Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), published by Thomson Gale on January 26, 2008. The length of the article is 1110 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Cramps not case of Duck out of water.(Basketball Oregon Men)(Malik Hairston took fluids by IV Thursday night and expects to be full go for USC)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) (Newspaper)
Date: January 26, 2008
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: B13

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Book Description
The Orangemenósay the name and basketball fans everywhere immediately recognize the team from Syracuse University. For more than one hundred years, they have been playing basketball up on ìthe Hill.î Their history is one of growth and continued success, all of which is documented with rare archival photographs in The Orangemen: Syracuse University Menís Basketball.ÝÝSyracuse University fielded its first menís basketball team in 1900 and enjoyed many successes in the programís early years. Legendary players highlighted the time: Lewis Castle, the first of Syracuseís thirty-two All-Americans; Vic Hanson, the only player enshrined in both the College Football and Naismith Memorial Basketball Halls of Fame; and Wilmeth Sidat-Singh, the first African American to play at Syracuse. Longtime coach Jim Boeheim is one of just twenty-five Division I coaches with more than six hundred victories. The Orangemen: Syracuse University Menís Basketball will take fans back to Manley Field House and the days of the zoo. More recent photographs of Carrier Dome favorites such as Pearl Washington, Derrick Coleman, Sherman Douglas, Lawrence Moten, and John Wallace will complete the picture of one of college basketballís most successful and enduring teams. ÝÝ ... Read more

Book Description
A list of legends is significant not only for who makes the list, but who gets left off of it. If there are no obvious omissions, then the list of candidates was probably less than legendary in the first place. Not so in the case of the Syracuse University Orangemen. Calling roll on Syracuse's all-time basketball greats can take up the greater part of a day. The school produced its first All-American, Lewis Castle, in 1912. Most recently, Carmelo Anthony, one of the best freshmen to ever play college basketball, led the 2003 Orangemen to the school's first NCAA championship. In between there were legends such as the incomparable Dave Bing, Roosevelt Bouie, and Louis Orr, who together formed the Louie and Bouie Show, along with names like Derrick Coleman, Sherman Douglas, Lawrence Moten, and John Wallace. Legends of Syracuse Basketball features 24 players, one coach, and one special team. Within the book's pages are stories straight from the legends' teammates, their coaches, and the legends themselves. Of the players mentioned, 17 played in the NBA. More telling of the greatness of the Syracuse University basketball program is the fact that 10 Orangemen who played in the NBA did not make this list of legends. The same is true of record holders, All-Americans, and more fan favorites than are possible to count. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Legends- A must read for SUand college basketball fans
From 1912 and All American Lewis Castle to Carmelo this book gives the reader a great review of basketball as played by the Syracuse Orange. The inclusion of the National Championship team and the Coach behind the rise of Syracuse basketball (Jim Boeheim) brings an appropriate conclusion to the the review of the legends.
Whether you are a Syracuse fan or a fan of college basketball, this book is a must for your library and reading pleasure. ... Read more

Book Description
Several former players who have worn the legendary Syracusebasketball uniform share their fondest single-game experience and memories.Some of these games involve championships, while others have extraordinarypersonal meaning. Stars like Gerry McNamara, Kueth Duany, Allen Griffin,Lawrence Moten, John Wallace, Billy Owens, Lazarus Sims, Preston Shumpert,Adrian Autry, Leo Rautins, Sean Kerins, and Gene Waldron are among theformer players profiled. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Coach and Athletic Director, published by Scholastic, Inc. on April 1, 2005. The length of the article is 3294 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Still water runs deep: for Eddie Sutton, coaching at Oklahoma State is a labor of love.(PERSON TO PERSON)(Interview)
Author: Kevin Newell
Publication: Coach and Athletic Director (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 2005
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Volume: 74Issue: 9Page: 50(7)

Article Type: Interview

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Amazon.com
Here's what you probably know about Jayson Williams: as of 2000, he has been in the NBA for 10 years, played in one all-star game, is one of the league's best rebounders, and has a seven-year, $100 million contract. He also has a reputation as a loudmouth with an attitude problem.

Here's what you probably don't know: he comes from a mixed-race family, lost two of his sisters to AIDS, adopted their children, and became a grandfather at 28, plus he calls his mom and dad a few times every day. Here's another thing you might not know about him: he's funny.

Williams shows off his sense of humor in Loose Balls, an irreverent look at life in the NBA. His style is conversational and snappy, with short vignettes strung together into brief, loosely themed chapters. One chapter, "What's Young & Skinny & Can Do a 580-Degree-Double-Pump-Backward Jam but Doesn't Know How to Shoot a Jump Shot or Set a Back-Side Pick? Meet the Future of the NBA" is all of eight pages long. However, by the end of the book Williams has dished the dirt on dozens of his colleagues--who is the biggest flopper (Rodman, of course), who is the worst trash talker (Gary Payton), and who is the dirtiest player (not John Stockton, but his tight shorts are a problem: "Someone should tell the man the ABA days are over.").

Williams also offers observations on coaches, refs, cheerleaders, and fans across the NBA--as well as events from his childhood, early career, and well-publicized days as a wild man. Williams's candor and charm are apparent throughout the book, as is his love of basketball. Hoops fans will love this book. --M. SteinBook Description
The funniest, smartest, most honest book ever written about life in the NBA.

All-Star center Jayson Williams is one of the best players in the NBA, probably the strongest, certainly among the most generous, and definitely the wittiest. His irreverent take on life on and off the court, his sidesplitting one-liners, his pro-fan stance during the 1998 lockout, and his massive donations of time and money to charity have made Williams one of the most popular pro athletes in the country. He's the basketball superstar as human being--down-to-earth, honest, thoughtful, and a naturally hilarious raconteur.

Loose Balls is the basketball book everyone has been waiting for: the first candid report from a land of fragile egos, available women, unexpected tenderness, intramural fistfights, colossal partying, bizarre humor, inconceivable riches, and desperate competition. No inspirational pieties or chest-thumping boasting, just real insider tales of refs, groupies, coaches, entourages, and all the superstars, bench warmers, journeymen, clowns, and other performers in the rarefied circus that is professional basketball.

Loose Balls does for roundball what Ball Four did for hardball. From revelations about the meanest, softest, and smelliest players in the league, to Williams' early days as "a young man with a lot of money and not a lot of sense," to his strong and powerful views on race, privilege, and giving back, Loose Balls is sure to be the most talked-about sports book in years.


All-star center Jayson Williams is one of the best players in the NBA, probably the strongest, definitely the funniest. His irreverent take on life on and off the court and sidesplitting one-liners consistently land him on sportswriters' "all-interview" team and frequent appearances on the "Late Show with David Letterman," "The Rosie O'Donnell Show," ESPN "SportsCenter," and "Imus in the Morning." Jayson's column "The Basketball Diary" appeared during the 1997-1998 season in GQ and Details, and his pro-fan stance during the lockout made him a hero to millions. He's the basketball star as human being--down-to-earth, honest, smart, and a naturally hilarious raconteur.

LOOSE BALLS is the basketball book everyone has been waiting for: the first candid report from a land of fragile egos, easy sex, unexpected tenderness, hand-breaking fistfights, colossal partying, bizarre humor, and inconceivable riches. No inspirational pieties or chest-thumping boasting, just real insider tales of refs, groupies, coaches, entourages, and all the other clowns and performers in the rarefied circus that is professional basketball. --> ... Read more

Customer Reviews (41)

Ironic & quite poetic
This book is just an okay read ... nothing great, but not bad either.I've already read more than my fair share of NBA sports books, so the tales of casual sex, egomaniacal exploits, drugs and this insatiable feeling of invincibility that colors so many of today's pro athletes is nothing fresh and new.

I think the fact that this book came out in 2000 and just a matter of months later, Jayson Williams experienced that "fateful" day in history when living life on the edge and a bit recklessly caught up to him.

I gave this book 5-stars only because given the context of what went down & because of the context of the tales of this book which I'm sure were written to be humorous -- that combination makes this package quite gripping.

It's like was there/is there any doubt life would catch up to Mr. Williams?

I'm not at all calling Jayson a bad person. But, in the end, we all get our just desserts for the life decisions we make.

This book foreshadows the fall of a semi-celebrity who scaled the heights of NBA stardom and faded into relative obscurity.

If this guy wasn't 7 feet tall....
....he'd be flipping burgers.Like Charles Barkley (who -- big surprise -- is one of his best buddies), Jayson Williams is a self-important blowhard who uses his status as a minor celebrity as a platform to dispense his childish anecdotes and mind-numbing personal opinions.Here's an example of his brilliant insight: if you turn out the lights, any woman can be Cindy Crawford. Wow! Thanks for the tip, Jayson!

I canýt wait for his memoirs about prison life!
I can't wait for Jayson Williams' to describe his prison sentence, from his takes on soap on a rope, to prison food; it will be a laugh riot.

Seriously, this book provides insight to Williams' personal and professional life, along with life in the NBA.This book is full of one to two page stories concerning a wide range of stories, from truly touching, to laugh out loud.

One story describes how he was about to kill the murderer of his two sisters, only to let him go.Another story tells how he was so drunk, he woke in Phoenix thinking that he was in New York after a bomb blast.When meeting the GM of the Suns for the first time, he asked if he could call his Mom to see if she was alright, in which afterwards he was promptly traded.

This book is full of very interesting tales that turn this into a great page-turner.This is truly one of the greatest sports books of all time.He doesn't glorify or vilify anyone, he just tells it how it is.

If he comes out with another book, I'll be the first one to pick it up at the store.You can drive, while I'll take shotgun (get it?).

This is the ultimate book for anyone who likes sports.

Not quite a three-pointer, but still a passing effort
Morbid curiosity led me to the pages of Jayson Williams's autobiography/NBA primer.The former pro star's current legal matters made me want to know the man behind the sports/news headlines.

The author/basketball player details many anecdotes contrasting growing up in the rural South and the urban Mid-Atlantic.His tales of his years in the NBA are reflective and very revealing as he tells about fellow well-known icons of the sport from Michael Jordan to Phil Jackson to Charles Barkley.Williams pulls no punches in describing what really makes up life in the NBA, from rookie to established star.

The book is chocked full of fights, contract negotiations, fights, character analyses, fights, extravagant expenditures, rowdy fans, fights, parties, practice sessions, grandmotherly interventions, championship games, and fights.

Oh, did I say "fights"?

The book is a simple read and should satisfy the fan and non-fan alike.

The one part of the work that stands out in light of Williams's current situation comes at the end of the segment entitled "Never Trouble Trouble". The author states in this section that he avoids trouble on the road by staying in his hotel room.

He writes:"Now if people want to get wild and throw a party, get crazy, they have to come do it at my house.I'm not always an angel.But if I'm a devil at home, no one gets hurt."

I'm sure that the author now regrets those particular words.

A fun, light read for any basketball fan
I think most any NBA fan or casual follower will find this book entertaining.And it's certainly interesting now, given the trouble Jayson's in for some of the same kind of wild behavior he talks about in the book.It's hard to think of him as anything other than a fun loving guy who (allegedly) caused a horrible accident through wreckless actions.In the book he talks about partying at his home so no one gets in trouble or fights.

The anecdotes in the book are usually funny and offer a close and lighthearted insight into a lot of things big time basketball players encounter.My instinct is that there's a lot of exaggeration in the stories, but I suspect they're generally true.Jay comes across as a good guy, as you'd expect, and he seems to be genuinely thankful for his family and his talent.It's hard to not like him and it's easy to enjoy this book.Not great literature by any means, but a fun, light read. ... Read more

Book Description
In this deeply felt, unforgettable book, Bill Reynolds journeys with a high school basketball team through the past and present of an American town. Fall River, Massachusetts, is a once-prosperous industrial center haunted by its history, the Durfee High School basketball team begins its annual drive for a state championship: a quest that inspires and sometimes consumes kids, coaches, families, teachers, and all of Fall River.Fall River Dreams is the story of one season's quest-a classic book about sports, youth, time, hope, and memory in American today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Wonderful and bittersweet book
A wonderful book about Fall River as well as Durfee basketball.Wonderful and bittersweet.It made me want to know what happened to all the people in it afterwards.

More than a basketball book
As a Fall Riverite, I am ashamed to have taken so long to read this book.This book is so accurate that it is scary.While the actual writing does lack some luster, it is certainly accurate weaving the city's history withkey people, with the history of Durfee High School, and the politics that are still as evident in 2007 as they were in 1993. Chris Herren's basketball career at Durfee is chronicled with foresight as to what eventually did happen, evident to me that the author really did get to know the characters he wrote about because we all know what eventually happened to Chris, the dream that never really came to fruition, almost as if Fall River is cursed and has cursed its residents.Jeff Caron, the kid who was overlooked, according to the author in the book, is currently the coach of Durfee and its AD, taking the place of the everfamous Skippy Karam.Again, after reading the book, Caron's role in Fall River now seems exactly scripted the way Reynolds depicted Fall Riverites, destined to never leave, yearning always for the past.It's a good sports book, it's a good history book, it's a good story.There are some editing issues--spelling errors and misnamed places, but it's mostly annoying if you know that Columbus Park is not "Columbia Park," etc. If you are from the area, you must read!But even if you are not, if you know anything about Chris Herren, you will forever feel for him and his plight. I wish Chris would actually do an autobiography, it could be a lesson for all kids that nothing is a given.

Probably Doomed to not meet my expectations
I'm clearly not alone in having read "Fall River Dreams" after reading "Friday Night Lights."Several other reviewers have mentioned as much in their own reviews.Clearly, I had some expectations that it would be a basketball version of FNL, which it was, but it just didn't have the bite that FNL was able to dish out.Not that this was a bad book at all, but I think I was doomed from the start to always have that hanging over my head.

From a book standpoint, it was an enjoyable read, with a good amount of real life ups and downs mixed into it.I hate reading fairy tale non-fiction books, and fortunately this doesn't turn into one.Having read this over a decade after its first printing, I wish there was a new version with author commentary as there was with FNL.My interest in the players, especially Chris Herren, took me to the internet where I found quite a large amount of depressing post Fall River information.In some ways, it made the book more vivid.Reynolds might do well by refocusing on a few players with a re-release.

Overall a 3/5, mainly the 3 coming from a lot of repetitive commentary throughout.This book could have used a better editor.

fall river dreams
i thought this was a pretty good book.as a sports fan, i did get bored at times with all the descriptions of the city and it seemed repetitive after awhile.but overall, i did find myself not wanting to put the book down in order to find out what the outcome was going to be for durfee and chris herron.

Great characters, great book
This was one of the best sports books I've read in a while. I really enjoyed Friday Night Lights, and think that this book is it's equal. Thought I am slightly biased, growing up in the Fall River area, and personally watching several Durfee games. But no one can deny the honest and genuine nature of the emotionally charged characters in this story. The relationship between Skippy Karam and Chris Herren is one of a kind. Skip being the living legend trying to go out on top one last time, and Chris trying to live up to all the expectations put on him by the media, colleges, and his family, even though he cleary isn't ready to grow up. The interaction between these two is usually confrontational, but often hilarious as Chris continues to push Skippy to his limit.
Another great character that seems to almost get lost in the mix is Jeff Caron. Jeff is the second best player on the team, but would be a stand out at any other high school in the area. He seems a little jealous at times, but always remains a team player. He is a sort of an outsider among his teammates and the book does a fine job of telling his story. ... Read more