That First Season: How Vince Lombardi Took the Worst Team in the NFL and Set It on the Path to Glory
John Eisenberg's That First Season is the seldom-studied prequel to a phenomenal football career for Vince Lombardi and the Packers, drawing on exh...
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Feb 01, 2011
mark
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Everybody knows the Legend. Lombardi comes to the Frozen Tundra of Green Bay and SAVES FOOTBALL, creating a dynasty for the ages in the process.
What most don't really grasp or realize is that the building blocks for that dynasty were already in place when he got there. Many of the players who were later elected to the Hall of Fame (or should be) were already there or got there shortly after Lombardi did. The story Eisenberg so elegantly tells is how. How Lombardi seethed to be give More...
What most don't really grasp or realize is that the building blocks for that dynasty were already in place when he got there. Many of the players who were later elected to the Hall of Fame (or should be) were already there or got there shortly after Lombardi did. The story Eisenberg so elegantly tells is how. How Lombardi seethed to be give More...
Sep 03, 2009
Steven
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I'm old enough to remember a lot of players in this book. I'm old enough to know the agony of a Chicago Bears' fan as Bart Starr seemingly ubuiquitously on third and short would run a play action fake and hit a McGee or a Dowler or. . . . for a good gain. This book is really about two years in the history of the Green Bay Packers--the year before Vince Lombardi arrived and the year that he did arrive. Night and day!
In 1958, plainly put, the Packers stunk. Under coach "Scooter" More...
In 1958, plainly put, the Packers stunk. Under coach "Scooter" More...
Sep 13, 2009
Samantha
rated it: 
This is an average book about Vince Lombardi. There are better books out there. However if you just want to know about the first season then it's a good book. The first part of the book is very good. It talks about how Coach Lombardi came in and evaluated his new players. It showed what his first football camp was like and the expectations that were put into place. Then in the middle section Mr. Eisenberg details each game. I didn't enjoy this section, however I know many readers will. It goes i
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Jan 12, 2011
Dick
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I have just recentily discovered John Eisenberg's work and I find him a wonderful writer. His nonfiction reads like fiction. In this book he did a great deal of research, interviewing most of the members of Lombardi's first team. He then included their memories and words into the story of that first season. As a football coach I greatily enjoyed the story of Lombardi's first season and I highly recomend this book to coaches, fans, players and people who are not fans but wonder why football is so
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Oct 21, 2009
Seth
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I know the name Vince Lombardi and am aware of his legendary status in the sport of football, but I didn't really know what type of person and coach he was with the Packers until I read this book. That First Season is likely an enjoyable read for Packer die hard fans, but even better in my opinion for those who want to gather an understanding about the man, regardless of which team you love. It's somewhat of a historical textbook in that sense. I can't speak for the other books out there about L
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Apr 11, 2011
Dale
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Having read numerous books about the Green Bay Packers of the 1960s and 2 biographies of Vince Lombardi, I was hopeful this book would not rehash what I had already read and I was not disappointed. The difference Lombardi made in turning a 1-10-1 team of 1958 into a 7-5 team a year later, and eventually winning 5 NFL championships in the 60s, is detailed well here. NFL football was a much different game then, much simpler and easier to watch. Anyone who remembers those days will find this a plea
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Nov 29, 2009
Michael
rated it:
A Commitment to Excellence can make a difference. Football would have left Titletown, USA if he hadn't come along. lots of parallels to the situation in Buffalo today.
Mar 03, 2010
Patricrk
rated it:
Leadership is also needed along with talent. Very enjoyable. Recommend to all sports fans.
Nov 07, 2009
Jim
rated it:
A darn good book, reliving Lombardi's first season. But, if you can read just one Lombardi book, read When Pride Still Mattered by David Marannis
May 03, 2010
James
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Read this one straight through on the plane from Philadelphia to Houston. The glimpses of Vince Lombardi, the man and the coach, are pretty wonderful. He's barking out orders at his players, designing brutal two-a-day workouts, and hosting a 5 o'clock party in his hotel room for the Green Bay press. However, I think this book is too technical, too much of a summary of those first 8-10 games that season, and although I like the focus, I don't think it works as well as a book with a wider range
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