July 29, 1996
A former player for the Atlanta Falcons and now a TV broadcaster on the Fox network, Green (Titans) has an enduring love for football, but that does not prevent his seeing the unlovelier aspects of the sport. Chief among them are the physical tolls the game exacts: every player, he stresses, suffers discomfort in every game of every season. The injuries are usually temporary but are sometimes permanently disabling, including concussions (Green had 12 during his career). There are the hardships of training camps and exhibition games, which sap athletes' energies even before the regular season starts, violent players and team doctors who urge even wounded players to stay on the field. Enemies may be teammates, since offensive and defensive units each have special bonds. Other obstacles include performance drugs, artificial turf, rowdy fans and the media, resented because reporters have never played pro football and, in Green's view, don't know what they are writing about. The author also provides insights into good and bad venues, superstitions, agents and the realities of play: "If you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'." Eye-opening for grid fans. Available as a Time Warner AudioBook.
April 15, 1996
Green, an author (Titans, LJ 10/15/94), former pro football player, and color commentator for Fox's football broadcasts, here exposes the NFL's worst secrets regarding steroid use, gambling, and racism.
June 15, 1996
Green, a novelist (Titans, LJ 10/15/94), ex-pro football player, and football commentator for Fox Television, offers a collection of approximately 70 brief, engagingly written essays on such dark topics as drug use, sex, violence, injuries, cheating, gambling, and money in professional football. The essays are similar to the insightful commentary that Green supplies for National Public Radio. Refreshingly, the tone is not that of a bitter, tell-all expose but is balanced and even-handed. The book's one weakness is that topics change from chapter to chapter without any overall organizing structure. The author's message may have been clearer had the essays been arranged in subject-oriented sections. Ultimately, football fans will devour this. Recommended for all public libraries.--John M. Maxymuk, Rutgers Univ. Lib., Camden, N.J.