Teams Books

I am a Baltimore Ravens fan but still a Baltimore Colts lover. I just finished reading my grandfather's copy of this and it was the best Baltimore Colts book and possibly the best book that I have ever read. The interviews are great and some entertaining. Every time I had extra time, I read some of this. So, if you are a passionate fan of Baltimore sports, GET THIS BOOK!

The Baltimore Colts are not really gone, not as long as we remember them. And more than twenty years after their last game in 1983, they live on thanks to Steve Sabol of NFL Films, broadcasters like Don Criqui, Dick Enberg, Mike Patrick, and Pat Summeral, authors like Tom Callahan, Frank Deford and William Gildea, Super Bowl III conspiracy blogs on the internet, and the fans who rub Johnny U's bronze toe for luck before Ravens games and still hate the New York Jets.

The Colts were the original America's Team. When Unitas passed in 2002, veteran sportswriters Mickey Herskowitz and John McClain were as moved here in Houston as anyone in Baltimore. In 2004, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue ordered his staff to read Michael Maccambridge's America's Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation, which naturally featured Johnny U on the cover.

But if the national legacy of the team is inarguable, the best book about it, Sundays at 2:00 with the Baltimore Colts, is a local work of oral history. Rather than expound on the big picture, authors Vince Bagli and Norman L. Macht simply ask notable individuals to remember life before, during, and after they were Colts. The scope and span of the book are impressive: thirty people agreed to be interviewed, among them nine members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame such as Unitas and coaches Weeb Ewbank and Don Shula. Other participants include NFL MVPs Earl Morral and Bert Jones, and fan favorites from the 1958-1959 NFL champions, Super Bowls III and V, and the 1975-1977 AFC East division champions. The result is a flood of memories and emotions, from both the Colts and the reader who holds them dear.

Yes, the big games are here, from the sudden-death 1958 championship over the Giants to the Super Bowl III upset loss to the Jets, as are heroes like Gino Marchetti and villains like Robert Irsay. Historians will enjoy the roster of every coach, player, and draft pick, but the real gem is the All-Time Results of every game in team history. Looking for memories among this wealth of information will keep you busy, and happy, for years.

Still, the book covers far more than football. The reader will find stories about the Second World War from Art Donovan, racial segregation from John Mackey, Lenny Moore, and Jim Parker, and labor unions from Mike Curtis. Who could ask for anything more?

For fans who loved the Colts, the best part of the book may be the relationships between the players, both good and bad. Here and there someone will call out a teammate, but anyone looking for bitter denunciations or hysterical rants will be disappointed save for a few about Irsay. Apart from him, the Colts Family is no myth.

Of course it might have been interesting to hear from Bubba Smith, who once accused his teammates of throwing Super Bowl III. Other strong personalities are missing, like Hall of Famer Ted Hendricks. Moreover, the book includes just one member of the last-ever Colts team, Nesby Glasgow.

But this is no problem: just bring on volume 2.

Sometimes very sad ... but more often, quite hilarious.

Each chapter profiles a different ex-Colt and prompts that player or coach for his recollections of & reflections on playing for what is perhaps the greatest franchise in the history of the NFL.

This is of "Hall of Fame" caliber, cover-to-cover.

If it wasn't for a dude named Vince Lombardi many of these former Baltimore stars would have had their hands full of rings -- as in Championship.

Targeted toward the old Baltimore Colt fans with some interesting interviews with players like Bert Jones, John Unitas, Art Donovan and more. Whether you are or were a big football fan some of the interviews conducted are very interesting. Well researched with some photographs and inside stories. An enjoyable read!

The author has a fast paced style in which he covers topics quickly and includes events and observations not strictly limited to the 79 Steelers. Not much depth on most subjects, however the Steelers poor drafting after the 74 bonanza is covered well (the 79 first round pick, Greg Hawthorne, had to resort to wearing pantyhose to avoid leg injuries later in his career w/Patriots, Wexell didn't metnion this). I like his writing style, covering so many players and topics make this a great book to reread in a couple of years.
Offensive lineman Steve Courson died when a tree fell on him in Nov 2005, his struggles with steriods-caused heart failure is mentioned here.
Chuck Noll's poor overall handling of Bradshaw is briefly mentioned, has been speculated they might have squeezed out one more Super Bowl win if Noll had been more responsive to the clinically depressed Bradshaw (his depression discussed in book). During the last half of the 80s Bradshaw said if he had been treated better he would not have retired after 83. Was surprised Lambert and others smoked.
Homeless, punch-drunk from football-related injuries to the head and dead from heart attack in his early 50s, Mike Webster,the workaholic center, barely mentioned. Defensive lineman Steve Furness also dead from a heart attack in his early 50s after being fired (and blacklisted?) by current Steeler Head Coach Cowher back in 94.
Even casual football fans, esp. in their 50s, will delight in this needed book.

Big Ben: 27-4 as a starter (2004-2005 seasons)---only losses (3 of which were injury-related): Patriots, 2004 AFC Championship game (if Plax holds on to sure TD pass, we are only down 7 with about 7+ minutes to go in that game; Ben did some good things and was battling thumb and toe injuries) and also in 2005 (if Randle El doesn't get `cute' and lateral that pass to Ward, we probably win; again, Ben did some good things), as well as the Bengals in 2005 (Ben has beaten Carson Palmer's Bengals 3 times: twice in 2004 and big-time in the AFC Wild-Card game in 2005; Ben had 3 TD passes in this lone defeat and was battling a thumb injury) and Indy in 2005 (as we know, he got revenge in the AFC Divisional Playoff game; Ben threw a TD pass to Ward in this Monday night defeat and was coming off an injury-induced layoff).

Ben's FIRST NFL game: 2004 Pre-season at Ford Field vs. the Lions...last game of 2005 season: 2/5/06 at FORD FIELD, SUPER BOWL XL VICTORY!!!


So Ben didn't play a superb game in Super Bowl XL and there was some controversy...

--Super Bowl IX, 1/12/75: Steelers win 16-6 over the Vikings---Future Hall-of-Famer Terry Bradshaw is only 9 for 14 for 96 yards...BEN WAS 9 FOR 21 FOR 123 YARDS...Bradshaw threw a lone TD...BEN RAN FOR A LONE TD... Future Hall-of-Famer Fran Tarkenton's numbers were putrid: 11 for 26 for 102 yards, 3 interceptions, NO TD's! We were only winning 2-0 going into the third quarter (on a safety); a boring game. The Steelers wore their white shirts and Terry had a beard (the other 3 Super Bowls: black-and-gold shirts, Terry clean shaven)...WE WORE OUR WHITE SHIRTS IN XL AND BEN HAD A BEARD...the game turned on a VERY controversial "fumble-that-wasn't" by the Steelers Larry Brown: the Steelers left the field dejected, the Vikings were in prime territory...then the officials ruled Brown was down before the ball came loose (no way!!!!!)...and the rest is history;

--Super Bowl X, 1/18/76: Steelers win 21-17 over the Cowboys---Future Hall-of-Famer Roger Staubach almost pulled out another miracle comeback...Swann's great falling-to-the-ground acrobatic catch led to no points (!);

--Super Bowl XIII, 1/21/79: Steelers win 35-31 over the Cowboys---the Cowboys' Jackie Smith drops a SURE TD pass that would have tied the game AND our go-ahead TD was aided by a very controversial tripping penalty that cost Dallas 33 yards: Lynn Swann fell over Benny Barnes's ankles and, as Bradshaw has admitted, it shouldn't have been a flag...we were ahead 35-17 at one point...Staubach almost brought them back (35-31);

--GAME BEFORE SUPERBOWL XIV: AFC Championship game vs. the Oilers, 1/6/80: Steelers win 27-13---late in the third quarter, officials ruled that Oilers receiver Mike Renfro did not have possession of what appeared to be a game-tying TD (WRONG!!!! He was in bounds; bad, bad call)...and the rest is history...

---Super Bowl XIV, 1/20/80: Steelers win 31-19 over the Rams---Bradshaw threw 3 INTERCEPTIONS and we were losing for most of the game...until Lambert saved our butts by intercepting QB Vince Ferragamo's pass...and the rest is history
(Steelers in the 1970's: regular season---99-44-1; playoffs: 14-4)

NON-STEELER SUPER BOWL "LUCK"---
Super Bowl XXV, 1/27/91: Giants defeat Bills BECAUSE SCOTT NORWOOD BARELY MISSES A RELATIVELY EASY FIELD GOAL, one of the biggest blown plays ever!;
All 3 of the Patriots victories were by exactly 3 points...and the Eagles really blew it with poor clock management (sound familiar?)!;
Super Bowl XXXIV, 1/30/00: Rams defeat Titans, 23-16--- The Rams' Mike Jones tackled Kevin Dyson at the 1-yard line as time expired. Dyson would have tied the game; Super Bowl V, 1/17/71: Colts beat Cowboys, 16-13, via a field goal... Dallas' Chuck Howley, who picked off two passes, became the first defensive player and the first player from a losing team to be named MVP.



The Steelers have been in the Super Bowl in the 1970's. 1980's, 1990's, and in the new millennium (2000's)---
IX (1975), X (1976), XIII (1979), XIV (played in 1980), XXX (played in 1996), XL (2006)

Big Ben---ONLY QB to ever go to Championship game his first two years; youngest to win the Super Bowl (Steelers: first 6th seed to go/ win; only team to beat #1, #2, and #3 seeds on the road and win; three-way tie for most Super Bowl victories: 5, along with Dallas and San Francisco; tied for second with most Super Bowl appearances: 6, along with Denver [who have `only' won 2])...comparison to other Hall-of-Fame and/or outstanding QBs---
Jim Kelly: 0 for 4; never won a Super Bowl;
Fran Tarkenton: 0 for 4; never won a Super Bowl;
Dan Marino: 0 for 1; never won a Super Bowl;
Kenny Anderson: 0 for 1; never won a Super Bowl
Len Dawson: won one Super Bowl (and lost one, as well);
Johnny Unitas: won one Super Bowl (and lost one, as well);
Joe Theismann: won one Super Bowl (and lost one, as well);
Brett Favre: won one Super Bowl (and lost one, as well);
Kurt Warner: won one Super Bowl (and lost one, as well);
Ken Stabler: won one Super Bowl
Joe Namath: won one Super Bowl;
Phil Simms: won one Super Bowl;
Steve Young: won one Super Bowl;
Also: John Elway: after FIFTEEN YEARS IN THE LEAGUE, won two...after losing 3 very badly!

BEST run in sports history (as confirmed by a Congressional resolution!): won 8 in a row---
Bears (who had an 8-game winning streak), Vikings on the road (who had a 6 game winning streak...and Cowher NEVER won in a dome stadium before!), Browns on the road, and Detroit on 1/1/06 (where, unbeknownst to us at the time, we were headed for 2/5/06!); Bengals on the road (#3 seed, previously beat us), Colts on the road (#1 seed, league's best record, heavily favored, dome stadium, previously beat us; the Fumble, the Tackle, and the Miss), Broncos on the road (#2 seed, favored, 10-0 at home)...and the #1 NFC seeded Seahawks "on the road" in another dome, Detroit's Ford Field (where Big Ben started his NFL career vs. the Lions in the 2004 pre-season!!!)

YOU HAVE TO GET THE TWO-DVD SET "STEELERS: THE COMPLETE HISTORY" (2005; NFL Films), 1933-2004 (too bad they didn't wait a year haha!)---the main feature is 2 hours and 20 minutes long and covers 1933 up to and including Beg Ben's 2004 season; incredible. All the `lean years' (1930's-1960's; 1980's) are covered, NOT just the "glory seasons"---Kordell, Brister, Malone, Stoudt, Hanratty, etc. etc. etc. The bonus feautures are awesome, ESPECIALLY the 45-minute Jerome Bettis special-VERY IRONIC!! You will see Tommy Maddox with the Bus when they were both Rams in 1995...excellent miked-on-the-field comments, often funny, by Bus, Ward, and Cowher...Jan. 2005 AFC lowlights, Hines Ward crying, Jerome's reaction, and the tantalizing hint that Super Bowl XL wil be played in Jerome's hometown of Detroit...which makes what they did in 2005/2006 VERY story book! Also: the Bill Cowher, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier, Myron Cope, Dick Hoak, and Bill Saul segments/ specials are very entertaining, as is the Super Bowl XIII feature..get this...as well as the SUPER BOWL XL DVD---2005 season highlights included, as well as the 2006 playoffs!

The Steelers made their Curtain call on the NFL in 1979, and Jim Wexell's impressive, fast-moving chronicle of that season recalls the anecdotes (L.C. Greenwood's disdain for weight-lifting among the more interesting) while delivering a healthy amount of background on players you've long since forgotten about. Strengths are the candid interviews with the anonymous faces who ran the hugely successful drafts of the early 70s, explaining how they found guys like Stallworth and missed guys like Montana and Marino. Also, the quick-read vignette format is a big plus. Many players and coaches tell it like it was, but some obviously have been interviewed many times before and offer little here beyond cliched coachspeak. Weekly accounts of the games could be a bit beefier. But because it's such a fast read and contains so much background on long-forgotten role players, it belongs on the coffee table of anyone who lived and died with this team every Sunday in the '70s. Merits a 4.5-star rating, rounding up here.

Tales from the behind the Steel Curtain is a must read for Steelers fans who still bask in the glory of the 1970s as well younger fans who are interested in learning how the dynasty was built. Jim Wexell's book is written in short stories that makes it easy to read and thoroughly traces the 1979 season - the team's fourth Super Bowl title in an amazing six-year stretch - and the years prior. Some nuggets are how some Steelers scouts believed receiver Frank Lewis was better than Lynn Swann and John Stallworth, but was too shy to tell quarterback Terry Bradshaw to throw him the ball. Steelers coach Chuck Noll wanted to draft Stallworth - a small-college no name whom the team's scouts uncovered - in the first round of the 1974 draft, a draft landed the Steelers four Hall of Famers. It also focuses on the many unique personalities of the team's number of colorful characters, including Dwight White, L.C. Greenwood, Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, etc. It's truly a book that will put a smile on the face of any Steelers fan.

The coaching techniques and examples provided in the book are outstanding. By applying these techniques to your everyday activities you will definately see a positive change.

I found the examples and exercises useful. A good and easy read. Should help me get better at giving and receiving feedback in a way that is constuctive and actionable

Placed in the leadership role for a high performance team undertaking a "McKinsey-ish" strategy study I found myself very challenged. Having spotted this book at an airport bookshop I read it on the plane. I put its suggestions into place, starting from the front of the book, and worked my way through the chapters as they were appropriate. I had it on my desk for the entire 4-month study. It bought immediate results for the team, and me by achieving greater cohesion of energy yet releasing greater diversity of thought especially during the inductive phase of the study. During the deductive stages it helped us focus on a team-based outcome without leaving people out of the decision-making process that had to be managed to a schedule. I firmly believe that without this book we would not have achieved the results we did - the pressure was intense and teams have a tendency to blow themselves apart after the final report is in. The team would not have continued to work as a coherent whole on subsequent phases of my study. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs to lead a high performance team. Landsberg's@examples and his obvious experience come through well, and they gave me the courage to try what the book suggests with my team. Well worth the cost.

Max Landsberg succeeds in translating the essentials of coaching into a simple story and a few tables and graphics. It is easy to read, but once you've read it, the actual thinking begins. The somewhat unusual approach Landsberg takes introduces various aspects of coaching (such as receiving and giving feedback, overcoming coaching blocks) as elements of someone's career, providing the reader with instant examples.

This is a fantastic book for Team Leaders. I was hired to create a functioning team from a group of mis-fits. This book helped make this process happen. Fantastic book if you want to get more out of your employees or team members.

We used the MBTI from a company called KnowYourtype as talked about in the book. Great tool.

In this age of team oriented approach to products and customers, managing this approach is often easier said than done. Roadblocks can easily arise that can derail a team bound for success. In this book, the author presents some of the more common pitfalls for teams, including poor relations between teams and the customer, and the inability of teams to anticipate problems.
Robert W. Barnum presents both symptoms and treatments for problems that generally arise in these four key areas:

· Improving internal relationships by keeping minor conflicts between team members from escalating to major problems.
· Strengthen team focus by establishing and maintaining a clear sense of direction, minimizing change anxiety, and establishing and maintaining focused priorities.
· Dealing with the challenges of change by proper use of coordination and innovation. Team must be able to anticipate challenges, especially those that threaten the team directly. Some of these challenges can be viewed as opportunities for growth. The distinctions are important.
· Mending external relationships. Teams need to know who are their customers, as the customers are the team's reason for being.

Of these four key areas, the author focuses on the team's ability to anticipate changes by submitting eight steps to successfully creating a scenario forecast. These steps are:

· Identify influencing factors
· Rate influencing factors
· Identify key influencing factors
· Create alternative scenarios
· Combine scenarios
· Describe each combined scenario
· Assess probability
· Assess the implications.

Robert W. Barner has produced a remarkable resource. Lucid, organized, utterly practical and results-oriented, this cookbook for team builders and members belongs on every organization's bookshelf. Barner has condensed everything he has learned from two decades of consulting and team-building experience into a five-step process for improving team relationships and performance. He identifies the most common pitfalls for teams, and provides a kit of 51 tools designed for specific team-building or team-repair tasks. Neither abstract nor psychological in nature, this practical workbook describes proven techniques and strategies for quickly and effectively addressing a wide range of problems that frequently occur among teams. Bottom line: we from getAbstract consider this an essential resource for managers, team leaders and team members.

I am currently conducting team building activities for different organizations and Robert Barner's framework has given me a clear idea on how to diagnose team problems---and define interventions. Complemented with other management books, this book---but then, this is more than a book---this is a tool kit--- provides enough tools yet whets your appetite to crave for more learnings. Again, this book (and toolkit), will be a valuable addition to anyone whose passion for teams is unquenchable. Every manager serious towards improving himself and his team can use this toolkit from strategy formulation to program evaluation. Encompassing every team problem, I won't be surprised if this will soon become industry standard! This will practically change the way your organization address team problems. It provides long-term solutions to long-standing team problems.

The Tool Kit was written from work with real teams in real work situations. Everything was designed to be immediately practical and useful. I'm grateful that people have found the book so helpful. Please visit our website - www.newdirectionsconsulting.com - for more helpful information on teams. Deborah Harrington-Mackin, author

I'm the Training Coordinator at a manufacturing facility with 200 hourly employees whom we are trying to get more involved in a team-based work system. This book has given me so much PRACTICAL information on the how's and why's of doing this! I'm actually able to relate this information to our employees in a way that it clearly shows the benefits TO THEM of working in teams. Too many of these so-called "Team Building" books are filled with silly exercises that do nothing in the long run. If you want something practical and useful, I recomment this book!

Harrington-Mackin creates a good overview of teambuilding in the workplace. She also provides very practical suggestions that can help team leaders, team members, or the leader of an organization.

I have easily paid 8x more for other 'manuals', and have none with a more ugly cover, yet this is the anchor of my team building library. It is short on philosophy and long on the day-to-day requirements of goal-setting, consensus building, procedures, and strategies. This is THE book of practical advice to guide a team and its' leader, regardless of prior experience.

With 38 years of rugby experience & a fairly extensive print reference collection, I rate this insightful work from Jim Greenwood as tops. Anyone who can view the strategic considerations in a rugby match as similar to the thought processes needed in a chess match will find delight here, Greenwood's earlier work Total Rugby is likewise, though more in a technical skills manner. Think Rugby brings the mental aspects of the game to the forefront. Physical prowess is valuable, but experience & conscious decision making can make all the difference. Opportunities are limited in any match and knowing how to capture the most & waste the least is what you want for your side. This book can take you there!

I'm only part way through this book, but so far it's been great. I have a hard time slowing the game down in my head during play and analyzing what's going on. This book has helped me to relax a bit, take my time, and think about what the other team is doing and what I should be doing to beat them. Overall, great book. Can't wait to finish it now.

Mr. Greenwood went into great detail about the Tactical Decision Making that goes on during a match. Not only does this book expand a players thinking capability on the pitch, but many of the methods of thinking can be used off the pitch. Do not buy to help out your physical game, but your mental game.

Thing Rugby is am amazing book for any coach, player or even fan of rugby. It will help you develop as a player or coach. This is a resource no team should be without. One of it's primary focus's is to help you learn to think and play as a team, from the coach down to the reserves. Definitely a must read for any Rugby Enthusiast.

Teenagers who love the game (and older folks as well) will enjoy this book. Lots of information and makes interesting reading.

As a fan of both history and baseball, a book like this appeals to me in two ways. The history of the game as told through the histories of every team, as well as the events of baseball told as how they affected the teams involved. This book lists the histories of every major league professional team. Now there are those who would argue that a league like the Union Association or even the Players League of the late 1800s weren't really "major" leagues, but I'll leave that argument to others. The teams are listed in alphabetical order from the "infamous" Altoona Mountain Citys (who played for a city with the lowest population of any major league team) through the Worcester Brown Stockings of the 1890s NL (who also had a low population).

Each teams' history is given in complete and concise detail, along with any other names the team may have had during their existence, all the stadiums they played at, their all-time won-loss record, a list of their year by year record, and also certain anecdotes (designated by small "boxes") about team historical events. There are also stories and pictures about each team's famous and "infamous" players. There's also histories of the "other" major leagues, like the Union Association, Federal League, Players' League, and the American Association. It's intriguing to see how the movers and shakers of each era operated. One thing also becomes clear: each era of baseball always had its rich and poor teams, this isn't something that just recently started. Another interesting item I noticed was how many MidWest and Eastern cities had a number of different teams in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

At times humorous, at times sad, at times just plain weird, the history of baseball teams reflects society at its best and its worst. This is a book any baseball fan should have.

But where else will you find info on every major league club since 1876? (But not since 1871; the National Association is not included.) Top players' season stats are usually given for each team, and say, Hoss Radbourne's 1884 season is discussed in detail, but to me the primary focus seemed on the owners and their machinations. And purposely or not, the owners generally come off as a bunch of money grubbers who seldom had the good of the game at heart. Or maybe that type of owner is just more interesting to write about. One noticeable thing is that because of the many franchise shifts in the 19th century, there are roughly as many 19th century clubs to write about as 20th century. Of course, since many of the 19th century clubs were short-lived, they take up less space on average. Each team's record, where it placed in the league standings, and its managers are given for each year in a table at the end of that team's entry. However, there are no tables of league standings showing all teams at once; nor are there any tables of player performances included anywhere. Some interesting note about players and others are in brief sidebars and footbars.

I debated about rating the book four stars, since it spends so much time on the business end of baseball, but decided to go with five stars, as where else will you find narrative histories of all the major league baseball clubs in one inexpensive book?

This is an excellent book that will inform even the most diehard fan about the history of every MLB Ballclub. It seems to be extremely comprehensive in its coverage, but that only includes "white" teams. Unless I have overlooked them (which is possible), I couldn't find any coverage of the Negro Leagues. I can't imagine it would have been that hard to include them.

The articles contained within the book vary based on how long the team has been/was in existence. For instance, the Cubs, Cardinals, Yankees and Red Sox have longer writeups than the Mariners, Expos and Orioles.

It gives histories based on the actual team in a certain city and then gives a new history that starts after the team moved (ie Philadelphia A's, Kansas A's and Oakland A's each have their own sections). It also gives separate histories for when a team changes cities and franchises completely (ie the St. Louis Browns to the Baltimore Orioles, or the Washington Senators to the Minnesota Twins and the Texas Rangers). There are also separate histories for the two Washington Senators franchises, as well as tons of short writeups about previous teams in certain cities (ie the Baltimore Orioles - they were a successful team in the late 1890's and then dropped the name for many years until the Browns relocated there).

I have a hard time believing that you will be able to find a more comprehensive book about the franchises that have existed since baseball began. There is more information here for the price than anywhere else that I have seen. I gave it four stars instead of five due to the lack of Negro League teams (even though I admit I could have missed them). All in all, this is one heck of a great buy!!

I read this when it came out. It's a fascinating look at one of the most enjoyable seasons I've ever witnessed. Michael left them hanging and they still came back and won over 50 games. Were it not for Hue Hollins BS call they may have 4-peated.

Although it covers just the frayed transition between Michael Jordan's first retirement and the Bulls' rebuilding, this book offers the reader much insight into the key personalities that comprised the greatest team in modern professional basketball. No Bulls library would be complete without it.Roland Lazenby

Although it covers just the frayed transition between Michael Jordan's first retirement and the Bulls' rebuilding, this book offers the reader much insight into the key personalities that comprised the greatest team in modern professional basketball. No Bulls library would be complete without it.Roland Lazenby

Although it covers just the frayed transition between Michael Jordan's first retirement and the Bulls' rebuilding, this book offers the reader much insight into the key personalities that comprised the greatest team in modern professional basketball. No Bulls library would be complete without it.Roland Lazenby

This is an amazing collection of Gator history. I highly recommend it as a gift to any Gator. We bought it for our son-in-law and are having a hard time giving it up! Enjoy!

This is a fabulous compilation of all things Gator. I bought copies for my parents and all my siblings for Christmas, and they have all raved about how awesome the book is. Packed full of history spanning the decades since the very beginning of UF and the Gators, this book will be a welcome addition to any faithful Gator fan's collection.

This is s must have for all Gator Fans. I bought this as a gift for a friend, and now I am going to get one for myself. I cannot even begin to tell you everything that is in this book. It is so well organized, displayed, and truly a treasured item. I read it from front to back and learned things that I have never heard before. It is truly remarkable!

The picture here does not even begin to do this volume justice. This is a beautiful book that comes in a sturdy and attractive box. It's as much scrapbook as it is history book. Inside the book, in addition to the wonderful photographs and narrative account of the history of Gator football, there are many, many artifacts that come in little pockets on almost every page. There is a replica of the ticket to the national championship game, a copy of Steve Spurrier's handwritten resignation announcement, a copy of the actual stats sheet from the 1966 Auburn game that secured the Heisman for Spurrier, a felt pennant from the 1950s, a copy of the card that Urban Meyer had each player carry with him during the days leading up to the 2006 championship game....the list goes on and on. Each page has a new surprise. Norm Carlson, longtime SID and Gator historian, has done every Gator fan a huge favor by putting together this remarkable "vault" of Gator memorabilia.

It was a gift and while it was attractive, I hope the recipient enjoys it!

This book is very well written and contains replicas of UT memoribilia that would be hard to find anywhere else. I bought one for each of my brothers as Christmas presents and they loved it! It is well worth buying and I would recommend it to any die hard Tennessee fan.

WONDERFUL BOOK FOR THE TRUE TENNESSEE FAN. REPRODUCED MEMORABILIA FROM YEARS GONE BY UP UNTIL THE RECENT. A REAL TREASURE!!

Great gift for a UT lover, but product was over-priced at Amazon. I saw the exact same product for 10.00 less at my local grocery store.