Rating: 
Summary: Last String Quarterback Scores Touchdown
Review: Plimpton's book, which was made into a boring movie starring Alan Alda, is a great read for anyone who has ever dreamed of playing professional football. Plimpton joins the Detroit Lions and gains access into a world that few have ever entered. The book is full of humorous anecdotes and interesting insights about what goes on during football training camp. His exploits culminate with his playing in a live scrimmage in front of thousands. While his skill as a player never develops much, his skill as a writer is clear. Although the season happened 30 years ago, and many of the names and characters will not be recognized by the average fan, the book is timeless. I highly reccomend it to anyone who has more than a passing interest in football.
Rating:
Summary: Paper Lion
Review: The book Paper Lion i thought was excellent. George Plimpton achieved his dream and made the reader really understand what it is like ot be a professional football player in the mid-60's. The only difference is now football has change dramatically. All you ever hear about is the biggest football players(exceeding 300 pounds, and the media covering their every move. The book really showed me the lifesytle back in the 60's, everyone was a lot more laid back and lived a simpler life. In this book Plimpton told a lot of side stories that I thought were very funny, like the player who forgot his helmat and ran on the field, or how he practiced all by himself at the park. Over all I think this book is a good read that any football fan will enjoy no matter where they live
Rating:
Summary: Paper Lion
Review: The book that I read was Paper Lion by George Plimpton. Out of a five star scale, I give it a four. The book has a lot of good things about it. The book is especially good if you like sports or if you like to read events that really took place. Besides the fact that I like sports, I also liked this book because it has humor in it. Since it was pretty much non-fiction it was funny. Events that happen in real life, most of the time are funnier than fictional events because you can actually see them happening. If you like football you will love this book because you'll be able to relate will the language and point of view of the book. This book is pretty much non-fiction but I think that Plimpton does a little exaggeration with some of the things that happen to him. The book is mostly about Plimpton's football "career". He talks to NFL teams about his idea of just playing on a team for a little while and he will right about it in a book. A lot of teams do not like this idea and turn him down but the Lions like the idea and he goes to their training camp. The book is about how he can get along with the other pros and what the life of a pro is like. This book shows what you can do if you put your mind to it.
Rating: 
Summary: Plimpton's Paper Lion
Review: This book is for both Plimpton fans and football fans. Historically, it gives a great account of the life of a football player in the 1960's. I enjoyed reading the ancedotes of past players lives and exploits. Also, there is an entertaining section on the die-hard fans who follow their favorite team. It made me chuckle when I thought of how they compared to today's NFL fans who have taken that obsession to a whole new level. Plimpton's journalistic writing style makes the book a joy to read. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Stray notes on a classic book
Review: This classic book is the story of a "regular guy" who was allowed to try playing professional football (sort of) and lived to tell about it. Some stray notes:
(1) He wasn't really a "regular guy." Firstly he was someone who was in a position where he could actually get the opportunity to work out with a pro football team and get into an intra-squad game. And he could REALLY PLAY, a fact that is rarely recognized. It's not that he was exactly on the NFL level -- he wasn't. But, he was good enough that he could sort of play with those guys, which very few of us could, and good enough that the "real" players couldn't tell that he wasn't legit. (They didn't know his real story for a while.) They could tell he wasn't great and they didn't think he was going to stick with the team, but nobody thought he wasn't for real or that his presence was ridiculous. And this despite his being 35 years old, an age at which even most "real" players can't hang in there any more.
(2) However, from the book it is clear that there were times that the players regarded his utterances as ridiculous, without there being any indication that Mr. Plimpton realized it. I wonder if he ever did. A good example is some of the things he was prattling about on the bench during the intra-squad game.
(3) This book is perhaps the first such intimate portrayal of the life and routine of pro football pre-season camp.
A great and classic book. Thank you, Mr. Plimpton, and rest in peace. And by the way you really could play football.
Rating:
Summary: Stray notes on a classic book
Review: This classic book is the story of a "regular guy" who was allowed to try playing professional football (sort of) and lived to tell about it. Some stray notes:(1) He wasn't really a "regular guy." Firstly he was someone who was in a position where he could actually get the opportunity to work out with a pro football team and even get into a pre-season game. And he could REALLY PLAY, a fact that is rarely recognized. It's not that he was exactly on the NFL level -- he wasn't, and this is what is usually noted about his football ability. But, he was good enough that he could actually sort of play with those guys, which very few of us could, and good enough that it wasn't obvious for some time to the "real" players that he wasn't legit. (They weren't told the actual story about him for a while.) They could tell he wasn't great and they didn't think he was going to stick with the team, but nobody thought he wasn't for real or that his presence was ridiculous. And this despite his being 35 years old, an age at which even most "real" players can't hang in there any more. (2) However, from the book it is clear that there were times that the players regarded his utterances as ridiculous, without there being any indication that Mr. Plimpton realized it. I wonder if he ever did. A good example is some of the things he was prattling about on the bench during the game that he got into. (3) This book is perhaps the first such intimate portrayal of the life and routine of pro football pre-season camp. A great and classic book. Thank you, Mr. Plimpton, and rest in peace. And by the way you really could play football.
Rating: 
Summary: the delivering quaterback
Review: This is a book that can eb interesting to people who enjoy George Plimpton's writing. Ii enjoyed the book that i read before. The Mysterious Case of Sidd Finch, but I did not like the Paper Lion. Thi book is too slow for my liking and it didn't keep me very interested. Plimpton is a great writer but this one kind of bombed to me. The book starts out very slow. George Plimopton is going undercover as a backup quarterback, third strign that is. He goes and plays for the Detroit Lions. Not the greatest pick if i say so. The ciach of the lions was George Wilson, no not the neighbor form Dennis the Menace. The story is mainly duriing the preseason. Plimpton howeer does take snaps, and doew get his fair share of bruises and cuts. Like i said earlier, PLimpton needed to put a little bit more of action into the story.
Rating:
Summary: A SOLID READ
Review: THIS IS THE STORY OF GEORGE PLIMPTON WRITER OF VARIOUS SPORTING EVENTS HE PERSONALLY TRIED. HE IS IN THE DETROIT LIONS TRAINING CAMP IN 1963. HE HAS RECEIVED PERMISSION FROM THE TEAM TO PARTICIPATE IN SOME TRAINING CAMP SCRIMMAGES AND HOPEFULLY TO GET IN A REAL EXHIBITION GAME AGAINST THE CLEVELAND BROWNS. HE DOES A GOOD JOB DESCRIBING HIS EXPERIENCES IN DETAIL ABOUT CONDITIONS, PLAYERS, COACHES AND SOME GREAT STORIES ABOUT SOME OF THE GREATS WHO PLAYED FOR THE LIONS. I ENJOYED THIS BOOK AND RECOMMEND IT TO ALL FANS OF GEORGE AND THE DETROIT LIONS.
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