- Paperback: 336 pages
- Publisher: It Books; Reprint edition (Oct 13 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0060739312
- ISBN-13: 978-0060739317
- Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 16.3 x 1.9 cm
- Shipping Weight: 259 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #631,024 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Using a structure similar to George Will's Men at Work, Freeman dedicates sections of his new book to coaches, players and executives, employing their stories as jumping off points to discuss the inner working of the NFL. Employing his insider connections and investigative journalism skills, Freeman, who covers football for the New York Times, doesn't shy away from the critical issues facing the league, such as a financial system that can leave players with little money and tenuous job security or the high-profile domestic abuse cases that have become all too common among the league's players in recent years. He explores not only the health risks to players who use their bodies as battering rams but also the health issues facing workaholic NFL coaches. Given America's obsession with celebrities' personal lives, the book's most stunning revelation comes from Steven Thompson (an alias), a gay NFL player who claims there are currently "100 to 200 gay and bisexual" players in the league. Freeman reports on all these issues with passion and compassion, almost always giving thoughtful consideration to both sides of the story while also suggesting viable solutions to the league's problems. Freeman's only fumble is his "99 Reasons Why Football Is Better Than Baseball," an indication that ubiquitous list journalism has made the jump from magazines to books. Still, Freeman's courage to tackle the sport's biggest issues and his insider's expertise make this a must read for football fanatics coast to coast.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Review
“A must-read for fans.” (Maxim )
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
When the alarm clock sounds, Cindy Gruden usually gives her husband, Jon, the turbulent and talented Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach, a shove out of bed, which serves as a sort of kick start to his 20-hour day. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
When the alarm clock sounds, Cindy Gruden usually gives her husband, Jon, the turbulent and talented Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach, a shove out of bed, which serves as a sort of kick start to his 20-hour day. Read the first page
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Concordance
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great for the most part,
By Ray Travis (Toronto) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Bloody Sundays: Inside the Rough-and-Tumble World of the NFL (Paperback)
It seems that many other people really pointed out the great parts of this book. However, the one thing that kept bothering me was the total infatutaion with current Bucs coach Jon Gruden. A good coach? Yes. But with the comparisons made in the book it seems a little bit of a stretch. Besides that, the chapter on the closet current homosexual player is worth the read alone.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Football Without The Glitz,
By
This review is from: Bloody Sundays (Hardcover)
Now that ESPN has bowed to the pressure of the NFL and cancelled the show "Playmakers," it's left to Freeman's book to look inside the NFL and show it warts and all. A lot of attention has been given to the author's chapters on 'Steven Thompson' the pseudonym for a closeted gay football player. That chapter simply confirms what everyone already knows - that gay men are in football but they are not out nor are they likely to come out in the near future. The rest of the time Freeman draws upon his contacts and years as a reporter to analyze the people he spotlights both in an historical sense, as well as through direct access to the people and those around them. He paints pictures of people who may get the shaft in their professional lives, but who came to the game and keep going despite hardships because they truly love football. You can debate his picks for the best of all time in various positions, but you have to give Freeman the slack to express his opinions after spending time reporting on his topic, and he tries to reason out his choices. The person who does not know the NFL won't really be served by using this as an introduction, but readers familiar with the game and the players (not necessarily fanatics) will find the peek behind closed doors interesting.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unbelievable amount of information,
By mallrat (Davenport, Iowa) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Bloody Sundays (Hardcover)
This is one of those books that gives you a "wow" feeling afterward, you can hardly believe what you just read. The author knows a lot of people and goes behind the scenes and undercover, he shows how the teams actually spy on their players! And how a player is actually drafted.It's tough reading because you see how mean and unforgiving the game and the team is to a player. You see how ruthless a game football can be. You respect the football players a lot more, because you see how much pain they always have to suffer in their job, and how much they damage their bodies. The author talks a lot about history and individual stories here, which makes his book familiar and very interesting.
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