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Story is great best coach ever!
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Over two unbelievable decades, the New England Patriots were not only the NFL's most dominant team, but also - and by far - the most secretive. How did they achieve and sustain greatness - and what were the costs? In It's Better to Be Feared, Seth Wickersham, one of the country's finest long form and investigative sportswriters, tells the full, behind-the-scenes story of the Patriots, capturing the brilliance, ambition, and vanity that powered and ultimately unraveled them.
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At five feet ten inches tall, running back Walter Payton was not the largest player in the NFL, but he developed a larger-than-life reputation for his strength, speed, and grit. Nicknamed “Sweetness” during his college football days, he became the NFL’s all-time leader in rushing and all-purpose yards, capturing the hearts of fans in his adopted Chicago.
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Honest Accounting Of A Fascinating Life
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This is a football book right?
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Parcells: A Football Life
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Bill Parcells may be the most iconic football coach of our time. During his decades-long tenure as an NFL coach, he turned failing franchises into contenders. He led the ailing New York Giants to two Super Bowl victories, turned the New England Patriots into an NFL powerhouse, reinvigorated the New York Jets, brought the Dallas Cowboys back to life, and was most recently enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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Can't say he missed anything
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You Are Looking Live! is about the genesis, success, and magic of a live television show that in 1975 captured the excitement of the country and launched four magnetic personalities to stardom: Brent Musburger, Phyllis George, Irv Cross, and Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder. It was the first NFL studio show to go live and the first to have both a Black and female cohost. Those four personalities battled each other and the competition, and America loved them for it. This is the story of how they got there, their drama and front-page headlines, and what happened after the magic ended.
By: Rich Podolsky, and others
Publisher's Summary
John Eisenberg's That First Season is the seldom-studied prequel to a phenomenal football career for Vince Lombardi and the Packers, drawing on exhaustive new research and interviews to tell an incredible ensemble tale of a team, a town, and their leader.
The once-vaunted Green Bay Packers were a laughingstock by the late 1950s. They hadn't fielded a winning team in more than a decade and were close to losing their franchise to another city. They were in desperate need of a savior, and he arrived in a wood-paneled station wagon in the dead of winter from New York City. In a single year, Vince Lombardi - the grizzled coach who took no bull - transformed a team of underachievers into winners and resurrected a city known for its passion for sport.
That First Season chronicles Vince Lombardi's remarkable first year as head coach with the franchise he would reinvent and etch forever in football history. In a single year, as the grizzled coach who took no bull, he would transform a team of underachievers into winners and reignite a city known for its passion for its sport.Eisenberg pushes away the mist that surrounds the Lombardi legend to bring listeners the real story of how the seeds of a football dynasty were sown. He also brings alive an incredible ensemble tale of a team, a town, and their leader.
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What listeners say about That First Season
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Brian W. Barton
- 08-20-18
Narrator should refund his fee
THE worst narration I’ve heard in over 100 audiobooks!! Nearly EVERY name, whether person or place was mispronounced. I’m surprised he was able to say Green Bay properly. One would think that someone be paid to read a NON-FICTION book would learn the pronunciation of names and places, particularly many PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAMERS, before recording the performance. Absolutely AWFUL!
3 people found this helpful
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- D. Lichtenstein
- 03-06-17
Great content, poor narration
What made the experience of listening to That First Season the most enjoyable?
The story was wonderful, great book.
What did you like best about this story?
The history of a great man and the way he changed a team. It was great to hear the story of how Vince Lombardi changed the culture of the Packers with his management style. The joys and pains of a team in transition. Left me wanting more!
How did the narrator detract from the book?
Great voice, poor narration. Obviously does not know anything about football, many names mispronounced, basic football terms mispronounced. Reading style really took away the pleasure of the story.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes, and it left me wanting more.
Any additional comments?
Definately worth the listen, IN SPITE of the narration.
2 people found this helpful
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- CA Cheesehead
- 03-23-16
Narrator Needs to Learn to How to Pronounce Names
What did you like best about That First Season? What did you like least?
Growing up in Appleton, WI I know all of the towns and names that Pat mentions in the book. Only difference is I know how to say them. First time I hear him pronounce a key players in Packer History - Ray Nitschke's name as "Knit- Ski" when it's pronounced "Nitch key" I was turned off. Onieda was pronounced "O-knee-da" when it's O-nigh-da or the town of Allouez as "Al -O-wez" instead of "Al-o-way" People who are fans and know of the area will be turned off by the lack of preparation the narrator did in figuring out how to say these names.
Loved the content and the story when it was all said and done.
What was one of the most memorable moments of That First Season?
About how some of the veteran players came into training camp early and thought they would be able to play golf just like the year prior to Lombardi getting there. Vince saw them and said if you were staying at camp, you were going to practice!! Set the tone!
Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Pat Young?
Anyone who would have spent the time to learn how to pronounce the names in the story correctly.
1 person found this helpful
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- sergio
- 06-11-15
Great story on how one man's goal, fearless determination to win, succeed ,No excuses, get to work, straight up down to basics
How he brought out the best in many players, Great story on how one man's goal, fearless determination to win, succeed ,No excuses, get to work, straight up down to basics
1 person found this helpful
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- Zach Zahl
- 01-05-21
Narration questionable
I feel like if someone is going to narrate a book about Vince Lombardi, they should know how to pronounce Wisconsin cities. Oh well, still a great book!
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- Douglas W Lentz
- 11-26-20
Great listen.
This is the best by far Fottball book ever. So well written and interesting. Highly recommend.
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- Christopher J. Bscherer
- 09-29-20
The man!!
a great story I bought a great coach very inspiring what an amazing story!!
definitely entertaining in a great listen to.
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- AJD
- 06-17-20
Great story, but have issues with the reading
This is an unbelievable story of how Vince Lombardi turned around the Green Bay Packers in one season. Truly a great story. However, it was kind of hard to listen to at times because the names of many players and cities were just butchered. You would think they would ask somebody how to pronounce them instead of just guessing. Some were so far off I wasn't even sure who they were talking about, and I've lived in Green Bay my whole life.
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- Vera Family
- 05-01-20
The early stories of the Green Bay Packers
A wonderful look at what it takes to succeed from a time gone by. Stories most people have never heard because what we focus on and remember are the championships. Not what it took to get there. Highly recommended!
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- Andy
- 11-22-19
Outstanding story from Lombardi Packers lore fans
Outstanding story from Lombardi Packers lore fans. Let's you in on the realities of what Coach Lombardi and the team went through, physically, mentally, and emotionally, not just the superman champion stuff.