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Best of Rivals: Joe Montana, Steve Young, and the Inside Story behind the NFL's Greatest Quarterback Controversy
In this revealing, in-depth look at the NFL's greatest quarterback controversy, Adam Lazarus takes readers into the locker room and inside the huddle to deliver the real story behind the rivalry between Joe Montana and Steve Young, who battled on and off the field and forged one of the greatest football dynasties of all time.
336 pages, Paperback
First published August 28, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
September 4, 2016
I was really hoping for more actual insight in to their relationship and fewer game recaps (felt like they made up 80% of the book).
May 1, 2013
An interesting book on a familiar subject (for SF 49er fans of a certain age). A very nice recap of some classic events both on and off the field. Unfortunately, I feel the author picked some sources for opinions which tended to be self-serving, especially Carmen Policy, whose motives in most football operations are suspect IMHO. As a result, Joe Montana comes out sometimes looking like nothing more than a prima donna; Bill Walsh: a schemer who can't be relied upon to tell the truth; Steve Young: an insecure over-bearing self-promoter who can't keep his mouth shut. The only person who comes out looking like a saint is Joe's wife, Jennifer.
I'm sure there is an element of truth in any such characterizations, but the events and circumstances of the times would have made mincemeat of lesser beings. In the end, credit is generally given where due and the descriptions of the big moments and many of the small ones are quite entertaining. It's actually hard to believe that Montana and Young could suffer so many injuries and still keep playing. Required reading for the Forty-Niner Faithful.
I'm sure there is an element of truth in any such characterizations, but the events and circumstances of the times would have made mincemeat of lesser beings. In the end, credit is generally given where due and the descriptions of the big moments and many of the small ones are quite entertaining. It's actually hard to believe that Montana and Young could suffer so many injuries and still keep playing. Required reading for the Forty-Niner Faithful.
January 25, 2026
After reading Best of Rivals by Adam Lazarus, I’m not sure there’s anything more entertaining to read about than 1980’s NFL football. This is most certainly a page-turner, as we delve deep into the QB controversy between Joe Montana and Steve Young which lasted from 1987-1992. A key thing that makes the book so interesting is how different Montana and Young are from each other. Montana is more relaxed, and when he speaks, gets to the point. Young, on the other hand, is high-strung and verbose. He complains a great deal about not getting much playing time his first few years in San Francisco, so one wonders why Young okayed a trade to the Forty Niners when he knew Montana was there, despite Bill Walsh’s assurances that eventually Young would start.
While reasonably cordial with one another considering the circumstances, Montana and Young were not friends. They were too different. Young, even after accruing wealth, drove a beat-up old pickup, while Montana enjoyed driving an array of flashy sports cars. Young felt his life’s calling was law. Only days after losing the 1992 NFC championship game to the Dallas Cowboys, the Mormon Young was holed up in a library in Utah studying for law exams. He was so immersed in study that he didn’t know Montana was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs until a few days after it happened. Whereas Young was more serious, Montana was more fun-loving; he enjoyed playing practical jokes on his teammates and riding go-carts with his kids. There is a striking photo of a smiling Montana throwing a huge snowball at a cameraman at the Denver airport the day before a Monday night game against the Denver Broncos in November of 1985, which the 49ers would lose 17-16. Best of Rivals is filled with engaging recaps of many NFL games involving the 49ers and Chiefs. I found myself especially glued to the pages as Lazarus recounted the Chiefs divisional round playoff game in 1993 against the Houston Oilers. His recap sent me to YouTube, where you can watch extensive highlights of that riveting game.
I was in elementary and junior high school during the Montana-Young controversy. And while I found it puzzling, and unfair (as a Viking fan), that the Forty Niners could have two great quarterbacks, I was in the dark as to all the drama. Lazarus fills in all the gaps I missed as a kid, and then some, which made for a most exhilarating reading experience. Neither Montana nor Young shied away from sharing how they felt at the time; they are both very direct with their emotions, giving the book a gossipy feel, which no doubt accounts for its high level of entertainment. There are juicy quotes as well from other key players involved, like Bill Walsh, Dwight Clark, and George Siefert. In an age of the NFL when neither coaches nor players really say much of anything, everyone involved deserves accolades for making their true feelings known. Their honesty sets the book apart and helps give it its groove. And reading this reminded me how much the NFL has changed. Montana and Young were constantly coming out of games, sometimes for merely a series, other times for weeks, due to all the hits that they took. They both achieved incredible passing achievements at a time when the game was more brutal than it is today. And Lazarus’s portrayals of them both on and off the field are especially gripping.
While reasonably cordial with one another considering the circumstances, Montana and Young were not friends. They were too different. Young, even after accruing wealth, drove a beat-up old pickup, while Montana enjoyed driving an array of flashy sports cars. Young felt his life’s calling was law. Only days after losing the 1992 NFC championship game to the Dallas Cowboys, the Mormon Young was holed up in a library in Utah studying for law exams. He was so immersed in study that he didn’t know Montana was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs until a few days after it happened. Whereas Young was more serious, Montana was more fun-loving; he enjoyed playing practical jokes on his teammates and riding go-carts with his kids. There is a striking photo of a smiling Montana throwing a huge snowball at a cameraman at the Denver airport the day before a Monday night game against the Denver Broncos in November of 1985, which the 49ers would lose 17-16. Best of Rivals is filled with engaging recaps of many NFL games involving the 49ers and Chiefs. I found myself especially glued to the pages as Lazarus recounted the Chiefs divisional round playoff game in 1993 against the Houston Oilers. His recap sent me to YouTube, where you can watch extensive highlights of that riveting game.
I was in elementary and junior high school during the Montana-Young controversy. And while I found it puzzling, and unfair (as a Viking fan), that the Forty Niners could have two great quarterbacks, I was in the dark as to all the drama. Lazarus fills in all the gaps I missed as a kid, and then some, which made for a most exhilarating reading experience. Neither Montana nor Young shied away from sharing how they felt at the time; they are both very direct with their emotions, giving the book a gossipy feel, which no doubt accounts for its high level of entertainment. There are juicy quotes as well from other key players involved, like Bill Walsh, Dwight Clark, and George Siefert. In an age of the NFL when neither coaches nor players really say much of anything, everyone involved deserves accolades for making their true feelings known. Their honesty sets the book apart and helps give it its groove. And reading this reminded me how much the NFL has changed. Montana and Young were constantly coming out of games, sometimes for merely a series, other times for weeks, due to all the hits that they took. They both achieved incredible passing achievements at a time when the game was more brutal than it is today. And Lazarus’s portrayals of them both on and off the field are especially gripping.
March 1, 2021
Boy, this book was hard for me to put down when I was reading it earlier this year. As a child growing up in Iowa, Los Angeles, and San Diego from 1987 to 1992, I didn't really understand the competitive rivalry that was going on between Joe Montana and Steve Young.
But when I became an adult and then read this book earlier this year, I really saw what time it was with one of the biggest quarterback competitions in the history of the NFL.
Adam Lazarus has this writing skill that lets you the reader REALLY feel bad or good for whatever subject(s) he is writing about. I mean it's like, I really felt bad for Young languishing all them years on the bench as Montana's backup from 1987 to 1990.
Young was this future Hall of Fame quarterback who had otherworldly gifts as a runner and passer, but he had arguably the second best quarterback (I still believe Tom Brady is the best quarterback in NFL history) in NFL history taking all the first team reps in practice and in games for four long years.
If you didn't know jack about the San Francisco 49ers in the 1980s and 1990s, as well as the legendary Montana and Young competition from 1987 to 1992, then this book will educate you on those subjects BIG TIME.
But when I became an adult and then read this book earlier this year, I really saw what time it was with one of the biggest quarterback competitions in the history of the NFL.
Adam Lazarus has this writing skill that lets you the reader REALLY feel bad or good for whatever subject(s) he is writing about. I mean it's like, I really felt bad for Young languishing all them years on the bench as Montana's backup from 1987 to 1990.
Young was this future Hall of Fame quarterback who had otherworldly gifts as a runner and passer, but he had arguably the second best quarterback (I still believe Tom Brady is the best quarterback in NFL history) in NFL history taking all the first team reps in practice and in games for four long years.
If you didn't know jack about the San Francisco 49ers in the 1980s and 1990s, as well as the legendary Montana and Young competition from 1987 to 1992, then this book will educate you on those subjects BIG TIME.
December 8, 2018
I really enjoyed this book because I was originally interested in the topic of the story. I knew after Joe Montana came Steve Young, but I never learned the story behind why Montana was let go before he could finish his career in San Francisco. The story itself was very fascinating, as we got a full story on Joe Montana and Steve Young about their lives before their NFL careers, along with what each of them did before and after the QB controversy. In addition to all this, the fight for the 49ers starting quarterback job was very well documented in this book. Overall, I think Adam Lazarus did an amazing job, giving a biography on both Joe Montana, and Steve Young, and merges their worlds into one; the battle for the team of the decade’s starting quarterback job.
March 7, 2026
Excellent story about two Hall of Fame Quarterbacks
This is a very good, well researched book
about the San Francisco Forty Niners during the teams glory years of the 1980s and 1990s. Usually great pro football teams stay on top for a short period of time. These great Miners teams and more recently the New England Patriots are the exception to the short time that teams stay on top
This is a very good, well researched book
about the San Francisco Forty Niners during the teams glory years of the 1980s and 1990s. Usually great pro football teams stay on top for a short period of time. These great Miners teams and more recently the New England Patriots are the exception to the short time that teams stay on top
March 2, 2018
Great book for 49er fans. Extremely well researched and remarkably unbiased. Lots of memories throughout.
July 8, 2024
An in depth look at the rivalry between Joe Montana and Steve Young. For any NFL/49'ers fan, I would recommend.
January 19, 2014
Only football fans (especially 49er fans) probably will read this book. And that's too bad because it has something to say for all of us. Actually, it didn't hit me--the book's several messages about life in general--until a quote from Steve Young on page 222:
"I've been jumping through hoops for years. They keep putting 'em up there, and I keep jumping through 'em. It's tough, trying to keep track of what you're trying to validate."
Steve Young worked incredibly hard, on the sidelines, in Joe Montana's shadow, trying to fulfill HIS dream by being what everyone wanted him to be. It wasn't until, after months and years of jumping through hoops, and finally blowing his stack at the coach that Young really began to be who he was, instead of everyone's idea of Steve Young.
That's when it hit me how often we do the same thing, in our own personal world, jumping through hoops, losing sight of what it really is we're trying to validate because it changes so often, even we can't keep up. And how often in life do we do the work and expect the reward? It's a simple equation. If we're deserving (and aren't we always?) then the reward should be ours.
The two men in this story did "the work," beyond the realm of human possibility most of the time. We think of them and remember them as sports heroes, in their victorious moments. But that misses a big part of the story: the many times they lost and lost their way--Steve Young, especially, at least in this telling of their story. (The book seems more sympathetic to Joe Montana.)
They did not always make the right choices. They did not always get what they deserved. They did not always stay true to themselves. They did not always have the right attitudes. What they both DID do was take the cards they were dealt and do the best they could at the time. At any juncture, they could have made other choices, often for more immediate gratification.
Joe Montana and Steve Young are both champions, larger than life in football legend. But in life itself, they are two worthy protagonists with lessons to teach us, if we are willing to see their exhausting, spirit-numbing and body-crumbling struggle as well as the Super Bowl result.
"I've been jumping through hoops for years. They keep putting 'em up there, and I keep jumping through 'em. It's tough, trying to keep track of what you're trying to validate."
Steve Young worked incredibly hard, on the sidelines, in Joe Montana's shadow, trying to fulfill HIS dream by being what everyone wanted him to be. It wasn't until, after months and years of jumping through hoops, and finally blowing his stack at the coach that Young really began to be who he was, instead of everyone's idea of Steve Young.
That's when it hit me how often we do the same thing, in our own personal world, jumping through hoops, losing sight of what it really is we're trying to validate because it changes so often, even we can't keep up. And how often in life do we do the work and expect the reward? It's a simple equation. If we're deserving (and aren't we always?) then the reward should be ours.
The two men in this story did "the work," beyond the realm of human possibility most of the time. We think of them and remember them as sports heroes, in their victorious moments. But that misses a big part of the story: the many times they lost and lost their way--Steve Young, especially, at least in this telling of their story. (The book seems more sympathetic to Joe Montana.)
They did not always make the right choices. They did not always get what they deserved. They did not always stay true to themselves. They did not always have the right attitudes. What they both DID do was take the cards they were dealt and do the best they could at the time. At any juncture, they could have made other choices, often for more immediate gratification.
Joe Montana and Steve Young are both champions, larger than life in football legend. But in life itself, they are two worthy protagonists with lessons to teach us, if we are willing to see their exhausting, spirit-numbing and body-crumbling struggle as well as the Super Bowl result.
November 30, 2015
A pretty good book on two of the greatest qb's of all time in the NFL, Joe Montana and Steve Young. This book, by author Adam Lazarus, explains how the two players coexisted for many years in San Francisco. I learned a lot from this book that I may have forgotten over the years. One, is that although Joe Montana is one of the greatest players of all time, time has been very good to him. Although he won four Super Bowls, he was hurt for a lot of the games during the years of his last two. In fact, he was hurt a lot from 1986 to 1992, hence San Francisco going out and trading for Young and never trading him away even though his market value was strong. So Montana won the big games in 1989 and 1990 playoffs, but Young had a lot to do with the success of those seasons as well. Maybe not as much as 'Joe Cool", but he was a part of it. This book gets you rooting for both players and both players come off as good people after finishing the book. Montana comes off as a little jealous, but you have to wonder if you would do the exact same thing in the situation. The detail of this book is really good for the regular seasons and goes week by week to bring back a lot of childhood memories for me. It talks about Young's mad scramble in 1988 against the Vikings (which I thought had come much later in his career) and it talks about Montana's great regular season game comeback against the Eagles and Bengals. I thought this book could have talked about the Super Bowl's a little more. For instance the author takes the reader through the 1989 season game by game at almost a page for each game, but then the Super Bowl he talks about for a paragraph. I wished it would be the other way around. It's a short book and most 49er fans will love it. One of my biggest problems with the book is it had a "No Country for Old Men" ending. The author tries too hard with the Tom Brady/Matt Cassel comparison in the last chapter. That wasn't really a rivalry at all. The better comparison would have been Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. Anyways, not a bad book and I look forward to reading more by Lazarus.
December 16, 2012
I had two major issues with this book. First, the title was misleading. It is a pretty straightforward title, one that leads a reader to believe he/she knows exactly what is in store. Unfortunately, that was not the case. A better description—and title—would be a chronological examination of the San Francisco 49ers’ quarterbacking legacy. This book was not what it was marketed to be. In this regard, the book wasn’t bad; it just wasn’t what I thought I was buying. I feel misled. Had it been titled accurately, I would not have purchased it.
The other, more serious, issue is that things presented in the book as facts were incorrect. I don’t think examples are necessary here, but there were many blatant errors that disrupted my reading experience. When I read a work of nonfiction and know that some things are wrong, I begin to doubt the truthfulness of the presented items I did not already know. Some of the things are minor, yes, but the shadow of doubt they cast is large. This is the primary reason for the low rating I gave the book. Still, it is a nostalgic read for anyone who fondly remembers the DeBartolo-era 49ers.
The other, more serious, issue is that things presented in the book as facts were incorrect. I don’t think examples are necessary here, but there were many blatant errors that disrupted my reading experience. When I read a work of nonfiction and know that some things are wrong, I begin to doubt the truthfulness of the presented items I did not already know. Some of the things are minor, yes, but the shadow of doubt they cast is large. This is the primary reason for the low rating I gave the book. Still, it is a nostalgic read for anyone who fondly remembers the DeBartolo-era 49ers.
October 12, 2017
The main characters are Joe Montana and one of the greatest quarterbacks.Joe Montana had a sequence of injuries and was worried he was getting too old for this hard hitting sport.He was sitting out a game with a lower back injury and his doctor said he might be done playing football but Joe kept thinking to himself that he loved the game too much to be done playing.After he was cleared by his doctor he proved to be in good shape by the games he started in and won.He came over his conflict of not being able to play when they seen his performance of the first game back that he started in.If i had to sum up Joe in one i would say perseverance because he thrived to show the doctor, his mom, and the coaches he is still the prime Joe Montana and can still perform the way he always has.
February 5, 2017
I thought that Lazarus did a good job tracing both men's lives up to and through the controversy but not as well afterward. The epilogue was far too short. Overall, Montana received more attention in the book and yet, in some ways, Young came across as being a better man-more willing to put the controversy behind him and to be gracious toward Montana.
September 4, 2012
In the late '80s and early 90s, the 49ers were blessed with two great quarterbacks, Joe Montana and Steve Young. Montana was the cool pocket passer with a fragile body that was breaking down nearly as often as he engineered winning drives. Young was his backup, a mad scrambler who could win games with his feet and his arm. Adam Lazarus takes us inside the locker room and shows why this fierce rivalry made both QBs even better. He interviewed all the key players (including Montana and Young), coaches, front-office staff, and reporters to bring fresh insights into an unforgettable era in Bay Area sports history. A must-read, really, for football fans everywhere.
January 10, 2013
A good history of the great years of quarterback excellence from the San Francisco 49ers. I lived in the City during the Montana-Young years and will always appreciate the excellence they both brought to the game. The book chronicles the competition between the two fairly satisfactorily, weakened somewhat by the lack of recent interviews by those who were there. The most disappointing aspect of the book is the weird epilogue where the author wanders off to make an inappropriate comparison between the Montana-Young battle and the Brady-Cassel battle in New England, an absurd as comparison as I can imagine.
January 17, 2013
Not as the title implies. More of a hodgepodge chronologically ordered telling of the 49ers glory years in the 1980s and 1990s.
And it is told in a confusing manner overlaying one week to the next and drawing from a mismatch of sources.
I just wasn't all that impressed with the telling or the writing. And I am a huge Niner fan.
If anything it made me dislike the handling of the entire qb change. I was never a Young fan and I'm even less of one now. Sorry Steve. Joe blew your doors off and I believe they would have won another SB if they had stayed with him. ALONG with the one you won.
And it is told in a confusing manner overlaying one week to the next and drawing from a mismatch of sources.
I just wasn't all that impressed with the telling or the writing. And I am a huge Niner fan.
If anything it made me dislike the handling of the entire qb change. I was never a Young fan and I'm even less of one now. Sorry Steve. Joe blew your doors off and I believe they would have won another SB if they had stayed with him. ALONG with the one you won.
October 29, 2016
I'm biased because I'm a life long 49er fan who watched both of these QB's grace the playing surface of Candlestick Park. This was also a damn good football book. Some chapters had me almost in tears remembering some of the things that happened and what it felt like when Joe Montana left for Kansas City. other Chapters had me so pumped up I couldn't sleep remembering comebacks by both of them, like Super Bowl 23 against Cincinnati and "The Catch II," when Young slipped before hitting Terrell Owens for the game winner. Lots of memories in that book for me.
June 23, 2018
Would you say that reading this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
Yes, it was a great history review and reveals that QB controversy has and even in recent years, still was a major part of 49ers history.
Would you recommend Best of Rivals to your friends? Why or why not?
Yes, but I would imagine non-49ers fans might not enjoy it.
If this book were a movie would you go see it?
No, no point since I watched the actual events which were far better than any movie.
Yes, it was a great history review and reveals that QB controversy has and even in recent years, still was a major part of 49ers history.
Would you recommend Best of Rivals to your friends? Why or why not?
Yes, but I would imagine non-49ers fans might not enjoy it.
If this book were a movie would you go see it?
No, no point since I watched the actual events which were far better than any movie.
November 3, 2012
Good overview of the Steve Young/Joe Montanta years in San Fran. So much of the struggles and injuries over that time for Steve and Joe is glossed over and people forget that things did not come easy. It makes me appreciate all that those teams accomplished that much more.
December 8, 2012
I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. There was too much detail about what seemed like almost every game played in every season. I guess if you had remembered the controversy at the time, it might have been a more enjoyable read.
October 2, 2012
Really well done book about the rivalry between the two QBs. I loved reliving moments in time where I can remember specific events the book brings up. Well researched and fair to both QBs.
April 27, 2013
a story between Joe Montana and Steve Young and the 49ers. I couldn't quite see the controversy as the title suggested. More like a recounting of events and the progression of the 49ers.
September 7, 2013
I enjoyed the book more when it was focused on Montana or Young. The game reviews were tedious unnecessary.
August 16, 2013
A very good read about late 80's/early 90's football, which I remember fondly. Contained some new nuggets of info that I never knew, which always sparks my interest.
August 10, 2016
I came away not liking Young very much, but loving Montana even more than I already did.
April 27, 2014
Informative and well-researched, but somewhat lacking in the emotional impact that was definitely present in those tumultuous times for the 49ers.
October 14, 2016
The author sure favored Joe Montana, but in the end it made Steve Young the better team mate.
December 28, 2016
The narrative relied too much on play-by-play/game summaries. I would have preferred a little more commentary on the two players, not just on the plays. Overall, it was a fun book to listen to.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews