THEY CALL ME DIRTY

by Conrad & Vic Carucci Dobler ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 6, 1988

Sweaty, noisy, vulgar autobiography by an offensive guard whom Sports Illustrated called ""pro football's dirtiest player."" Dobler had an outstanding career, highlighted by appearances in three pro bowls and five post-season games. He succeeded by biting, kicking, punching, ""leg-whipping,"" and eye-gouging his opponents, by working himself into a state of red fury before each game. Any regrets? ""We left some people in the hospital. They left some people in the hospital. My kind of football."" Dobler spends lots of time trumpeting his bulldozer tactics--so much so that he seems helplessly stuck inside the tough-guy persona that brought him fame on the field and a second career in Miller Lite ads. ""Violence is what fans want,"" he argues, also suggesting that ""if you want sophistication, go to a tennis match."" Sophistication isn't his strong suit; in his NFL heyday, his idea of a good time off the field seemed to be plenty of drinking with the good-ole-boys, plenty of sex with pneumatic women. He records his early life and playing career in the same macho manner, piling up anecdotes that prove he's made of leather and steel as he recalls his Catholic childhood, tough Mom and milquetoast Dad, football scholarship to Wyoming, years with the St. Louis Cardinals and New Orleans Saints. Imagination flares only in the Tough Guy Hall of Fame, Dobler's amusing rundown by position of his favorite players, among them Larry Csonka, ""a human battering ram,"" and Jim McMahon, the only player left in the NFL carrying on the Dobler tradition of adolescent high jinks. Once an offensive lineman, Dobler is now an offensive writer. This book caters only to die-hard fans with pigskin-thick hides who get a kick from ""Fang Football.

Pub Date: Sept. 6, 1988

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1988

Categories: NONFICTION