2 comments about Rush to Judgment: The Simeon Rice Story.

1. Simeon Rice has been my personal favorite player since he started playing for the Fighting Illini bck in 1994, and he has continued to be now that he is playing for the Buccaneers. This book has really opened my eyes to what goes on in the mind and life of an NFL player, plus it shows that he's actually a human being, and not just a product for someone to exploit. It's fantasic!



2. What a steaming pile of turdWhat a steaming pile of turdWhat a steaming pile of turdWhat a steaming pile of turdWhat a steaming pile of turdWhat a steaming pile of turdWhat a steaming pile of turdWhat a steaming pile of turdWhat a steaming pile of turdWhat a steaming pile of turdWhat a steaming pile of turdWhat a steaming pile of turdWhat a steaming pile of turdWhat a steaming pile of turdWhat a steaming pile of turdWhat a steaming pile of turdWhat a steaming pile of turdWhat a steaming pile of turd.He is a stupid idiot. No one can understand him through his hill billy drawl. ps my name is george newbould i live in dorchester on thames, oxford, england. +44 7766587952 Give me a call for a great new friend.

No comments about Simply Devine Missouri Limited Edition.

2 comments about The Need to Win: Football from My Own Heart.

1. Otis Taylor tells his life story in his honest way. He really was a great player and he knows that and tells you so, but it mostly doesn't come off as too arrogant, just honest.
   Taylor does a great job covering his life through the early seventies. He enjoyed a lot of success, as did his team, the Kansas City Chiefs. He provides some thought-provoking glimpses into racism and teamwork in a turbulent era.
   My only real complaint is that the book seems to quickly run out of steam as the Chiefs and Taylor fade. I would have loved to learn more about such a great athlete fading and accepting his career's end. I can handle his openness about his greatness, but how about when the greatness starts to diminish? The book does pick up a bit when Taylor discusses his post-playing career.



2. THIS BOOK IS ABOUT FORMER KANSAS CITY CHIEF GREAT, OTIS TAYLOR. I LIKED THIS BOOK BECAUSE OF THE HONESTY AND SINCERITY OF OTIS TAYLOR. HE DOES A NICE JOB OF TELLING HIS LIFE STORY INCLUDING HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HANK STRAM, LEN DAWSON AND MANY OTHERS. I THOUGHT OTIS NEVER GOT THE CREDIT HE DESERVED AS ONE OF THE GREAT WIDE RECEIVERS OF HIS TIME. HALL OF FAME SHOULD INCLUDE HIM. A REAL NICE READ FOR CHIEF AND FOOTBALL FANS. RECOMMENDED.

No comments about Catching Dreams: The Autobiography of William E. Pellum.

3 comments about Alex Smith: The Story Of The University Of Utah's Unlikely Star Quarterback.

1. the story of Alex Smith is a great story about a kid who always played second fiddle, but when he got the chance to sign, he took full advantage.
   
   Smith went to Helix high school and in 2 years lost 2 game as the starting QB leading his team to 2 straight state titles.
   
   Smith wasn't the story however, his teamate was.
   Running Back Reggie Bush, who later signed to play at USC.
   
   Smith had only 2 offers, 1-Michigan State 2-Utah
   
   Smith declined Michigan State because his uncle was the head coach, and fearing a political backlash, Smith chose Utah.
   
   at Utah, Smith was at the very bottom of the depth chart and even thought about transfering out, but destiny was on Alex's side.
   
   on the last play of the game against Texas A&M, Utah's starting QB got hurt, and Smith took over. his first start was against California and Smith lead the Utes to a win over the ranked Cal.
   
   in 2 years, Smith lead Utah to a 21-1 record and from the unknowns to a powerhouse football team.
   in his junior season, Smith had just about everything you could ask for short of the National Title.
   
   Utah finished 12-0, ranked #5 in the Nation, and was the first Non-BCS team to make it a BCS game.
   
   Alex Smith ended his junior year leading Utah to a 35-7 win over Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl and took home MVP of the game, finishing 29 of 37 for 328 yards and 4 tds.
   
   Smith was a Heishman Trophy finalist and was named by The Sporting News as the college football Player of the Year.
   
   i really hope there is a revised story, because it pretty much ends where Alex makes his decision to go pro, which was a no brainer.
   
   Smith ended up becoming the #1 overall draft pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.
   he threw his first TD pass in his 150th pass attempt, finishing the season with 1 td and 11 ints.
   
   Alex wore #11 and was in the #1 pick in the NFL Draft. pretty crazy numbers hu?
   
   the Alex Smith story is really fascinating. he's not a showboat, or a gloater. he's a very humble guy who knows where he came from.
   
   great story.



2. The story of Alex Smith and his meteoric rise to the number one NFL draft choice is a superbly inspiring story, written by a very talented young author. It is laced with humerous anecdotes and interesting insights into Smith's homelife and his first 20 years.



3. Wow! This is a compelling story, for young and old. Heather is an amazing storyteller, and does a masterful job of sharing the story of Alex Smith as he follows his dream of playing football in the NFL. It is full of fun and anecdotal excerpts from his childhood, and a detailed review of his march to an undefeated 2004 season, leading the University of Utah football team. I couldn't put it down, and read the whole book in one sitting (two weeks before his going first pick in the NFL draft). Now, I can't wait for the sequel covering his 49er years!

2 comments about All Heart: The Autobiography of Michael Pinball Clemons.

1. "All Heart" is not only the title of this book, but also an apt description of Michael Clemons. The book is written by Michael himself and he handles himself in this book with the same grace and dignity with which he plays football and lives his life. Clemons is a player who always speaks well of others and those who know him only from media interviews might expect this to be a sugar-coated book. Not so. Michael speaks honestly about the people and issues he has encountered in football. How can this man be so happy all the time? Read the book and you'll know his secret!



2. All Heart, the new book from Michael Clemons, gives us an insight into one of the finest athletes and human beings on the Canadian sporting scene. Pinball shows us again what a wonderful guy he really is. The antithesis of the modern pro athlete, he combines talent, humanity, humour, and class. All Heart is a journey through the professional and personal growth of an all-time Argonaut. You''ll see why this man is always smiling !!

3 comments about I Remember Bud Wilkinson: Personal Memories and Anecdotes About an Oklahoma Sooners Legend As Told by the People and Players Who Knew Him (I Remember).

1. Bud Wilkinson's name isn't mentioned with college football coaching legends like Joe Paterno, Bobby Bowden, Paul 'Bear' Bryant, Woody Hayes, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner or Tom Osborne, but it should be. Wilkinson became a head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners in 1947 at the young age of 31. Seventeen years later he retired from coaching in 1963 at age 47 after winning three national titles in 1950,1955, and 1956.
   
   Along with the titles, his coaching career included one win streak of 31 games and another spanning over four years at a record-holding 47 games. (So, how does won go on a 47-game winning streak and only win two national titles? The answer is in the book.) At one point Wilkinson's win/loss record stood at a incredible 94-5-2 over 101 games - a feat that will never be duplicated.
   
   'I Remember Bud Wilkinson' isn't a book about Bud Wilkinson's life as told by the author. Instead the story of Wilkinson's life is told by the people who knew him throughout his life. Included are comments from notable names such as Curt Gowdy, Keith Jackson, Barry Switzer, Jim Hart, and Ara Parseghian.
   
   The first part of the book contains stories from coaches and players during his career at Oklahoma. We are treated with several anecdotes about Wilkinson's coaching philosophy from how he handled his players to how he organized his practices. The stories give the reader a good idea of who Bud Wilkinson was as a person and how he developed the Sooners into the stuff of legend. At times, the stories are inspiring and may serve as guidance to young people - I realize this sounds a bit corny - on how to conduct themselves.
   
   The stories after Wilkinson retired from coaching and became a broadcaster tend to be more light-hearted. You're treated to a different side of Wilkinson and simultaneously what the early days in college football broadcasting were like.
   
   Some of the better ones include:
   
   * Keith Jackson recalling an experience when Bear Bryant was to assist in a broadcast. Bryant showed up 'pretty well greased', commented very little and eventually ended up nodding off while Wilkinson was forced to work him in and out of the broadcast.
   * Barry Switzer telling a story about how Wilkinson spent the night in a hotel room serving drinks to Woody Hayes, Bob Devaney, Bear Bryant, and Duffy Daugherty.
   * How a television cue mix-up lead to the Air Force Falcon flying off before the broadcast started. How another mistake left Wilkinson and fellow broadcaster Chris Schenkel shouting over the top of a marching band at the beginning of the first Peach Bowl broadcast.
   
   The last part of the book deals with Wilkinson's two-year with the St Louis Cardinals as a NFL head coach. Stories here relate why Wilkinson failed, how the Cardinals were run as an organization. The end of the book includes "In His Own Words" - which weren't nearly as interesting as the other stories throughout the book. The book then concludes with a history of Wilkinson's win/loss record throughout his career.
   
   'I Remember Bud Wilkinson' is a pretty fun read. It's also an easy read. The stories are interesting whether they're about football, broadcasting or Wilkinson's short-lived NFL career. You get a full view of his life and an understanding of the world in which he lived. The book isn't just for Oklahoma Sooners fans - it's for anyone who would like to know more about college football history and one of the greatest unsung coaches to shape the game.



2. I have always had great respect for Bud Wilkinson as a football coach and as a leader of men, I did not need to read a book where everyone who speaks of him lauds him needlessly and dumps sugar all over his legacy. I read "The Undefeated" by Jim Dent. It was all about Coach Wilkinson and his fabled OU football program. THAT, was a brutally honest account of the REAL Bud Wilkinson. I DO want to read about the real man that Coach Wilkinson was, not some perfect "god". I have total respect for Coach Wilkinson, no matter what human imperfections he may have had. I did enjoy "I Remember Bud Wilkinson", but it was WAY too candy-coated. If you're looking for an HONEST portrait of Coach Wilkinson, you won't find it in this book.



3. It is a fun book to read because it tells the reader how Bud Wilkinson was a football coach for young men that only players on so many other teams could only dream about. Bud Wilkinson was a coach who enjoyed the game and enjoyed practice aand he let his players do the same!

2 comments about True Blue: The Carm Cozza Story.

1. Strengths:
   Writing is clear and crisp. Each chapter is fascinating. Cozza offers his reminiscences about Yale football, and some of his favorite players (Czinger, Ryan, Diana, Jauron, Hill, etc.) and games. Many photos. Well-designed and produced.
   
   Cozza did not like the Ivy football being shunted to I-AA; most likely he would rather have had the Ivies compete among themselves at the I-A level. Cozza rails against academic requirements imposed by the admissions office.
   
   Weaknesses: none that I can think of.
   
   Harvard's Joe Restic should write his own memoirs.



2. Every Yale fan will enjoy Carm Cozza's humble jourey from Miami of Ohio {Coach's U} to the hallow halls of Yale University. Cozza provides the reader with insights on Yale's football past, present and future. An informative sports read.

No comments about A Salute to Nebraska's Tom Osborne: A 25-Year History.

No comments about Great Running Backs: Football's Fearless Foot Soldiers.