Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Steve Young just had his autobiography published. Jeff Pearlman's biography on Brett Favre is now in stores. Michael MacCambridge's biography on Chuck Noll is due in stores on this date.

I am not big on autobiographies and biographies on people who are still living only because I want to read what the subject did late in his/her life. That said, both the Young and Favre books look good. Pearlman interviewed 573 people. I skimmed through the book a couple of times. There is some good stuff on Aaron Rodgers, the Falcons year, and the Jets year.

I liked the Steelers when I was a kid partially because of Chuck Noll. I will get the book on Noll. Because MacCambridge wrote it, I am expecting it to be of high quality.

Wonder how much dirt Pearlman was able to dig up, since his Payton book showed a VERY different side of the "Sweetness" image--which outraged Ditka. Prior to that, Pearlman made Barry Bonds look like a cross between Stalin and Hitler, which admittedly, isn't that difficult.

The excerpts I've read from Pearlman's book seem to tell it like it was about Favre -- the drinking/drugging, the womanizing, the selfishness, etc. A lot of unsavory stories made the rounds in Green Bay during his time there, and I won't be surprised to see a few of them corroborated in this book.

Not only a lot of dirt about Brett but also his dad....the apple did not fall far from the tree. Here's my take on my blog a couple days back:
https://packerspastperfect.wordpress.co ... out-today/

BD Sullivan wrote:Wonder how much dirt Pearlman was able to dig up, since his Payton book showed a VERY different side of the "Sweetness" image--which outraged Ditka. Prior to that, Pearlman made Barry Bonds look like a cross between Stalin and Hitler, which admittedly, isn't that difficult.

I read Pearlman's book about Payton, and I thought it was very well done, but as a Cowboy fan, I didn't know Payton's history.

However, Pearlman's book on the 90s Cowboys, "Boys Will Be Boys" also had a lot of dirt, especially about Michael Irvin, but it was factual, and not just tossed in for the sake of sensationalism. It actually told the story of Irvin's eventual redemption. Cowboy fans were prepared to be outraged by it, but it was fair and very well written.

I don't know Favre's story, and I haven't read the book, so I will reserve judgment on it.

I forgot he wrote that Cowboys book. I agree, it was definitely warts-and-all, but in service of the broader story -- not just dirt for dirt's sake. I expect the Favre book to follow that pattern.