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  <id>24480</id>
  <title><![CDATA[Can I Keep My Jersey?: Eleven Teams, Six Years, Five Countries, and My So-called Career as a Professional Basketball Player]]></title>
  <isbn><![CDATA[034549136X]]></isbn>
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  <description><![CDATA[He&#8217;s been called a journeyman. Even Paul wouldn&#8217;t dispute that classification. Regardless, Bill Simmons, ESPN.com&#8217;s &#8220;The Sports Guy,&#8221; has said of Paul Shirley, &#8220;We could finally have an answer to the question &#8216;What would it be like if one of our friends was an NBA player?&#8221;<br/><br/>There&#8217;s no denying that Paul Shirley is the closest thing pro basketball&#8217;s got to Odysseus. In Homeric fashion, he has logged time practically everywhere in the roundball universe, from six NBA cities to pro leagues in Spain and Greece to North America&#8217;s pro ball Siberia, the minor leagues. Hell, he&#8217;s even played in the real Siberia. And in Can I Keep My Jersey?, Shirley finally puts down roots long enough to deliver one of the great locker-room chronicles of the modern age. <br/><br/>With sharp elbows and an even sharper wit, Shirley&#8211;whose writings have been described as &#8220;wildly entertaining&#8221; by The Wall Street Journal&#8211;drops hilarious commentary, revealing which teams have the best cheerleaders (he&#8217;s spent many a time-out watching them ply their trade), why Christ is rapidly becoming every team&#8217;s &#8220;sixth man,&#8221; and even the best ways to get bloodstains out of your game uniform, using only an ordinary bar of soap and a hotel bathroom sink.<br/><br/>From sharing the court with Kobe and Shaq to perusing the food court at some mall in a bush-league burg; from taking pregame layups to getting laid out by a stray knee from an NBA power forward; from hopping a limo to the team&#8217;s charter jet to dashing to catch the van home from a B-league game in Tijuana, Shirley dishes on what it&#8217;s like to try to make it as a professional athlete. Can I Keep My Jersey? is a rollicking, thoughtful, even thought-provoking insider&#8217;s look at a pro baller&#8217;s life on the fringe. Like Jim Bouton&#8217;s Ball Four or John Feinstein&#8217;s A Season on the Brink, Shirley&#8217;s odyssey deserves to find a home on every sports fan&#8217;s bookshelf.]]></description>
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        <name><![CDATA[Paul Shirley]]></name>
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[Can I Keep My Jersey?: Eleven Teams, Six Years, Five Countries, and My So-called Career as a Professional Basketball Player]]>
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    <![CDATA[He&#8217;s been called a journeyman. Even Paul wouldn&#8217;t dispute that classification. Regardless, Bill Simmons, ESPN.com&#8217;s &#8220;The Sports Guy,&#8221; has said of Paul Shirley, &#8220;We could finally have an answer to the question &#8216;What would it be like if one of our friends was an NBA player?&#8221;<br/><br/>There&#8217;s no denying that Paul Shirley is the closest thing pro basketball&#8217;s got to Odysseus. In Homeric fashion, he has logged time practically everywhere in the roundball universe, from six NBA cities to pro leagues in Spain and Greece to North America&#8217;s pro ball Siberia, the minor leagues. Hell, he&#8217;s even played in the real Siberia. And in Can I Keep My Jersey?, Shirley finally puts down roots long enough to deliver one of the great locker-room chronicles of the modern age. <br/><br/>With sharp elbows and an even sharper wit, Shirley&#8211;whose writings have been described as &#8220;wildly entertaining&#8221; by The Wall Street Journal&#8211;drops hilarious commentary, revealing which teams have the best cheerleaders (he&#8217;s spent many a time-out watching them ply their trade), why Christ is rapidly becoming every team&#8217;s &#8220;sixth man,&#8221; and even the best ways to get bloodstains out of your game uniform, using only an ordinary bar of soap and a hotel bathroom sink.<br/><br/>From sharing the court with Kobe and Shaq to perusing the food court at some mall in a bush-league burg; from taking pregame layups to getting laid out by a stray knee from an NBA power forward; from hopping a limo to the team&#8217;s charter jet to dashing to catch the van home from a B-league game in Tijuana, Shirley dishes on what it&#8217;s like to try to make it as a professional athlete. Can I Keep My Jersey? is a rollicking, thoughtful, even thought-provoking insider&#8217;s look at a pro baller&#8217;s life on the fringe. Like Jim Bouton&#8217;s Ball Four or John Feinstein&#8217;s A Season on the Brink, Shirley&#8217;s odyssey deserves to find a home on every sports fan&#8217;s bookshelf.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2007</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
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  <read_at>Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Dec 14 16:11:16 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Dec 14 16:25:56 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I'm really not one to read sports books, and this is a player I'd never heard of.  I read this only after strong encouragement from a friend who loaned it to me insisting that it wasn't really just about basketball and that the humor was up my alley -- dry, self-deprecating, and off-beat.<br/><br/>...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/81015373">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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</review>
      <review>
  <id>14381062</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Nanda]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[Can I Keep My Jersey?: Eleven Teams, Six Years, Five Countries, and My So-called Career as a Professional Basketball Player]]>
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  <average_rating>3.58</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[He&#8217;s been called a journeyman. Even Paul wouldn&#8217;t dispute that classification. Regardless, Bill Simmons, ESPN.com&#8217;s &#8220;The Sports Guy,&#8221; has said of Paul Shirley, &#8220;We could finally have an answer to the question &#8216;What would it be like if one of our friends was an NBA player?&#8221;<br/><br/>There&#8217;s no denying that Paul Shirley is the closest thing pro basketball&#8217;s got to Odysseus. In Homeric fashion, he has logged time practically everywhere in the roundball universe, from six NBA cities to pro leagues in Spain and Greece to North America&#8217;s pro ball Siberia, the minor leagues. Hell, he&#8217;s even played in the real Siberia. And in Can I Keep My Jersey?, Shirley finally puts down roots long enough to deliver one of the great locker-room chronicles of the modern age. <br/><br/>With sharp elbows and an even sharper wit, Shirley&#8211;whose writings have been described as &#8220;wildly entertaining&#8221; by The Wall Street Journal&#8211;drops hilarious commentary, revealing which teams have the best cheerleaders (he&#8217;s spent many a time-out watching them ply their trade), why Christ is rapidly becoming every team&#8217;s &#8220;sixth man,&#8221; and even the best ways to get bloodstains out of your game uniform, using only an ordinary bar of soap and a hotel bathroom sink.<br/><br/>From sharing the court with Kobe and Shaq to perusing the food court at some mall in a bush-league burg; from taking pregame layups to getting laid out by a stray knee from an NBA power forward; from hopping a limo to the team&#8217;s charter jet to dashing to catch the van home from a B-league game in Tijuana, Shirley dishes on what it&#8217;s like to try to make it as a professional athlete. Can I Keep My Jersey? is a rollicking, thoughtful, even thought-provoking insider&#8217;s look at a pro baller&#8217;s life on the fringe. Like Jim Bouton&#8217;s Ball Four or John Feinstein&#8217;s A Season on the Brink, Shirley&#8217;s odyssey deserves to find a home on every sports fan&#8217;s bookshelf.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2007</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Sports Fans and Bloggers Alike.]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[Scott, I think.]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Feb 02 13:06:26 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Feb 02 13:08:35 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I got a pathetic little crush on him after reading this, so much so that he's actually on my myspace...There was one place in it though that I can't remember where he writes something like (J/K) or something to that effect.  It's a book, seriously.  I stopped reading it for two days because that sor...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/14381062">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/14381062]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/14381062]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>34109530</id>
    <user>
    <id>184194</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Todd]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[New York, NY]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Can I Keep My Jersey?: Eleven Teams, Six Years, Five Countries, and My So-called Career as a Professional Basketball Player]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24480.Can_I_Keep_My_Jersey_Eleven_Teams_Six_Years_Five_Countries_and_My_So_called_Career_as_a_Professional_Basketball_Player</link>
  <average_rating>3.58</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>313</ratings_count>
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    <![CDATA[He&#8217;s been called a journeyman. Even Paul wouldn&#8217;t dispute that classification. Regardless, Bill Simmons, ESPN.com&#8217;s &#8220;The Sports Guy,&#8221; has said of Paul Shirley, &#8220;We could finally have an answer to the question &#8216;What would it be like if one of our friends was an NBA player?&#8221;<br/><br/>There&#8217;s no denying that Paul Shirley is the closest thing pro basketball&#8217;s got to Odysseus. In Homeric fashion, he has logged time practically everywhere in the roundball universe, from six NBA cities to pro leagues in Spain and Greece to North America&#8217;s pro ball Siberia, the minor leagues. Hell, he&#8217;s even played in the real Siberia. And in Can I Keep My Jersey?, Shirley finally puts down roots long enough to deliver one of the great locker-room chronicles of the modern age. <br/><br/>With sharp elbows and an even sharper wit, Shirley&#8211;whose writings have been described as &#8220;wildly entertaining&#8221; by The Wall Street Journal&#8211;drops hilarious commentary, revealing which teams have the best cheerleaders (he&#8217;s spent many a time-out watching them ply their trade), why Christ is rapidly becoming every team&#8217;s &#8220;sixth man,&#8221; and even the best ways to get bloodstains out of your game uniform, using only an ordinary bar of soap and a hotel bathroom sink.<br/><br/>From sharing the court with Kobe and Shaq to perusing the food court at some mall in a bush-league burg; from taking pregame layups to getting laid out by a stray knee from an NBA power forward; from hopping a limo to the team&#8217;s charter jet to dashing to catch the van home from a B-league game in Tijuana, Shirley dishes on what it&#8217;s like to try to make it as a professional athlete. Can I Keep My Jersey? is a rollicking, thoughtful, even thought-provoking insider&#8217;s look at a pro baller&#8217;s life on the fringe. Like Jim Bouton&#8217;s Ball Four or John Feinstein&#8217;s A Season on the Brink, Shirley&#8217;s odyssey deserves to find a home on every sports fan&#8217;s bookshelf.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2007</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Sports Fans]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Sep 27 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Sep 29 06:27:36 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Sep 29 06:29:25 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count>1</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Quick solid read.  Feels a little disjointed towards the end when he starts including the blog postings he wrote for nba.com.  Other than that it was an entertaining insight into the life of a struggling professional athlete.  ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34109530]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34109530]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>73025532</id>
    <user>
    <id>2793072</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Sarah]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Paris, IL]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Can I Keep My Jersey?: Eleven Teams, Six Years, Five Countries, and My So-called Career as a Professional Basketball Player]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24480.Can_I_Keep_My_Jersey_Eleven_Teams_Six_Years_Five_Countries_and_My_So_called_Career_as_a_Professional_Basketball_Player</link>
  <average_rating>3.58</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>313</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[He&#8217;s been called a journeyman. Even Paul wouldn&#8217;t dispute that classification. Regardless, Bill Simmons, ESPN.com&#8217;s &#8220;The Sports Guy,&#8221; has said of Paul Shirley, &#8220;We could finally have an answer to the question &#8216;What would it be like if one of our friends was an NBA player?&#8221;<br/><br/>There&#8217;s no denying that Paul Shirley is the closest thing pro basketball&#8217;s got to Odysseus. In Homeric fashion, he has logged time practically everywhere in the roundball universe, from six NBA cities to pro leagues in Spain and Greece to North America&#8217;s pro ball Siberia, the minor leagues. Hell, he&#8217;s even played in the real Siberia. And in Can I Keep My Jersey?, Shirley finally puts down roots long enough to deliver one of the great locker-room chronicles of the modern age. <br/><br/>With sharp elbows and an even sharper wit, Shirley&#8211;whose writings have been described as &#8220;wildly entertaining&#8221; by The Wall Street Journal&#8211;drops hilarious commentary, revealing which teams have the best cheerleaders (he&#8217;s spent many a time-out watching them ply their trade), why Christ is rapidly becoming every team&#8217;s &#8220;sixth man,&#8221; and even the best ways to get bloodstains out of your game uniform, using only an ordinary bar of soap and a hotel bathroom sink.<br/><br/>From sharing the court with Kobe and Shaq to perusing the food court at some mall in a bush-league burg; from taking pregame layups to getting laid out by a stray knee from an NBA power forward; from hopping a limo to the team&#8217;s charter jet to dashing to catch the van home from a B-league game in Tijuana, Shirley dishes on what it&#8217;s like to try to make it as a professional athlete. Can I Keep My Jersey? is a rollicking, thoughtful, even thought-provoking insider&#8217;s look at a pro baller&#8217;s life on the fringe. Like Jim Bouton&#8217;s Ball Four or John Feinstein&#8217;s A Season on the Brink, Shirley&#8217;s odyssey deserves to find a home on every sports fan&#8217;s bookshelf.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2007</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Sep 30 12:39:31 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Sep 30 12:39:31 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I admit it. I didn't finish this autobiography. I got about 50 pages in and had to stop. Now, trust me, I like basketball, and I found some parts of this book interesting. The whole concept of trying out for NBA teams was new to me. You always hear about the superstars who have everyone begging for ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73025532">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73025532]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73025532]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>38306634</id>
    <user>
    <id>244636</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Scott]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Can I Keep My Jersey?: Eleven Teams, Six Years, Five Countries, and My So-called Career as a Professional Basketball Player]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24480.Can_I_Keep_My_Jersey_Eleven_Teams_Six_Years_Five_Countries_and_My_So_called_Career_as_a_Professional_Basketball_Player</link>
  <average_rating>3.58</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>313</ratings_count>
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    <![CDATA[He&#8217;s been called a journeyman. Even Paul wouldn&#8217;t dispute that classification. Regardless, Bill Simmons, ESPN.com&#8217;s &#8220;The Sports Guy,&#8221; has said of Paul Shirley, &#8220;We could finally have an answer to the question &#8216;What would it be like if one of our friends was an NBA player?&#8221;<br/><br/>There&#8217;s no denying that Paul Shirley is the closest thing pro basketball&#8217;s got to Odysseus. In Homeric fashion, he has logged time practically everywhere in the roundball universe, from six NBA cities to pro leagues in Spain and Greece to North America&#8217;s pro ball Siberia, the minor leagues. Hell, he&#8217;s even played in the real Siberia. And in Can I Keep My Jersey?, Shirley finally puts down roots long enough to deliver one of the great locker-room chronicles of the modern age. <br/><br/>With sharp elbows and an even sharper wit, Shirley&#8211;whose writings have been described as &#8220;wildly entertaining&#8221; by The Wall Street Journal&#8211;drops hilarious commentary, revealing which teams have the best cheerleaders (he&#8217;s spent many a time-out watching them ply their trade), why Christ is rapidly becoming every team&#8217;s &#8220;sixth man,&#8221; and even the best ways to get bloodstains out of your game uniform, using only an ordinary bar of soap and a hotel bathroom sink.<br/><br/>From sharing the court with Kobe and Shaq to perusing the food court at some mall in a bush-league burg; from taking pregame layups to getting laid out by a stray knee from an NBA power forward; from hopping a limo to the team&#8217;s charter jet to dashing to catch the van home from a B-league game in Tijuana, Shirley dishes on what it&#8217;s like to try to make it as a professional athlete. Can I Keep My Jersey? is a rollicking, thoughtful, even thought-provoking insider&#8217;s look at a pro baller&#8217;s life on the fringe. Like Jim Bouton&#8217;s Ball Four or John Feinstein&#8217;s A Season on the Brink, Shirley&#8217;s odyssey deserves to find a home on every sports fan&#8217;s bookshelf.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2007</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Nov 21 08:34:17 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Sep 18 11:52:36 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I don't know why it took me so long to write a review for this, since I loved this book and I'm such a big fan of this dude's writing and all....and yet here we are. <br/><br/>We've all read or at least seen the usual athlete biography where the protagonist rises above every obstacle to become one...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38306634">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38306634]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/38306634]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>35792369</id>
    <user>
    <id>605899</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Shivesh]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Anaheim, CA]]></location>
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  <isbn>034549136X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780345491367</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">65</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Can I Keep My Jersey?: Eleven Teams, Six Years, Five Countries, and My So-called Career as a Professional Basketball Player]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24480.Can_I_Keep_My_Jersey_Eleven_Teams_Six_Years_Five_Countries_and_My_So_called_Career_as_a_Professional_Basketball_Player</link>
  <average_rating>3.58</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>313</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[He&#8217;s been called a journeyman. Even Paul wouldn&#8217;t dispute that classification. Regardless, Bill Simmons, ESPN.com&#8217;s &#8220;The Sports Guy,&#8221; has said of Paul Shirley, &#8220;We could finally have an answer to the question &#8216;What would it be like if one of our friends was an NBA player?&#8221;<br/><br/>There&#8217;s no denying that Paul Shirley is the closest thing pro basketball&#8217;s got to Odysseus. In Homeric fashion, he has logged time practically everywhere in the roundball universe, from six NBA cities to pro leagues in Spain and Greece to North America&#8217;s pro ball Siberia, the minor leagues. Hell, he&#8217;s even played in the real Siberia. And in Can I Keep My Jersey?, Shirley finally puts down roots long enough to deliver one of the great locker-room chronicles of the modern age. <br/><br/>With sharp elbows and an even sharper wit, Shirley&#8211;whose writings have been described as &#8220;wildly entertaining&#8221; by The Wall Street Journal&#8211;drops hilarious commentary, revealing which teams have the best cheerleaders (he&#8217;s spent many a time-out watching them ply their trade), why Christ is rapidly becoming every team&#8217;s &#8220;sixth man,&#8221; and even the best ways to get bloodstains out of your game uniform, using only an ordinary bar of soap and a hotel bathroom sink.<br/><br/>From sharing the court with Kobe and Shaq to perusing the food court at some mall in a bush-league burg; from taking pregame layups to getting laid out by a stray knee from an NBA power forward; from hopping a limo to the team&#8217;s charter jet to dashing to catch the van home from a B-league game in Tijuana, Shirley dishes on what it&#8217;s like to try to make it as a professional athlete. Can I Keep My Jersey? is a rollicking, thoughtful, even thought-provoking insider&#8217;s look at a pro baller&#8217;s life on the fringe. Like Jim Bouton&#8217;s Ball Four or John Feinstein&#8217;s A Season on the Brink, Shirley&#8217;s odyssey deserves to find a home on every sports fan&#8217;s bookshelf.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2007</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="ballin" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[hoop junkies, tall white guys]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Oct 20 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Oct 20 15:22:21 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Oct 23 10:52:23 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count>1</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Paul Shirley writes of his nomadic life as a pro basketball player in the NBA pre-season and in various European clubs.  Engaging writing style and enjoyable anecdotes, but this book is really just a collection of blog posts.  So you might as well print out his blog from 2002 to 2007 and read them. ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35792369">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35792369]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35792369]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>34615192</id>
    <user>
    <id>130981</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Steven]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Tallahassee, FL]]></location>
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  <isbn13>9780345491367</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">65</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Can I Keep My Jersey?: Eleven Teams, Six Years, Five Countries, and My So-called Career as a Professional Basketball Player]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24480.Can_I_Keep_My_Jersey_Eleven_Teams_Six_Years_Five_Countries_and_My_So_called_Career_as_a_Professional_Basketball_Player</link>
  <average_rating>3.58</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>313</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[He&#8217;s been called a journeyman. Even Paul wouldn&#8217;t dispute that classification. Regardless, Bill Simmons, ESPN.com&#8217;s &#8220;The Sports Guy,&#8221; has said of Paul Shirley, &#8220;We could finally have an answer to the question &#8216;What would it be like if one of our friends was an NBA player?&#8221;<br/><br/>There&#8217;s no denying that Paul Shirley is the closest thing pro basketball&#8217;s got to Odysseus. In Homeric fashion, he has logged time practically everywhere in the roundball universe, from six NBA cities to pro leagues in Spain and Greece to North America&#8217;s pro ball Siberia, the minor leagues. Hell, he&#8217;s even played in the real Siberia. And in Can I Keep My Jersey?, Shirley finally puts down roots long enough to deliver one of the great locker-room chronicles of the modern age. <br/><br/>With sharp elbows and an even sharper wit, Shirley&#8211;whose writings have been described as &#8220;wildly entertaining&#8221; by The Wall Street Journal&#8211;drops hilarious commentary, revealing which teams have the best cheerleaders (he&#8217;s spent many a time-out watching them ply their trade), why Christ is rapidly becoming every team&#8217;s &#8220;sixth man,&#8221; and even the best ways to get bloodstains out of your game uniform, using only an ordinary bar of soap and a hotel bathroom sink.<br/><br/>From sharing the court with Kobe and Shaq to perusing the food court at some mall in a bush-league burg; from taking pregame layups to getting laid out by a stray knee from an NBA power forward; from hopping a limo to the team&#8217;s charter jet to dashing to catch the van home from a B-league game in Tijuana, Shirley dishes on what it&#8217;s like to try to make it as a professional athlete. Can I Keep My Jersey? is a rollicking, thoughtful, even thought-provoking insider&#8217;s look at a pro baller&#8217;s life on the fringe. Like Jim Bouton&#8217;s Ball Four or John Feinstein&#8217;s A Season on the Brink, Shirley&#8217;s odyssey deserves to find a home on every sports fan&#8217;s bookshelf.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2007</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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        <shelf name="read" />
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Oct 05 19:14:02 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Oct 19 18:18:56 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Definitely not your older brother’s book written by a current player describing life inside the NBA.  Usually those books are pretty boring because the players are loathe to criticize other members of the fraternity.  Paul Shirley is not afraid to rub some people the wrong way and that makes this ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34615192">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34615192]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34615192]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>25942240</id>
    <user>
    <id>947154</id>
    <name><![CDATA[furious]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Berkeley, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/947154-furious]]></link>
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  <id type="integer">983605</id>
  <isbn>0345495705</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780345495709</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">7</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Can I Keep My Jersey?: 11 Teams, 5 Countries, and 4 Years in My Life as a Basketball Vagabond]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255722860m/983605.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255722860s/983605.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/983605.Can_I_Keep_My_Jersey_11_Teams_5_Countries_and_4_Years_in_My_Life_as_a_Basketball_Vagabond</link>
  <average_rating>3.25</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>12</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[He&#8217;s been called a journeyman. Even Paul wouldn&#8217;t dispute that classification. Regardless, Bill Simmons, ESPN.com&#8217;s &#8220;The Sports Guy,&#8221; has said of Paul Shirley, &#8220;We could finally have an answer to the question &#8216;What would it be like if one of our friends was an NBA player?&#8221;<br/><br/>There&#8217;s no denying that Paul Shirley is the closest thing pro basketball&#8217;s got to Odysseus. In Homeric fashion, he has logged time practically everywhere in the roundball universe, from six NBA cities to pro leagues in Spain and Greece to North America&#8217;s pro ball Siberia, the minor leagues. Hell, he&#8217;s even played in the real Siberia. And in Can I Keep My Jersey?, Shirley finally puts down roots long enough to deliver one of the great locker-room chronicles of the modern age. <br/><br/>With sharp elbows and an even sharper wit, Shirley&#8211;whose writings have been described as &#8220;wildly entertaining&#8221; by The Wall Street Journal&#8211;drops hilarious commentary, revealing which teams have the best cheerleaders (he&#8217;s spent many a time-out watching them ply their trade), why Christ is rapidly becoming every team&#8217;s &#8220;sixth man,&#8221; and even the best ways to get bloodstains out of your game uniform, using only an ordinary bar of soap and a hotel bathroom sink.<br/><br/>From sharing the court with Kobe and Shaq to perusing the food court at some mall in a bush-league burg; from taking pregame layups to getting laid out by a stray knee from an NBA power forward; from hopping a limo to the team&#8217;s charter jet to dashing to catch the van home from a B-league game in Tijuana, Shirley dishes on what it&#8217;s like to try to make it as a professional athlete. Can I Keep My Jersey? is a rollicking, thoughtful, even thought-provoking insider&#8217;s look at a pro baller&#8217;s life on the fringe. Like Jim Bouton&#8217;s Ball Four or John Feinstein&#8217;s A Season on the Brink, Shirley&#8217;s odyssey deserves to find a home on every sports fan&#8217;s bookshelf.<br/><br/><br/><em>From the Hardcover edition.</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2007</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[paul shirley's family]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Aug 05 14:28:11 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jun 30 13:52:25 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Aug 05 14:28:11 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[3 stars because i love basketball &amp; this has some good &quot;insider&quot; info, plus the dude can be kind of funny at times...but i could never get behind the guy. the book, i would imagine, works best if you have a certain degree of empathy with the author, when you are invested in his ups &amp; downs...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/25942240">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/25942240]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/25942240]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>24225750</id>
    <user>
    <id>1212090</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jeff]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Sparks, NV]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1212090-jeff]]></link>
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  <id type="integer">24480</id>
  <isbn>034549136X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780345491367</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">65</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Can I Keep My Jersey?: Eleven Teams, Six Years, Five Countries, and My So-called Career as a Professional Basketball Player]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24480.Can_I_Keep_My_Jersey_Eleven_Teams_Six_Years_Five_Countries_and_My_So_called_Career_as_a_Professional_Basketball_Player</link>
  <average_rating>3.58</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>313</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[He&#8217;s been called a journeyman. Even Paul wouldn&#8217;t dispute that classification. Regardless, Bill Simmons, ESPN.com&#8217;s &#8220;The Sports Guy,&#8221; has said of Paul Shirley, &#8220;We could finally have an answer to the question &#8216;What would it be like if one of our friends was an NBA player?&#8221;<br/><br/>There&#8217;s no denying that Paul Shirley is the closest thing pro basketball&#8217;s got to Odysseus. In Homeric fashion, he has logged time practically everywhere in the roundball universe, from six NBA cities to pro leagues in Spain and Greece to North America&#8217;s pro ball Siberia, the minor leagues. Hell, he&#8217;s even played in the real Siberia. And in Can I Keep My Jersey?, Shirley finally puts down roots long enough to deliver one of the great locker-room chronicles of the modern age. <br/><br/>With sharp elbows and an even sharper wit, Shirley&#8211;whose writings have been described as &#8220;wildly entertaining&#8221; by The Wall Street Journal&#8211;drops hilarious commentary, revealing which teams have the best cheerleaders (he&#8217;s spent many a time-out watching them ply their trade), why Christ is rapidly becoming every team&#8217;s &#8220;sixth man,&#8221; and even the best ways to get bloodstains out of your game uniform, using only an ordinary bar of soap and a hotel bathroom sink.<br/><br/>From sharing the court with Kobe and Shaq to perusing the food court at some mall in a bush-league burg; from taking pregame layups to getting laid out by a stray knee from an NBA power forward; from hopping a limo to the team&#8217;s charter jet to dashing to catch the van home from a B-league game in Tijuana, Shirley dishes on what it&#8217;s like to try to make it as a professional athlete. Can I Keep My Jersey? is a rollicking, thoughtful, even thought-provoking insider&#8217;s look at a pro baller&#8217;s life on the fringe. Like Jim Bouton&#8217;s Ball Four or John Feinstein&#8217;s A Season on the Brink, Shirley&#8217;s odyssey deserves to find a home on every sports fan&#8217;s bookshelf.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2007</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Jun 11 07:53:13 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Jun 11 08:25:27 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I have read several books by ex or current players and they all pretty much follow the same formula of glossing over anything that might piss somebody off that might sign a check for them someday.  I love the fact that these books are almost exclusively written by a ghost rider  Come on, the guy can...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/24225750">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/24225750]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/24225750]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>20744727</id>
    <user>
    <id>417257</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Gwen]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[North Aurora, IL]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/417257-gwen]]></link>
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  <isbn13>9780345495709</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">7</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Can I Keep My Jersey?: 11 Teams, 5 Countries, and 4 Years in My Life as a Basketball Vagabond]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255722860m/983605.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255722860s/983605.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/983605.Can_I_Keep_My_Jersey_11_Teams_5_Countries_and_4_Years_in_My_Life_as_a_Basketball_Vagabond</link>
  <average_rating>3.58</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>313</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[He&#8217;s been called a journeyman. Even Paul wouldn&#8217;t dispute that classification. Regardless, Bill Simmons, ESPN.com&#8217;s &#8220;The Sports Guy,&#8221; has said of Paul Shirley, &#8220;We could finally have an answer to the question &#8216;What would it be like if one of our friends was an NBA player?&#8221;<br/><br/>There&#8217;s no denying that Paul Shirley is the closest thing pro basketball&#8217;s got to Odysseus. In Homeric fashion, he has logged time practically everywhere in the roundball universe, from six NBA cities to pro leagues in Spain and Greece to North America&#8217;s pro ball Siberia, the minor leagues. Hell, he&#8217;s even played in the real Siberia. And in Can I Keep My Jersey?, Shirley finally puts down roots long enough to deliver one of the great locker-room chronicles of the modern age. <br/><br/>With sharp elbows and an even sharper wit, Shirley&#8211;whose writings have been described as &#8220;wildly entertaining&#8221; by The Wall Street Journal&#8211;drops hilarious commentary, revealing which teams have the best cheerleaders (he&#8217;s spent many a time-out watching them ply their trade), why Christ is rapidly becoming every team&#8217;s &#8220;sixth man,&#8221; and even the best ways to get bloodstains out of your game uniform, using only an ordinary bar of soap and a hotel bathroom sink.<br/><br/>From sharing the court with Kobe and Shaq to perusing the food court at some mall in a bush-league burg; from taking pregame layups to getting laid out by a stray knee from an NBA power forward; from hopping a limo to the team&#8217;s charter jet to dashing to catch the van home from a B-league game in Tijuana, Shirley dishes on what it&#8217;s like to try to make it as a professional athlete. Can I Keep My Jersey? is a rollicking, thoughtful, even thought-provoking insider&#8217;s look at a pro baller&#8217;s life on the fringe. Like Jim Bouton&#8217;s Ball Four or John Feinstein&#8217;s A Season on the Brink, Shirley&#8217;s odyssey deserves to find a home on every sports fan&#8217;s bookshelf.<br/><br/><br/><em>From the Hardcover edition.</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2007</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="humor" />
        <shelf name="memoir" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[people who like to laugh]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[the alluring book cover]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Apr 21 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Apr 22 15:32:04 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed May 14 16:26:34 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I normally don't read these types of books. Alright, acutally I'll honestly read anything that is in front of me, I really am a bit of a book whore; but this one is waaaay out of my league. I usually don't go for the whole whiny, &quot;I have a talent that most people in the world only dream about a...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/20744727">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/20744727]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/20744727]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>20701679</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Douglas]]></name>
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  <isbn>034549136X</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780345491367</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">65</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Can I Keep My Jersey?: Eleven Teams, Six Years, Five Countries, and My So-called Career as a Professional Basketball Player]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>3.58</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>313</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[He&#8217;s been called a journeyman. Even Paul wouldn&#8217;t dispute that classification. Regardless, Bill Simmons, ESPN.com&#8217;s &#8220;The Sports Guy,&#8221; has said of Paul Shirley, &#8220;We could finally have an answer to the question &#8216;What would it be like if one of our friends was an NBA player?&#8221;<br/><br/>There&#8217;s no denying that Paul Shirley is the closest thing pro basketball&#8217;s got to Odysseus. In Homeric fashion, he has logged time practically everywhere in the roundball universe, from six NBA cities to pro leagues in Spain and Greece to North America&#8217;s pro ball Siberia, the minor leagues. Hell, he&#8217;s even played in the real Siberia. And in Can I Keep My Jersey?, Shirley finally puts down roots long enough to deliver one of the great locker-room chronicles of the modern age. <br/><br/>With sharp elbows and an even sharper wit, Shirley&#8211;whose writings have been described as &#8220;wildly entertaining&#8221; by The Wall Street Journal&#8211;drops hilarious commentary, revealing which teams have the best cheerleaders (he&#8217;s spent many a time-out watching them ply their trade), why Christ is rapidly becoming every team&#8217;s &#8220;sixth man,&#8221; and even the best ways to get bloodstains out of your game uniform, using only an ordinary bar of soap and a hotel bathroom sink.<br/><br/>From sharing the court with Kobe and Shaq to perusing the food court at some mall in a bush-league burg; from taking pregame layups to getting laid out by a stray knee from an NBA power forward; from hopping a limo to the team&#8217;s charter jet to dashing to catch the van home from a B-league game in Tijuana, Shirley dishes on what it&#8217;s like to try to make it as a professional athlete. Can I Keep My Jersey? is a rollicking, thoughtful, even thought-provoking insider&#8217;s look at a pro baller&#8217;s life on the fringe. Like Jim Bouton&#8217;s Ball Four or John Feinstein&#8217;s A Season on the Brink, Shirley&#8217;s odyssey deserves to find a home on every sports fan&#8217;s bookshelf.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2007</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat May 24 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Apr 21 22:54:58 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat May 24 00:29:35 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I was surprised to learn that Paul Shirley was a national merit scholarship finalist and got an academic scholarship to Iowa State.<br/><br/>The book was ok.  I was intrigued with learning about the life of someone striving to play in the NBA.  That dream once belonged to me when I was 14, before ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/20701679">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/20701679]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/20701679]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>3809668</id>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Can I Keep My Jersey?: Eleven Teams, Six Years, Five Countries, and My So-called Career as a Professional Basketball Player]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
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  <average_rating>3.58</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[He&#8217;s been called a journeyman. Even Paul wouldn&#8217;t dispute that classification. Regardless, Bill Simmons, ESPN.com&#8217;s &#8220;The Sports Guy,&#8221; has said of Paul Shirley, &#8220;We could finally have an answer to the question &#8216;What would it be like if one of our friends was an NBA player?&#8221;<br/><br/>There&#8217;s no denying that Paul Shirley is the closest thing pro basketball&#8217;s got to Odysseus. In Homeric fashion, he has logged time practically everywhere in the roundball universe, from six NBA cities to pro leagues in Spain and Greece to North America&#8217;s pro ball Siberia, the minor leagues. Hell, he&#8217;s even played in the real Siberia. And in Can I Keep My Jersey?, Shirley finally puts down roots long enough to deliver one of the great locker-room chronicles of the modern age. <br/><br/>With sharp elbows and an even sharper wit, Shirley&#8211;whose writings have been described as &#8220;wildly entertaining&#8221; by The Wall Street Journal&#8211;drops hilarious commentary, revealing which teams have the best cheerleaders (he&#8217;s spent many a time-out watching them ply their trade), why Christ is rapidly becoming every team&#8217;s &#8220;sixth man,&#8221; and even the best ways to get bloodstains out of your game uniform, using only an ordinary bar of soap and a hotel bathroom sink.<br/><br/>From sharing the court with Kobe and Shaq to perusing the food court at some mall in a bush-league burg; from taking pregame layups to getting laid out by a stray knee from an NBA power forward; from hopping a limo to the team&#8217;s charter jet to dashing to catch the van home from a B-league game in Tijuana, Shirley dishes on what it&#8217;s like to try to make it as a professional athlete. Can I Keep My Jersey? is a rollicking, thoughtful, even thought-provoking insider&#8217;s look at a pro baller&#8217;s life on the fringe. Like Jim Bouton&#8217;s Ball Four or John Feinstein&#8217;s A Season on the Brink, Shirley&#8217;s odyssey deserves to find a home on every sports fan&#8217;s bookshelf.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2007</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[people who like sports books, and/or humorous takes on life]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jul 30 14:25:46 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jul 30 14:31:39 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Paul Shirley has the dubious distinction of playing on the Iowa State team that lost to Hampton in the first round of the 2001 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.  He was on the wrong side of the game that resulted in the diminutive Hampton coach being picked up by his (much larger) player and triumph...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3809668">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3809668]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3809668]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>5911361</id>
    <user>
    <id>122027</id>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Can I Keep My Jersey?: Eleven Teams, Six Years, Five Countries, and My So-called Career as a Professional Basketball Player]]>
  </title>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24480.Can_I_Keep_My_Jersey_Eleven_Teams_Six_Years_Five_Countries_and_My_So_called_Career_as_a_Professional_Basketball_Player</link>
  <average_rating>3.58</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>313</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[He&#8217;s been called a journeyman. Even Paul wouldn&#8217;t dispute that classification. Regardless, Bill Simmons, ESPN.com&#8217;s &#8220;The Sports Guy,&#8221; has said of Paul Shirley, &#8220;We could finally have an answer to the question &#8216;What would it be like if one of our friends was an NBA player?&#8221;<br/><br/>There&#8217;s no denying that Paul Shirley is the closest thing pro basketball&#8217;s got to Odysseus. In Homeric fashion, he has logged time practically everywhere in the roundball universe, from six NBA cities to pro leagues in Spain and Greece to North America&#8217;s pro ball Siberia, the minor leagues. Hell, he&#8217;s even played in the real Siberia. And in Can I Keep My Jersey?, Shirley finally puts down roots long enough to deliver one of the great locker-room chronicles of the modern age. <br/><br/>With sharp elbows and an even sharper wit, Shirley&#8211;whose writings have been described as &#8220;wildly entertaining&#8221; by The Wall Street Journal&#8211;drops hilarious commentary, revealing which teams have the best cheerleaders (he&#8217;s spent many a time-out watching them ply their trade), why Christ is rapidly becoming every team&#8217;s &#8220;sixth man,&#8221; and even the best ways to get bloodstains out of your game uniform, using only an ordinary bar of soap and a hotel bathroom sink.<br/><br/>From sharing the court with Kobe and Shaq to perusing the food court at some mall in a bush-league burg; from taking pregame layups to getting laid out by a stray knee from an NBA power forward; from hopping a limo to the team&#8217;s charter jet to dashing to catch the van home from a B-league game in Tijuana, Shirley dishes on what it&#8217;s like to try to make it as a professional athlete. Can I Keep My Jersey? is a rollicking, thoughtful, even thought-provoking insider&#8217;s look at a pro baller&#8217;s life on the fringe. Like Jim Bouton&#8217;s Ball Four or John Feinstein&#8217;s A Season on the Brink, Shirley&#8217;s odyssey deserves to find a home on every sports fan&#8217;s bookshelf.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2007</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[basketball fans, underdog fans, sarcastic people]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Sep 08 14:48:39 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Oct 24 10:37:24 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I've read Paul's blog since he started writing for ESPN.  His humor is right on par with mine, sarcastic.  He has thoughts he would like to say in situations but doesn't because he's a nice guy.  All this comes out in his book about his first four years as a professional basketball player in the US ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5911361">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5911361]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5911361]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>3133659</id>
    <user>
    <id>164109</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Pete]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Chicago, IL]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Can I Keep My Jersey?: Eleven Teams, Six Years, Five Countries, and My So-called Career as a Professional Basketball Player]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24480.Can_I_Keep_My_Jersey_Eleven_Teams_Six_Years_Five_Countries_and_My_So_called_Career_as_a_Professional_Basketball_Player</link>
  <average_rating>3.58</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>313</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[He&#8217;s been called a journeyman. Even Paul wouldn&#8217;t dispute that classification. Regardless, Bill Simmons, ESPN.com&#8217;s &#8220;The Sports Guy,&#8221; has said of Paul Shirley, &#8220;We could finally have an answer to the question &#8216;What would it be like if one of our friends was an NBA player?&#8221;<br/><br/>There&#8217;s no denying that Paul Shirley is the closest thing pro basketball&#8217;s got to Odysseus. In Homeric fashion, he has logged time practically everywhere in the roundball universe, from six NBA cities to pro leagues in Spain and Greece to North America&#8217;s pro ball Siberia, the minor leagues. Hell, he&#8217;s even played in the real Siberia. And in Can I Keep My Jersey?, Shirley finally puts down roots long enough to deliver one of the great locker-room chronicles of the modern age. <br/><br/>With sharp elbows and an even sharper wit, Shirley&#8211;whose writings have been described as &#8220;wildly entertaining&#8221; by The Wall Street Journal&#8211;drops hilarious commentary, revealing which teams have the best cheerleaders (he&#8217;s spent many a time-out watching them ply their trade), why Christ is rapidly becoming every team&#8217;s &#8220;sixth man,&#8221; and even the best ways to get bloodstains out of your game uniform, using only an ordinary bar of soap and a hotel bathroom sink.<br/><br/>From sharing the court with Kobe and Shaq to perusing the food court at some mall in a bush-league burg; from taking pregame layups to getting laid out by a stray knee from an NBA power forward; from hopping a limo to the team&#8217;s charter jet to dashing to catch the van home from a B-league game in Tijuana, Shirley dishes on what it&#8217;s like to try to make it as a professional athlete. Can I Keep My Jersey? is a rollicking, thoughtful, even thought-provoking insider&#8217;s look at a pro baller&#8217;s life on the fringe. Like Jim Bouton&#8217;s Ball Four or John Feinstein&#8217;s A Season on the Brink, Shirley&#8217;s odyssey deserves to find a home on every sports fan&#8217;s bookshelf.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2007</published>
</book>

    <rating>1</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jul 16 10:23:45 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Jul 28 13:21:44 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I love basketball, and I like intelligent people, and travelling, and gossip, so, theoretically, this should have been a fabulous read. It wasn't. Shirley is narcissistic to the point of absurdity, and all of the self-conscious self-deprecation makes it all the worse. He would probably be an excelle...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3133659">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3133659]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3133659]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>11131303</id>
    <user>
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    <name><![CDATA[Lain]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Los Gatos, CA]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Can I Keep My Jersey?: Eleven Teams, Six Years, Five Countries, and My So-called Career as a Professional Basketball Player]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24480.Can_I_Keep_My_Jersey_Eleven_Teams_Six_Years_Five_Countries_and_My_So_called_Career_as_a_Professional_Basketball_Player</link>
  <average_rating>3.58</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>313</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[He&#8217;s been called a journeyman. Even Paul wouldn&#8217;t dispute that classification. Regardless, Bill Simmons, ESPN.com&#8217;s &#8220;The Sports Guy,&#8221; has said of Paul Shirley, &#8220;We could finally have an answer to the question &#8216;What would it be like if one of our friends was an NBA player?&#8221;<br/><br/>There&#8217;s no denying that Paul Shirley is the closest thing pro basketball&#8217;s got to Odysseus. In Homeric fashion, he has logged time practically everywhere in the roundball universe, from six NBA cities to pro leagues in Spain and Greece to North America&#8217;s pro ball Siberia, the minor leagues. Hell, he&#8217;s even played in the real Siberia. And in Can I Keep My Jersey?, Shirley finally puts down roots long enough to deliver one of the great locker-room chronicles of the modern age. <br/><br/>With sharp elbows and an even sharper wit, Shirley&#8211;whose writings have been described as &#8220;wildly entertaining&#8221; by The Wall Street Journal&#8211;drops hilarious commentary, revealing which teams have the best cheerleaders (he&#8217;s spent many a time-out watching them ply their trade), why Christ is rapidly becoming every team&#8217;s &#8220;sixth man,&#8221; and even the best ways to get bloodstains out of your game uniform, using only an ordinary bar of soap and a hotel bathroom sink.<br/><br/>From sharing the court with Kobe and Shaq to perusing the food court at some mall in a bush-league burg; from taking pregame layups to getting laid out by a stray knee from an NBA power forward; from hopping a limo to the team&#8217;s charter jet to dashing to catch the van home from a B-league game in Tijuana, Shirley dishes on what it&#8217;s like to try to make it as a professional athlete. Can I Keep My Jersey? is a rollicking, thoughtful, even thought-provoking insider&#8217;s look at a pro baller&#8217;s life on the fringe. Like Jim Bouton&#8217;s Ball Four or John Feinstein&#8217;s A Season on the Brink, Shirley&#8217;s odyssey deserves to find a home on every sports fan&#8217;s bookshelf.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2007</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Jul 13 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Dec 27 22:22:06 -0800 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jul 14 09:45:35 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Disclaimer -- Paul is my cousin, so of course I am going to tell you to go buy this book, right now!! In fact, buy three copies. Keep one in plastic to sell on eBay in 20 years, give one to a friend, and read the third. :)<br/><br/>That being said, this book gave me an unequaled insider's view of ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/11131303">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/11131303]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/11131303]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Jessica]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Portland, OR]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Can I Keep My Jersey?: Eleven Teams, Six Years, Five Countries, and My So-called Career as a Professional Basketball Player]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24480.Can_I_Keep_My_Jersey_Eleven_Teams_Six_Years_Five_Countries_and_My_So_called_Career_as_a_Professional_Basketball_Player</link>
  <average_rating>3.58</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[He&#8217;s been called a journeyman. Even Paul wouldn&#8217;t dispute that classification. Regardless, Bill Simmons, ESPN.com&#8217;s &#8220;The Sports Guy,&#8221; has said of Paul Shirley, &#8220;We could finally have an answer to the question &#8216;What would it be like if one of our friends was an NBA player?&#8221;<br/><br/>There&#8217;s no denying that Paul Shirley is the closest thing pro basketball&#8217;s got to Odysseus. In Homeric fashion, he has logged time practically everywhere in the roundball universe, from six NBA cities to pro leagues in Spain and Greece to North America&#8217;s pro ball Siberia, the minor leagues. Hell, he&#8217;s even played in the real Siberia. And in Can I Keep My Jersey?, Shirley finally puts down roots long enough to deliver one of the great locker-room chronicles of the modern age. <br/><br/>With sharp elbows and an even sharper wit, Shirley&#8211;whose writings have been described as &#8220;wildly entertaining&#8221; by The Wall Street Journal&#8211;drops hilarious commentary, revealing which teams have the best cheerleaders (he&#8217;s spent many a time-out watching them ply their trade), why Christ is rapidly becoming every team&#8217;s &#8220;sixth man,&#8221; and even the best ways to get bloodstains out of your game uniform, using only an ordinary bar of soap and a hotel bathroom sink.<br/><br/>From sharing the court with Kobe and Shaq to perusing the food court at some mall in a bush-league burg; from taking pregame layups to getting laid out by a stray knee from an NBA power forward; from hopping a limo to the team&#8217;s charter jet to dashing to catch the van home from a B-league game in Tijuana, Shirley dishes on what it&#8217;s like to try to make it as a professional athlete. Can I Keep My Jersey? is a rollicking, thoughtful, even thought-provoking insider&#8217;s look at a pro baller&#8217;s life on the fringe. Like Jim Bouton&#8217;s Ball Four or John Feinstein&#8217;s A Season on the Brink, Shirley&#8217;s odyssey deserves to find a home on every sports fan&#8217;s bookshelf.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2007</published>
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  <read_at>Mon Apr 13 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Apr 12 13:37:13 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Apr 13 17:07:58 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[With this book, Shirley landed himself on my list of People Who'd Be Fun To Have a Beer With - snarky, a bit mordant, well-deployed violations of political correctness, etc.  Very enjoyable for anyone who yearns to know that impatience with idiocy is alive and well, even in the overly earnest sports...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/52408145">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
  <id>45876125</id>
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    <![CDATA[Can I Keep My Jersey?: Eleven Teams, Six Years, Five Countries, and My So-called Career as a Professional Basketball Player]]>
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    <![CDATA[He&#8217;s been called a journeyman. Even Paul wouldn&#8217;t dispute that classification. Regardless, Bill Simmons, ESPN.com&#8217;s &#8220;The Sports Guy,&#8221; has said of Paul Shirley, &#8220;We could finally have an answer to the question &#8216;What would it be like if one of our friends was an NBA player?&#8221;<br/><br/>There&#8217;s no denying that Paul Shirley is the closest thing pro basketball&#8217;s got to Odysseus. In Homeric fashion, he has logged time practically everywhere in the roundball universe, from six NBA cities to pro leagues in Spain and Greece to North America&#8217;s pro ball Siberia, the minor leagues. Hell, he&#8217;s even played in the real Siberia. And in Can I Keep My Jersey?, Shirley finally puts down roots long enough to deliver one of the great locker-room chronicles of the modern age. <br/><br/>With sharp elbows and an even sharper wit, Shirley&#8211;whose writings have been described as &#8220;wildly entertaining&#8221; by The Wall Street Journal&#8211;drops hilarious commentary, revealing which teams have the best cheerleaders (he&#8217;s spent many a time-out watching them ply their trade), why Christ is rapidly becoming every team&#8217;s &#8220;sixth man,&#8221; and even the best ways to get bloodstains out of your game uniform, using only an ordinary bar of soap and a hotel bathroom sink.<br/><br/>From sharing the court with Kobe and Shaq to perusing the food court at some mall in a bush-league burg; from taking pregame layups to getting laid out by a stray knee from an NBA power forward; from hopping a limo to the team&#8217;s charter jet to dashing to catch the van home from a B-league game in Tijuana, Shirley dishes on what it&#8217;s like to try to make it as a professional athlete. Can I Keep My Jersey? is a rollicking, thoughtful, even thought-provoking insider&#8217;s look at a pro baller&#8217;s life on the fringe. Like Jim Bouton&#8217;s Ball Four or John Feinstein&#8217;s A Season on the Brink, Shirley&#8217;s odyssey deserves to find a home on every sports fan&#8217;s bookshelf.]]>
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  <published>2007</published>
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  <date_added>Mon Feb 09 17:28:14 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Feb 09 17:28:59 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Life as a professional basketball player—just not always an NBA player. My brother lent this to me after he read about it on the Sports Guy page at espn.com. Entertaining. Sarcastic, but at times smarmy. The kind of book you can read in the bathroom.]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[Can I Keep My Jersey?: Eleven Teams, Six Years, Five Countries, and My So-called Career as a Professional Basketball Player]]>
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    <![CDATA[He&#8217;s been called a journeyman. Even Paul wouldn&#8217;t dispute that classification. Regardless, Bill Simmons, ESPN.com&#8217;s &#8220;The Sports Guy,&#8221; has said of Paul Shirley, &#8220;We could finally have an answer to the question &#8216;What would it be like if one of our friends was an NBA player?&#8221;<br/><br/>There&#8217;s no denying that Paul Shirley is the closest thing pro basketball&#8217;s got to Odysseus. In Homeric fashion, he has logged time practically everywhere in the roundball universe, from six NBA cities to pro leagues in Spain and Greece to North America&#8217;s pro ball Siberia, the minor leagues. Hell, he&#8217;s even played in the real Siberia. And in Can I Keep My Jersey?, Shirley finally puts down roots long enough to deliver one of the great locker-room chronicles of the modern age. <br/><br/>With sharp elbows and an even sharper wit, Shirley&#8211;whose writings have been described as &#8220;wildly entertaining&#8221; by The Wall Street Journal&#8211;drops hilarious commentary, revealing which teams have the best cheerleaders (he&#8217;s spent many a time-out watching them ply their trade), why Christ is rapidly becoming every team&#8217;s &#8220;sixth man,&#8221; and even the best ways to get bloodstains out of your game uniform, using only an ordinary bar of soap and a hotel bathroom sink.<br/><br/>From sharing the court with Kobe and Shaq to perusing the food court at some mall in a bush-league burg; from taking pregame layups to getting laid out by a stray knee from an NBA power forward; from hopping a limo to the team&#8217;s charter jet to dashing to catch the van home from a B-league game in Tijuana, Shirley dishes on what it&#8217;s like to try to make it as a professional athlete. Can I Keep My Jersey? is a rollicking, thoughtful, even thought-provoking insider&#8217;s look at a pro baller&#8217;s life on the fringe. Like Jim Bouton&#8217;s Ball Four or John Feinstein&#8217;s A Season on the Brink, Shirley&#8217;s odyssey deserves to find a home on every sports fan&#8217;s bookshelf.]]>
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  <published>2007</published>
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  <date_added>Tue Nov 13 08:36:49 -0800 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Nov 13 08:44:07 -0800 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A three year journal of Paul Shirley's existence on the fringe of the NBA, this book is relatively informative of life as an American professional basketball players at the skill level that makes such a career possible but precludes big money NBA contracts.  Shirley is intelligent (by ball player st...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/9050792">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Can I Keep My Jersey?: 11 Teams, 5 Countries, and 4 Years in My Life as a Basketball Vagabond]]>
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  <average_rating>3.58</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[He&#8217;s been called a journeyman. Even Paul wouldn&#8217;t dispute that classification. Regardless, Bill Simmons, ESPN.com&#8217;s &#8220;The Sports Guy,&#8221; has said of Paul Shirley, &#8220;We could finally have an answer to the question &#8216;What would it be like if one of our friends was an NBA player?&#8221;<br/><br/>There&#8217;s no denying that Paul Shirley is the closest thing pro basketball&#8217;s got to Odysseus. In Homeric fashion, he has logged time practically everywhere in the roundball universe, from six NBA cities to pro leagues in Spain and Greece to North America&#8217;s pro ball Siberia, the minor leagues. Hell, he&#8217;s even played in the real Siberia. And in Can I Keep My Jersey?, Shirley finally puts down roots long enough to deliver one of the great locker-room chronicles of the modern age. <br/><br/>With sharp elbows and an even sharper wit, Shirley&#8211;whose writings have been described as &#8220;wildly entertaining&#8221; by The Wall Street Journal&#8211;drops hilarious commentary, revealing which teams have the best cheerleaders (he&#8217;s spent many a time-out watching them ply their trade), why Christ is rapidly becoming every team&#8217;s &#8220;sixth man,&#8221; and even the best ways to get bloodstains out of your game uniform, using only an ordinary bar of soap and a hotel bathroom sink.<br/><br/>From sharing the court with Kobe and Shaq to perusing the food court at some mall in a bush-league burg; from taking pregame layups to getting laid out by a stray knee from an NBA power forward; from hopping a limo to the team&#8217;s charter jet to dashing to catch the van home from a B-league game in Tijuana, Shirley dishes on what it&#8217;s like to try to make it as a professional athlete. Can I Keep My Jersey? is a rollicking, thoughtful, even thought-provoking insider&#8217;s look at a pro baller&#8217;s life on the fringe. Like Jim Bouton&#8217;s Ball Four or John Feinstein&#8217;s A Season on the Brink, Shirley&#8217;s odyssey deserves to find a home on every sports fan&#8217;s bookshelf.<br/><br/><br/><em>From the Hardcover edition.</em>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2007</published>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[LB]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Apr 27 18:32:29 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Sep 05 13:39:58 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[My boyfriend is a basketball fanatic and, after devouring this book in a few short hours, passed it on to me. <br/><br/>Here's the extent of my knowledge about basketball:<br/>-There's a hoop, an offense and a defense, and the goal is to score as many baskets as possible<br/>-Michael Jordan is r...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/21132650">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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</review>
      <review>
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    <![CDATA[Can I Keep My Jersey?: Eleven Teams, Six Years, Five Countries, and My So-called Career as a Professional Basketball Player]]>
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    <![CDATA[He&#8217;s been called a journeyman. Even Paul wouldn&#8217;t dispute that classification. Regardless, Bill Simmons, ESPN.com&#8217;s &#8220;The Sports Guy,&#8221; has said of Paul Shirley, &#8220;We could finally have an answer to the question &#8216;What would it be like if one of our friends was an NBA player?&#8221;<br/><br/>There&#8217;s no denying that Paul Shirley is the closest thing pro basketball&#8217;s got to Odysseus. In Homeric fashion, he has logged time practically everywhere in the roundball universe, from six NBA cities to pro leagues in Spain and Greece to North America&#8217;s pro ball Siberia, the minor leagues. Hell, he&#8217;s even played in the real Siberia. And in Can I Keep My Jersey?, Shirley finally puts down roots long enough to deliver one of the great locker-room chronicles of the modern age. <br/><br/>With sharp elbows and an even sharper wit, Shirley&#8211;whose writings have been described as &#8220;wildly entertaining&#8221; by The Wall Street Journal&#8211;drops hilarious commentary, revealing which teams have the best cheerleaders (he&#8217;s spent many a time-out watching them ply their trade), why Christ is rapidly becoming every team&#8217;s &#8220;sixth man,&#8221; and even the best ways to get bloodstains out of your game uniform, using only an ordinary bar of soap and a hotel bathroom sink.<br/><br/>From sharing the court with Kobe and Shaq to perusing the food court at some mall in a bush-league burg; from taking pregame layups to getting laid out by a stray knee from an NBA power forward; from hopping a limo to the team&#8217;s charter jet to dashing to catch the van home from a B-league game in Tijuana, Shirley dishes on what it&#8217;s like to try to make it as a professional athlete. Can I Keep My Jersey? is a rollicking, thoughtful, even thought-provoking insider&#8217;s look at a pro baller&#8217;s life on the fringe. Like Jim Bouton&#8217;s Ball Four or John Feinstein&#8217;s A Season on the Brink, Shirley&#8217;s odyssey deserves to find a home on every sports fan&#8217;s bookshelf.]]>
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  <date_added>Sat May 23 10:38:04 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat May 23 10:40:42 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[What's it like being a marginally talented, funny, gigantic white dude who gets to rub elbows with the likes of Kobe and Shaq but is never quite sure how and why he got there?  Find out here.  Basketball's Klosterman]]></body>
    
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