THE DARK SIDE OF THE GAME

by Tim Green

Millions watch it. Billions are spent on it. Yet few fans know what life is really like in the NFL. Now an eight-year veteran of the game and a rising sports media superstar reveals—for the first time—the pathos, the horror, the abuses, and the wonder of the sport they call professional football.

Fame and fortune, satisfaction, and thrills define the dream of playing in the NFL. But there's a dark side to that dream. And no one knows it better than Tim Green, former defensive end for the Atlanta Falcons, a featured color analyst for Fox Sports, and National Public Radio's weekly NFL commentator.

Unreported things happen during the season when the player is on the field—and on the sidelines and in the locker rooms. Unreported things also happen during the 149 days of the year when the player is not on the field. All of it takes its toll on the human body and spirit. In professional football, there is a price and it must be paid.

Here's the play-by-play the NFL powers-that-be don't want you to know:

The futility of training camp—and the outrageous lengths players go to get out of it;
The paradoxes of pain protection—goodbye padding, hello drugs;
The untold war inside every team between the offensive and defensive squads;
The truth about groupies and NFL players;
The thriving perfect partnership between the mob and the NFL;
What the salary cap really is—and why players hate it;
The best—and worst—places to play in the NFL;
The score on racism, AIDS, gambling, steroids, and life after football.

At the same time, you'll meet the NFL's most stellar—and most unjustly neglected—personalities. The dazzling Deion Sanders, Steve Young, the game's most dangerous player. The sport's most outspoken former coach, Jerry Glanville. Not to mention Green's unexpected choice for most valuable man in the NFL: strength and conditioning coach Mike Woicik.
Most of all, you'll soar with the spirit that no corruption can ever kill. The spirit that lives in school teams and sandlot games, and inspires kids to get up, over and over again. The spirit that stays with them as they grow to manhood and urges them to success in every field they tackle. The spirit that tells them they can do it, as long as they aren't afraid to dream.

Genres: Sports, Football, Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Autobiography, Biography Memoir

339 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Tim Green, for many years a star defensive end with the Atlanta Falcons, is a man of many talents. He's the author of such gripping books for adults as the New York Times bestselling The Dark Side of the Game and a dozen suspense novels, including Exact Revenge and Kingdom Come. Tim graduated covaledictorian from Syracuse University and was a first-round NFL draft pick. He later earned his law degree with honors. Tim has worked as an NFL analyst for FOX Sports and as an NFL commentator for National Public Radio, among other broadcast experience. He lives with his wife, Illyssa, and their five children in upstate New York. Football Genius is his first novel for young readers. For more updates, visit www.facebook.com/authortimgreen

Reviews

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the part about steroid-using players who bought "clean" urine and paid a doctor to pump it into their bladders through a catheter---all so they could then pass the urine test they knew was coming.

Also enjoyed his description of small talk on the field. Green says it's not all trash talk on the line of scrimmage. Most of the guys are friends (having played on so many teams with free agency) and when they line up it's:

"Hey Tim, how's your mom doing?"

"Great. How are your folks doing? Still have that house in the Adirondacks? Cool."

Then they smash each other till the whistle blows--then talk some more.

[Neil White · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's about football. Written by a football player who also happens to be a rather talented writer. Clearly concussions don't effect the brain's literary center. Or maybe they do and he's just awesome. This book is awesome. Football is awesome. The end.

[Dick · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a dark side to the NFL - no surprise. But there is a lot of comaradarie as well. Deion Sanders came off better than I expected.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. I am a casual viewer of college and NFL football but I was first interested in this book when it was published in 1996 when I heard the author on NPR. I always enjoyed his commentaries on Morning Edition. I remembered my interest in the author and the book a couple of weeks ago after his interview on 60 minutes. Remembering that interview was especially heartbreaking after I read his chapter on concussions in this book. The book is a bit dated but I still think much of the book remains relevant. I look forward to reading more from Mr. Green.

[Gerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

None of the glamour of the NFL in this book. Tim Green tells of the pathos, horror and abuses that players experience during their time at the top of their chosen profession. Why did they choose it? Green analyses that question and answers it succinctly and with honesty even thugh he sometimes wondered why he was going through the pain. The readers' view of life in the NFL will never be the same again!

[Albert Meier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick, enjoyable read. Green is not exposing the deep and horrible secrets of the game so much as giving an unvarnished look at the thoughts and actions of football players. Some good, some bad. I couldn't put it down. I wonder what has and what hasn't changed since he wrote it.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tim Green was my Driver Education student in Liverpool HS "back in the day"

[Carlos · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for sports fans--including fans of both professional and college football--through the eyes of a former player.

[Arwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to be honest, I'm not big into football. I have a basic idea about the game, so it was really interesting to read and learn about. It was definitely a different perspective and I've learned a lot from the book. A little dated now, but it's still relevant, and it was an overall good read.

[Micah Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good description of what NFL life was like in the 90s, from combine to retirement. Has a not-as-glamorous-as-everyone-thinks theme, but also a sense of gratitude and accomplishment.

Favorite chapter: Why Steve Young is a better QB than Joe Montana.

[RA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Essential reading for any NFL fan, even though it's written 20 years ago.

Tim Green has a collection of short "takes" for a comprehensive look at the issues & realities (as he, an ex-player, sees it) involved with NFL players.

[NonFiction 24/7 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A trip down memory lane at this point.

[Jeff Petersen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book will make you fall out of love with the NFL. Stay away.

[Vincent Kapaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dark side of the game is about the life of NFL players.It is a sports genre book. Tim green the author played 8 years in the NFL. He tells what it took to get there, what it was like during, and what its like after. What it takes to get there is pure determination and love for the game. The players that take leadership is because not just raw talent but they are emotional and get the team pumped. People now that are big named like Ray Lewis or Brain Dawkins.Those men were fun to watch, every game these men put themselves to the test. The best way to get to the pro's is an invitation to the combine if you get to the combine your chance double. If your not part of the combine it becomes a waiting game just hoping your the call of a GM.While in the NFL, its your time to work for the number 1 spot it takes the effort. Every year many people come in and many retire. The teams go into camp with around 70 or so players and by week 1 they cut down to only 53 players that are allowed to dress and be part of that team. the pain of the game is terrible, every person tends to get hurt some worse then others. Things as nagging as a cleat mark left from when some 300 pound man run on your leg. We tend to see all these players with tons of girls but its just as easy for them to get turned down just as easy as you would. It is easier for them to get celebrities just because they have heard of and seen this guy. The hate of the refs, nobody likes refs. The good calls they make get fully ignored the second a bad call is or isn't made. After the NFL doesn't mean your to old to play, players have retired before they were even 25 just because they got hurt to severe. Yes almost every player will be a millionaire just for playing a sport but the sport is no easy task. Many people love sports so much even when the retire they tend to go for espn or cbs or something. Just to be part of sports not physically but mentally because you get to go down to field and be at many many game. Many players retirement is great because they can finally get those injuries fully recovered and have great houses and cars. Many are so rich they wouldn't need another job ever again but still love sports just to much to leave. This book is great just because I could get into pretty easy and never got really bored and wanted to stop. I have probably read this book 3 times in a few years

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Dark Side of the Game: My Life in the NFL by Tim Green (Warner Books 1996)(796.332) contains short snippets of little-known insight into the NFL (e.g., opposing players don't generally talk trash on the field and remain friendly with their friends; players don't usually wear cups; the best place to play is Green Bay for its wholesome atmosphere; the worst places to play are Philly (disgustingly abusive fans) and Buffalo (seems like the visiting team is on an alien planet); and Jim Rome is an ass (the Jim "Chrissy" Everett beatdown, which Rome richly deserved). My rating: 5/10, finished 9/19/11.

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a football fan, you should read this book. I liked that it covered all those things we've all wondered about...when is a good time to ask a player for an autograph? What is it like in the locker room just before a game? Do players really use PEDs, and how common is it? What about other drugs?
Something I especially enjoyed was how Mr. Green answered these questions without throwing coaches and fellow players under the bus. When he does name names, as in the Deion Sanders case, the person generally comes out better than you would suspect.
The book is well written and easy to read.

[Gary]

A very fascintian book about life in the NFll by a former player.He discusses the futility of training xcamp and pre-season games. He tells what it is like to be a player facing the risk of injury and comtetition. He discusses playing witrh pain the use of prescripti0on drugs and Steroids.What it is like in the locker room. How the team interacts with one another ,opposing teams and the media.The effect s of free agency and the salary cap on the game. Why a lot of players lose their money.Why players do not like to have to leave when the time comes for themtoexit football.Player Superstitions.Why some teams always win and others always seem to lose.

[Jbussen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this so long ago but it has stayed with me all these years. Great read. Tim Green is a good writer. You don't have to like football to like this book or empathize with the characters. "Green is not exposing the deep and horrible secrets of the game so much as giving an unvarnished look at the thoughts and actions of football players. Some good, some bad. I couldn't put it down. I wonder what has and what hasn't changed since he wrote it." Sorry. I plagiarize. I'd rather read books than write reviews.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

within the first few chapters, you may think the author/ex-NFL player whine too much about his life in the NFL especially about the training camp part. Then, the author shed some light on the life parts of the professional football player which contains humorous and shocking memoirs. I think the book just got the wrong title; it should be titled "The Darker and Lighter Side of the Game." Easy to read; 4-8 pages per chapter.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as part of my year of reading from different genres than my norm. I am a football fan, though and I was pleased to learn that Tim Green is actually a good writer. I loved the peek inside what these (mostly) young men go through and it really provided a new perspective on football and the NFL for me.

I was pleased to see that Tim Green continued writing and has branched into children's and adult fiction.

[Ray Cavanaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now with a second reading, this book – which engaged me the first time – has grown on me further. For anyone interested in football, this book provides an almost addictive array of behind-the-scenes info. Even the quality of the prose itself seems better this time around. Almost literary. And I certainly enjoy this book more than most works of Literature.

[Doug Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Green was a favorite color commentator back when Fox featured he and Joe Buck together. Articulate, insightful and speaking with a rare vocabulary for an NFL vet, he spoke about the games in a way that was refreshing. His book is entertaining and somewhat enlightening, but fairly redundant in it's short, choppy chapters. Interesting, but not significantly enlightening.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this about 10 years ago, so I don't remember a lot, but I do remember the part where he advises fans not to shake an NFL player's hands, because their hands are basically destroyed from the daily grind of playing. I always thought that was kinda neat.

[Burch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn't say "dark side" there was not a ton of shocking information in this book. It was also written from a very bias position. I don't think a QB would have the same opinions.

[Greg Parrinello · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tad bit overstated but a good man trying to reveal the truth.

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book will make you fall out of love with the NFL. Stay away.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good insight into the world of the NFL

[Christel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting look at what goes on behind the scenes of pro-football :)

[Johnvano · Rating 4 out of 5]

insightful

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not huge fball fan but it is really interesting.