Boys Will Be Boys

This is a pretty entertaining book, but throughout reading it I kept feeling like it could have been better. I can't exactly put my finger on it, but I think fundamentally the book just lacks a certain storytelling quality. It dumps a lot of sensational story lines and episodes on the reader, but it failed to make me feel like I was being told the stories in a high quality manner.

Frankly, without the bizarre Charles Haley stories, I doubt this book would get much attention at all. I heard about it on sports radio and the Haley craziness was the focus of the discussion. The more central stories about Jerry Jones, Jimmy Johnson, Michael Irvin, Switzer, et al were OK, but they left me feeling like they were repetitive and possibly exaggerated a little.

In any event, if you have an interest in the Cowboys or in weirdness in pro sports, you'll probably find this book fairly entertaining despite some flaws.

Did you know that the alternate title to this piece was "How to do Coke and Act Normal"? I know, pretty cool huh?

I liked the book so much that I set it on fire and prayed to the great Nate Newton's a$$. Dolla dolla tip!

Jeff Pearlman, author of a terrific Barry Bonds biography and a book about the 1986 Mets, does a great job of profiling the 1990s Dallas Cowboys. Even if(like me) you hate the Cowboys you should read the book. The characters are far more interesting than in any work of fiction, from the extremely promiscuous Michael Irvin to the square Troy Aikman to heartless but effective coach Jimmy Johnson. This is the best sports book of 2008.

Pretty good synopsis of the High Flying Cowboys of the 90"s. I felt it was a little disjointed in parts. If you aren't a faithful follower of the Cowboys, you might not understand some of the references. Also, since he brings up Troy Aikman's sexuality, it might have been nice to follow it up with the facts relating to his marriage.

Great job by the young writer Jeff Pearlman. Following up on the equally readable "The Bad Guys Won", Pearlman writes a lengthy (thanks, Jeff!) description of the Dallas Cowboys team that won three Super Bowls in four years in the early to mid 90's. Great stuff! Pearlman tells the whole tale: both the good and the bad. And there was a lot of bad. Drug use, prostition, violence, backstabbing, jealousy, and untold other personal failings eventually ruined the team owned by Jerry Jones.

Nothing can take away the three Super Bowl rings owned by Hall of Famers Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin. Let this terrific book stand as testament to the greatness if the Cowboys, as well as their many foibles. Highly recommended for sports fans!