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In the interest of journalistic integrity, this review must begin with a confession. For nearly fifty years I have been a Chicago Bears fan. Indeed, "fan" may not be a strong enough word to describe my attitude toward my beloved team. Quite frankly, I live and die with their exploits on the football field. These feelings may be expected to influence what I'm about to say in the next few paragraphs about MONSTER OF THE MIDWAY by Jim Dent. But regardless of the prejudice brought to my review, this is a book that every professional football fan should read and enjoy. If you love football, you will love this recounting of the generation of professional football that played a style of football vastly different from the game seen weekly by millions of fans. The experiences of the founders of the National Football League shaped the modern game and Dent shows us with clarity, insight and wit just how the infant NFL grew to the colossus that exists today.
When it comes to football, Dent is a writer with established credentials. THE JUNCTION BOYS was the story of Bear Bryant and his Texas A&M football program of 1954. THE UNDEFEATED told of the Oklahoma Sooner powerhouse of the 1950s and their coach, Bud Wilkinson. In each of those books Dent captures the heart and soul of the college game. In MONSTER OF THE MIDWAY, Dent has portrayed the essence and spirit of professional football in its early days, at a time when the influence of television and wealth had not yet impacted the game. It was an era when money was scarce in professional football and signing bonuses, long-term contracts and salary caps only existed in the imaginations of those prophetic enough to recognize the potential of professional sports.
The monster of the midway in Jim Dent's tale is Bronko Nagurski, an All-American football star at the University of Minnesota. In his career, Nagurski was as legendary a Minnesotan as Paul Bunyan, if not as powerful. During a time when football players participated in both offense and defense, Nagurski was a star running back and defensive lineman. It was as if Walter Payton and Dick Butkus were combined into one player. Had the Heisman Trophy existed in 1929, Nagurski would have been a landslide winner. Instead, he settled for being named to All-American squads at two positions. After the East-West Shrine game in San Francisco, Bronko signed one of the richest professional football contracts. In 1930 he joined the Chicago Bears and was paid $5,000 for the season.
No story about Bronco Nagurski and the Chicago Bears would be complete without mention of Papa Bear, George Halas, the owner and coach of the Chicago franchise. Halas, along with other pioneers such as Curley Lambeau and the Mara brothers, ultimately made the NFL the most successful professional sports venture in history. But the period that stretched from the depression to World War II was anything but a huge financial success. Teams lived from game to game; revenues and salaries often were delayed or reduced. Indeed, Halas would reduce Nagurski's lucrative salary of $5,000 after each season. To supplement his salary, Nagurski turned to professional wrestling. During his career he would often travel separately to Bears games because of wrestling events that he was obligated to attend.
Through the life of Bronko Nagurski we meet many of the National Football League's groundbreaking stars of the 1930s and 1940s. Sid Luckman, Sammy Baugh, Steve Owen, Red Grange and countless other residents of Canton, Ohio all make appearances in Dent's narrative. Readers who grew up with professional football in the 1960s will appreciate this tale of the birth of the modern NFL. Younger readers who discovered the game after the merger of the National and American Football Leagues will understand how and why the game has evolved to its current structure. Quite simply, this is a book that every football fan should read and pass along to fellow fans.
Although we are still early in the fourth quarter of the year, MONSTER OF THE MIDWAY may very well be the best sports book of 2003.
--- Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman
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