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 Sheer enjoyment of the sport Oct 14, 2009
Bostonians like me are as parochial as sports fans get. In fact, we're sometimes downright myopic. "Who cares about the Giants and Colts? Well," we'd think, "Raymond Berry played in the 1958 championship game, and he later coached the New England Patriots. Maybe I'll read it."
The beauty of Bowden's treatment of the game - of course debatable as to its superlative (American publishing marketing working overtime) - is that it allows the football purist to read all the way through cheering for neither side in particular, but for the game and the sport itself. I wasn't alive when the game was played, and didn't have a rooting interest when I picked up the book. I just wanted a good read on a favored topic, and got just that.
Great book but an irritating issue with the audio CD edition Sep 10, 2009
Other reviewers have written the many positives of this book. I echo those sentiments. I love this "golden age" of the NFL and the book captures this period very well.
However, I have to provide a negative comment about the audio version of this book. While the reader's voice is clear and he adds attempted accents and voice inflections to make the listening even more pleasurable, he really falls short with the pronunciation of some of the game's stars. While not a BIG deal, this does take away some of the enjoyment in listening to the book. A simple call to either the Giants or Colts offices or to some older sports writers(or, even, the book's author) could have very simply confirmed how to pronounce the players mentioned in the book. Names like Katcavage (read as KAT'ka vige)and Marchetti (the "ch" read as the ch in cheddar)were major stars in this era. Hard to imagine getting these names wrong. But, every time I start to listen to this book in the car, I immediately get into the book and then ... it happens. The audio makes mention that the ball carrier on the current play being described is stopped by KAT' ka vige!! Immediately, I tighten my grip on the steering wheel as I struggle to keep the car on the road. I then realize (once again) that the book is going to have these audio references for the rest of the book and I start anticipating them. I then start to wonder if the Colt's QB is going to be mentioned as Johnny "un E tas" or some other odd pronunciation! Some may feel this is picky but, I've listened to this book three times (I love the period and there's not much on audio to satisfy my interest) and I still react to the audio in this way. It is distracting. I still love the book as written but, as spoken? Not so much.
Why can't all readers research their books before recording; seems only right to get it right. If I were the author, such a reading would be a real disappointment.
 Great Account of the Era and the Game May 23, 2009
Bowden brings the setting and the game alive in a thrilling account of the game that launched modern football. Enough detail for a rabid football fan but enough human drama for a Sunday afternoon viewer. fascinating, funny, touching, makes you wish you'd seen it and knew the men that played it.
Review of the Best Game Ever Apr 01, 2009
The Best Game Ever is a fairly good account of what is probably the most famous game in NFL history - the 1958 NFL Championship game where the Baltimore Colts defeated the New York Giants 23-17 in the NFL's first sudden death overtime game. The game pitted some of the greatest players of all time against one another such as Johnny Unitas and Raymond Berry of the Colts, and Frank Gifford and Sam Huff of the Giants. The game also sported three legendary coaches, Vince Lombardi on offense for the Giants, Tom Landry on defense for the Giants, and Weeb Ewbank, head coach of Baltimore who went on to win another seminal NFL Championship when his New York Jets upset his former team, the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.
As most who follow football closely know, this game is considered the launching point of the modern NFL because it occurred in the early years of television and at least the last part of the game was seen by an estimated 30 million people. After this game the popularity of professional football took off, particularly because the action is well suited for television viewing.
This book tells the story of the game mostly from the players' perspective, focusing somewhat more on the Baltimore Colts, particularly Johnny Unitas and Raymond Berry, who both had phenomenal performances in this game. But it also tells the story of other key players on both sides of the ball to greater or lesser degrees. It does a less stellar job of building the drama of the game, maybe because we already know the outcome. But overall it completely documents the game and the key turning points that lead to the eventual outcome, including Frank Gifford not making a first down on third and short that would have allowed the Giants to run out the clock to win the game, and the Unitas to Barry connection on an improvised play for a first down on the final drive in regulation to tie the game.
For a football fan this is certainly an enjoyable book and provides some insight into the game and the players, particularly Raymond Berry who gets the most coverage. While I wouldn't classify this as The Best Football Book Ever, it is well done and worth reading.
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The Epic Review Mar 01, 2009
By A.C. Beatty
I read the book "The Best Game Ever" By: Mark Bowden. The book is about the 1958 NFC Championship between the New York Giants and the Baltimore Colts. In this epic game there were many to be Hall of Famers, including Johnny Unitas, coach Vince Lombardi, and Tom Landry. It was the best offense in the league vs the best defense in the leaque. Who ever won the game went to the Super Bowl that year. That night 45 million people, the most ever to watch a single game tuned in. The Colts dominated the first half. But the Giants soon started an epic comeback! The Giants had a 2 point lead with 2 minuites in the fourth. Unitas led one of the greatest comebacks in the history of football that night. But back then it was very rare games went to overtime or "sudden death". Few of the players had ever heard about this overtime ordeal. Then the future Hall of Famer led an amazing 13 play drive with an almost unbelieveable score to win the game in sudden death and advance to the Super Bowl. This was know as the "Greatest Game Ever Played due to its amazing play, and it's suspense and Super Bowl tickets for the winner! Everything was on the line in that game! I thought this was an amazing book, and would reccomend it to any one who loves football or just loves sports!!!
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