Statements That Undermine Credibility

by Jonathan Willis on May 1, 2009 9:45 AM MDT

I went to the library a few days ago and decided to pick up a book that I've passed over a few times previously: Thunder and Lightning (a biography of Phil Esposito). I've chosen to skip this particular volume before because I've read a fair bit about Esposito's work in hockey after his retirement, and very little of it was complimentary. Since few humans want to relate an honest list of their faults, I rather expect this book to be something of a whitewash. Imagine my thoughts than when I read this on the first page of the preface (written by Esposito's co-author, Peter Golenbock):

[Esposito] could have spent half this book writing about his many accomplishments on the ice. And he would have been justified. Esposito was the greatest center ever to perform in the National Hockey League. A hulking presence, he would plant himself in front of the goal, wait for a shot or a pass, then muscle defenders out of the way as he wristed the puck into the net. The image of Esposito lodged in front of the net waiting to strike, endures like that of Bobby Orr charging up the ice or Wayne Gretzky stiockhandling around a defender. Phil is the standard by which all other centers are measured.

For a book that bills itself as "A No B-S Hockey Memoir", that's a remarkable first page.

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Esposito has always had a reputation for being a dink, so while that quotation is not surprising it is still nonetheless hilarious.

by Jon Kerber on May 1, 2009 11:35 AM MDT reply actions

I’ll admit that first page is a bit of a “hey look what I did”, keep reading. I read it a few years ago and I think it’s a fantastic book. It really does give you a no-BS look at things, but at the same time it doesn’t throw anyone under the bus (personally – professionally, a lot of guys look like idiots) the way stupid books like Jose Canseco’s did.

love, mike

by oakland ehs on May 1, 2009 12:41 PM MDT reply actions

I presume that’s an Espo autobiography? Not that “biography” is incorrect, I guess, since autobiography’s a subset of it, but it would add some clarity if you mentioned somewhere that he was the author; otherwise, I was left scratching my head.

by sarcasticidealist on May 1, 2009 1:09 PM MDT reply actions

it’s one of those “with help from ____” auto-biographies.

love, mike

by oakland ehs on May 1, 2009 1:47 PM MDT up reply actions

Well they all are, really (for professional athletes and the like, anyway); it’s just a question of which ones acknowledge it.

by sarcasticidealist on May 1, 2009 2:55 PM MDT up reply actions

True, but I think some are a lot more than others.

For example, Jose Canseco’s book is so poorly written that I don’t think he had a a lot of help.

love, mike

by oakland ehs on May 1, 2009 7:34 PM MDT up reply actions

I'm about halfway through the book

Read a good chunk of it in bed last night. I’m really not a big fan so far; when I read hockey biographies I like the occasional anecdote and whatnot but I’m really looking for insight into how these people think and how hockey teams are built and run. This book is awfully long on somewhat amusing stories and almost completely vacant of that sort of insight.

Then again, I imagine that I’m hardly the typical audience for this sort of book, so if that’s your cup of tea, have at it. The Don Cherry book was a fair bit better though, IMO.

It's only my opinion, but it's right.

Writer for The Copper & Blue, OilersNation, and CanucksArmy.

by Jonathan Willis on May 1, 2009 4:09 PM MDT reply actions

Peter Golenblock

was a co-author on one of the most infamous baseball books of all time, “The Bronx Zoo” which chronicles the 1978 Yankees, its a must read for any baseball fan. It doesn’t white-wash anything, so I’d be surprised if the Espo book was any different.

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by Jim Schmiedeberg on May 2, 2009 4:18 PM MDT reply actions

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