Total Access: A Journey to the Center of the NFL Universe (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: induction day, general session, draft room, Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, Joann Kamay (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Named after and authored by the host of the NFL Network's signature program, this loosely-structured year-in-the-life memoir is essentially the book version of the network, established in 2003 to provide unprecedented access to players, coaches, games and events (from draft weekend to Hall of Fame inductions). Bookended by the Super Bowl and the debut of the NFL Network's "Eight Game Package" (a series of Thursday and Saturday games that began late in the 2006 season), this sportscasting odyssey follows Eisen in and out of makeshift studios at football's biggest occasions, reprints verbatim his interviews with everyone from quarterback Brett Favre to former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, and provides insight into NFL luminaries-turned-on-air-colleagues such as Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk and Steve Mariucci. Along the way, there are plenty of insider-only tidbits, including how veterans haze rookies at the Pro Bowl and what really happens during the top-secret Scouting Combine. Eisen writes with the same dry wit he uses on-camera, a likable voice that's unfortunately prone to name-dropping and network-boosting; still, there's much vicarious pleasure to be found in Eisen's on-the-job adventures.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

Praise for Total Access:

“I've always admired Rich Eisen’s work, so it's no surprise to me that his book is very entertaining.  What is a surprise is that he's somehow found time to write it in between the NFL Network’s 6,347 hours of coverage of weak-side linebackers who could be draft-sleepers.  That sort of programming and this book about it are both genuine public services.” ---Bob Costas

“A lot of things in our lives are far less than as advertised, but this book advertises Total Access and gives you Total Access. That’s right. Total Access! I’m not kidding. I liked this book and I’m not a reader.” ---Tony Kornheiser, columnist for The Washington Post and co-host for ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption

“Rich uses his great sense of humor to detail the life of an on-air NFL personality. It is a world I know well, but still I couldn't stop turning the pages. It is a great read---a must for anyone who loves television and Pro Football.” ---Joe Buck, Fox Sports

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; Reprint edition (October 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312369794
• ISBN-13: 978-0312369798
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #161,086 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Entertaining, Rich Eisen writes the way he speaks!, May 8, 2008

By	Money Honey (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Total Access: A Journey to the Center of the NFL Universe (Hardcover)

Total Access is a funny, well written view into the world of the NFL by the journalists that cover it. The book offers a look at what it's like to cover the most popular sport in America. What makes the book so compelling is that the stories are written in the same manner that Rich Eisen speaks, his descriptions always offer some humor, and the personal anecdotes are what make the book so appealing. A really entertaining read!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars such a great book!, January 14, 2008

By	Alvaro Garcia Monge "Alvaro" (Santiago, Chile) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Total Access: A Journey to the Center of the NFL Universe (Hardcover)

Imagine you are not from US. Imagine you live in Chile, bottom of south america, where all you have is ESPN's Sunday Night and Monday Night games and nothing else...

Well, "total access" lets you understand why american football is so popular and, if you already love fotball, like it more than you did before.

congratulations rich, great book, great sport... hope to have nfl network in latin america

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must-read for fans of the NFL and NFL Network, December 24, 2007

By	SpyderDan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Total Access: A Journey to the Center of the NFL Universe (Hardcover)

Rich Eisen's book "Total Access," is a great inside look at the goings-on of the NFL Network and its programming. I know a couple of reviewers said it was recycled material (i.e., transcripts of interviews that Eisen has done) and that's true. But certainly most readers have not seen every single interview that's ever been aired, so there's bound to be something new in that regards. Also, there are many great anecdotes about players and the NFL Network crew, in particular a great story regarding former head coach and present analyst Steve Mariucci and a piano in the crew's hotel in Canton, Ohio (it can be found in the Hall of Fame chapter).

My favorite chapter may have been the second, which was about the Pro Bowl. Rich Eisen does a great job of illustrating how laid back it is at the Pro Bowl and some of the cool interactions that go on between players and the NFL Network crew. The chapter about the Combine is very interesting in particular as well.

If you love Rich Eisen, the NFL Network, and football in general, you should find this book very fascinating. It didn't take me long to read at all and it probably won't be long until I read it again.