Books about sports

[stephenPE]

I am not a baseball fan. I kept up with it as a kid because coverage in our two newspapers allowed me. I just read a new book (2020) about Yogi Berra. I had no clue what kind of player or man he was. I highly recommend this book to people that love baseball and its glory days with Mantle and Bob Gibson and even DiMaggio. I learned that the myth was not the man with Berra.

 

[Nalt]

I know this is a "Gator" friendly board but... Former Bama head coach Gene Stallings wrote a book about his son, Johnny, who had Downs Syndrome. The book is very interesting and details how Gene and his wife raised Johnny back before there was very much known about Downs Syndrome. Even though y'all are Gators I'm still pretty sure you won't be disappointed in reading "Another Season-A Coach's Story of Raising an Exceptional Son."

Amazon product

 

[bradgator2]

I know this is a "Gator" friendly board but... Former Bama head coach Gene Stallings wrote a book about his son, Johnny, who had Downs Syndrome. The book is very interesting and details how Gene and his wife raised Johnny back before there was very much known about Downs Syndrome. Even though y'all are Gators I'm still pretty sure you won't be disappointed in reading "Another Season-A Coach's Story of Raising an Exceptional Son."

Amazon product

 

[cover2]

When Pride Still Mattered



Lombardi was and still is the gold standard of coaching to an old-timer like me. I enjoyed reading about his early life and some of the many struggles he had before finally getting his shot as the HC of an NFL team. He was thoroughly convinced that his way was the right way to not only win, but to also dominate and he had the ability and instincts to find and develop the players who made his system go. The book also talked about the toll his relentless pursuit of perfection took on his family. I’ve re-read this a couple of times.

 

[stephenPE]

I read that one a few years ago. Excellent story about his evolution in coaching. He was as a driven as any coach ever. Best story was in the Jerry Kramer book talking to them in training camp. Out after curfew and its 200 dollars. 2nd time its 500 dollars, Third time 1000 and if its worth that come get me and take me with you. This was for Hornung and Thurston and some other whore dogs.

 

[cover2]

One story that let you know about how serious Lombardi was and how strongly he felt about loyalty was when Fuzzy Thurston’s agent had him ask for more money before his contract was up. Lombardi traded him immediately. My old HS school coach patterned himself after Lombardi. We were small and there weren’t many of us, but he toughened us up and made us believe that 11 working together and fearful of letting their teammates down could exceed expectations.

 

[Detroitgator]

One story that let you know about how serious Lombardi was and how strongly he felt about loyalty was when Fuzzy Thurston’s agent had him ask for more money before his contract was up. Lombardi traded him immediately. My old HS school coach patterned himself after Lombardi. We were small and there weren’t many of us, but he toughened us up and made us believe that 11 working together and fearful of letting their teammates down could exceed expectations.

WWII or Korea vet?

 

[cover2]

WWII or Korea vet?

Believe it or not, he was an orphan that grew up in a boy’s school and was adopted by the man who ran the place.

 

[Detroitgator]

Believe it or not, he was an orphan that grew up in a boy’s school and was adopted by the man who ran the place.

I don't believe it...

 

[Gator By Marriage]

One story that let you know about how serious Lombardi was and how strongly he felt about loyalty was when Fuzzy Thurston’s agent had him ask for more money before his contract was up. Lombardi traded him immediately.

That was supposedly Jim Ringo, their All-pro center, not Thurston. (Fuzzy retired a Packer.) I read an interview of Ringo way after he retired and he said that rumor was not true. He was from NJ and a family member, his dad, I think, was ill and he wanted to be closer to home to be with him. He was grateful Vince took care of him.

 

[stephenPE]

. My old HS school coach patterned himself after Lombardi. We were small and there weren’t many of us, but he toughened us up and made us believe that 11 working together and fearful of letting their teammates down could exceed expectations.

At times we thought our HS coach was Lombardi. Like your school we were small and maybe had 25 dressed out players the start of the season. He ran many off with his crazy long practices. We hit all season long in practice except Thurs and still hit in shorts and shoulder pads. He played for Woodruff and Dickey at UF as a fullback.

 

[cover2]

That was supposedly Jim Ringo, their All-pro center, not Thurston. (Fuzzy retired a Packer.) I read an interview of Ringo way after he retired and he said that rumor was not true. He was from NJ and a family member, his dad, I think, was ill and he wanted to be closer to home to be with him. He was grateful Vince took care of him.

My bad. Thanks for the correction.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

My bad. Thanks for 5he correction.

I spent almost every summer of my childhood in NE Wisconsin. I learned a lot about the Packers through osmosis if nothing else. Jerry Kramer’s book, Instant Replay, is a great read and offers a lot of insight into Lombardi.

 

[cover2]

The Packers were getting toward the end of their run when I was first getting into football. I loved Bart Starr and Donnie Anderson and even wore #44 when I played midget football (that’s what youth football was called, not real midgets). Pro football was great back in those days. We got our first color TV the Saturday before the Chiefs/Rams Super Bowl. It was great right up until my dead beat step-dad couldn’t make the monthly payments and we had to take it back to the shop. It was sad when Lombardi left Green Bay for DC. Just didn’t seem right seeing him in maroon and gold and not winning like he did with the Pack. Sadder still when he was diagnosed with cancer and passed away.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

The Packers were getting toward the end of their run when I was first getting into football. I loved Bart Starr and Donnie Anderson and even wore #44 when I played midget football (that’s what youth football was called, not real midgets). Pro football was great back in those days. We got our first color TV the Saturday before the Chiefs/Rams Super Bowl. It was great right up until my dead beat step-dad couldn’t make the monthly payments and we had to take it back to the shop. It was sad when Lombardi left Green Bay for DC. Just didn’t seem right seeing him in maroon and goal and not winning like he did with the Pack. Sadder still when he was diagnosed with cancer and passed away.

I was pretty young for that era, but do remember how thrilled my dad was when Lombardi came to DC. His first season they went 7-5-2, completely turning them from losers to a good team. Sadly he never got a second season. Bill Austin was the interim coach that year and then they hired George Allen. Every Redskins fan from that era is firmly convinced that they were on their way to Packers like success had Coach Lombardi not gotten cancer. I know one thing, in Sonny Jurgensen, Lombardi believed he had his QB.

 

[ThreatMatrix]

 

[Bullag8r]

The boys of Summer by David Halberstam

Summer of '49 by Halberstam, David: Good (1989) 1st ed. | Better World Books

 

[gardnerwebbgator]

 

[Gatordiddy]

I recall reading Ricky Bleier’s biography as a kid.
That was an inspirational book to say the least.

 

[TheDouglas78]

MoneyBall
Friday Night Lights
Game of Shadows
Boys will be Boys
Tales from the Swamp

that's from the top of my head, all my sport book but my Steve Spurrier book is in storage right now