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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
A bummer....I really thought it would be compelling., August 31, 2004
As an avid listener of the mad dog's radio program, I really wanted to read his book. After all, he plugged it at every possible moment on air for three months. It must be good, right? Not really. This book is not for the hard core sports fan. At the same time, I can't imagine a casual sports fan picking it up either. At every turn of the page there was one big problem - no depth. There was no subject that grabbed a hold of me and consequently, I found the book boring. Too much SF Giants and NY Yankees. He had no thoughts that made me even remotely interested. How would mad dog change the NHL? Everyone knows the dog doesn't even watch the NHL! Not even in the playoffs. Get rid of the blue line! Why didn't I think of that? I was really looking for the fire that makes his radio show special. Maybe all of those years being bored having to listen to Mike have finally taken their toll. About the only chapter I found interesting was the one where he recommends his favorite sports books. I plan on reading the ones on his list that I missed. I doubt this book will make anyone's list. Sorry Doggie.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
vintage Mad Dog commentary, June 15, 2003
A long time listener of Mike and the Mad Dog radio, nothing gets me in a better mood driving on weekday afternoons that Mad Dog's high octane, intense viewpoints on everything sports. Needless to say, I was pretty excited when the Mad Dog 100 was released. His book is vintage Mad Dog. Tackling 100 arguments of sports on a surprisingly wide and thorough range of topics, he provides arguments that are reasonable, if not correct (everyone has their own opinion), and presents many hidden factors or facts that fans don't often realize. A few reasons in particular why I liked it... 1. Not too technical. An earlier reviewer said that Mad Dog's analysis was "watered down", meaning they only scratched the very basics of a topic. I think this is actually a good thing. Why? I could follow arguments and enjoy the commentary on sports I don't know much about, such as football or track. Going into too much detail will alienate much of the book for many readers, besides it's 300 pages even with basic arguments. 2. The hidden factors. I mentioned this before- on seemingly every topic, the Dog brings up relevant facts that the reader (at least I was) wasn't aware of... the "I didn't think of that" kind of fact. For example- the fact that Gherig batted once and took the rest off the day off several times to extend his consecutive games streak, while Ripken's playing every day ofteh hurt his team but occurred because of Ripken's drive for the record are two factors in the streak debate (which was better?) that most non-religious baseball followers don't realize. 3. The authority factor. I like the fact that the Mad Dog will admit when he knows little about a sport or topic and won't try to ram an argument down your throat for these (although he will for everything else :)- he won't try to dissect a topic he knows nothing about. Same goes for his time period- Mad Dog states several times he won't comment as critically on players or periods before his time, and I respect him for that. I don't need a guy who's forty five-ish trying to examine the ins and outs of Christy Matheson's game because he wasn't even born yet- Mad Dog understands that. I'll be the first to tell you that Mad Dog isn't right about every topic, and he can be more than a bit stubborn. But reading the book, I fully realized how smart the guy is in sports- even if you think he's wrong, he's going to bring up some aspects of ANY argument you might not have thought of. So enjoy Mad Dog 100, it's a lot of fun for those of us who ponder the great sports arguments and love talking about em...
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting Read for Sports Fans, June 20, 2003
The title of the book is partly misleading, because the 100 chapters are not so much devoted to the greatest sports arguments of all time, but 100 issues/topics of particular interest to Chris "Mad Dog" Russo phrased in the form of a question. More than a few of the topics are opportunities for Russo to vent his opinions and/or suggestions on a particular sports issue, although the bulk of the book does focus on argument issues that most sports enthusiasts have participated in one time or another. One drawback is that many lists of greatest players or games is limited to Russo's personal history, dating back to the 1960s, although a few old timers occasionally pop up in the essays. Russo has his biases, and some of his analyses are questionable. For example, batting average is given far greater emphasis than the more reliable on base percentage for evaluating players. Some of his picks will create controversy, and some bewilderment. For example, selecting the 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers pitching staff as one of the greatest when the starters, excepting Sandy Koufax, barely won more than they lost, or choosing Sammy Sosa, over Ruth, McGwire, or Bonds, as the guy you would choose when you needed a home run for one at bat. He does deserve more than a few kudos, however, when he appears to be going against the crowd when bypassing Michael Jordan as the top pick in a few categories; real sports fans agree with him that Jordan's selection by ESPN as greatest 20th century athlete was questionable. Also, selecting Alex Rodriguez over Honus Wagner as the greatest shortstop may rustle the feathers of oldtimers, but its a bold choice. The book may have benefitted by including more statistics to back up some selections, and also including some additional background information on a few of the athletes discussed, but overall it was a quick and enjoyable read.
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