Dave’s Comments (group member since Jul 11, 2011)

Dave’s comments from the Topeka & Shawnee Co. Public Library group.

This book focused on the 1958 NFL Championship game between the NY Giants and Baltimore Colts. It was the first pro football game to go into overtime with the Colts winning 23-17. This game probably was not the most artistic or aestically pleasing game ever played but its impact helped shape the NFL into the most popular game in our country today.

Bowdens narrative of the game and the stories of the men who played and coached in it is wonderful. Plenty of inside information was given on the Glamorous NY Giants led by Frank Gifford, with assistants coaches like Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry. The Colts represented the hard working town of Baltimore, led by men like Johnny Unitas and Raymond Berry.

Following the game people began to see the potential that existed in televising football. The game was growing in popularity in post war America, but football was still overshadowed by the national past time baseball. This game proved to be a turning point in the games popularity as it was televised to millions of viewers nation wide.

As side note it is interesting that their are books with the same title. Each one claiming to tell the story of a different game that can make a claim to be the best ever.

I'am a big reader of sports books. Over the past several years there have been some wonderful books written, such as---Clemente by David Maraniss;Stan Musial and American Life, by George vescey; The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the end of the American Childhood, and Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy both by jane Leavy. I have read each one ofthese works and many more they are good reads.

In the spirit of Opening Day my mind has wandered to a few of my favorites from this genre. I thought it would be fun to list a few books from that genre that I have read again and again.

1. Ball Four by Jim Bouton. Boutons' work was the 1st of its kind. A tell all story that blew the lid off of major league baseball. Set in the 1969 season, the author is a struggling pitcher for the Seattle Pilots. It is often funny, often poignant, and pulls no punches. Ball 4 tells of the then never told stories what life was really like in a major league clubhouse. It came out in 1970 and was listed as one of the most imporant books of the 20th century.

2. The Glory of their Times, by Lawrence Ritter. You need to be a bit of a baseball historian to read this one, but it tells the story of the early days of professional baseball by the men who played it.

3. I Was Right on Time, by Buck O'Neil. And the Soul of Baseball,by Joe Posnanski. Both deal with the same person the legendary John Buck O'Neil Both books are not simply biographies about an old baseball player, but are histories on where we have been and where we are headed as a nation. Especially in the area of racial equality. They were written from the heart, and if you read closely they will open yours to live life in a better way.

As a reader I'm hoping that the interest in quality baseball literature will never die. When I read and reread these books, it becomes more than a game. It is a vehicle to teach us about American history.

I'm reading this book now. McKinley was the last president of the 19th century and the 1st of the 20th century. It was a time of transition and growth in our country. The rich industrialist and the worker wanting a better life. The author paints pictures of both sides of this story. The era was exploding with ideas from all sides. I am looking forward to finishing this book.

Time to catch you up on my summer reading. I recently read the Hobbit by Tolkein. I thorougly enjoyed it. it was the first time I ever read it. Kind of embarassed to admit that, sice a lot of people have read it multiple times. I was a whole new genre for me, and I play to begin the Lord of the Ring Triology pretty soon.

I also have recently have read, A couple of biographies. Johnny U:the life and times of Johnny Unitas. It was fun to read about his career, but really learnt nothing new about him. And Rob Lowes, "Stories I only Tell my Friends" I enjoyed the authors stories about Life on the West Wing but really ended up not enjoying the rest of the book.

I'm now on page 38 of The Seventh, by Richard Stark. A very good detective series that I recently discovered. The stories have a twist, the main character is a bad guy. Although kind of a good bad guy.

I just finished Stan Musial--an American Life. A wonderful biography about the St. Louis Cardinal Hall of Famer. The book got good reviews and a book on him has been long over-due. I was a bit taken that the author admitted that he nver really interviewed Stan, and only met him near the end of his writing the book. None the less the book is full of 2nd person interviews of his contemporaries his children, and news accounts of the day. So I felt satisfied that the portrait of Stan the Man was accurate.