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"Off The Top of His Head"is a compilation, with commentary, of 12years of "The Visor", aweekly column published atGatorfootball.com.It covers the ups and downs of Gator Football from the 1996 National Championship through the 2008 National Championship.It includes game predictions, scores, & commentary. ... Read more

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"Papa Bear is everything a sports book should be: Passionate, encyclopedic, utterly biased and filled with endearingly anachronistic phrases. . ."
--New York Times Book Review

Granted unprecedented access to George Halas’s formerplayers, friends and associates, author Jeff Davis tells the incredible story of how one man grabbed an outlaw game by the throat, shook it up, and made it into the most popular spectator sport on the planet.

Customer Reviews (8)

Dnnna
I was very pleased with the condition of the book I ordered for my son it looked brand new but I got it at a such a great price. thanks amazon I have already ordered more books because of the condition of this book and the speedy delivery.

A wonderful book for all who love the NFL
What a treat this book is, not only for Bears fans but also for anyone who loves the NFL. There wouldn't be an NFL without the tireless work of George Halas, the Papa Bear. And Davis's book tells you all you need to know about this fascinating character. It is also a trove of information about the early years of the NFL. It is a delight to read, and it belongs in the library of anyone who fancies himself a true follower or professional football.

Al Bowers
Prescott, Arizona

Pretty good book...
...though it's a bit long at 512 pages (excluding notes, index, etc).

The book does read pretty quickly.Not any particular chapter that I enjoyed the most.Sid Luckman was George's favorite.Interesting insights on the way the author describes George Allen, Mugs (George, Jr.), the rest of the Halas clan, and many of his ex-players including Geo Blanda, Bobby Layne, Rich Casares, et al.Definitely worth your time to read the book.When I visited Chicago, I passed by the old Soldier Field several times, but never took the time to visit it which is uncharacteristic of me.Wished not I had taken the time, as the place was reportedly to be very antiquated.

Papa Bear's Legacy, Then & Now
George S. Halas was, depending on who wrote the piece that you're reading, either the cheapest, back-stabbingest skinflint who ever threw nickels around like manhole covers, or a visionary who had the foresight to see what the NFL could become and ran his family business and associations (read: NFL) to the top of the sporting world heap.You can find both sides in this book, which is a reason that it ranks as high as it does.

To understand the man, the book starts out with his parents, from the old country, Bohemia.As new immigrants, they worked in ways that we don't seem to do any more, like thrift, saving for something better, hard work at odd jobs to get that extra change.This is how George Halas operatered because he was "programmed" to do this at a young age.Subsequently, when he owned the Bears, that was how he operated his business.He saw the possibilities of growth of his team and the NFL through the media.He saw the wealth could be generated, mainly in terms of the league as a whole.He was determined to make his franchise the best, and that meant applying those principles that he learned when young (i.e., thrift).But he could also be extremely generous with his money, especially in family/business tragedies like Brian Piccolo, Willie Galimore and others.His line of succession, to take over the Bears, was also something learned from The Old Country, and thrown into pandimonium when his only son died and his son was estranged from Halas.Therefore, it fell to the McCaskeys to carry on the Halas-nurtured Bears into the 21st century, something G.S. Halas would conceivably be turning over in his grave about.

The book does no favors at all concerning the McCaskeys; they are depicted as rather ignorant of most things concerning football and especially about the Bears, and greedy, controlling the Bears only for the money and prestige.The accuracy of this, since it was laid on so thickly by the author, makes you wonder if it is really true, but the record and gaffes committed by the Bears over the last 20 years tend to bear the author's characterization out."Papa Bear" is a good, absorbing book for the history of the Chicago Bears and how the league got to where it is today, and hits much closer to the heart, mind and soul of George Halas and how he lived that many other biographies and autobiographies that one may find.

Is it accurate?
As a Bears season ticket holder and lifelong fan who attended the same grade school (St. Emily's in Mt. Prospect, IL) as the McCaskey children and grew up their neighborhood, I was really looking forward to reading this book.Then, right on page 3 it says the McCaskeys lived in Arlington Heights when they actually lived in Des Plaines, and I am left wondering how many other inaccuracies this book contains.It seems very anti McCaskey. ... Read more

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For eight years George Graham had control of Arsenal during which he won more trophies than any other manager in the history of the club. In Fenruary 1995, Graham was sacked afetr an FA investigation found his part in an alleged bung scandal to warrane firm action from his club. Mid-season, and yet to play crucial games in the European Cup-Winners, the team Graham built was left to carry on without him. This book has been updated to include the whole of the 1994-1995 season and looks into what happened up to and including Graham's dismissal. It delves deep into the psyche and working practices of George Graham to discover why he has been so successful and yet so derided. Players such as Nick Hornby, Brian Glanville, Henry Winter and Tom Watt express their personal view of Graham - the man and the myth. This is an insight into the modern game, and Graham in particular. ... Read more

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Did you know that Oregon State is the only school in college football history to topple a defending national champion playing an entire game with no substitutes? Did you know that it was the Oregon State women who started college basketball at the university, not the men? Did you know that Oregon State is where Dick Fosbury invented the famed "Fosbury Flop", which earned him a gold medal at the 1968 Olympics and revolutionized the high jump? Tales from Oregon State Sports digs deep into the rich history behind athletics at Oregon State University and unearths the amazing and the unusual, the heroic and the heartwarming, the legends and their lore. Discover the facts behind such traditions as the school mascot, colors, fight song and Alma Mater. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Must For Fans Of The Orange and Black
"Tales from Oregon State Sports" offers a kalidescopic look at the rich, often colorful history of sports at Oregon State University. Co-authors Jeff Welsch and George P. Edmonston Jr. have done a wonderful job of bringing to light some of the lesser-known moments in the OSU heritage, but they've also managed to make some of the more familiar legends (such as the fabled "Giant Killers" OSU football team of 1967) seem fresh.

Another excellent aspect of the volume is that the authors have sought to portray the total spectrum of athletics over the past century-plus on the Corvallis campus. Even though the basketball and football programs have gained the most fame, there's also plenty in here about wrestling, baseball, women's sports, track and field, and more.

As is always the case, the best sports stories are human stories. In this volume, you will become better acquainted with legendary coaches like Slats Gill, Dee Andros, Ralph Miller and Knute Rockne. (Yes, Rockne. Read the book and you will learn why Rockne was a member of OSU's summer faculty for three years). You will also get to know outstanding players and some very faithful fans.

This book is an absolute must for Beaver fans, and should be enjoyed by anyone with an interest in the history of college athletics.--William C. Hall ... Read more

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Chapters: Butler Bulldogs Football Coaches, George Clark, Bill Lynch, Edgar Wingard, Tony Hinkle, Jeff Voris, Dave Allerdice, Harlan Page, Butler Bowl. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 37. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: George M. "Potsy" Clark (, 1894 , 1972) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player, coach, and athletic director. He served as the head football coach at Michigan Agricultural College, now Michigan State University, (1920), the University of Kansas (19211925), Butler University (19271929), and the University of NebraskaLincoln (1945, 1948), compiling a career college football record of 40457. Clark was also the head coach of the Portsmouth Spartans/Detroit Lions (19311936, 1940) and the Brooklyn Dodgers (19371939) of the National Football League, where he tallied a mark of 644212. Born in a small farming community of Carthage, Illinois on , 1894, Clark was christened as George, but at about the age of six he was nicknamed "Potsy" by a local veterinarian. The sobriquet followed him for the rest of his days. The Clarks were a large family with a household that included Potsy, his parents, grandparents, an uncle, four brothers, and three sisters. In 1909, Potsy entered Carthage High School and quickly established himself as the quarterback on the football team. Under his leadership, the squad went through two undefeated seasons and had a third within grasp until they lost the final game of his senior year. At Carthage, he also starred in track athletics and baseball. Clark's brothers had gone to William ... Read more

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Chapters: Germany Schulz, Jay Cutler, Rex Grossman, Bob Griese, Jeff George, Rick Mirer, Ray Neal, Bernard Pollard, Mike Phipps, Ryan Baker, Josh Gaines, Rosevelt Colvin, Glen Steele, Paul Spicer, Jeremy Bridges, Jaymar Johnson, Greg Middleton, Stanford Keglar, Ken Huffine, Will Billingsley, Donald Washington, Russ Hathaway, Nate Lawrie, Frank Fausch, Clarence Spiegel, Moe Gardner, Menz Lindsey, Billy Hillenbrand, Pete Brewster, Joe Domnanovich, Jason Pociask, Corbett Davis, Mike Otto, Pat Filley, Bob Kercher, Devin Moore, Chick Maggioli, Paul Flatley, Jared Tomich, Eddie Rucinski, Paul Moss, Ray Trowbridge, Earl Warweg, Ken Johnson, Lew Skinner, Derrick Ransom, John Johnson, Candy Miller, Amos Martin, Wally Hess, Bill Sortet, Jim Sniadecki, Don Thompson, John Isenbarger, Travis Williams, Al Young, Enoch Demar, Fanny Niehaus, Fred Vanzo. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 220. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Adolph F. "Germany" Schulz (April 19, 1883 April 14, 1951) was an All-American American football center for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1904 to 1905 and from 1907 to 1908. While playing at Michigan, Schulz is credited with having invented the spiral snap and with developing the practice of standing behind the defensive line. As the first lineman to play in back of the line on defense, he is credited as football's first linebacker. During his time at Michigan, Schulz also became involved in one of college football's earliest recruiting controversies, as some suggested that he was a "ringer" recruited by Michigan coach Fielding H. Yost. Schulz was 21 years old when he enrolled at Michigan, had worked in an Indiana steel mill and reportedly played for either amateur or professional teams. Michigan was refused re-entry into the Western Conference in 1908 when it ins...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=12736659 ... Read more

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Chapters: J. P. Darche, Robert Eeuwes, Percival Molson, Jeff Russel, George Springate, Randy Chevrier, Hector Pothier, Jean-Nicolas Carrière, John Macdonald, Erik Galas, Greg Hetherington, Silver Quilty, Frank Mcgill, Anthony Lukca, Joe Poirier. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 43. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Jean-Philippe "J. P." Darche (born on February 28, 1975, in Montreal, Quebec) is a retired American and Canadian football long snapper He was signed and drafted by the Toronto Argonauts in 1999. He played CIS football at McGill. Darche has also played for the Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs. He is the older brother of Mathieu Darche, a left winger in the Montreal Canadiens organization. Darche's first love was ice hockey. As a youth, along with hockey, he played Bantam AA inter-city baseball with the St-Laurent Orioles. Hockey was his primary sport until high school, when he started playing American football. Darche's younger brother Mathieu is currently a forward for the Montreal Canadiens. Darche attended Collège Notre-Dame du Sacré-Coeur in Montreal, Canada, and was a student and a letterman in football. In football, after his senior season, he was voted to participate in the Montreal High School All-Star football game. Darche attended Collège André-Grasset and was an honor student and named Athlete of the Year as a sophomore. His number 44 jersey was retired by the team. Darche attended McGill University in Montreal where he was a star middle linebacker on McGill Redmen football team for five seasons. He was selected as a co-captain his final two seasons. He concluded his collegiate career as the all-time leading tackler in school history with 272 stops (132 solo). He graduated from McGill with a BSc. in physiology in 1998, then entered McGill Medical School ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=2361797 ... Read more

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The definitive biography of the powerful commissioner who masterminded theSuper Bowl and changed professional sports forever

Pete Rozelle built a sports empire. He invented the Super Bowl, tripled the size of the NFL, and turned football into a billion-dollar business. Before he came along, Monday was just anotherweeknight. Rozelle was the archetype of the modern sports commissioner and one of Time magazine’s100 most important people of the 20th century.

In Rozelle, critically acclaimed biographer Jeff Davis goes deep into the extraordinary life of thislegendary figure. Showcasing exclusive interviews with more than a hundred of Rozelle’s familymembers, colleagues, admirers, and detractors, Davis weaves a compelling narrative fabric that masterfullyspans Rozelle’s life from childhood through his days as an executive with the L. A. Rams, to his triumphs as commissioner of the NFL and his everlasting impact on the American way of sport.

Customer Reviews (7)

NOT a biography of Pete Rozelle
This book, in spite of its title, is not at all a biography of Pete Rozelle. It is a collection of stories about some events that have taken place during the history of the NFL (e.g. Blair Motion Pictures being brought in-house by the NFL and re-christened 'NFL Films') where Pete Rozelle occasionally and all too infrequently makes brief appearances. When a biography that is purportedly about some subject isn't actually about that subject, that is a grave flaw.

While some stage-setting is necessary to any biography this entire book is merely stage-setting for a production that never takes place. For example, nearly an entire chapter is devoted to the first American Football League (AFL) season and championship game. While the AFL and subsequent merger with the NFL are important, a detailed recounting of the innagural AFL season and championship game are not at all necessary to developing an appreciation of Pete Rozelle's life and accomplishments (especially when little mention of Rozelle is made). And this is but one of myriad examples. Imagine watching the film 'Patton' where George C. Scott (as Patton) has about 20 minutes of screen time during the entire 160 minute film and you've got some of grasp Jeff Davis' appalling "Rozelle: Czar of the NFL."

Davis also has the annoying habit of not bothering to edit material taken from interviews. If he's recounting an interview with, say, Steve Rosenbloom(whom Davis relies on far too heavily anyway), Davis prints everything that Rosenbloom happened to say on that occasion even if the majority of it has little to do with whatever meandering tangent the book happens to be on.

Finally, where in the world was McGraw-Hill (the book's publisher) during all this? Did they fail to assign an editor to this project? One would think that when this was presented to the publisher someone would have said, "Wait a minute. You were supposed to write a biography about Pete Rozelle and this is something else entirely. We can't publish this."

Fortunately I only checked this book out of the local library. It looks like some other reviewers had the misfortune to pay for this book. You'd do much better with (and even learn more about Pete Rozelle from) Michael MacCambridge's excellent book "America's Game."

Rozelle Or Everyone Ellze?
When I first saw this book, I knew I had to buy it and read it immediately as Pete Rozelle was one of the icons of my young life.What a disappointment :( !The book seems to be about everyone else but Pete Rozelle - he's like a guest star in his own story.

Starting from the time Rozelle was elected commissioner, we hear more about George Halas than Pete Rozelle.Why was he a compromise candidate?After his election the story meanders and deals with people, places and incidents only tangentially related to Pete and the growth of the NFL.Many times I was lost in the maze of names both personal and corporate that surround and protect the story of Rozelle from outsiders.

Some of the chapters are long and rambling and make one wonder why the story of the beginning of NFL Films requires 23 pages.Other chapters are the same.

I really thought I would get some more insights into the NFL I grew up with, as a baby boomer "I saw it all" from the rise of the packers to the merger, expansion and becoming the #1 spectator sport.After reading a biography about Wellington Mara and Ernie Accorsi's autobiography, I thought I'd learn more about the people who shaped the NFL.But after some 200 or so pages, I can't continue.It's too painful.

Worthwhile book, but not good biography
An excellent high level history of the NFL since 1950, but not so much as a biography of Pete Rozelle.There is little insight into the man.Lots of what's and when's, very little "how".

Example...many instances are offered about his ordered life, his ability to make people feel at ease.How did he do it?What made him unique?

Far too much reliance on Rozelle's daughter, Steve Rosenbloom, and Eddie Accorsi as sources.Too many lines of thought were opened, and then dropped.For instance, he goes on about how in the 1950's Redskins' owner George Marshall was a major player as an owner...then suddenly he disappears.Jack Kent Cooke is described as a Rozelle enemy because Rozelle married Cooke's former daughter in law...and then the point is dropped.Did Cooke every hamstring Rozelle because of the relationship?

To many ideas are brought up, then dropped without completing the circle.To little is told really flesh out the picture of Rozelle beyond a stick figure with a great tan and ready smile who drank Rusty Nails and smoked too much.

It is a good book...but it could have been great.

I wish I had read the first reviewer
This isnt a book...it's an awful run-on sentence. This is a worthy subject nonetheless....hopefully someone who knows how to write will take on the subject someday.This is nothing but as told to Jeff Davis "kerflooey"...a word that was actually used on page 24


Jeff Davis should have stayed dead with the confederacy....he devalues his Northwestern education with this...can the university give him an honorary defrocking for this.In sum...this book wa neither written nor edited......just bad journalism.

History book more than biography
Despite what other reviewers have said, this is an excellent book. No, it's not really a biography, so if you want to get more indepth into Rozelle's divorce or what he wore to the Senior Prom, then skip the book. But, if you are interested in a first hand look at the NFL through the eyes of those responsible for its ascent, this is a great book. It very much parallels the Mark Maccambridge book, "America's Game" which is terrific.The reader learns about the intricacies of the NFL/AFL merger, the labor strife of the 70s and 80s, and the "threats" from wannabe football leagues as well as little known facts regarding Joe Namath's almost early retirement due to indirect gambling associations and the infamous Heidi Game.The book is more about the NFL than it is about Rozelle, but it's a terrific book for anyone who enjoys modern NFL history. ... Read more