Reviews (10)

Beyond the Game of Football
As both an avid sports fan and reader of sports literature I found this to be by far the most outstanding sports related book I've ever read. (I've read lots of them)
Notfootball's Moneyball, but a great read nonetheless..
If you are looking for the football version of Moneyball you might be a bit disppointed by Blind Side. It's not really that kind of book. (Indeed, there are few books that completely alter one's view of a subject the way Moneyball did)There are some interesting chapters about Bill Walsh and the innovations he brought to the offensive side of football, but Blind Side is much more of a human interest story. It's a highly readable and engaging story and it will surely make you pay more attention next time an Ole Miss game is on TV. I highly recommend it.

You Will Enjoy It Even If You Don't Love Football
Of course, I do love football, and my young son plays on offensive and defensive lines, so the description of the book and its high ranking on the Top 100 list motivated me to purchase and read.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. College sports    5. Football - General    6. Football - Professional    7. Football players    8. Oher, Michael    9. Sports & Recreation    10. Sports - General    11. United States    12. Soccer (Association football)    13. Social history    14. Sports & Recreation / Football   

Reviews (1)

No Excuses: Read this book
Let's first be clear: I am not a Notre Dame, New England Patriot, or for that matter a Charlie Weis fan. However, after reading this book, you can cross off the Charlie Weis part, I am now quite an admirer of his. This book, in short order, chronicles Coach Weis'time from his own high school football and college days, through his coaching career from the high school to his current job as head coach of the Fighting Irish. Citing his high school coach as his first ideological hero, through South Carolina's Joe Morrison and the two Bills (Parcells and Belicheck), Coach Weis offers insight into each of their philosophies and motivation techniques and how he incorporated each of their styles into his own coaching. Lastly, he chronicles his first year at Notre Dame and how he approached changing the team's attitude to a winning formula as last season's record indicates.
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Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Collegiate Athletic Programs    5. Football    6. Football - General    7. Personal Memoirs    8. Sports - Football    9. Sports - General    10. Biography & Autobiography / Sports   

Reviews (1)

Lou's not just for ND fans
In this autobiography we come to understand the making of a champion.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Coaching    3. Collegiate Athletic Programs    4. Football - General    5. Football coaches    6. Holtz, Lou    7. Sports    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Sports - General    10. United States    11. Sports & Recreation / Football   

Reviews (44)

Good inspirational book
I purchased this for my grandson' birthday and read it before i gave it to him.I am not very sports minded but it was a well written biography of a spectacular human being who is doing a good job of showing young men what makes a great man in God's eyes.

Molding Americas Youth
A must read for all public and private school athletic coaches. This excellent book epitomizes the characteristics deemed necessary to assist and mold America's young people.

Amazing
I played college football and pro baseball.I have very vivid memories of my coaches since childhood.I had a coach in high school, Larry Book, who made a big impression on me.He was great and I remember him fondly, though I liked him more after I left than I did when I played for him.As good as he was, we never talked about life things, real important things.Joe Ehrman's coaching style I've never really heard of or come across.He explains what it means to be a man, to love, to give, in words that I never really heard before, certainly not from a football coach.Even if you've never played football, this true story is one you'll want to read and share with others.I have multiple copies. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1962-    2. Baltimore    3. Biography    4. Christianity - Christian Life - Men's Issues    5. Ehrmann, Joe    6. Football - General    7. Football coaches    8. Inspirational    9. Inspirational - General    10. Marx, Jeffrey,    11. Maryland    12. Men's Studies - General    13. Religion    14. Sports    15. Sports & Recreation    16. Sports & Recreation / General   

Reviews (10)

JOHN UNITAS NOT "JOHNNY UNITAS"

Baltimore's Proud Football History
Although I no longer follow professional football the names of the players of the 1950's and 1960's are very familiar to me.Yes, this is a book that has several anecdotes about men who played for the Colts during the time period when number 19 led the team that eventually had several Hall of Fame players.Author Tom Callahan provides insight into John's relationship with his first wife Dorothy, Don Shula, and others in addition to Lenny Moore's frustration in not being able to establish a friendship with Unitas.I have always felt a good biography about John Unitas was overdue, and I appreciated having the many anecdotes in the book to enable me to get to know many of his teammates such as Alan Ameche, Gion Marchetti, Eugene "Big Daddy" Lipscomb, Jim Parker, Art Donovan, John Mackey, Tom Matte, and several others.You don't need to be a football fan to enjoy the book, but at least in my case, being familiar with the many players who made up the Baltimore Colts during this time period helped a lot.This book should be a keeper in your library.

A book full of gaps
Aside from the 1958 Championship Game and the 1968 Super Bowl, the actual football games got very short shrift. The 1964 Championship Game didn't even get a MENTION! Whole years are virtually ignored. Very, very little discussion of Unitas' career and his impact on the game: mostly just anecdotes about family, friends, and teammates, and way too much space devoted to post-mortem comments from same. I think I learned way more about Johnny Sample and Gino Marchetti and Jim Parker from this book than I learned about Unitas. And that's not saying much. There's a lot of padding in this book but precious little information. And a lot of the anecdotes will be familiar if you're a football fan. Wait for the paperback if you're a Unitas devotee; otherwise don't bother.
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Subjects:  1. 1933-    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography And Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Football    8. Football - General    9. Football players    10. Sports - Football    11. Sports - General    12. Unitas, Johnny,    13. United States    14. Biography & Autobiography / Sports   

Subjects:  1. (40th :    2. 2006 :    3. Bettis, Jerome    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography And Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Detroit, Mich.)    9. Football    10. Football - General    11. Football - Professional    12. Football players    13. Sports - Football    14. Sports - General    15. Super Bowl    16. United States   

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography And Autobiography    3. Football    4. Football - General    5. Football - Professional    6. Football coaches    7. History    8. Lombardi, Vince    9. Sports    10. Sports & Recreation    11. Sports - General    12. United States   

Reviews (3)

Memories
Loved this book!!Had to keep the kleenex nearby.Every story different but the common theme is how fathers shape the lives of their daughters.It brought back so many memroies.

Great Book
Amazing Book. Not only for daughters and fathers, this book is for anyone.Emotional and intriguing.You wont want to put it down.

Emotions and glimpses
Karyn Frist has compiled a diverse group of women to open their hearts about their dads.Wow!! My favorite is Mary Higgins Clark who closes her story with her visit to Ireland to discover the barn where her dad (who died when she was 11) was raised, running her fingers over her dad's carved names in the old oak barn door.Have some tissues nearby when you read the many captivating, emotional memories!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Family & Relationships    2. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    3. Family Relationships    4. Family/Marriage    5. Fathers and daughters    6. Parent And Child    7. Parenting - Fatherhood    8. Family & Relationships / General    9. Marriage, family & other relationships    10. Sports & Recreation / Football   

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography And Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Football    7. Football - General    8. Football commissioners    9. Sports - Football    10. Sports - General    11. United States    12. American football    13. Sports & Recreation / General    14. Sports & Recreation / Golf   

Editorial Review

Secular religions are fascinating in the devotion and zealousness they breed, and in Texas, high school football has its own rabid hold over the faithful. H.G. Bissinger, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, enters into the spirit of one of its most fervent shrines: Odessa, a city in decline in the desert of West Texas, where the Permian High School Panthers have managed to compile the winningest record in state annals. Indeed, as this breathtaking examination of the town, the team, its coaches, and its young players chronicles, the team, for better and for worse, Read more

Reviews (257)

GREAT BOOK
This is the best nonfiction book I've ever read. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. Exciting from the beginning to the end. It's amazing how much pressure is on these kids to win. A must read for all football fans.
Excellent writing for a fantastic story
High School Football in Odessa, Texas is the driving force behind the entire city.Businesses close for the games.Everyone in town knows all of the players by name, their personal history, and their stats.The black and white of the Permian Panthers is reflected in every aspect of life from the bumper stickers on cars to the clothes people wear on game day.And nothing is more important than the idea of "Goin' to State."
A great read
I could barely put this book down once I started reading it.I'd heard about it before (in Sports Illustrated I think) and it had been on my reading list for a long time.I haven't seen the movie, but the book is great.
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Subjects:  1. Americana    2. Football    3. Football - General    4. Odessa    5. Permian High School (Odessa, T    6. Permian High School (Odessa, Tex.)    7. Social aspects    8. Sports    9. Sports & Recreation    10. Texas   

Reviews (9)

Touchdown!
My brother and I grew up collecting the minature helmets from all the NFL teams and I always watched games with my dad and brother (Go Redskins!) but I've never known much about the game. Now when I watch with my husband I ask a lot of questions, like why does the clock continue to run down even when nothing is happening?! Holly's book has answered so many questions and truly explained the game and its origins. I love all the little tidbits, like knowing about the great Super Bowl moments and legendary players. This book is easy to read and I'm giving it to all my girlfirends who refer to themselves as "football widows" since their guys disappear (mentally and physically) when the game is on.

(RAW Rating: 4.5) - The woman's guide to football...
The most dreaded time of the year for a lot of women is football season.During this time, the men in their lives disappear and attention is solely focused on "THE GAME."However, for some women, this is an exciting time because they too love all things football.One such woman is Holly Robinson Peete, actress and football player's wife.A die-hard football fan from childhood, Peete has taken a complex game and broken it into an understandable guide that will not only benefit women wanting to get closer to their men, but also for anyone wanting to know more about football...and she's given it a "girlfriend" slant.
LEARN TO LOVE FOOTBALL-IT CAN HAPPEN!!!
I recently started dating a guy who LOVES football.I felt so left out-I understand and can talk baseball and basketball, but football has always been the one sport I could never understand.I wanted to find something to help me understand my new loves other love and Holly's book has been wonderful!It's funny, a light read and she makes football actually make sense!I can watch the game with my guy and even though I'm still learning, I'm understanding it more and more and can't wait to read more so I can share with him all that I know about the game now.(Plus, it doesn't hurt that he finds it incredibly hot that I can talk football!;)
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Subjects:  1. Football    2. Football - General    3. National Football League    4. Social aspects    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Terminology    8. United States   

Reviews (15)

A ton of info
I purchased this book as a gift for my husband but I find myself looking through it also. An amazing amount of information! The downside is the book's size - it takes up a lot of space on the coffee table.

A MUST FOR THE DISCERNING COLLEGIATE HISTORIAN
I have written three books on the history of USC football, and am working on a fourth: ranking the 25 greatest all-time traditions and best single-season teams ever. I found this work to be an important tool. Without it, I would have had to use the web or call a bunch of overworked SIDs and ask them to be my de facto reearch assistants. That's close!
ESPN College Football Encyclopedia
Fast transaction very happy with the product will buy form seller again ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. Football    3. Football - College    4. Football - General    5. History    6. Reference    7. Reference And Information Services    8. Sports    9. Sports & Recreation    10. Statistics    11. United States    12. Sports & Recreation / General   

Reviews (5)

Sports Illustrated:The Football Book
We purchased this book as a gift for a friend who coached high school football for over 30 years.He is also a major NFL fan.He was so touched by the gift and content that he had the paper cover laminated to preserve it.He poured through the book and still goes through it.He is quite proud of it, and we are so elated to have given a gift that the recipient truly loves.Not only is the content awesome with the pictures and information, it is a great coffee table decor for football lovers.

Excellent value
I felt that this is one of the best Football books.The pictures are excellent and it truly a good value for the price I paid.I would highly recommend it to any Football fan.

Must have football book
Wonderful collection of photographs chronicling football from early thirties to present.This book is worth full retail.If you buy one as a giftmake sure you buy one for yourself .You are going to keep one ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Football    3. Football - General    4. Football players    5. History    6. National Football League    7. Sports    8. Sports & Recreation    9. United States    10. Sports & Recreation / General   

Editorial Review

As coach of the Green Bay Packers from 1959 to 1967, Vince Lombardi turned perennial losers into a juggernaut, winning back-to-back NFL titles in 1961 and 1962, and Superbowls I and II in 1966 and 1967. Stern, severe, sentimental, and paternal, he stood revered, reviled, respected, and mocked--a touchstone for the '60s all in one person. Which adds up to the myth we've been left with. But who was the man? That's the question Pulitzer Prize-winner David Maraniss tackles. It begins with Lombardi's looming father, a man as colorful as his son would be conservative. Still, from his father Vince Lombardi learned a sense of presence and authority that could impress itself with just a look. If a moment can sum up and embrace a man's life--and capture the breadth of Maraniss's thoroughness--it is one that takes place off the field when the Packers organization decides to redecorate their offices in advance of the new head coach's arrival: "During an earlier visit," Maraniss reports, "he had examined the quarters--peeling walls, creaky floor, old leather chairs with holes in them, discarded newspapers and magazines piled on chairs and in the corners--and pronounced the setting unworthy of a National Football League club. 'This is a disgrace!' he had remarked." In one moment, one comment, Lombardi announced his intentions, made his vision and professionalism clear, and began to shake up a stale organization. It reveals far more about the man than wins and losses, and is the kind of moment Maraniss uses again and again in this superb resurrection of a figure who so symbolized a sporting era and sensibility. Read more

Reviews (132)

Thorough book about a fascinating life
I picked up this book by accident without really beliving I would read the whole thing.Once I got started, I could not put it down.There is much detail on the early life of Vince Lombardi and his family's background.Lombardi's education is well documented as well as how he basically accidentally ended up as a High School teacher and sports coach, which eventually would lead to his college and professional football coaching career. It gives you a good picture of a man who accomplished so much in such a short time as an NFL head coach, and became an American Icon along the way.Plus there is much detail about Lombardi's spiritual life.Along the way, you get a picture (slightly) of American race relations in the 1920's-60's as far as Lombardi was concerned.I enjoyed this read and it lead me to seek out other books about Lombard, however the only other one I have since gotten my hands on does not come close to this one.

Severly Long and Intricate
If you are in search of knowing every nook, crook, and cranny of Coach Lombardi's life from childhood on, then you have the right book.It is full of good things, but becomes rather monotonous and slow as it is a little too many intricacies about his life. The book turned into a very long read for me even though I am glad I read it.

Cluttered with pointless detail
There is a good book here. Unfortunately, it lies buried under layers of pointless detail. Do we really need to know the recipes for Lombardi's mother's meat pies? Do we really need to know the names and geographical backgrounds of all of Lombardi's fellow freshman recruits at Fordham? Or the complete lyrics of the school song the Lombardi-coached high school team sang to the nuns following a victory? Mannerisms, personality quirks, and pointless anecdotes of peripheral characters? Thorough research is a good thing, but a writer should choose the most telling details to use rather than simply dumping them all out for the reader to wade through. Still an interesting read, but the book could have used a good editor with a sharp red pencil. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Coaching    6. Football    7. Football - Professional    8. Football coaches    9. Lombardi, Vince    10. Sports - Football    11. Sports - General    12. United States    13. Biography & Autobiography / General    14. Biography: sport   

Reviews (18)

A great football bio
Bill Romanowski's book is excellent.To his credit,he acknowledges
Decent read, but call him what he is ...
"Romo" is an interesting enough read if you're into getting to the root of someone's supressed problems that play out in real life.
Thanks ROMO! - Brutally honest and insightful
I played football for 13 years and unfortunetly my NFL dreams were cut short for health reasons. Romanowski truly was THE hardest worker in the NFL in his days. I've followed him since his Eagles days. I am sure I am not just speaking for myself when I say football athletes can relate to him at many levels. Ive played at Romos collegiate level and have been to Bowl Games and I can't stress enough about the lengths at which every athlete goes through to increase performance and game. I finally had my chance to meet Romo in the 2002 season and got to stay at the hotel with my uncle (coach)and the Raiders, and personally met him and witnessed his pre-game rituals. He is a truly interesting man and always had job security on his mind and was the driving force. I respect his honestly with regards to admitting defeat vs teams and players.
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Subjects:  1. 1966-    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Football    7. Football - General    8. Football - Professional    9. Football players    10. Personal Memoirs    11. Romanowski, Bill    12. Romanowski, Bill,    13. Sports - Football    14. Sports - General    15. Sports And Public Policy    16. United States    17. Biography & Autobiography / Sports   

Reviews (3)

Would be 5 stars except for some errors I found
I have been interested in pro football stats since the late 1950s, so I ordered this new encyclopedia immediately (I have all the other ones referred to in this one).And as the authors said might might happen, once I got the book yesterday, I was up until the wee hours of the morning perusing it!
Incredible Value, A Must Have, Room For Improvement
I have been buying Football stat books since the 1970's so I feel like I can offer a well informed opinion. I have been waiting for a book like this since Total Football II became out of date and overall I am very pleased. This book raises the bar, it's got pretty much everything and then some, but there are some areas that need to be improved.
Oh, Baby.
It has all the crap you'd expect for something like this, like the main stats for every player, a list of all the head coaches and their yearly records, hall of fame members (including yearly finalists), pro-bowl rosters, yearly standings (with more detailed stats than you'll easily find anywhere else) complete with a blurb on the season, and top-five finishers in a variety of categories.
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Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. Football    3. Football - General    4. Reference    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. SPORTS - SPORTS Gen TRD PB    8. Sports & Recreation / Football    9. Sale Books   

Reviews (1)

Interesting Inside Look at the 1967 Green Bay Packers
I'm a big professional football fan and love reading about football.Jerry Kramer's Green Bay Packers diary - which details the 1967 season of the Green Packers, was quite an enjoyable and educational read for me.
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Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Football    5. Football - General    6. Personal Memoirs    7. Sports - Football    8. Sports - General    9. Biography & Autobiography / Sports   

Editorial Review

At last, the Dummies series is tackling football. Former Raider all-pro defensive end and current Fox TV analyst Howie Long calls the signals, and if he doesn't always go deep--he's got a lot of ground to cover--at least he connects. With all its X's and O's, football is a complicated sport, and Long works hard to smooth the way: "Once you break through that initial fear of being overwhelmed by football and what you don't understand," he counsels, "I know everything else about the game, like dominoes, will fall into place." In his role as guide, Long plays those dominoes, from peewees to the pros to the fantasy leagues, explaining positions, analyzing offenses and defenses, and detailing strategies. As with all Dummies guides, the fun part is the "Part of Tens," the series of top-10 lists that dig in for the final chapter. He scores big with his inclusions of John Hannah and Hugh McElhenny among the greatest offensive players ever, but should be penalized for overemphasizing tight ends and forgetting the electricity that wide receivers bring to the game. This, of course, reflects a defensive end's natural bias; since they muck it up more with the hulkier tight ends, they simply let the speedballs fly by. Read more

Reviews (25)

Still can't understand football.
I think it was written for people with a basic knowledge of football and not the non-fan. The terms in the glossary didn'tmake sense to me at all. Decided to forget about finishing the book and just make appetizers instead for the actual fans. Sorry but it didn't inspire me to learn about the game at all.

Hey Buckethead! You may have been a real good DE, but you failed CFL football 101!
The Canadian Pro Football League, which
Football for Anyone
I have a keen interest in North American Football and overtime I have picked up some terms and tactics, but as I am not North American I lack allot of detail knowledge on the game. So I wanted a guide to American Football that would give me not only the fundamentals but more detailed information.
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Subjects:  1. Football    2. Football - General    3. General    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. American football    8. Soccer (Association football)    9. Sports & Recreation / Football   

Reviews (1)

A book Sooners and Horns can appreciate
Don't get misled by that nasty orange dustcover, this is a fun and rowdy read for both Sooner and Horn fans as well as for anyone who wants to get a taste of the most colorful sports rivalry in America.Shropshire's witty essays give insight into the culture of both locker rooms and include some stories that even diehard fans will not have heard.Don't read this book in bed--my wife finally got tired of being awakened by my laughter and took refuge in the guestroom.Two corrections for the author: 1)it was OU President George Lynn Cross, not President Bill Banowsky, who first told the regents that "he wanted to build a university that the football team could be proud of" and 2)it is the Oklahoma-Texas rivalry, not the Texas-Oklahoma rivalry. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Collegiate Athletic Programs    2. Football    3. Football - College    4. Football - General    5. Gulf Coast states    6. History    7. Sports    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Sports rivalries    10. Texas Longhorns (Football team)    11. University of Texas    12. Sports & Recreation / Football   

Subjects:  1. Football - General    2. Sports    3. Sports & Recreation