Open net audiobook by george plimpton, denis leary. I wish i could remember exactly how i came upon the book open net, by george plimpton. Its one that continues long after a person has grown and often takes on other elements including regret and longing. Every sports fan, at some point in their life, has wondered what it would be like to live in the game and play amongst its stars. Plimpton was nearly 50 years old and, by his own admission. Starring george plimpton as himself is about football, literature, magazines, fireworks, hockey, movies, presidents, lawn chairs, geniuses, and the true tall tale that brought them all together. George plimpton biography life, family, children, wife. Much as i enjoyed plimptons book, i cant help feeling guilty, like having been to a movie on a fine summers afternoon. Paper lion is plimptons account of his time as laststring quarterback for the 1963 detroit lions. Plimptons incredible compilation of the best sports writing ever. By his own admission, writer george plimpton wasnt much of a skater when he attended boston bruins training camp in 1977. George plimptons books inside the sports world were always about the athletes and games, never about himself, the biblioracle writes. George plimpton, one of the greatest sportswriters of all. George plimpton takes to the ice with the boston bruins in this memorable portrait of the roughandtumble world of professional hockey, recorded and now featuring a foreword by denis leary.
Open net by george plimpton little, brown and company. The flyers had been eliminated in the semifinals by boston that spring. The only thing i liked more than playing hockey was watching it, and when i couldnt watch it, i read about it. Anything george plimpton writes is going to be worth reading. Why mad ducks and bears is plimptons best sports book. George plimpton takes to the ice a goalie for the boston bruins, after first signing a document holding the team harmless if he should meet with. George ames plimpton march 18, 1927 september 25, 2003 was an american journalist, writer, literary editor, actor, and occasional amateur sportsman.
How george plimptons sports books presaged the first. He was also famous for participatory journalism which included competing in professional sporting events, acting in a western. If you wonder what the secret is behind george plimptons walter mitty books, in which he plays with and against the pros in football, baseball. George plimpton, right, after a boxing match with archie moore at stillmans gym, new york city, 1959. Open net is another inimitable account of an amateurs foibles meeting the world of professional sport. A professional amateur in the world of bigtime hockey. By his own admission, writer george plimpton wasnt much of a. Author george plimpton narrates his exploits as a onetime detroit lions quarterback which he documented in the classic nonfiction novel paper lion. Plimpton is getting a little long in the tooth for this. With reflections on hockey greats including bobby orr, wayne gretzky, and eddie shore. Im a hockey fan, and when i was younger i used to check out hockey books from the local library.
What makes this book so special is georges lack of prejudice and his ability to tell a story complete with the smells, sights, thoughts, feelings and emotions of being. The george plimpton story by nathaniel rich the new. The author follows his success with paper lion by writing another book about pro football, this time focusing on the foundation of the game. We have 1 answer for the clue george plimptons hockey book.
Participatory journalist and celebrity editor plimpton delivers yet another insiders account of professional sports. Thanks to open net, his classic book documenting the experience, his. When it comes to popularity, american enthusiasm for sports is right up there with mom and apple pie. George plimpton hockey boston bruins nhl wil wheaton. After signing a release holding the bruins blameless if he should meet with injury or death, he survives a harrowing, seemingly eternal five minutes in an. Open net by george plimpton the thought of playing professional sports ranks up there as one of the most common childhood fantasies. Quite visible are the effects archie moore left on the authors nose, plimpton writes in shadow box, what would have been described in the jaunty style of the midnineteenth century as. Over his career plimpton tried his hand at acting in westerns, in playing in a symphony, and trying his hand at professional football and hockey. The book is about george plimptons time spent with the boston bruins in the late 70s. Thanks to open net, his classic book documenting the experience, his mark. The professional amateur in the world of bigtime hockey, which wasnt published until 1985. In this book, plimpton tries his hand at the pga tour in the glory days of the late 60s, 1967 to be exact. Plimpton was known as a participatory journalist, covering a subject by actually doing it. Plimpton followed paper lion with books about golf and ice hockey, as well as two more football books.
The book features extensive interviews with teammates on the detroit lions. George plimpton reissues books that took us inside the game seven of the the late george plimptons sports books are being rereleased. He was also famous for participatory journalism which included competing in professional sporting events. The film also depicted his tryout with the detroit lions.
In 1960, plimpton, not an athlete, arranged to pitch to a lineup of professional baseball players in an allstar exhibition, presumably to answer the question, how would the average man off of the street fare in an attempt to compete with the stars of professional. By his own admission, writer george plimpton wasnt much of a skater when he. Starring george plimpton as himself, joe schmidt talked about how the team reacted to plimptons presence. He tried to blend in with the rest of the team, but after a while you could just see that george wasnt much of an athlete. George ames plimpton march 18, 1927september 25, 2003 was an american journalist, writer, literary editor, actor and occasional amateur sportsman george plimpton was a truly fascinating individual. Mitch albom should have broken the curse of george plimpton thats vexing detroit lions. Plimpton went on to play goalie for two professional hockey teams, the boston bruins and the edmonton oilers, basketball with the boston celtics, tennis against a professional, and in proam golf tournaments. The norton book of sports by george plimpton, hardcover. George plimpton book on hockey crossword clue answer. George plimpton was perhaps best known for paper lion, the book that set the bar for participatory sports journalism. George plimpton played goal for the bruins in a special five minute exhibition prior to the main game. Open net by george plimpton meet your next favorite book. Plenty would nominate shadow box, in which our slender hero gets his nose flattened by light heavyweight.
George plimptons hockey book crossword clue answer. There is a fine latenight row to be had over which of george plimptons sports books ranks as his most daring. I absolutely loved open net by george plimpton when i first read it. James thurber once said that 95 percent of american males put themselves to sleep at night striking out the. George plimpton was born on march 18, 1927 in new york city, new york, usa as george ames plimpton. George plimpton takes to the ice with the boston bruins in this memorable portrait of the roughandtumble world of professional hockey, repackaged and featuring a foreword from denis leary and neverbeforeseen content from the plimpton archives. We have 1 answer for the clue george plimpton s hockey book. For his final book as a participatory journalist, george plimpton tended goal for the boston bruins. George plimpton has 127 books on goodreads with 37688 ratings. Paper lion, the movie, was a 1968 sports comedy film starring alan alda as plimpton, based on plimptons book. Plimpton has lived out the boyish fantasies of millions of american men and lived to tell about them in such books as paper lion pro football, out of my league. Paper lion is a 1966 nonfiction book by american author george plimpton. Plimpton, who has a number of books in the works including ones on hockey, tennis, boxing, the new york philharmonic, a sports bestiary recently signed a contract with doubleday to write a.
Plimpton could write about a chess marathon and find perspectives and people who would make it somehow fascinating. Free delivery on book orders dispatched by amazon over. It premiered in detroit on october 2, 1968, and was released nationwide the following week. In an interview with tom bean and luke poling, the filmmakers of the documentary, plimpton. The last one i read was hockey stars of 1973 by stan fischler. Back then, the bruins were known as one of the toughest teams in the nhl. Mitch albom must break curse of george plimpton vexing. It was a pleasure to take in georges unique observations as he bravely went where no nonathlete has been before, between the pipes to guard the goal of the famed boston bruins. Finally, george plimptons paper lion joins a growing body of firstrate writing about sports. He didnt have a sporting background but that didnt stop him writing a series of books in which he tried his hand at various sporting roles, including baseball, boxing, golf, ice hockey and, in this case, football. From the ulitimate bad boys by stan fischler, as originally printed in the aggressive hockey report by mark topaz. After signing a release holding the bruins blameless if he should. George ames plimpton was born in new york on march 18, 1927, the son of francis t.
George ames plimpton march 18, 1927 september 25, 2003 was an american journalist, writer, literary editor, actor and occasional amateur sportsman. In open net, george plimpton takes to the ice as goalie for his beloved boston bruins. One of plimptons bestknown books was 1963s paper lion. Ezra bowen, the sports illustrated editor who acted as referee, is at left. Mad ducks and bears by george plimpton random house 1973 796. Plimpton, a successful corporate lawyer who became the american ambassador to the united nations. George plimpton takes to the ice with the boston bruins in this memorable portrait of the roughandtumble world of professional hockey. In open net, george plimpton takes to the ice as goalie for his beloved. Another chronicle of plimptons amateurish ventures into the worlds of professional athleticsthis one recounting his experience in the training camp of the boston bruins of the national hockey league. The latest book is an expansion of an article he wrote for sports illustrated in february 1978, when he was 50 years old.
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