22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
If not the greatest game, it was at least an historic one., November 14, 2008
This review is from: The Glory Game: How the 1958 NFL Championship Changed Football Forever (Hardcover)
According to Frank Gifford, even those who played in the NFL championship game in 1958 did not realize that it would later be widely viewed as the greatest game ever played. He acknowledges that he made two critically important fumbles that proved costly to the Giants, for example, and asserts that the game was not even well-played until the fourth quarter and then during the first ever sudden-death overtime period before Alan Ameche scored from the one-yard line and the Baltimore Colts defeated the New York Giants at Yankee Stadium, 23 to17, on December 28, 1958. According to Gifford, David Halberstam, not he, had planned to write this account of the game but Halberstam died in a "horrific traffic accident" en route to meet with Y.A. Tittle. With some reluctance, duly acknowledging that Halberstam would have written an account that "would have beautifully captured our moment of history," Gifford then agreed to write his own with Peter Richmond, "in David's memory, and in the memory of those players who are no longer alive."
The details of the game from beginning to conclusion are best revealed within Gifford's narrative. It seems appropriate, now, for me to note some of the background information that helps to create a frame-of-reference for what happened on the field. First of all, Gifford gives full credit to the Colts for their victory. They had more and better talent, were closer as a team, and led by arguably the greatest NFL quarterback ever, Johnny Unitas. When he and receiver Raymond Berry were clicking, they would not be denied. Gifford also indicates somewhat strained (if not adversarial) relations between the Giants' offensive players and their defensive counterparts led by middle linebacker, Sam Huff. On more than one occasion, after stopping an opponent from scoring or recovering a turnover, the Giants' defense would urge the Giants offense to "do your best to hold `em." Gifford asserts (and many others agree) that Charlie Conerly deserves to be in the NFL Hall of Fame. Wide receiver Kyle Rote was injured that day and, in effect, attempted to play on one leg until he could no longer continue. Then and thereafter, there was a great deal of mutual respect between and among members of both teams. At a reunion20 years later in New York's Central Park, those who were still alive and up to it played a "re-match" (of touch football) and the Colts won again.
To me, some of the most interesting material is provided in Chapter 9, "Aftermath," as Gifford provides an update on what happened to most of the participants in the 1958 championship game. Several enjoyed great success in broadcasting (e.g. Gifford on Monday Night Football and Pat Summerall covering NFL games and other sports for CBS) or business (e.g. Gino Marchetti and Alan Ameche in the fast food industry); a sadder fate awaited others, however, notably Eugene ("Big Daddy") Lipscomb who never attended college but was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams and then was among the defensive stars on the Colts team that won the 1958 championship. He later died in an ambulance en route to a hospital while being treated for an overdose of heroin. He was 31. Unitas also encountered his own difficulties, many the result of his years in the NFL and later because of business investments that failed. Today, many other former players also have serious problems of various kinds. Perhaps some of those who now play in the NFL will read Gifford's book and then both understand and - more to the point -- appreciate how much they owe to the efforts of othrrs who played decades ago.
With regard to the historic championship game in 1958, it is worth noting that 12 of the Giants and Colts players and three of their coaches were later elected to the NFL Hall of Fame: for the Giants, Roosevelt Brown, Gifford, Huff, Don Maynard, Emlen ("The Gremlin") Tunnell, Vince Lombardi (offensive coordinator, later head coach of the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins), and Tom Landry (defensive coordinator and later head coach of the Dallas Cowboys); for the Colts, Berry, Art Donovan, Gino Marchetti, Lenny Moore, Jim Parker, Unitas, and Weeb Ewbank (head coach and later head coach of the New York Jets, NFL Super Bowl III champion in 1969). As for Giants' head coach, Gifford makes no effort to conceal his and his teammates' low opinion of Jim Lee Howell's "leadership" that was limited to letting his team know when it was time to go out on the field, and, to making certain that footballs were properly inflated. That said, Gifford acknowledges that at least Howell had enough sense to let Lombardi and Landry coach the team.
Was it "the greatest game ever played"? Opinions vary. Did the game "change football forever"? Frank Gifford makes a compelling argument that it did. Read his book and then decide for yourself.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The best book on football's greatest game, November 20, 2008
Written in an engaging and conversational style, The Glory Game by Frank Gifford and Peter Richmond chronicles the epic 1958 NFL Championship Game between the Baltimore Colts and New York Giants. Eventually won by the Colts in the first sudden-death overtime in the history of the sport, "The greatest game ever played" or "Best Game Ever" cemented the NFL's place at the forefront of American popular culture. There has been lots written about the game over the years, but Gifford, the Giants star Running Back from 1952-64 offers a unique field-level perspective. Relying on his own memories supplemented by interviews with his teammates as well as former Colts players, Gifford gives the reader a down-by- down play by play account of the Colts thrilling march to victory. Along the way he offers anecdotes and insights that I haven't seen in any other books. He also uses the game as a jumping off point to discuss the NFL culture of the 1950's, considered by many to be pro-football's golden era.
Gifford began the book as a tribute to his friend David Halberstam who was working on a similar book at the time of his death.
I've read 6 books on football this year (including two others on this game) and this is by far the best.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
See and Experience Football Through Frank Gifford's Eyes, November 18, 2008
This review is from: The Glory Game: How the 1958 NFL Championship Changed Football Forever (Hardcover)
If you love pro football, this is a must read.
If you ever watched Frank Gifford on Monday Night Football, you know that he showed a respect and love for football that separated him from the others who shared the broadcasting booth with him. He was reticent and heart-felt in his comments. I always wondered what it would be like to hear him recount his playing days over a beer or two. Reading The Glory Game comes as close to having that experience as I can ever hope to reach.
In The Glory Game, he takes you back into professional football in the fifties when the game was considered by most fans as little different from professional wrestling. The players were long on devotion and short on pay. They also had respect for themselves and others. They played more to honor their teammates than for accolades from the fans.
Into the middle of this world, live television brought a mass audience who came, saw, and came back. One of the games that caught everyone's attention was the 1958 NFL Championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants (for whom Mr. Gifford played). The book provides a virtual play-by-play recounting of that game, book ended by descriptions of the players and their origins, the owners, the coaches, and the social life of the teams on the one side and what happened to the people after the game on the other side.
Frank Gifford was no second-stringer. He was one of the most highly regarded players of his era. His two fumbles and a missed first down (which maybe was mismeasured) had a major impact on the game's score and ultimate resolution.
I didn't see the game played live, but I've seen highlights many times since then. I agree that it was the greatest game in pro football up to that point. I've seen more exciting games since then. You only have to go back to the Super Bowl in 2008 to see a game with a lot more significance and with better play throughout that also involved the New York Giants.
If you don't mind the game itself being a bit over-hyped, the rest of the book will bring much satisfaction. The main writing weakness is that a number of the stories and examples are repeated a bit too much. An editor should have cut things down a bit more.
Let's hear it for the Frank Gifford!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
