| 12/14/2005 |
| Tilley's Take: a trio of new books for holiday reading |
| By: Lou Tilley , Main Line Times |
In his weekly column for the Main Line Times, Lou Tilley, a long-time Main Line resident and host of "Out of Bounds" on CN8, talks about three new books that make great holiday sports reading.
Happy Holidays to all! Below is my gift to you of excellent sports reading for anyone on your list who is so inclined. I have read them all, and enjoyed interviewing the authors recently for our national audience watching "Out of Bounds" on CN8.
Since he was old enough to walk and talk, his life and Eagles football have been one and the same. The son of a saloon owner in southwest Philadelphia, Ray quickly became the bar "tout" for the local gamblers filling out their football pools. The book is no gamble. Among the Eagle gems waiting inside: John F. Kennedy, then President of the United States, was interested in acquiring ownership of the faltering franchise in late October of 1962. The Kennedy family was going to send Jack's brother Teddy to Philadelphia, but more pressing business interfered and squelched the deal. Can you guess what deterred JFK? - Education of a Coach, by David Halberstam: The 71-year-old prize-winning author of American history (see "The Best and Brightest," "The 50's"), has long been fascinated with American sports. His latest book takes you inside the shuttered world of New England Patriot head coach Bill Belichick. This coach makes Andy Reid look like Jerry Seinfeld at the mike. As Eagle fans know all too well, as a coach Belichick also makes opposing coaches look like stand-up comedians. Inside the 275 pages, you'll find out why and how. Education of a Coach is true to its title. This is not a memoir of game plans, and pithy "inside the locker room" tales. Instead, it takes us back to his roots. The poor son of a Croatian immigrant family, the struggles for honor and sustenance, and the character traits that shape his success in the modern era of football. Painful moment for Eagles' fans: the opening paragraph of the first chapter has a bewildered Belichick, for perhaps the only time in Super Bowl XXXIX. Belichick is pacing the sidelines, leading the Eagles by 10 points, with just five minutes to go, and wondering why the Eagles' offense is behaving so slowly, so lethargically. He goes on headset to assistant coach Romeo Crennel, and wonders if indeed the scoreboard is correct, and then asks, "Have I got the score right, and if so, what the hell are they doing out there?" Ouch. Suffice to say, once you read this handbook on NFL coaching, you'll better understand why owners would do better to spend their money on men like Belichick than players with bad character. - Dark Horses and Underdogs: The Greatest Sports Upsets of All Time, by Les Krantz - The Patriots beating the Eagles is not among them. However, what might seem like an over-obvious topic, is anything but. Krantz, a long-time reporter for the Chicago Tribune political unit, and feature writer for Esquire magazine, turns to sports with an outside, unbiased view of the subject. He also enlists 10 of the most respected sports journalists in a complicated ranking system that returned only one perfect score: the Miracle on Ice, ranked No. 1 as the greatest upset in sports history. The Jets' upset of the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III follows, but in the third slot, you may be surprised to find a boxing upset. You might be guessing Cassius Clay over Philadelphia's Sonny Liston. You would be wrong, and I agree with the selection of Buster Douglas' shocking knockout of then-undefeated Mike Tyson in 1990. He also ranks two college basketball upsets higher than Villanova's win over Georgetown in 1985. An added bonus: a DVD of most of the modern day moments, narrated by sportscaster Jim Lampley. Good luck, good reading and Happy Holidays! Lou Tilley, a long-time Main Line resident and host of the Emmy-Award winning "Lou Tilley's Sports Connection," now hosts "Out of Bounds" on CN8. Any comments can be directed to Lou at www.CN8.tv or to sports@mainlinetimes.com.
|