5 comments about Barney Ross (Jewish Encounters).

1. There are a lot of similarities here between Barney's story and Jake La Motta's story and they both could have been RAGING BULL the movie. This book is concise and written very smoothly--an even-flow to read thru.
   A good boxing and Jewish lifestyle book at the same time.



2. Every few years I stumble across a short, breezy biography that far better treats its subject than it would have at ten times the length. "Barney Ross" is one of these delights.
   
   Douglas Century's story of Jewish boxer Barney Ross renders an evocative portrait of the forgotten, dangerous world inhabited by the ancestors of today's American Jews a century ago.
   
   Ross's father was a Talmudic scholar, chased from the old country by pogroms, and murdered in the new one during an armed robbery. The family was scattered. Ross boxed for money to get the youngest brothers out of an orphanage, which he did.
   
   The book illuminates two colorful groups of yore: Jewish boxers and gangsters. Both groups - the one aboveboard, the other not - speak to a Jewish yearning for strength, as well as an ambivalence about it, after centuries of weakness. Judaism disparaged athletics, let alone criminal violence, from the time of the Greeks and Maccabees.
   
   Tough guys - shtarkers, in Yiddish - weren't what their mothers wanted them to be, but had credibility on the Lower East Side and Chicago's Maxwell Street, where Ross grew up. Both gangsters and boxers stood up for their people when no one else would, defending their neighborhoods against interlopers.
   
   Ross, who simultaneously held three titles in the 1930s, was definitely one tough boychik. In 81 pro fights, he was never knocked out. That includes the last one in which, over the hill, he was savagely beaten by Henry Armstrong. Virtually helpless, he took an estimated 1200 punches, but refused to go down and kept answering the bell. He never said "no mas" in any language.
   
   He was just as tough at Guadalcanal, enlisting in the Marines at the advanced age of 33. He fought alone through a harrowing night to defend several wounded and cutoff men, firing hundreds of rounds and throwing dozens of grenades. They were finally relieved the next day. Around Ross's foxhole lay two dozen dead Japanese soldiers.
   
   Hospitalized for three months, Ross began a morphine addiction which nearly killed him. He fought it just as courageously, turning himself in for arrest so that he could be sent to a prison specializing in drug addiction treatment. His drug addiction tainted his celebrity; a planned biopic was quashed and turned instead into a fictional story loosely based on his life. This is why most people today have never heard of him.
   
   Ross worked to raise money and Holocaust awareness even as the Warsaw ghetto uprising raged. He smuggled guns to the Irgun for battles leading to Israel's independence. And he may have been one of the Jewish tough guys who terrorized Nazi sympathizers in Chicago in the 1930s. Another was Jack Ruby, a friend of Ross's; Ross last entered the public eye when he was questioned by the Warren Commission about Ruby's early entanglements with Chicago gangsters.
   
   As Century notes, Ross was special. He retained religious ties throughout his life. He didn't have much of a mean streak, apologizing to his sparring partners for hurting them and showing little taste for putting away a weakened opponent. To Jews, boxing was a means to an end, a way out of poverty. When times changed, twenty years later, there were no more Jewish boxers. This little book is a reminder of what life was like for American Jews before they succeeded.



3. I KNEW BARNEY ROSS WHEN I WAS A YOUNG LAD GROWING UP IN THE SUBURS OF NEWARK NEW JERSEY. BARNEY SUGERMAN Z'L, MY FATHER AND BARNEY ROSS WERE CLOSE CLOSE FRIENDS. SUGIE AS MY FATHER WAS ALSO KNOWN WAS IN THE JUKE BOX AND GAME BUSINESS. HE CAME OUT OF THAT VERY SPECIAL WORLD OF PROHIBITION, ROARING 20'S, PROUD JEWS INCLUDING MOBSTERS AND PRIZE FIGHTERS. POP HAD HIS OFFICES AND BUSINESS ON JUKE BOX ROW, TENTH AVENUE AND 43RD STREET IN MANHATTAN. BARNEY ROSS WAS AT THE OFFICE TWO OR THREE TIMES A WEEK AND AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK, THE TWO BARNEYS WOULD MAKE THE ROUNDS IN THE CITY. DOUGLAS CENTURY DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF CONVEYING THE TRUE PERSONALITY AND CHARACTER OF BARNEY ROSS. THE BOOK IS OUTSTANDING. IT CAPTURES THE TRUE SPIRIT OF BARNEY ROSS. I WILL TELL YOU THAT WHEN BARNEY ROSS WOULD SAY HELLO TO YOU, IT MADE YOU FEEL YOU WERE SPECIAL. HE HUGGED YOU, KISSED YOU, AND HE BLESSED YOU IN PERFECT HEBREW AND IN PERFECT YIDDISHE. HE WAS A REAL PROUD JEW AND HE KNEW THAT HE CARRIED ON HIS SHOULDERS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF JEWISH PRIDE TO A NATION THAT HAD NOT YET FULLY ACCEPTED THE JEWISH PEOPLE. IN FACT GROWING UP, ANTI SEMITISM WAS NOT A RARE OCCURENCE. BARNEY CARRIED THE CROWN OF JEWISH PRIDE WHEREVER HE WENT. I WILL TELL ONE STORY. IN THE MID 50'S I WAS A STUDENT AT BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY WHICH WAS A SCHOOL ASSOCIATED WITH THE BAPTISTS. IN THOSE DAYS, THERE WAS A LIMIT ON JEWS GOING TO BUCKNELL, WE HAD A 5% QUOTA. SO WE HAD ONE JEWISH FRATERNITY HOUSE. IN MY JUNION YEAR, 1958, WE HAD AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR THE ANNUAL SPORTS EVENING. ALL THE ATHLETES OF THE SCHOOL WENT TO THE ANNUAL DINNER. SOMEBODY KNEW THAT MY FATHER AND BARNEY ROSS WERE CLOSE FRIENDS, AND THE SCHOOL BOXING COMMITTEE ASKED ME IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO INVITE BARNEY ROSS TO COME UP TO THE SCHOOL TO GIVE A SPEECH. I CALLED POP. HE SPOKE TO BARNEY ROSS. BARNEY RIGHT AWAY SAID OF COURSE HE WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO IT. THAT WAS BARNEY ROSS. THE WORD "NO" DIDN'T EXIST IN HIS VOCABULARY. I TOLD POP TO MAKE SURE HE WAS UP BY 4 OR 4.30 BECAUSE THE DINNER WAS SCHEDULED FOR 6 PM. POP PICKED BARNEY UP EARLY IN THE MORNING. IT WAS NO MORE THAN A 4 HOUR DRIVE UP THROUGH ROUTE 22 TO MAKE IT TO LEWISBURG PENNSYLVANIA. BUT NO SIGN OF THE TWO BARNEYS AND BY 5 PM. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO LOOK LIKE THE LAUGHING STOCK OF THE SCHOOL. FINALLY AT SIX PM ON THE DOT THE BIG BLUE FOUR DOOR CADILLAC PULLED UP AND OUT CAME BARNEY ROSS WITH BARNEY SUGERMAN. BARNEY ROSS SMELLED LIKE HE FELL INTO A BATH TUB OF WHISKEY. I ASKED POP WHAT THE HELL TOOK HIM SO LONG. POP EXPLAINED THAT BETWEEN NEW YORK CITY AND LEWISBURG PENNSYLVANIA BARNEY ROSS INSISTED ON STOPPING IN EACH TOWN AND HAVE A DRINK. AS SOON AS HE WALKED INTO A BAR IN THOSE LITTLE BLUE COLLAR TOWNS IN NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA, GUYS IMMEIDATELY RECOGNIZED HIM AND BEFORE LONG, "BARNEY HAVE ANOTHER DRINK ON THE HOUSE, AND TELL US ABOUT THE FIGHT WITH TONY CANZONERI, WITH JIMMY MC LARNIN, ETC."
   
   WE BROUGHT BARNEY INTO OUR SAMMY HOUSE FRATERNITY. HE WAS SURROUNDED BY ALL THE GUYS IN THE FRATERNITY WHO WANTED TO SAY HELLO TO BARNEY ROSS AND SHAKE HIS HAND, ETC. BARNEY ROSS HOWEVER WAS THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND. I WAS WONDERING HOW THE HELL HE WAS GOING TO GIVE A SPEECH AT THE SPORTS NIGHT EVENT.
   
   WE WENT TO THE DINNER. THE PLACE WAS MOBBED WITH ALL THE JOCKS AT BUCKNELL. NATURALLY, THE VAST MAJORITY WERE NOT JEWISH. BARNEY GOT UP TO SPEAK. HE HUGGED THE MICROPHONE AND HE STARTED TO SPEAK. HE SPOKE SO QUIETLY, BUT SO ELOQUENTLY AND SO PASSIONATELY ABOUT HIS LIFE GROWING UP AS A JEWISH BOY IN CHICAGO, HIS FATHER'S TRAGIC MURDER, HIS ENTRY INTO BOXING, HIS CAREER, HIS FIGHTS, HIS WAR TIME EXPERIENCE, HIS DRUG ADDICTION AS A RESULT OF THE WOUNDS HE SUFFERED DURING THE BATTLE AT GUADACANAL AND HIS STUGGLE TO BEAT THE HABIT. THAT EVENT TOOK PLACE NEARLY FIFTY YEARS AGO. I REMEMBER IT LIKE IT HAPPENED TONIGHT. BARNEY ROSS WAS A CHAMPION AS A FIGHTER, BOTH IN THE RING AND IN THE BATTLEFIELD BUT THAT NIGHT HE WAS A CHAMPION OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE. KOLHAKAVOD TO DOUGLAS CENTURY. HIS BOOK IS A TRIBUTE TO THE TRUE CHARACTER OF BARNEY ROSS



4. ...and it's a right pity so few Jewish youngsters have never even heard of the former champ Barney Ross -- the "Pride of the Ghetto."
   
   I'd first heard about Century's book over at the always insightful website, www.nextbook.org, where he was interviewed over a seven minute stretch about the life and times of the second- (of two) most famous Jewish pugilist of all-time, other than Benny Leonard.
   
   Century demonstrates a deft skill with the pen and a remarkable savvy for the entire era and the relevant subject material. It clearly shines through in his compact historial narrative of the period.
   
   I'd wanted to read over the reviews of this book before devlving into my own -- figuring that if you're really keen on knowing what the book's about, you don't need me to tell you that....the editorial reviews do more than an adequate job.
   
   Within Barney Ross' pages, expect a raft of feelgood as you stream through fellow-Canadian Century's well-crafted prose. He collates what -- to this scribe at least -- seems to be a wealth of source material in order to carve out a delectable read. In what might otherwise be a biography of the late fighter, Century eschews the traditional format of "he was born in 1909..." and opts for a more 'filmic' approach -- I swear a camera could've been trained on any one of these scenes.
   
   You'll breeze through the initial pages figetedly, reading of the shooting murder of Ross' Talmudic-scholar father in his tiny Maxwell Street fruit shop by a pair of Chicago street thugs, then you'll root for Barney -- ne Beryl Rasofsky -- as he vows to regain his family's fallen honour -- having lost his mother to a wellness sanitorium in Connecticut and his siblings to a local Chi-Town orphanage.
   
   You'll pump your fists silently, as you sip your preferred beverage, reading about Ross' earliest victories on the canvas and in the ring, then rallying to the fighter's side as he continues to rise through the amateur -- then professional -- ranks, on his way to boxing lightweight and welterweight stardom.
   
   When Armstrong clobbers Ross in their to the wire slugfest, ending Ross' illustrious career, it'll tug at your heartstrings, while it continues to thump on that same spot uncomfortably as you read about Ross' subsequent enlistment in the US Marine Corps then of his injuries sustained at Guadalcanal.
   
   When you learn of his resultant addiction to morpheine, and then Ross' subsequent long battle to trump it, you're bound to be affected.
   
   Thanks to Barney Ross, I'm super keen on having a look at Century's other stuff. I'm sure it's moving all the same.



5. I highly recommend this book. I read for entertainment and was
   thoroughly entertained. You do not have to be an admirer of the
   great pugilists of the past to enjoy this book. God bless Barney
   and what he left us.

2 comments about Marion Jones: Life in the Fast Lane - An Illustrated Autobiography.

1. Excellent book. The book allows you to view Marion's world from the inside out. Remarkable woman who has overcome so much.



2. This book was amazing to read...i'm such a huge fan of hers because she reminds me of me. this book by far is the best book written about her. Since she wrote it, i know it's the truth. every question i had about her was answered in this book. she is probably my biggest sports hero.

3 comments about Mad Game : The NBA Education of Kobe Bryant.

1. Kobe Bryant is all Ready a Important Player but wait until a few years down the line His Best shall come.the Guy is a Good Balance of Talent&Flaw.He is gonna be Scary in years to Come.this Book brings all those Elements&More out.He has had to deal with alot of things On&Off the COurt but He is Headed for Something Special with His Career.the Sky is the Limit for Him.



2. I read the book a little while back, and I thought it was a great read on the most electrifying basketball player today. At that time, Kobe was going through a lot of growing pains, a lot of failures, crticisms, bad chemistry with teammates. And now, this season, I've seen Kobe's maturation and improvement in the league, playing more under control, playing in Phil Jackson's triangle offense, having better rapport with Shaq and his teammates. His incredible performance in Game 4 of the NBA Finals in overtime was unforgettable and it is only the beginning. Now he is finally an NBA champion with the Lakers, and hopefully, this will be the beginning of another great Laker dynasty, the first of the 21st century!



3. welcom to the world of kobe bryant this book is nomber 1 out of2,865 books i have read (still counting) this book doesnt just tellyou about kobe it tells you about the whol lakers history and abot how other players reflect on kobe bryant like m.j. & magic Johnson I've read this book 3 times and i never get tierd of it i could tell you at least 5 things kobe has remarked of the top of my head I'm 11 years old & for me to type this much I'd have to love this book! & allso the author r. lazenby is supurb!

1 comments about Out of the Shadows: A Biographical History of African American Athletes.

1. Thirteen original essays provide an in-depth biographical focus on both famous and lesser-known Afro-American athletes from the 19th century to modern times, and is a key pick for college-level collections specializing in Afro-American studies or sports history. Here are surveys that link athletic endeavors to social issues and politics, examining the effects of segregation on ambition and achievement. Contributors are top sports history writers and their essays examine the close connections between race, prejudice, and sport.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

1 comments about Clough: The Autobiography.

1. A good read from old "big mouth". He comes across as the arrogant, self confident, single minded man that made him a great manager and great entertainment.

   One of the best football autobiographies I've read.

5 comments about How You Play the Game: Lessons for Life from the Billion-Dollar Business of Sports.

1. I read this book by 10 July 2005. What I remember most from this book is how the author seized upon the opportunities that came his way and grew it into the empire that he has today. A classic American success story. More "down-to-earth" than, say, how Gates or the Google guys got made.



2. I recommend this book for people who want motivation to do better in life.jerry calangello shares his road to the to.because of his desire and dedication he was able to go from working at a rental shop to becoming a multi millionaire businesman.



3. this book was good i would recamend this book to anyone how would enjoy a good read. Jerry Colangelo tells you how to have success in the business world. i am thinking about telling my brother to read it it is that good. he also tells you about the odds and ends to working in teh business world but it looks like he did a goo job sofar.but last but not least this was a goo book and i hope you would read it .



4. Jerry Colangelo delivers absolutely the most powerful message in his new book, "How You Play The Game," which is, you can't have success without giving. Colangelo discusses a wide range of topics that helped him get to where he is today. He discusses forming partnerships, being a good person before becoming a role model, and staying focused. Jerry Colangelo is definitely an inspiration to me, and I believe all that he says is true!



5. The book How You Play The Game by Jerry Colangelo, is a boring book that is really not that interesting. It is pretty boring. Economics books is really not for me. This book is actually better than the ones I have read. Jerry tells us basically about his life. How he became a multi-millionair from being poor. I would recomend this book to any one that is interested in sports.

No comments about The Motorcycle World Champions: The Inside Story of History's Heroes.

5 comments about A Season on the Mat: Dan Gable and the Pursuit of Perfection.

1. Gable was not the biggest, strongest or most athletic wrestler. But he took advantage of the tools he had and maximized them to their fullest. His drive for success pushed him & his teams to unbelievable heights. A must read for any wrestling fan or sports enthusiast.



2. This is an excellent review of many of the details that only a coach and his wrestlers see and feel everyday. I definately think anyone who is a fan, parent, coach or participant of wrestling, and especially college wrestling should read this great book.



3. ...but you can't help but be taken in by the story of Dan Gable. The lessons that he preaches, and embodies, go way beyond the mat--perserverance, hard work, dedication, and perhaps most importantly, leading by example.
   
   For that reason, I enjoyed the book, and got through it pretty quickly. I would have no reservations about recommending this book based on that alone.
   
   But, I'll admit, it gets bogged down quite a bit as it becomes a point-by-point recap of the season. Starts to feel like the same things over and over again. I'll agree with other posters who say that it may have lacked some of the intensity and emotion that it could have had. For that, I would recommend "Four days to Glory." An awesome book on high-school wrestling that seems to be to do a better job of making you feel the drama of what wrestlers go through and why they do what they do.
   
   I'd say buy both of these books for a pretty complete picture of Iowa wrestling "from cradle to grave." The afterword in the paperback version of "A season on the mat" does a good job of bringing closure to both books (hard to explain, but you'll see what I mean).



4. "A Season on the Mat" is simply the best book about the greatest wrestler and coach ever to grace the the mat. You will lose yourself as you read about Gable's struggles in pursuing yet another NCAA title. Read about how Gable sucked up the pain for one final season and set an example for the 1996 Hawks. Buying this book is the best way a fan can remember DG's final year on the sidelines.



5. As an ex-wrestler turned journalist (and someone who has interviewed Dan Gable), Zavoral's book is a decent look into Gable and the Iowa program. However, the writer at times tries to be bigger than his subject(s) using silly similies(describing Lincoln McIlravy's wrestling style as a man probing an ear or corn) and far flung analogies. The book also lacks logic in some areas, but does a good job of explaining the nuances of amateur wrestling to the uninitiated -- which is no easy task. Typos are also pretty prevalent, but that's the editor's job to catch it.

5 comments about Bill Snyder: They Said It Couldn't Be Done.

1. My order was easy to make and was shipped to me very quickly and in perfect condition. I was very satisfied. Thank You!



2. Excellent book - easy reading as it chronicles his "miracle in Manhattan." A must reading for every Wildcat fan and great material for young and/or aspiring coaches to see "that it can be done!"



3. Our experience was great, no problems, book came in timely manner, and the book itself was in great condition and was great reading material.



4. i'm always in perspective of a successful coach.this book provides great insight into what made bill snyder the positive influence that he was.



5. What Bill Snyder did at Kansas State is easily, the greatest coaching job, in any sport, at any time, EVER......
   
   Beyond belief is the only way I can even start to describe how BAD Kansas State football was before Snyder took over.
   
   Bill Snyder is maybe the greatest coach of all-time, in any sport. This book should be required reading for ALL business leaders and employees in America. Follow Snyder's steps to success, and apply them to your own life, and you CANNOT fail. Total comittment, goal setting, respect, loyalty, persistence, serious organization, and believing in others, are key components to Snyder's winning formula. The man worked 100 hour weeks, 12 months a year to make this miracle a reality. It's amazing, and it's true......

5 comments about Glory Road: My Story of the 1966 NCAA Basketball Championship and How One Team Triumphed Against the Odds.

1. GLORY ROAD IS ABOUT TEXAS WESTERN COLLEGE WHO WON THE 1966 NCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT. THE BOOK IS WRITTEN BY DON HASKINS WHO COACHED THIS GROUND BREAKING TEAM. BY THAT I MEAN FIVE BLACKS WERE IN THE STARTING LINEUP AN UNHEARD OF THING BACK IN THE 1960'S. HASKINS REALLY KICKED PREJUDICE IN THE ASS. HE WAS NOT PREDJUCIDE TO COLOR BUT TO GUYS WHO WOULD NOT GIVE A 100% EFFORT. HE WAS A REAL S.O.B. TO PLAY FOR, MAKING HIS TEAM PRACTICE VERY HARD AND LONG. (SOMETIMES EVEN AFTER A GAME HE WOULD WORK THEM UNTIL WELL INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS) THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR TODAY WOULD GET HIM SUED OR TEMINATED OR BOTH. HE IS VERY DRIVEN AND VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT WINNING. HE ALSO TRIES TO COME ACROSS AS BEING A NO EGO TYPE OF GUY BUT HE ALSO BRAGS HOW GREAT A POOL PLAYER HE WAS. NOT ALOT OF THIS BOOK IS ABOUT THE ACTUAL 1966 TOURNAMENT ITSELF BUT MORE ABOUT HIS RESPECT FOR LEGENDARY COACH HANK IBA AND MORE ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL PLAYERS WHO HELPED MAKE THEM CHAMPIONS. THIS IS A VERY GOOD READ AND I RECOMMEND IT MOSTLY FOR COLLEGE BASKETBALL FANS.



2. An amazing person as well as basketball player and coach, Don Haskins relates the history of Texas Western/UTEP basketball in a way that the movie "Glory Road" (though very good) simply could not. Even though the title makes it sound like the 1966 season is all that is covered, this book actually tells the history of Haskins' long tenure here at UTEP, from his first years at the school through the historic championship in '66, and beyond. His insights into the players, coaches, and personalities he came into contact with were enthralling, and the wonderful storytelling really makes you feel like you were there through all the good times and bad. I read it cover to cover the same afternoon I bought it, and highly recommend it to any fan of UTEP, Coach Haskins, or basketball in general. Thanks for everything you've done for the city of El Paso, our university, and the game of basketball, Mr. Haskins.



3. Your current published reviews are enthusiastic but in some cases contain factual inaccuracies. The movie and the book are related in title and subject (Don Haskins); but that is about as far as it goes. The movie which focuses on 1966 is moving and concludes with a happy and factual ending - that is, that Texas Western won that game in 1966 --- but the movie not always true to the facts. Understandably I suppose when you try to compress a life story, even if only one year of a life, into a 2 hour or so movie. The book, from someone who played for Coach, reviewed and commented on the galley proof, and has represented Coach Haskins and the '66 team as a lawyer and a friend for 35 plus years, is "spot-on" and should be read by everyone who has ever had an interest in basketball.
   
   As to the fortunes of 1966 team and the gentlemen representing that team so well, then and now, suffice it to say that the past 3 or 4 years have indeed been a trip down Glory Road: The team was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA this past April, only the 6th team to ever be so honored - and the first collegiate team --- with the enshrinement proceedings to be held on September 7 and 8, 2007 at the HOF facility. The team has also been honored with dinner and a movie at the White House with President and Mrs. Bush; the team will be inducted in the Boys Clubs of New York Hall of Fame in October of 2007, and some of the members volunteered to take an Armed Services Entertainment Tour to Germany, the Netherlands and England in February of 2007 to entertain our country's troops and their families. Also, Texas Western's victory on March 19, 1966 in College Park, Maryland over Hall of Fame Coach Adolph Rupp and his great Kentucky Wildcat team, that included Pat Riley, Louie Dampier and Larry Conley, among others, was selected by the National Collegiate Athletic Association ("NCAA") as one of 25 defining moments in the 100 year History of NCAA sports.
   
   I could go on but I think this should at least clear up a few matters and hopefully whet the appetite of prospective readers and reviewers to pause and consider reading this book, viewing the movie. Coach Haskin's story is presented in an interesting manner, containing both Coach Haskin's well known skills as a pick-up riding around story teller and the literary skills of Dan Wetzel who spent hours upon hours riding, listening and recording those stories.
   
   It is well written and factual to a fault; and points out what people can do when they put aside prejudices, rediculous stereoptypes (blacks had no discipline, couldn't be a point guard or quarterback) and circumstances and judge people by character and performance; not color and privilege. Every one of those (then but now not so) young men -- all are still alive except Bobby Joe Hill who passed away of a heart attack in 2002 --- that comprised the Texas Western Team in 1966 had talent and skill; more importantly they had character and heart and respect for each other and their coaches and that combination took them to over the top.
   
   Enjoy this story and share it with others - because of their courage and accomplishments, and those of others in other aspects of the 60's civil rights movement, questions surrounding recruiting, playing, starting and honoring people of color in sports today seem strangely quaint, and beyond the imagination of most people born after the '60s. But it wasn't always so and for this all of society owes a debt of gratitude to Don Haskins, the members of his '66 team, the University of Texas at El Paso (formerly Texas Western College) and the citizens of El Paso for contributing to the environment in which we now find ourselves with respect to race relations in sports.



4. I have the honor of being Don Haskins teammate at Oklahoma A & M, now Oklahoma State University and couldn't be prouder and happier for a very good film about a very historic Coach and athletic event. Please be advised that Don's whole 1966 team was just inducted into the new Collegiate Hall of Fame in Kansas City, Missouri. Buy it, you will like it...!



5. In one of those quirky moments in the book and movie industries, the autobiography of coach Don Haskins was already "in the pipeline" before the development of the picture.
   
   The book and movie share the title - Glory Road - which is a name of a street on the UTEP campus to commemorate the championship basketball season.
   
   The book obviously gives a more fuller picture of Haskins and does not solely focus on the monumental victory by Texas Western College (UTEP) over Kentucky in the 1966 NCAA Finals. There will be areas "filled-in" where the movie takes artistic license with some facts/scenes to push the plot along.
   
   The years after the title run are especially interesting, since the basketball program somewhat faded from national view as the sport became a multi-billion-dollar industry.
   
   It is a shame that history - especially when it comes to matters of race - oftentimes become blurry as the years lumber forward. Though Haskins has always downplayed his role in what was a defining moment on the court of race & athletics, he truly deserved the attention from the national platform that propelled the book to national bestseller status.
   
   The lessons learned along that glory road are as important today as they were 40 years ago.