Customer Reviews

Butkus: Flesh and Blood

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Dick Butkus shows that his talents are not only limited to the football field in this excellent autobiography. This book is a must for any football fan of any age.

This book was good, it starts out kind of slow but once he starts talking about his career with the bears it speeds up and is hard to put down. I felt the author did a great job portraying Butkus. This book is good for someone who understands the game of football.

Never been a Bears fan, never will. But who amongst us growing up in the '60s and loving football, did not admire Dick Butkus? Whatta' player! I loved the cover of this book! What a menacing figure! Let's talk about the book. Overall, a good, insightful book but a couple of items disappointed me. First, the ramblings about his falling out with the Bears. After many pages, I felt like saying, 'Get over it!' but considering who I would be speaking to...well. Second, I was curious what his kids grew up to be like. Not much mention of his wife nowadays either. But, this is a book about Butkus and his life was football. Fun to read...

"Flesh and Blood" is Dick Butkus' autobiography from birth to 1997.
He begins by telling about his family and some of the mischief he perpetrated as a youth. He tells of his early love for the game of football and an older brother that pursued a career as a player.

He writes with a lot of admiration about fellow Bears rookie Gale Sayers and his appreciation for the talents of the great running backs. He also explains his respect for George Allen and his disappointment when George Halas let Allen leave the Bears' staff as a defensive coordinator. Allen had a big impact on the rookie Linebacker and he maintained a friendship after that. George Allen even contemplated a trade for Butkus shortly before the Linebacker retired.

Dick Butkus elaborates on the adjustments to college football and academics. He didn't get to play as a freshman for the Illini and schoolwork was more challenging.

He tackles some of the false legends regarding his actions on the field.

"Flesh and Blood" gives you a look at the NFL of old from a player's point of view. Like other hall-of-famers of his period, he loved the game and often-times unselfishly played when he shouldn't have.
He sued the Bears to get paid after he had to retire because of his knee injuries. The knee surgeries before the 1971 season were brutal and you have to wonder if they weren't more damaging than helpful.

Dick Butkus covers his post-football life at the end of the book. While he played like a monster, he shows a human side as a husband and father.

There may never be another Middle LineBacker that intimidates opponents and disrupts a game the way that # 51 did during his short career. This is his story and I enjoyed reading it.

Butkus Flesh and Blood is the best book I have ever read. It is a well written book about a great football player. His book has been very influentional to me. He played football like a maniac and seemed to be mentally unstable. After reading the book I will always remember one word: BUTKUS!.

You didn't have to be a fan of the Chicago Bears to appreciate Dick Butkus' enthusiasm and menacing presence on the field. I enjoyed the various stories from his NFL past; felt he devoted too many pages to his personal beef with the Bears' and Halas over his knee injury. That part dragged. However, it is never boring to read the memories of still the most intimidating man to ever play professional football.

A good book that gives you a chance to hear the facts straight form the best Middle linebacker to have played the game. Butkus takes you inside and tells it like it really was. His dealings with Papa bear,how he felt about the game from a child to a man and how things were done in the NFL in his time.Very interesting how the popular stories of Dick Butkus actually came to be.This book is as honest as a Butkus blitz.

I loved it!

But then again I am a huge Bears fan and a huge Butkus fan,good ol 51 played the game like nobody ever did and I enjoyed reading about how he grewup and about the Bears on and off the field and its mangement,I always thought Bears mangement has always been skummy and this book proved me right,I loved this book though as it was great to hear stories about the players and how they spent there time and about picciolo and sayers etc,
I met Butkus about 4months ago and he looks great and seams to be doing well.

Dick Butkus played a no frills, in your face style of football that entrenched him as the greatest linebacker to ever play the game. Much like his play, this book is a no-frills look into the psyche and environment that produced a dedicated and ferocious player. It was refreshing to read about a player and an era where athletes played more for the love of the game than for the dollar signs at the bottom of a contract. A must read for football fans everywhere, and especially Bears/Butkus fans.

The book is a bit slow, but such can be overlooked if you're a Chicago Bear and/or Dick Butkus fan. I would have liked more detailed info on what Butkus is doing now, his involvement with the Bears and more pro football "war stories". I enjoyed reading his book. I'd rate it a "7" of 10.