slider728 reviewed OK Book on Life in the NFL on 2/13/2009 + 44 more book reviews

There probably isnt a boy in the USA that has not dreamed of playing in the NFL. Kids on the playground with a Nerf ball imitate the greats, Joe Montana, Brett Farve, Walter Payton, Steve Largent. From our childhood, the idea of playing in the NFL is a romanticized notion that is pounded into our heads by parents, TV, and celebrity commercials. However, throughout our childhood and for many, even through adulthood, we have no idea what it is really like to put on the coveted jersey and run out on that field. Few stop to think of the emotional, physical, and personal sacrifices that must be made just to be an average player in the NFL.

The Dark Side of the Game is an insiders look at life in the NFL. Based on the title, I was expecting a behind the scenes memoir of the wild nights, drugs, womanizing, and crime that fans thing goes in the NFL. However, the book is more of a blog. The book is a series of 69 essays, each roughly 2 to 4 pages. The various stories told in the book dont seem to have a rhyme or reason to the way they are presented. The stories seem to be a bunch of random thoughts. Reading the book almost feels like reading a persons blog or notes on MySpace or Facebook.

The author touches on a wide variety of subjects. Despite the seeming lack of structure to the book, the book is an enjoyable read. One of my favorite sections was a section that dealt with dating and finding mates. Obviously, not everyone is Brett Farve or Joe Montana. The author talks about how most of the guys in the NFL do not have women falling all over them and actually need to work quite hard to get a date. Another chapter I really liked was a chapter on Deion Sanders and how much of what the public saw was an act in order to make himself more exciting and desirable from the fans perspective.

The author also expresses his views on why he feels preseason games are useless, why NFL players hate training camp, what it is like to be on a losing team, why players are glad to lose in the post-season, the lack of padding players wear on the field, and a myriad of other topics.

Personally, I did not care for the essay or short story approach to this book. However, it only takes a few minutes to read a section or chapter, so the book was nice to read in the car while waiting to pick up the kids or is a nice book to have in the bathroom.

I think the book offers a great perspective of the NFL from someone who has been there. The book covers a lot of topics I had never stopped and considered before. I liked the fact that the author didnt have very many negative things to say about other players. Even if the topics were not all that interesting, I found Tim Green to be an exceptionally talented writer. If you are a casual or average NFL fan, this book is probably worth picking up. If you are a die-hard fan that lives and breaths football, Id recommend passing on this book and maybe picking up a memoir of your favorite player.

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