Green Bay Replay

I've read many, many books about sports. Baseball, football, basketball . . . and most have been tolerable. Some have been excellent. This book is superlative, mostly because it (like Schaap did) has a heart about the issues that have changed the NFL since the 1960s (the time of original Super Bowl I winning Green Bay team) and points out how many of these changes, for good and ill, have affected one team -- Green Bay.

Because Green Bay is the only publicly owned team in America and has an unusual leadership setup in that there's not even a figurehead owner, the relationship with the fans, city and team is closer, warmer and more special than in any other city. Other cities have great fans, yes -- many of them do. But other cities don't live and die with their team, year in and year out, as do the Green Bay fans.

This fan, who suffered through many 3-13 and 4-12 seasons on the way back to first respectability, then a Super Bowl Win, then playoff contention and near-Super Bowl misses, enjoys re-reading this book now and again because it contains what many sports books of the present lack -- optimism.

As well, it's a faithful look at the Packer teams of the 60s and the 90s, warts and all; granted, some of the scandals that came out after this book was published (i.e., Antonio Freeman's car accident with or without DUI -- he got out of the car and no one's sure who was driving at the time -- and Eugene Robinson's trip to the strip club after moving to the next team happened after this book was printed in paperback) are not covered, but was Schaap supposed to be omniscient, too?

If you like Brett Favre, Reggie White, Jerry Kramer or Ray Nitschke (among others), this book is for you. If you're a Packer fan, this book is for you. And if you're a football fan, demoralized from star after so-called star refusing to sign autographs, swearing in front of kids and microphones, and other such behavior (and it goes downhill from there, let me assure you), this book is for you.

Five stars. Highly recommended.

Barb Caffrey


Great History Of A Great Team   June 20, 2000
 2 out of 3 found this review helpful

As a die-hard Packer fan, I savored every minute of my team's return to glory in the mid 90's. This book chronicles and highlights the long and often difficult road that the Pack traveled back to the top. From the days of Vince Lombardi to Mike Holmgren and all the time in between, Dick Schaap has got the greatest team to ever step on a field well covered. An absolute must for any Green Bay Packer fan!