Tony
12-28-2004, 10:47 PM
I'm about half way thru it...it's written by Mark Kriegel.
Broadway Joe has always been one of my favorites, and this book illustrates several things:
* He was blessed with pure athleticism...and HUGE hands! This helped him become expert with ball fakes, which his brothers and high school coach drilled early on. He was offered several contracts in baseball, could dunk a basketball in a wide variety of ways, and shot par golf in college.
* An option QB for Bear Bryant, combined with his amazing passing ability, made him a true double threat. Unfortunately, it was as a senior in college that he developed knee problems.
* He played hurt his entire career. Opponents went out of their way to knock him out of the game, most notably the Raiders. Yet he always picked himself up, often grinning, and usually played better despite concussions, fractured cheekbone & ankle, sprained thumb, dislocated shoulder, and of course the knees.
* Despite the flamboyance, and his fondness for "booze and broads", he was an honest man with deep principles. Many disliked him for his unique fashion sense, his salary, and his lifestyle...he was basically about a decade or two before his time.
It's a good read about an era when the NFL and AFL were competing, then merging. The upcoming chapters will tell the tale of his famous "guarantee" against the Colts in the '69 Super Bowl. Vintage Joe Namath!
Broadway Joe has always been one of my favorites, and this book illustrates several things:
* He was blessed with pure athleticism...and HUGE hands! This helped him become expert with ball fakes, which his brothers and high school coach drilled early on. He was offered several contracts in baseball, could dunk a basketball in a wide variety of ways, and shot par golf in college.
* An option QB for Bear Bryant, combined with his amazing passing ability, made him a true double threat. Unfortunately, it was as a senior in college that he developed knee problems.
* He played hurt his entire career. Opponents went out of their way to knock him out of the game, most notably the Raiders. Yet he always picked himself up, often grinning, and usually played better despite concussions, fractured cheekbone & ankle, sprained thumb, dislocated shoulder, and of course the knees.
* Despite the flamboyance, and his fondness for "booze and broads", he was an honest man with deep principles. Many disliked him for his unique fashion sense, his salary, and his lifestyle...he was basically about a decade or two before his time.
It's a good read about an era when the NFL and AFL were competing, then merging. The upcoming chapters will tell the tale of his famous "guarantee" against the Colts in the '69 Super Bowl. Vintage Joe Namath!