Customer Reviews

Bury Me in My Jersey: A Memoir of My Father, Football, and Philly

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Let me preface this review by saying that I have never been a follower of sports; not to say that I dislike them, but I have never felt the desire to watch a game. With that said, I found myself unable to tear myself away from this book once I began reading. Even though it was far from what I normally choose to read, I was captivated by the writing, the characters, and the power of the stories.

From the end of the second chapter--one of my favorite chapters--I knew that I couldn't put it down. I can't really think of a part of the book I didn't like; although some of the sports references were lost on me (most I remembered from playing Backyard Football, sadly) they were explained well enough that I felt like I knew who they were by the end.

Honestly, though, the best thing about this book were the characters. Or the people, rather. Everyone was so well described, I felt like I knew them. Their reactions were so specific that they ceased to be just names and became distinct personalities.

And the humor--you can't forget the humor. The footnotes, especially, often cracked me up. I often have trouble distinguishing in books whether or not something is meant as a joke, but I had no trouble identifying the voice here, since it was so well-defined.

Some of my favorite parts:

-"What was the point? For who? For what?" (pg. 127) I really liked the tie-in here from an earlier chapter. It seemed almost self-deprecating; there are so many parallels drawn in this book between the narrator's past and football and his dad that it seems it would take several read-throughs (at least for me) to peel back all the layers. The point is, you can tell how well-crafted the story is, just from these few glimpses. Everything has its place, its own significance, its own impact on what is, what had, and what will happen. Nothing feels out of place in any way.

-"Undergrads love it when you curse." (pg. 164) So true.

-The sample Slipknot lyrics.

-I especially liked the sections that talked about writing or teaching, though I may be biased. I found myself curious to know what story it was the Frank Conroy supposedly salvaged from the rejection pile. Also, the bond that was forged between the Dad and his son was not merely based upon football, as it is explained; there was a large emphasis on writing, and the absolute faith for his son to become a published best-selling author; each part was interwoven with the next, so that nothing felt out of place.

-I wanted to go back and count how many times some variation of "streams of urine" popped up. I ended up laughing at every occurrence after the first; just how much cleanup is involved at the Lincoln Financial Field/The Vet after a game, anyway? The part with they boy shoved in a crawlspace by his father made me cringe.

-"Cheesesteaks have always been in my blood, both literally and metaphorically." (pg. 61) For some reason, I immediately imagined little cheesesteak-shaped red blood cells. Side note: Best names of the book: Cal-Cal and Fat Stuff. Fitz and Duffy come in a close second.

-The girl who is "literally unable to walk and chew gum at the same time." (pg. 122) Priceless.

-The honesty of the writing. It is so completely, brutally truthful, it's almost painful. If you're looking for a memoir where the author portrays himself as heroic and an otherwise moral paragon, do not read this book. There is only truth--and a startlingly deep level of self-analysis that will leave you spell-bound. I doubt any of us have discovered as much about ourselves in all of our lives as the author did in 224 pages. And the narrator portrayed is someone readers can root for.

What more is there to say? There wasn't any part I disliked. Although I did not personally connect to the recounting of the games, I loved the descriptions used and the heightened language; at parts, it seemed almost poetic. At no point did I find myself skimming, or bored.

There was one part I was torn on when reading: the ending. I loved it, especially the reflection in the car mirror. But I almost felt that the previous chapter was more conclusive in its ending than the actual final chapter, and I found myself going back to compare them. But then, now that I think about it, I liked the parallel between the beginning and ending.

There is definitely something to be said for a book that leaves you deep in thought, long after you turn the last page.

I received this book today and read it in a day. I laughed and teared up several times while reading this. McAllister's memoir about coming to grips with the loss of his father, while maturing from adolescence to adulthood really clicked with this fellow long-suffering Eagles fan. While most Eagles fans will connect with the tales in this book; memorable moments in otherwise obscure games, his first-hand recollection of his boorish behavior at Eagles games and the emotional toll this team takes on all of us, this book is a tale for any die-hard sports fan or their loved one.

The author does an outstanding job explaining how such a trivial event, such as experiencing the loss of your favorite sports team, can have such a deep emotional impact on the fan. In a manner I have never been able to convey to my own wife, it explains the role this team has played in fostering the bond I have with my own father and how the elusive Super Bowl victory will somehow validate those numerous Sunday afternoons where we put aside any of our respective worries, any differences we had and singularly focus all of our emotions on a trivial sporting event.

This book was simply wonderful.

A great book for everyone, even if you aren't a football fan. Everyone can relate to something in the book whether it be having the love and support of a family, trying to make your parents proud, dealing with the loss of a loved one, or screaming at a TV on a Sunday afternoon while your favorite team plays. This book had me laughing out loud at some parts and tearing up at others. An excellent beach read to get ready for the 2010 football season!

My 2010 book at this time.

Once I started to read it, I couldn't stop and I read it in a day.

As an Eagles fan for years, I wanted to read it and I discovered that this book was something more than football. The author found a way to really touch my heart.

I picked up this book on a whim, being somewhat of a memoir junkie, and I had a really good time with it despite the fact that out of all the sports known to man, football is probably the one where I declare 100% incompetence. I credit said good time to McAllister's wordplay, which not only exemplifies the kind of writing anyone would expect from a graduate of the University of Iowa, but is also, at its core, absolutely honest. Here, no one's beating you over the head with sentimentality or, worse, with jokes that you can only see coming out of the mouth of Dirty Uncle Sal at the family reunion. There's a perceivable truth to what McAllister writes, and football fan or not, it's a truth that we can all relate it to; it's a truth that allows his story to open up and take a big, fat exhale.

Dude, this book is awesome! Football is so much more than a game and it's so frustrating trying to explain that to people who don't get it. This book is so validating on so many levels. I've already read it twice and I'll probably read it again when the season starts. We might be addicts but there are far worse things to be addicted to!

I don't usually read sports-themed narratives, but a friend really enjoyed this so I picked it up. The author has a great voice, and there are plenty of amusing anecdotes in here, like when he stalks his favorite Eagles player through Whole Foods to make sure he's eating right. It's an entertaining window into that kind of all-consuming fandom, but also an interesting look at Philly with its race tensions, class conflict and city pride. Very absorbing and highly recommended.

the cover of this book may be deceiving, as this is a great read for not only sports fans, but also those who may have lost a parent and look back so fondly on the memories with them and those things that brought them closer together. it tells of the struggles he had while trying to make it as a writer, trying not to lose his mind over gut-wrenching eagles games, working through a long distance relationship, all while trying to cope with the loss of his father.

while centered around the eagles, any fan who has maybe hinged a little bit too much on their sports team can appreciate this book. it will bring you back to your childhood days when your father, or whoever it may have been, was teaching you the nuances of your favorite sport and what it is your favorite team is doing right or wrong. then will take you back through the struggles you have once you become fully invested in a team and, no matter how much they break your heart, you just keep coming back to them because that's what you've been told to do since you were five years old.

you can also see the bonds that sports bring to families, most notably football. every sunday in the fall and winter families across the country all gather in the living rooms to watch their favorite team. when kids may not see their parents during most of the week, the time they spend watching football together seems even more important. all of this depicted in the book, which is often brutally honest and not usually reflecting the author in a good light.

in the end, this is a depiction of various struggles a young man has had in his life, all while trying to figure out his place in the world and trying to justify just how important his eagles really are to him, and, possibly, why he just can't let go of his true first love, no matter how many times they stomp his hear. a great read for anyone.

This book is a great read even if you aren't from the Philadelphia / Jersey area because it connects to the reader with memories everyone can relate too from sometime in their life. A great read and a great gift and this gift won't be re-gifted.

Give author Tom McAllister credit--he's not afraid to reveal to readers what an obnoxious jerk he is. McAllister is the type of extreme football fan who believes it's acceptable to pick on 10-year-old fans of the opposing team, act like an animal while waiting in line overnight for playoff tickets and spend much of the game drunk and boisterous.

McAllister, who grew up on ESPN highlights and the Internet, is obsessed with the Eagles and used them to create his identity. Like many shy, socially awkward boys, he used football to connect with others and gain social status.

McAllister is proud of his Eagles Message Board (EMB) persona and his countless postings (he once posted 112 messages in a day).

Although McAllister has been an Eagles fan for less than 20 years (the first season he remembers is 1992), he's convinced he's the No. 1 fan.

I thought this book was going to be more about how the love of the Eagles bonded a father and son. Sadly, it's only a small fraction of the book, and one that I don't think is told all that well. In December 2001, McAllister's father is diagnosed with cancer and dies a short time afterwards. McAllister writes about his father's death in an unremarkable manner.

McAllister grew up in the Roxborough area of Philadelphia and attended LaSalle High School and later LaSalle University. He writes about trying to find a place to belong and trying to fit in while growing up.

After graduating from LaSalle University, he attended the Iowa Writer's Workshop for two years. During this time, he taught undergraduate classes, but by his own admission he was "unprepared and unfocused" as a teacher. He seemingly spent most of his time drunk and being an irresponsible slacker. I felt sorry for his students.

I grew to dislike McAllister more and more as the book progressed. He's not the type of guy I would want to spend time with.

I'm sure some of the chapters of McAllister's memoir grew out of his creative writing assignments. The best written chapter concerns camping out for playoff tickets. Yet, is a tale of embarrassing, animalistic, obnoxious and uncouth behavior, which is deemed acceptable by extreme fans.

If you're interested in a father-son sports memoir, the Eagles and football, there are countless other books far more worthy of your time. For the father-son sports memoir, try "Paul and Me" by Paul O'Neill of the New York Yankees and/or "Our Tribe" by Terry Pluto.

Although McAllister's memoir is high on promise, it's awfully disappointing.