Comments on: Review: The Book of Basketball http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/10millionwords/2010/01/14/review-the-book-of-basketball/ A Year of Reading All of America'a Bestsellers Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:46:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bestselling books and what they reveal about our souls « Words of Grace http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/10millionwords/2010/01/14/review-the-book-of-basketball/#comment-281 Bestselling books and what they reveal about our souls « Words of Grace Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:00:31 +0000 http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/10millionwords/?p=315#comment-281 [...] The Book of Basketball by Bill Simmons [...] [...] The Book of Basketball by Bill Simmons [...]

]]> By: Gary http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/10millionwords/2010/01/14/review-the-book-of-basketball/#comment-198 Gary Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:35:53 +0000 http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/10millionwords/?p=315#comment-198 Just wanted to say that I think your project of reading the NYT bestsellers is an awesome idea. Also wanted to say three things about the Simmons book. (1) Some people already noted that the endnotes are footnotes in the paper version. Simmons noted this on his Twitter account and encouraged people to buy the paper version instead of the Kindle for this very reason. (2) Simmons is also on record saying that the book is not designed to be read straight through. It's more of a keep-it-on-the-back-of-the-toilet kind of book. So even the author agrees with your assessment that no one really wants to slog straight through 700 pages of this book. (3) Agree with you and others that Simmons should learn to be funny without being crude. He's a good writer, but relies too much on being crude to be funny. One effect of this is that his humor is going to be dated in a few years. Just wanted to say that I think your project of reading the NYT bestsellers is an awesome idea. Also wanted to say three things about the Simmons book. (1) Some people already noted that the endnotes are footnotes in the paper version. Simmons noted this on his Twitter account and encouraged people to buy the paper version instead of the Kindle for this very reason. (2) Simmons is also on record saying that the book is not designed to be read straight through. It’s more of a keep-it-on-the-back-of-the-toilet kind of book. So even the author agrees with your assessment that no one really wants to slog straight through 700 pages of this book. (3) Agree with you and others that Simmons should learn to be funny without being crude. He’s a good writer, but relies too much on being crude to be funny. One effect of this is that his humor is going to be dated in a few years.

]]> By: Review: When the Game Was Ours – 10 Million Words http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/10millionwords/2010/01/14/review-the-book-of-basketball/#comment-167 Review: When the Game Was Ours – 10 Million Words Wed, 20 Jan 2010 21:17:31 +0000 http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/10millionwords/?p=315#comment-167 [...] I stated in my review of The Book of Basketball, basketball is far from my favorite sport. If I were to get into the game, and if I were to find [...] [...] I stated in my review of The Book of Basketball, basketball is far from my favorite sport. If I were to get into the game, and if I were to find [...]

]]> By: Jamie http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/10millionwords/2010/01/14/review-the-book-of-basketball/#comment-151 Jamie Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:27:59 +0000 http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/10millionwords/?p=315#comment-151 Just for the fun of it, Simmons article in this month's ESPN The Magazine contains 3,000 more words of edits and additions to this book. He makes a big deal of asking for 5,000, but the editors limiting him. Anyway, he is already planning an expanded second edition. Just for the fun of it, Simmons article in this month’s ESPN The Magazine contains 3,000 more words of edits and additions to this book. He makes a big deal of asking for 5,000, but the editors limiting him. Anyway, he is already planning an expanded second edition.

]]> By: PointSpecial http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/10millionwords/2010/01/14/review-the-book-of-basketball/#comment-150 PointSpecial Fri, 15 Jan 2010 23:02:15 +0000 http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/10millionwords/?p=315#comment-150 I think, perhaps, the verdict should read (Except for NBA Mega-fans). I've played/followed basketball all of my life, but I really loath the NBA. There have only been a few times that I've really found myself enjoying NBA games that I've watched in the post-Jordan era. The NBA has become much more about celebrity than the sport itself. And the rules are set up in such a way as to encourage high scoring. Give me a good old fashioned defensive battle over a shootout most nights. Not all... but make the shootouts be on account of extremely spectacular play (like the night a college teammate of mine went 8/8 from 3 and 14/18 from the field on the way to 40 points... and the team shot 17/26 from 3 (65%) and 33/52 from the field). Or like the first of our national championship game won 84-82 on a jumper with .2 seconds... excellently played game where the defense was supurb... but couldn't hold down the offense. College is the purest form of sport (and, for that matter, D-III). The players are playing for the love of the game, not for money. But I digress... The celebrity nature of the NBA leads to its profane nature. Yes, these guys are good athletes... but they're placed on pedestals. In the same way that Tiger Woods is just a good golfer (and not an expert on marital infidelity, cars, watches, etc), NBA players are just good athletes. It's ironic though... I find myself thinking less of Michael Jordan as a basketball player as I lose respect for him as a person. That really shouldn't be the case... his personal life has little to do with his ability to put a ball through the hoop. I think, perhaps, the verdict should read (Except for NBA Mega-fans).

I’ve played/followed basketball all of my life, but I really loath the NBA. There have only been a few times that I’ve really found myself enjoying NBA games that I’ve watched in the post-Jordan era. The NBA has become much more about celebrity than the sport itself. And the rules are set up in such a way as to encourage high scoring. Give me a good old fashioned defensive battle over a shootout most nights. Not all… but make the shootouts be on account of extremely spectacular play (like the night a college teammate of mine went 8/8 from 3 and 14/18 from the field on the way to 40 points… and the team shot 17/26 from 3 (65%) and 33/52 from the field). Or like the first of our national championship game won 84-82 on a jumper with .2 seconds… excellently played game where the defense was supurb… but couldn’t hold down the offense.

College is the purest form of sport (and, for that matter, D-III). The players are playing for the love of the game, not for money. But I digress…

The celebrity nature of the NBA leads to its profane nature. Yes, these guys are good athletes… but they’re placed on pedestals. In the same way that Tiger Woods is just a good golfer (and not an expert on marital infidelity, cars, watches, etc), NBA players are just good athletes.

It’s ironic though… I find myself thinking less of Michael Jordan as a basketball player as I lose respect for him as a person. That really shouldn’t be the case… his personal life has little to do with his ability to put a ball through the hoop.

]]> By: danny http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/10millionwords/2010/01/14/review-the-book-of-basketball/#comment-149 danny Fri, 15 Jan 2010 22:24:45 +0000 http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/10millionwords/?p=315#comment-149 Andrew is right, Simmons does use footnotes for humorous asides. Unfortunately, they were full of more of his perverse humor. I read the book, loved much of it (I'm a basketball fan and a Simmons fan), but there were points where it just got bad. Tim should probably be glad he missed them. Andrew is right, Simmons does use footnotes for humorous asides. Unfortunately, they were full of more of his perverse humor. I read the book, loved much of it (I’m a basketball fan and a Simmons fan), but there were points where it just got bad. Tim should probably be glad he missed them.

]]> By: Andrew Faris http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/10millionwords/2010/01/14/review-the-book-of-basketball/#comment-148 Andrew Faris Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:48:08 +0000 http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/10millionwords/?p=315#comment-148 Tim, 2 Things: 1. Simmons uses footnotes really well- not so much for sourcing but for humorous asides. My guess is that you actually missed quite a bit of humor in the book because of it (though I haven't read the book). If you can't get your hands on one of them old-fashioned paper copies of the book, you could check out <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=manny" rel="nofollow">this article</a> he wrote after Manny Ramirez was traded from the Red Sox to the Dodgers a couple years back. As you probably know now from reading his book, Simmons is a Boston native and Boston sports fanatic. It gives a good sense of his use of footnotes. 2. I'd suggest that not only is this a book for basketball fans, but for Simmons fans- and there are many of them. If you go to <a href="http://www.espn.com" rel="nofollow">espn.com</a>, you'll see that he's right there on the front page next to Rick Reilly- that's saying something given the massive popularity of espn in general and Reilly in particular. He has at least one weekly podcast, and somewhat of a whole cult following exemplified in his reader mailbags. People who buy the book know what they're going to get when they read it: they're going to get Simmons writing style, and thus, Simmons humor style. I'll settle for the occasional podcast or online column myself! Andrew Tim,

2 Things:

1. Simmons uses footnotes really well- not so much for sourcing but for humorous asides. My guess is that you actually missed quite a bit of humor in the book because of it (though I haven’t read the book). If you can’t get your hands on one of them old-fashioned paper copies of the book, you could check out this article he wrote after Manny Ramirez was traded from the Red Sox to the Dodgers a couple years back. As you probably know now from reading his book, Simmons is a Boston native and Boston sports fanatic. It gives a good sense of his use of footnotes.

2. I’d suggest that not only is this a book for basketball fans, but for Simmons fans- and there are many of them. If you go to espn.com, you’ll see that he’s right there on the front page next to Rick Reilly- that’s saying something given the massive popularity of espn in general and Reilly in particular. He has at least one weekly podcast, and somewhat of a whole cult following exemplified in his reader mailbags. People who buy the book know what they’re going to get when they read it: they’re going to get Simmons writing style, and thus, Simmons humor style.

I’ll settle for the occasional podcast or online column myself!

Andrew

]]> By: Tim Challies http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/10millionwords/2010/01/14/review-the-book-of-basketball/#comment-147 Tim Challies Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:57:22 +0000 http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/10millionwords/?p=315#comment-147 Wow. That's even more of a bummer. Wow. That’s even more of a bummer.

]]> By: Evan http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/10millionwords/2010/01/14/review-the-book-of-basketball/#comment-146 Evan Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:17:51 +0000 http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/10millionwords/?p=315#comment-146 The notes aren't even endnotes in the paper version; they're footnotes, so they're very easy to read. The notes aren’t even endnotes in the paper version; they’re footnotes, so they’re very easy to read.

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