Mad Ducks and Bears [Paperback]

George Plimpton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2003

MAD DUCKS AND BEARS is the engaging companion to George Plimpton's PAPER LION. In this book, Plimptons personal favorite, he rejoins two of his football teammates from the Detroit Lions, lineman John Gordy and Alex Karras, to talk about their careers in this sometimes brutal, always fascinating game.
MAD DUCKS AND BEARS is a more reflective, less madcap book than what we have come to expect from Plimpton - but no less truthful and searching.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

In Mad Ducks and Bears, George Plimpton's engaging companion piece to Paper Lion and one of his personal favorites, Plimpton brings his focus to two of the most remarkably entertaining and roguish linemen of his Paper Lion experience-- Alex Karras ("Mad Ducks") and John Gordy ("Bears"), both of whom went on to achieve brilliant post-football success. A more reflective, less madcap book than Plimpton's other work, Mad Ducks and Bears is no less truthful and searching.
In this fond exploration of the values and follies of football, he rejoins his two Lions teammates to talk about their careers in this sometimes brutal but always captivating game. As Paper Lion is the quintessential look at a football team behind the scenes, Mad Ducks and Bears is one of the most astute explorations into the fascinating lives, thoughts, and motivations of the players at home, in the locker room, and on the field.

About the Author

GEORGE PLIMPTON is the editor of the Paris Review and writes regularly for Sports Illustrated, Esquire, and other major magazines. He lives in New York City.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Lyons Press; 1st edition (October 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592281168
• ISBN-13: 978-1592281169
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,214,273 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funniest book--maybe the best--ever written about football., December 2, 1999

By 

David Von Drehle (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mad Ducks and Bears: Football Revisited (Paperback)

Over 25 years after reading this for the first time, I still remember some of the more hilarious moments: Alex Karras's golf tournament, with the shrieks of wild animals echoing from the woods; Joe Schmidt's basement full of horrible recordings of the Detroit Lions singing The Battle Hymn of the Republic (not to mention the unsold vibrators); Bobby Layne sending Karras out for burgers then abandoning the frightened rookie. Interspersed among the laughs are some wonderful tutorials on the art of football where it really matters--in the trenches with the hogs. Offensive guard John Gordy and defensive tackle Alex Karras, two of the greatest ever to play the game, explain the nearly invisible game of blocking and tackling. This is a sort of cult book for true fans of football and great writing. Come join our congregation!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Plimpton's best, September 16, 2005

By 

A reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mad Ducks and Bears (Paperback)

This book is excellent for an authentic glimpse into the 1960s NFL. It is also very funny and extremely well written. Alex Karras is an eccentric character who provides a barrel of laughter with his off the wall sense of humor. Plimpton, unkowingly, plays the perfect straight man for karras's bizzare antics.

My only complaint about this book is that it was such an enjoyable read, I wish there were many more pages.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Get the original edition if you can, December 9, 2008

By 

J. Howley "Connoisseur-at-large" (Metro Motown, MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mad Ducks and Bears (Paperback)

The 2003 edition of MDAB was released to reflect Plimpton's belief that the chapters focused upon his 1971 return to football, playing in an exhibition game for the (then-Baltimore) Colts against the Detroit Lions, departed thematically from the rest of the book.

That was certainly his prerogative as the author, but as someone who really enjoyed the original edition when it came out in 1973, I have to disagree. I felt the "epilogue" chapters comprising Plimpton's "diary" of the 1971 training camp provided a fitting coda to the rest of the book (and to 'Paper Lion,') too -- bringing Plimpton full circle, playing against his former team, and on the final play, being tackled by Alex Karras (actually, the main character of MDAB), on what turned out to be the final plays of his football career (he was cut shortly afterward).

The new edition is fine, but if you've read the original edition, it feels incomplete. If you have the chance, seek out a copy of the original.