No comments about Kurt Warner: The Quarterback (Sport Snaps).

No comments about First A Bear: Now A Saint: Mike Ditka's Insights, Outbursts, Kudos, and Comebacks.

3 comments about From Ghetto to God: The Incredible Journey of NFL Star, Reggie Rucker.

1. This book, I'll tell you is one of the best books you'll read. I found it easy to read, it flowed well, I could not put it down. You are talking about a real roller coaster ride.
   I am a christian and I would like to see more professional athletes put aside pride and ego and recognize that all that we are is due to the grace of God. The inspirational message is that circumstance may be unavoidable but ambition, hard work, and perserverance can make us into whatever we wish. If one had faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ, as Mr. Rucker, then all things are possible.



2. This is a story that actually made me cry. I have been a fan of the Cleveland Browns and the Kardiac Kids and Mr Rucker was one of my favorite football players. I have read accounts of his life in newspaper articles but never did those articles go into the depth of this book. I was simply fascinated by his early life struggles and the depravity of an american family in our nations capital. Reggie Rucker truly enjoyed the blessings of a guardian angel, I would agree with him that he was favored. A lot of young black men never make it out of the squalor of ghetto life. Somehow, he was able to marshall all the forces of his inner circle, pick himself up, and commit himself to his own survival.
   Too bad he didn't realize his gift when he had that stage, like many of today's athletes, the temptations are so readily available that these men think they can get away with whatever. Sometimes we get a peek into their world and if this is genuine, we can use his life's experiences inspirationally. I know there are young men in similar circumstances that if they take a moment and read this book, they will certainly realize that anything is possible in this great country. And, if God is with us, who can be against us. In short, I think the authors did a great job of bearing the soul and a man who has obviously, come into the light.



3. About two weeks ago, I heard Reggie Rucker talk about his book on a local Cleveland sports talk show. Having grown up with the Cleveland Browns and the "Kardiac Kids", I felt compelled to run out and buy the book to find out how this man had gone from the ghetto to finding God.

   At best, this book is a first draft. It has the potential of being a good book; however, it is far from being finished. Who ever the editor is could not have even proof read it.

   Reggie does share with us his life as an African-American growing up in the ghetto's of Washington D.C. but he seems too interested in sharing with us his sex cappers rather than more about Reggie the person. We are able to catch a few glimpses of the person but so much more could be told. He received an academic scholarship to Boston University yet he makes no attempt to explain how he became such a good student under his living conditions. While taking us through his football career, he talks about his first experience at Dallas and then arriving at New England and leading the league in catches. In one sentence we are told this information and he makes no attempt to share with us how he went from being an unknown to leading the league? What was that season like - how did it make him feel? We'll never know. All we'll know about is girl after girl that climbed into bed with him while he was married including the under age high school student while he was a teacher during the off season.

   In learning all about Reggie's sexual advetures, he does not mention any of the women by name. But when he gets to Halle Berry, he can't wait to drop her name and tell us all about how he at 35 took advantage of this at the time 19 year old future star.

   This book is less than 200 pages long. The first 195 pages Reggie tells us about escapades of the sex life of a Black male in the 70's and 80's and the last five pages of how he has become a born again Christian.

   Mr. Rutger has a story to tell. He just needs an editor that can help him tell it. Again, this book at best is a draft of what could be.

No comments about I Was There in '66.

1 comments about Da Coach: Irreverent Stories from his Players, Coaches and Friends.

1. Da Coach, you gotta love him. The editor, however, that's a slightly different story.
   
   While I love Ditka and the Bears, the book wasn't as enjoyable as I thought it would be. It's as if all of Ditka's friends and family got together and wrote down their best Ditka stories on bar napkins. They picked them up, shuffled them, and then created a book.
   
   I'm not sure, but I think each person wrote their own sections. I doubt the editor did much at all. This is the book's major downfall. A gifted writer could have squeezed so much more out of the stories, many of which I had never heard.
   
   I really wanted to love this book, but I just couldn't. I liked it a great deal, but the choppiness, the amateur writing, and the absolute lack of any direction severely limited the book's effectiveness.
   
   There are, however, bright spots. The actual stories, if you can ignore the writing and one-on-one style, are very entertaining. Ditka's days in college, his playing antics, his coaching antics, and general kookiness are spread throughout the book. It's the Ditka you all love. It's the hard-working, foul-mouthed, take no sh** attitude that made the city of Chicago fall in love with him, and it's the same energy that carries this book.
   
   In the end, my love for the city of Chicago, Ditka, the Bears, and nearly all things related made the book enjoyable.

No comments about The Long Gravel Road To Bama: The Story Of Richard And Jimmy Grammer.

3 comments about Paterno: By the Book.

1. "By the Book" chronicles the life of Joe Paterno. It begins with a description of his childhood and prep school years in Brooklyn, takes us through his football career at Brown University, and how he became the head coach at Penn State. The book is rich with descriptions of Penn State players and seasons up through the 1988 season. But, this book is much more than a football story. It's a view into Joe Pa's heart and soul. It is a portrayal of his values, his motivations, his vision and dreams. These, not just for his football team, but for his family, his university, and his profession. Much more than a fun read for Penn State fans, it is a valuable resource for aspiring coaches and players searching to find the essence of their relationship to their sport.



2. Published before the 1989 season, Paterno: By the Book provides a great deal of insight into the mind of one of the greatest college football coaches ever. The book is more memorable for Paterno's musings on life, recruiting, winning, losing and growing up with a strong mother rather than for his specific thoughts on the numerous games he has coached. Assuming the book is in fact an accurate portrayal of Paterno, it is clear that he will never voluntarily step down from Penn State, no matter how bad things get. He is determined and driven to succeed. He will not quit and he will not go quietly. From many of his remarks in the book about Penn State, it is clear he feels the same way a number of his supporters do, Penn State owes Joe loyalty for his many years of service. A solid sports book about sports...and life.



3. This book is a must read for football fans, coaches, players, and for anyone interested in how to succeed in sports competition. Although it is his life story, one can garner many pearls of wisdom about how to succeed, how to compete in an honest and sincere way, and the values that must be instilled in any sports players, young and old. You can find out why a man would turn down a 1 million job to coach at Penn State for 100K. Or why Joe Paterno rolls up his pants for games. Most of all, you can find the nuances and ideals behind the most successful college football coach, and the most successful college football program, in history.

No comments about Good Night Jonathan - Good Morning Laura.

2 comments about Touchdown Tommie: The Tommie Frazier Story.

1. The biography I read for my second book of the semester was "Touchdown Tommie". The name Tommie referred to Tommis Frazier of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The author of this interesting biography was Bob Schaller. It portrayed Tommie growing up in Florida to him as a star at Nebraska. This book was published in 1998. "Touchdown Tommie" is probably not located in the Valley Library but can be found in your local book store. The beginning of this book started with Tommie Frazier's childhood. Then the story went on to the recruting that all the top colleges did to try and get Tommie to play for them. The most interesting parts are the stories of the tough times that Tommie went through at Nebraska and then later on in the CFL (Canadian Football League). This biography was similar to one that I read about Michael Jordan. In that book, it talked about his life and then his hard times. Michael's most difficult time was when he was not very good at basketball in high school. Tommie's greatest struggle was a little more serious. He had blood clots in his legs in college. Those clots seriously jeopardized his athletic career at Nebraska and the NFL(National Football League). This biography was written in a very straight-forward manner and was easy to understand. That was important for me. I thought that the author used good facts about Tommie's career at Nebraska and also the dynasty of Nebraska over the years. Also, the topic of the book, that was obviously football, was one of my interests. I think this book was a good model for writing because in each chapter it really explained the main point of the chapter clearly. It also got the point across without confusing the reader. It also was good because there were some metaphors that were easy to identify and essential for living your life. The metaphor I learned was when you face an obstacle you must work hard to overcome it. Another lesson I learned was to not get big-headed like many college players do. Tommie Frazier did not. Maybe that was part of the reason he had success in life and on the football field. Although I thought this book was outstanding, I could see some things that not all readers would like. For example, if people do not like the Nebraska Cornhuskers, they would be interested in reading this book. I think that even if you did not like the team, it was still good to read. You could learn some things about life regardless of who you were. On the same note, the football theme is throughout the book. If you dislike football, it could be difficult to read the book. However, in my opinion, I give this book an 8 out 10.



2. This book was very good. Bob Schaller does a very good job portraying Tommie.Bob tells of tommies recruiting decisions between the colleges that wanted to recruit him and his troubles with the media. My favorite part of the book was the last part when tommie gives his top 15 things that will make you a better person.

1 comments about One for the Gipper.

1. George Gipp is credited for being the "single biggest reason" Notre Dame football grew to its fame. After reading this true accounting of the Gipp's life by Patrick Chelland, I believe it. Knute Rockne coached at Notre Dame, but George Gipp became the icon. Why hasn't this become a movie?