This classic football cautionary tale examines the upside down world of a novice NFL doctor in parallel with the lives of the NFL players he is treating and befriending. This book is the original source material for the classic Oliver Stone football movie "Any Given Sunday" (1999) for which Huizenga's name was taken off the credits at the last moment for the most cynical/absurd reason ever!
The dramatic, hilarious, and controversial insider's look at what really happens on the sidelines and in the locker rooms of the NFL.
Hired by the Los Angeles Raiders as the team internist, Rob Huizenga worked on the sidelines and in the locker room of every game. That first year was the epitome of Raiders football-- the silver-and-black team of renegades steamrolled opponents and defeated the Washington Redskins in the Super Bowl. For nearly ten years, Huizenga lived in the real NFL trenches, a battlefield atmosphere where getting hurt and partying hard was the name of the game. Jam-packed with close-up anecdotes about football's warriors, this book reveals:
* The mind games and methods of mysterious Raiders owner Al Davis
* The truth about drug and steroid use in the NFL
* The pressure on players to perform even when threatened by serious injury
* Harrowing and hilarious true stories about the side of football fans never see
* The wild life and tragic death of Lyle Alzado
"The funniest, kinkiest and occasionally the most horrifying inside football book it has ever been my pleasure to read! An instant classic."
Ron Rapoport, Los Angeles Daily News
"As trenchant a look at the inner workings of an NFL team as has ever been written ... shocking, raw, and at times, wildly funny."
The Oakland Tribune
"A harrowing tale."
The Washington Post
This book will never be repeated. The NFL, shortly after Huizenga published this book, responded by demanding every team doctor sign a non-disclosure agreement.
One of the best football books that I've ever read. I can't think of a single, negative thing about this book.
It is of course written from a team physician's view, so it is mostly about the health issues that face players. He didn't pull any punches when describing them. He was very (brutally) candid about that.
He also gave a good view of the reality of working under Al Davis, since A.D. was involved in all aspects of his team. Davis seemed extremely generous in some ways and then sadistic in others.
One thing I came away with from this book, was some knowledge of the reality of steroids in general and their use in the NFL in particular. If you buy/read this book, you should end up with a good overview of what those steroids are all about.
Many people, such as myself, were curious about all the muscular giants/players who were showing up in the NFL by the second half of the 80's. A lot of them, in retrospect, were not "legit" so to speak. They were artificially enhanced. They couldn't do that much, if any, better than the rest of us who played high school and college ball, using only weight lifting to gain size. It's gotten to the point were one cannot really relate to these behemoths that play these days.
On the other hand, the league's ban on steroids has not resulted in any decrease in size of players. They are still showing up, attracted by the large salaries offered in the NFL today. If you're big/strong/fast, you would do well to consider a career in pro football.
But, it's a great book and highly recommended.
