The 80-mile-an-hour exploits of the US Men's Downhill Ski Team propel this bracing report from Miami Herald staffer Wilson (coauthor, Maximum Morphonius, 1990). Granted unusual access to the day-to-day lives and thoughts of the defiantly ``not normal'' bunch he dubs ``the U.S. Crazy-Ass Get-Out-Of-My-Way Downhill Maniac Team,'' Wilson traces the mostly grueling, often frustrating, and occasionally elating 1991 and 1992 World Cup (or, more aptly, ``White Circus'') seasons. Far from glamorous, despite such glittering surroundings as KitzbÅhel, Val d'Isäre, and Garmisch, the tour, with only one US stop, appears as a grind of unforgiving slopes, jet lag, bad food, poor accommodations, and harrowing rides on narrow mountain roads—all compounded by virtual neglect from the American press. Along the way, there's a lackluster performance in the Albertville Olympics;, the rare racing-related death of an Austrian downhiller; the quiet retirements of two team members who have lost ``the edge''; and the rise of AJ Kitt as an international star. Frequently injured and constantly mired in a battle between fear and the ecstatic pursuit of self-propelled flight, the racers—including Kitt, Tommy Moe, Jeff Olson, Bill Hudson, and Kyle Rasmussen—along with their dedicated, sometimes exasperated, coaches, emerge as compelling, fully realized characters. Skirting none of the rivalry, casual profanity, and youthful high jinks of the tour, and particularly strong on the technical aspects of the sport, Wilson offers a graceful yet rollicking narrative that goes past the warts-and-all mode to create a vivid picture of a world dedicated to controlled excess. An invigorating, world-class ride down some tricky and rewarding terrain.
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-8129-2144-5
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Times/Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A book that will help everyone feel good at the end of the sporting day.
An uplifting guide to sportsmanship. The subtitle says it all.
Using the example of Ruettiger, whose experience as a Notre Dame football walk-on inspired the 1994 film, Rudy, the authors rail against disrespectful behavior in sports, at any level. They argue that kids, parents and coaches are part of a matrix that can either create a joyful youth sports environment, or a nasty stew of overweening pride, gross expectations and antisocial behavior. With an old school bluntness, they plainly state how participants should act: Kids should have a clear sense of what they want to do, develop strategies for achieving their goals, listen and learn, show respect to all, cultivate a strong work ethic, be positive and helpful and trustworthy, and finally, be patient. Parents should be involved, too, but should always "remember to be the adults. Let the kids be kids." This means not projecting your own aspirations onto your children, while encouraging self-esteem and confidence. Coaches must know their sport (even if they are only volunteers), exemplify personal excellence, challenge the kids, earn their trust, be open to feedback and get everyone involved. The authors’ straightforward advice may seem obvious, but Phillips, Leddy and Ruettiger go further, providing solid examples of how to put these principles into practice. And for all the character building, they also appreciate that kids just want to have fun.
A book that will help everyone feel good at the end of the sporting day.Pub Date: Sept. 22, 2005
ISBN: 1-58348-764-6
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 27, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Football star Joe Don Looney—an All-American running back in the early 1960's—had, according to Oklahoma attorney Clark, ``the tools to be the next Jim Brown.'' But as Clark shows in this smoothly written, riveting biography, Looney's brand of nonconformity and manic temperament was not readily accommodated 30 years ago. An early advocate of weightlifting and steroids for football training, Looney was also ahead of his time in his devotion to yoga and meditation. Even so, he indulged in drinking and brawling that, despite his prowess as a runner and punter, got him dismissed from several secondary schools. Arriving in 1962 at the University of Oklahoma, Looney—a ``fun-loving reckless hell-raiser'' who was also a ``melancholy existentialist''—clashed with Coach Bud Wilkinson, whose football program still ``had a distinctive military air to it.'' Looney's penchant for guns and fighting, his petulant refusals to practice, and his bridling against becoming ``a mindless grunt'' led to his dismissal from the team—but his extraordinary potential and on-field record convinced the New York Giants to draft him. Looney balked at the pro regimen, however, and was soon traded to the Baltimore Colts, where his ``performances were awesome.'' But after a series of disturbing incidents— including his arrest for kicking in a neighbor's door—he was traded again. Nagging injuries, lack of interest in playing, and further off-the-field difficulties pushed Looney out of football by 1967. A brief stint in Vietnam renewed his interest in Buddhism but also led him to marijuana and psychedelic drugs, and his life became one of messy relationships and marital problems, of drifting to India, Peru, and back to Texas—although, before his death in 1988 in a motorcycle accident, he found some peace as a disciple of the mystic Muktananda. A well-researched, in-depth study of a most unusual athlete: one of the best—and most fascinating—sports bios in years. (Sixteen-page photo insert—not seen)
Pub Date: Aug. 16, 1993
ISBN: 0-312-07870-6
Page Count: 256
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1993
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