Customer Reviews

Get Your Own Damn Beer, I'm Watching the Game!: A Woman's Guide to Loving Pro Football

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After reading many of the reviews on Amazon, I decided to purchase this book thinking that it was the best choice for an intro to football for women, or rather, for people who don't know much about football. Generally, when something is written about sports and "for women", I tend to think that what the writer really means is that they start at the beginning with no assumptions about things you already know (or should know) about the sport because women are generally thought to be less knowledgeable about sports than men are.

The book has loads of knowledge about the history of football, the rules, and plenty of top 10 lists to acquaint you with players, coaches and games. There's plenty of terminology and strategy included as well. However, there's also an entire chapter devoted to football wives talking about their husbands schedules (and so on) as well as comments about how "cute" football huddles are and gushing over the ties to Holly's love of ice cream and the game.

Over all, I would say that the amount of knowledge in the book is good for a beginner's guide. But, I would also say that if you are A)someone who likes to cut to the chase or B) not a "girly girl" who wants to hear about Holly Peete's childhood, family life, and lists of things that she finds cute when you are buying a book to learn about football... go with another book.

If, on the other hand, you do find that heart warming anecdotes and and off topic discussions of a football player's family life do help you to stay interested in what you are reading, then by all means buy this book. That's just not what I am looking for in a book about sports.

Books like this one make me understand why women may not be as interested in sports as men are. Books like this one assume that women can't be interested in a sport the same way that a man is... that she has to be convinced that sports are worth while. I'm just waiting for a beginner's guide to a sport that isn't cute and cuddly to "appeal to women" and, alternatively, isn't titled "the idiot's guide to ...". What I want is a book that respects me as a person who is truly interested in the sport *for what the sport is* but is also aware that some people just never learned about a particular sport and don't have any knowledge base that can be assumed.

Holly Peete's book is definitely informative, but also has a lot of superfluous information that has nothing to do with football for anyone other than herself. I give it three starts for having to sift through all of that off topic info.

I love basketball and ice hockey. Those I understand well. I love NFL but I understand (understood) it less. This clarified all the parts I needed clarification on and now I'm understanding it fully. Holly made this a fun read, but she knows her stuff too. Now I don't look so blank when I watch a game on ESPN on pay tv. She knows she's aiming this at intelligent women who are NFL'y challenged, so this is really well written and I highly recommend this to anyone.

As a true b-ball fan, I never really appreciated the great american sport of football. I became more and more intrigued by the sport as I followed our Carolina Panthers to the Superbowl, season before last. Although I religiously watched all of the playoff games, I certainly couldn't hold my own in a conversation about the games. But now I have to say I believe I can. Holly, girl, you did the dog gone thing. Men even seemed to be the impressed by the mere fact that I was reading a book about football (as I found at the airport earlier this week).
This book is fun, sassy and informative. I can hardly wait until this season's opener. Bring on the beer, wings and yes, even ice cream. I'm lovin' it!

Good Book, not only gives technical info about plays, etc, but also gives some basic history, who's who, etc. Very easy to read and understand. She outlines the very basic (sometimes too basic) elements of offensive and defensive lines, and then talks through various types of plays. I'm a big a fan of Holly's, and thought the book was very helpful. My male friends do a double take when can I call the play before they can! Fun!

I'm a die-hard NBA fan, and could always tolerate hockey and baseball, but my whole life I was adminant that I hated football, and always would.
To me it seemed boring, confusing, slow-moving, and dumbed-down compared to other sports. Every play looked the same - the ball was snapped, a bunch of guys ran into eachother and the play stopped. I once laughed out-loud in disbelief when my husband told me that football perhaps had the most strategy of any sport.
I come from a football-loving family, and married a football lover, and when I heard about this book I figured it couldn't hurt to remotely understand what was going on during the many football games I'm forced to endure.
This book is EXACTLY what I needed. It's not a total chick's guide but it's not purely educational either (there's a list of the top 10 football butts!). Holly Robinson Peete is obviously a real football fan (and was long before she married Rodney Peete) and she knows what she's talking about. She presents all aspects of the game clearly, intelligently, and with humor.
I finished the book this afternoon, and (with shock) it occured to me that I was looking forward to this Sunday so I could watch a game and apply some of all that I learned. I have totally come to appreciate the game due to Holly's smart and clever analogies and examples (and insider info).
Thank you Holly!

The most dreaded time of the year for a lot of women is football season. During this time, the men in their lives disappear and attention is solely focused on "THE GAME." However, for some women, this is an exciting time because they too love all things football. One such woman is Holly Robinson Peete, actress and football player's wife. A die-hard football fan from childhood, Peete has taken a complex game and broken it into an understandable guide that will not only benefit women wanting to get closer to their men, but also for anyone wanting to know more about football...and she's given it a "girlfriend" slant.

The author pulls play lines from her famous husband, NFL quarterback Rodney Peete, includes cheat sheets, historical data, and great moments in the sport. She also includes some of her own experiences with the game, those involved in it, and a special point of view session from other football wives which I found down to earth and informative. Peete concludes with a glossary of football terms to round out this great reference book.

Peete has created a wonderful book that takes the "ho-hum" out of football for those of us who aren't necessarily fans. The writing is light and conversational and makes you want to know more about the game. At the same time, she educates hard-core fans; all in this neatly packaged book. From the catchy title to the overall concept of the book, many women will be drawn to GET YOUR OWN DAMN BEER, I'M WATCHING THE GAME in their efforts to become more football savvy.

Reviewed by Tee C. Royal
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

My knowledge of football is limited but I've always enjoyed the game. Holly Robinson Peete writes with humor as well as honing in on the "fears" of women who don't understand the game. I learned a lot and refer to it as I watch this year's onslaught of games. She also provides interesting anecdotal comments and facts about the history of the game and its famous and infamous
players.

Some gave her poor reviews but I think it's designed for those that want to learn(not know EVERYTHING) about football. Just to enjoy the game. I don't think she designed this for people who already know about football. I enjoyed reading and learned alot.

Veronica White, the author of "Deadline Murder", a thriller surrounding the Detroit Lions, a female sportswriter, and the Lions first Super Bowl win in 25 years.

Like Holly, I fell in love with football through early childhood conversations with my father, an all-around athlete, who was the first black to play for his high school football team and was recruited by the Negro Baseball League.

Although I have been following football for years, Holly's book has provided me with wonderful knowledge of the inner workings of the sport, both on and off the field.

This book is adequate for complete novices, its intended audience, IF you can overlook Holly's exceedingly annoying potty mouth throughout the book. A little less print wasted on her luxurious media room and gameday fanaticism, and more devoted to insider info would have increased the book's value. (She alludes to political maneuvering in the sport, but does not elucidate one whit.)

If you're looking for more information that's just as understandable to the novice, I recommend Howie Long's "Football for Dummies." Bonus: Long delivers exponentially more info in a completely professional way, without resorting to one profanity. He answers more of the beginner's questions without boring a more experienced fan.