Sign in with FacebookLani's Reviews > Badasses: The Legend of Snake, Foo, Dr. Death, and John Madden's Oakland Raiders
Badasses: The Legend of Snake, Foo, Dr. Death, and John Madden's Oakland Raiders
by Peter Richmond
by Peter Richmond
On my way to visit my Dad for his birthday in December I had a 2 hour layover in DC between trains. I'd been trying to get him the new Autobiography of Mark Twain: The Complete and Authoritative Edition Volume 1, but it was out of stock at all the bookstores I could get to. A bookstore in DC had plenty, so I reserved it online and planned to pick it up between trains. I got to the bookstore with plenty of time and ended up shopping around for a bit. Apparently it was my lucky day because I stumbled across this book that was PERFECT for a Raiders fan that graduated high school in the late 70s. (Even luckier was the wrapping station provided by a local school. I didn't have to show up with my gifts wrapped in a B&N bag!)
Anyway. I knew my dad would be thrilled with this book that neither of us knew existed. He loved it and suggested I read it, and I figured I'd give it a shot. I'm not a big football fan, and know next to nothing about the 70s Raiders. I knew they were thought of as the thugs and rebels of the time, and I knew that Madden was their coach. That was about it.
And for an ignorant fan, the book was awesome. It wasn't bogged down in football stats or long-winded descriptions of plays that I couldn't follow. Richmond focuses on the 'characters' rather than the game, and they are certainly characters.
I found it interesting that the guys who made their names on being 'badasses' are now struggling to be recognized for their playing and skills. And I appreciated the comments about how football has changed from the 70s until now. The salaries really surprised me, and I was impressed by the team dynamic that the Raiders had - an us or them mentality. I hadn't realized that Madden had started so young and only coached for 10 years since he's been an institution for as long as I can remember.
I'd recommend this book for anyone who is a fan of the Raiders, or is a fan of football in general. I learned a bit of football history and was introduced to some players and football lore that I would never have known otherwise. I'm sure a real fan would probably find this even more interesting and enjoy the recaps of football moments.
Anyway. I knew my dad would be thrilled with this book that neither of us knew existed. He loved it and suggested I read it, and I figured I'd give it a shot. I'm not a big football fan, and know next to nothing about the 70s Raiders. I knew they were thought of as the thugs and rebels of the time, and I knew that Madden was their coach. That was about it.
And for an ignorant fan, the book was awesome. It wasn't bogged down in football stats or long-winded descriptions of plays that I couldn't follow. Richmond focuses on the 'characters' rather than the game, and they are certainly characters.
I found it interesting that the guys who made their names on being 'badasses' are now struggling to be recognized for their playing and skills. And I appreciated the comments about how football has changed from the 70s until now. The salaries really surprised me, and I was impressed by the team dynamic that the Raiders had - an us or them mentality. I hadn't realized that Madden had started so young and only coached for 10 years since he's been an institution for as long as I can remember.
I'd recommend this book for anyone who is a fan of the Raiders, or is a fan of football in general. I learned a bit of football history and was introduced to some players and football lore that I would never have known otherwise. I'm sure a real fan would probably find this even more interesting and enjoy the recaps of football moments.
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