manning teams in particular.  I enjoyed reading about Archie and his family and the way he played the game and approached it and all things with his family.  I'm sure there are gaps in the details but for a book this wide in scope I think it was wisely selective in its depth and scope of story.

Of course, the writing about football games and victories and losses is thrilling, too.  We get something of an inside look into the quarterbacks' lives on the field and in preparation for the games.  I think this is an intriguing and inspiring book.  The author does delve into the controversy about the incident between Peyton and the athletic trainer while he was at Tennessee that again made national news recently.  It is good to hear the full story and see that this wasn't an assault or intentional affront but a sophomoric mistake between teammates.  It was a lesson learned for Peyton.

I recommend this book for all football fans, Manning fans and fans of the family as source of life.
3136471
I should preface this review by saying that I am not a sports fan and not a football fan, and I was not looking forward to reading this book, which was recommended to me. So with all that in mind, no one is more shocked than I am by how much I loved this book.

The book is essentially an Alabamian-turned-New Yorker's experience taking a leave of absence from his job to follow the Alabama Crimson Tide football team in an RV. It is a funny and sometimes surprisingly poignant account of his time at home and away games. He introduces us to the people he met along the way, many of whom start out as comical caricatures and then surprise us with their complexity. Somewhat critical to the story is the fact that, even though the author is from Alabama and grew up following the Tide, he is almost universally viewed as an outsider because he lives in New York and introduces himself as a reporter, which affects many of his interactions.

If you do not like reading accounts of sporting events with mind-numbing detail about fumbles and touchdowns and interceptions (I do not), you will actually be OK with this book. The discussion of what actually happened in the games was limited to a few pages at most per game, and for the most part, you can skip ahead to find out whether the team won or lost without missing anything. The book is about southern football culture (which is basically a religion), and the games themselves are not actually all that relevant to the broader story.

A couple of things I do feel inclined to mention. First, the author can be a little bit sexist, occasionally expressing shock when good-looking college women are drunk or screaming profanities at the games. He is young enough to know that being obnoxious is not the exclusive provenance of 20-something frat boys, and I found these passages annoying.

Also, the author does occasionally touch on issues of racism among the fans, and while the book is obviously meant to be a mostly lighthearted account of his experience, he could've broached this subject with a little more introspection. He does talk about the incongruous logic of the racist fan, but he doesn't ever really touch on the exploitative nature of college sports or the deeply entrenched racism at some of the institutions featured in this book. I don't think this type of book demands an in-depth study of the issue, but I felt distinctly as though he was intentionally giving a very big issue only the most perfunctory mention.
3981844
Viewed as a collection of unrelated stories on the same topic (triumph and tragedy in the football cultures of former Soviet republics), this book succeeds.  It is not a tight continuous narrative, though.  This makes for good airplane or beach reading.  Take a country's chapter, read it on a short flight, and you can pick up a few weeks later with another country if you like.

It is also a vivid depiction of these places and the people who inhabit them, which is a nice bonus in a football book.  There have been some real personalities over the years.

I recommend Behind the Curtain if you enjoy learning about this part of the world and if you like reading stories about football or sports in general.
210175
From this book you can learn how and what it takes for building strong teamwork, because in football only teamwork gets the job done. To illustrate this, the author has chosen at least two dozen famous and less famous football managers, dwelling on their achievements and principles they had adhered to, to achieve greatness measured by something more than medals and trophies.

The central premise in this narrative is that good footballers don not necessarily make good players. The brain of a manager constantly competes with the infinite possibilities of eleven thinking brains on the pitch. Choosing a right formation for a team is one of the manager's concerns and embracing a right one, the manager is able to achieve multiplying effect of the player abilities. The book also highlights how the modern game has been turned into a modern celebrity show, where almost every player is fit and powerful and there is less and less demand for players who offer little beyond their physique or their engine.

I read the book voraciously. The author occasionally uses the persuasive power of metaphors to make his point. Especially I enjoyed reading about historic football games, where, as it occurs, cart horses have played against race horses; Rommel v. Montgomery and bullfighters against bulls. Recommended.
1329548
First off I would like to say that I am a big football fan and I really enjoyed reading this book. I would also like to say that this is not a book for just football fans, it is relatable to anybody. Because I am a football fan and a Tony Dungy fan as well, I already knew about most of the events in the book, but this book gave me a different perspective on all of those events. It was interesting to see his reflections on what was happening and what was going through his head.
It was also interesting to see how Tony Dungy, who is known for his football knowledge, show his writing prowess as well. I was surprised by how well written this book was seeing as it was coming from an NFL coach and not an accomplished writer. I would recommend this book to pretty much anybody, especially football fans, but not just football fans. Anybody can enjoy this book in my opinion.
2756460
The story of a season with its ups and downs, The Beautiful Game is great not just as a story about 16 girls and their coach, but also wonderful insight into the psyche of teenage girls.  As a future teacher and coach, it gave me a lot of insight.
3026848
Being a girl and a recent convert to actually attempting to UNDERSTAND one of America's favorite past times, I wanted a book that wouldn't boggle my brain, make my eyes go cross-eyed or leaving me scratching my head and feeling like, well, an idiot and the only person who can't understand the game of football.

Chapter 1-5 outlines the offense and defensive teams and some technical elements--such as the regulations of the field, uniforms, scoring, reffing etc--as well as the more popular play schemes, tactics and terminology. Chapters 6-9 is focuses more on history, development and evolution of American football and odd-ball elements, like Holly's personal cheat-sheets in understanding the game and how to watch it as well as interviews with some football wives (Deanna Favre, Brenda Warner, Sherice Brown to less tangible aspects of football and its players, the formation of the NFL and its breakdown into Conferences, and the general statistics of the game. Interspersed throughout are 10 best this or that and more condensed historical factoids that gets you familiar with the big names and turning points that were informative without boring you.

What I like about Holly's is her way of talking about the game like you're her friend, sitting down with a cup of coffee and just talking. It's cozy, intimate, a little campy but simplistic but grounds out a basic sketch of the game and she even admits that she's still learning. She tries to talk to you about the game, not at you so it's not loaded with overblown jargon and she adds her own personal touches with stories from her childhood and her learning curve when she dated and married former Eagles QB Rodney Peete.

Don't get twisted over the title of the book--as though women aren't capable of understanding the game--it's just a cute blurb to catch your eye. Holly's the first one to point out the number of women who are huge fans and even MORE knowledgeable about football than the average male. Woman or man, I took it as a general primer for anybody who just needs a place to start. I enjoyed her approachable approach to explaining the game at its most basic level but since I came into knowing some things, I found myself wishing for more details about each position (not just a brief sentence, if that) and play schemes as well as some references that I could go to if I wanted more information. For the most part, if I knew absolutely nothing and didn't wanted to be overwhelmed, beat over the head or intimidated even more about the game--this book accomplishes that easily--which is the whole point and purpose of THIS book. So for those of you who are familiar with football or have that basic foundation in your head, this book will not impress you. After this primer, I would suggest the Complete Idiot's Guide to Football, a perfect next step, which gives you a lot more technical information and details you may find lacking in Holly's book.
1504550
Classmate Joe Castellano's memoir of a championship season is a highly personal account of the 1970 Missouri High School football title from the perspective of the winning team's center and co-captain. Thoroughly researched and deftly drafted, this book goes far beyond the anecdotes and playlists usually found in the genre to paint a moving portrait of a faculty, team, class and friends bound together by an appreciation of the values and experiences we shared.

One generation removed from the WWII combatants, the contestants were completing their formative years facing the turmoil of the period, the prospect of the impending draft, and a country torn by increasing income inequality and racial and inter-generational strife.  The author finds himself thrust into sometimes competing leadership roles, as both team captain and student body president while coping with the academic pressures of a Jesuit education.

Using an externally focused story-telling style, heavy on context and light on introspection, Castellano implicitly reveals the leadership skills and methods that were so effective in shaping a team and a senior class that had not shown particular promise up to that point.  Of course, he did not do this alone. The Jesuits -- his "Black Robes" -- parents and even older brothers and their ghosts hover around the action like gods encircling the Trojan plains.  A central conflict between the spirited team and its rule-bound but brilliant head coach unfolds throughout, reaching resolution some 40 years later as coach and captain reunite and reflect.

Such is leadership that Castellano bares his vulnerability in seeking out the advise of Fr. O'Brien, the humble and enigmatic spiritual leader of the community.  We learn of an impromptu conversation following the violent death of a classmate just as the story of the championship season begins.  Castellano: "What is the point?"
O'Brien: "Well you can give up if you want." Then, "It's sometimes hard to go on."
The rest is left to the imagination, but we know that the student needs to talk and finds a sympathetic, wise and caring elder who provides no answers, only (and importantly) reflection.

Football may be the object of the narrative, but man's search for meaning through the daily struggles of life is the subject.

This is a book rich in context and surprisingly deep in feeling.  Through its exploration of the particulars of a single football season, it achieves a universality reached by only the best non-fiction writers.
1487638
THE CATCH is one of the most famous plays in NFL history. Joe Montana's pass to Dwight Clark in the waning minutes of the NFC Championship game on January 10, 1982, has been shown in replays repeatedly. Gary Myers takes readers behind the scenes to the stories that surround THE CATCH as he examines the history of two dynasties, the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys.

THE CATCH is a moment that stands out to me in football history. The game between Dallas and San Francisco was the first full football game I'd ever watched and I sat anxiously glued to my television set as I began my now lifelong love of football and the 49ers. THE CATCH immortalizes that moment for me personally, but it is so much more than just the story of Dwight Clark's catch.

Gary Myers provides readers tidbits of insider history, the sort of details that a fan just watching the game might have forgotten. He also brings back the forgotten memories of the trash talking of the game, the horrendous poem recited by Drew Pearson, and the rise and demise of the careers of two of the NFL's most historic coaches, Tom Landry and Bill Walsh. The stories in THE CATCH extend far beyond just those that happened on the field that day, providing a nice context for this memorable moment in football history.

THE CATCH is a book that is easily enjoyed by football fans, but especially 49er and Cowboy fans. I've enjoyed sharing tidbits from the book with my husband, a Cowboy fan, while also appreciating the scope of knowledge Gary Myers demonstrates about both football teams. The format of the book is a bit disjointed and yet once I started reading, I had trouble putting it down. THE CATCH is a fascinating look back at a piece of football history and some of the greatest players and coaches to ever enter the game.
3188568
Kostya Kennedy, in Lasting Impact, doesnt have an answer to his own question:  Should your son play football?  Thats not a failing of his book.  Its the result of factors beyond our comprehension and of the mysteries of the human condition.  The only answer lies in the hearts and minds of parents who are charged with protecting their children.

Concussions and disabling injuries have always been a part of the sport that inflames the passion of millions of people.  The most recent examination of the dangers has prompted great moral debate that appears to be widely divided and highly impassioned.  No responsible parent would want his child severely injured or killed while playing a game.  Kennedy understands this and, while his study is an eye-opening revelation of the dangers, he also presents the side of reason in his disclosures.

Using the football season of a big-time high school that has a rich tradition of success under a traditional coach that brooks no nonsense, the author segues between the joys and the woes suffered by the boys as they progress through their season and adds historical information about incidences and results of the sport from high school through the NFL.  He talks about the frequency of the occurrences, the studies that attempt to improve safety for the participants, the development of improved protective equipment, and the chances that exist of a player becoming a statistic.  Its riveting stuff that both exhilarates, and breaks hearts.  Its certain to make a football fan question his or her enthusiasm for the game.

I played football, my son played football, and my grandsons played football.  I don't recall any serious trepidation about participation, although occasional dour thoughts surfaced, soon extinguished by the thrill of it all.  Read this book, think about the recent hubbub, remember the valuable life experiences provided, and then make the decision thats right for you.  Kennedy has laid it out for you.

Schuyler T Wallace
Author of TIN LIZARD TALES
2024121
If you are a football fan you will like this story a lot.  Since I am not, the story contained too much detail on past games and little action but more a study on human nature.
4939126
Forrest goes deep on this one, from the Middle East to Singapore, SA to Europe to Australia, to get a story that is less about soccer and more about the realities of the trillion-dollar business of sports betting. He gets right in the crux of the Triads sitting atop Asian based gambling, who operate more or less freely between the cracks of national jurisdictions. This is the story that will, sooner or later, be the driver that either changes FIFA or brings it down. Very impressed by Forrest's ability not only to get the story (and get out), but to create such a readable book based on a sport that I could care less about researching.
118602
Story of the Ghost is a captivating tale about Gavin, a football hero known as The Ghost. The story does an amazing job developing and depicting the characters, as well as using symbolism to advance the story to its climax and beyond. This story, loosely defined as a sports drama, reads like nothing else Ive ever come across. The enthralling parallel between Gavins story and the subplots within the book move the reader to look deeper into the symbolism and layers of the tale, making this novel transcend the boundaries of mere fiction and become what can only be called literature.

This may be Charles Mahoneys debut novel, but I hope it will not be his last. His writing is on par with Dickens and Hemingway, making Mahoney a promising author with a potentially fantastic career ahead of him.
2464893
Good writing and a strong sense of place keep the pages turning. The author deserves credit for keeping all the players straight -- we get a sense of each personality on the team.

 I read Friday Night Lights less as a football book, but as a book about a part of American life that influences the country in more ways than we realize.  In many of our institutions -- elections, courtroom trials -- life imitates football. It's all about winning and losing. And often the players are short-term and expendable.

Actually the most important part of the book comes at the end, when we're told what happened afterward and behind the scenes. The movie leaves out key background information about Dallas-Carter: One football hero was ineligible due to a low algebra grade.  Following a bizarre court battle, he was allowed to play.

Yet the lesson was not lost on the Dallas-Carter team, as several became involved in armed robberies, just for fun. Instead of heading off to Division I schools, they began serving long prison sentences.  Frankly, the sentences seemed a little unfair, as the system grooms these kids for big egos and delinquency.  Maybe the athletic leagues need some kind of post-season camp for graduating seniors, emphasizing Life After High School Sports.

Of the Permian team, only Chavez went on to a really meaningful career. He came from a family of professionals and presumably had some guidance.  The rest of the team survives on blue collar jobs, with a couple of exceptions -- the surveyor and insurance salesman.

We can bemoan a value system that puts pressure on the coaches, while paying them 50% more than academic department heads.  But that value system dominates the US, and maybe the world, not just Texas.  Good looks and crowd-pleasing style count for a lot, everywhere.  If we really valued academics, we'd put our money there.
3087245
I am not a critic or a professional of any kind but I will say I enjoyed this book.  As a football fan and former coach I enjoyed taking a peak into the real life things that happen in the college football world of recruiting and playing.  I won't give anything away, but there are some interesting things here.  Maybe even a little controversial.  I believe this was based on a true story.  No secrets were kept and no holds were barred in this tell all novel.  The characters are interesting and you genuinely care about them as you read along.
For the college football fan this is a must read.  But even if you are not into football you will enjoy the story-line as you can see this kid go from a boy to a man.  He has to make some tough moral and ethical decisions in football, personal relationships, and life in general.  It is enjoyable to read even if you are not into football at all.
Its a good read, I sincerely enjoyed it.
743613
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It gives a whole new perspective on how to watch a football game as more than just a fan.