The Boz: Confessions of a Modern Anti-Hero

Rating:
Summary: The first white hip-hop athlete?
Review: Gotta give five stars, as the book is very entertaining and even insightful regarding football -- the sport, the business, the politics. Boz lets it all hang out, for better and worse. Boz headslaps and quickly sidesteps typical jockspeak. His openness is refreshing! (The only sports book I recall in this vein is Jack Tatum's). I wondered how much of the words' brisk flavor is from the Sports Illustrated writer, and how much comes directly/ unedited from the Boz. Regardless, Boz has tales to tell. He talks trash, but also exposes himself more than anyone -- let it all hang out.

I can see why the (then 23 year old) Boz was either loved or hated. A few tales/opinions are a bit cringe inducing. Boz sometimes (in his words) took things too far. And sometimes he blazed new territory and made folks nervous. When Boz found himself in trouble for going too far (or too new), he seemed surprised or offended that people backed away and let him fall. When Boz wore a t-shirt "NCAA: National Communists Against Athletes," Coach Switzer told Boz not to return for a senior season. Boz notes that his notoriety and skills did much ($$$) for U. of Oklahoma. But when things got *too* notorious -- Boz saw proverbial hands thrown up in the air. He was dropped. Then Boz blazed new ground in the NFL draft, leveraging which teams he would and would not play for; the NFL suits were ruffled. So when Boz had lots of product ready for sale branded "Blue 44," the commisioner enforced the rule that linebackers must have a number between #50 - 70. Passive aggresive payback from the suits? Or, you can't get everything your way? It seems sometimes in college and the pros, Boz felt he gave a lot and was let down. In shorthand, I guess, that's business.

Bottom line: Boz generated big excitement. And most of the controversy he (and/or the media) created was "clean" -- hard hits, talk, style, fresh smarts. Not bad for a 23 year old. In hindsight, it seems Boz had hip-hop style, punk-rock attitude, and a (earned one year early) business degree. This makes for a very interesting voice.

Rating:
Summary: If you loved football in the 80's, you're going to love Boz
Review: I happen to be a huge fan of Bozworths' ever since he ruled the Oklahoma Sooner's football teams, and college football, in the mid-80's. Although he had a semi-stellar pro-football career, and people consider him a "bust", you cannot take away his accomplishments on the football field. Boz talks candidly about what it was like to be under the guidance of Barry Switzer and what it was like to play during Oklahoma's hey dey in the mid 80s. He talks about what it was like to be one of the greatest college football players of all time. He speaks out about the NFL, and then-commisioner Pete Rozelle. He talks about "Brian" and "The Boz", and how they differ from one another. If you've ever played football at any level, I'd suggest reading this book. It really gets you motivated to play football like it *should* be played - with reckless abandonment, and to play every down like it were your last. However, if you don't like football, you're not going to like this book. I'd rate this book, on the football-book ratings scale as being slightly below "Friday Night Lights" by HG Bissinger, and above "McMahon" by Jim McMahon, if you're looking for a frame of reference to books I have read recently.

Rating:
Summary: Love this Sooner!!
Review: I only recently discovered this book and could not put it down. I have a lot of respect for Brian Bosworth. He is defenitely a man who speaks his mind. The book explains how his father groomed him early on to be someone great and to never quit. There are stories of recruitment tactics and college parties and so on. A great book for any Sooner fan or Bosworth fan like myself. GO BOZ!!

Rating:
Summary: Love this Sooner!!
Review: I only recently discovered this book and could not put it down. I have a lot of respect for Brian Bosworth. He is defenitely a man who speaks his mind. The book explains how his father groomed him early on to be someone great and to never quit. There are stories of recruitment tactics and college parties and so on. A great book for any Sooner fan or Bosworth fan like myself. GO BOZ!!

Rating:
Summary: Hero to every 80's gridiron player
Review: I was a college football player in the 80's when The Boz was reaping havok in the media and on the field. This book is a great look into the world of college football. I recommend it to any young person planning to participate in college sports. the story is a little hard to believe. this story is probably 98% true. The Boz was as great on the field as he said he was! He was not quite as bad off the field as he makes it sound, although he was wild, cocky, and confident. All the things that it takes for a person to play at the level that he did, and oh how he played. Brian was a good student and person. The Boz was THE BEST COLLEGE LINEBACKER TO EVER PLAY THE GAME. Then or since.

Rating:
Summary: the truth hurts, and Bos is the one hurting you with it
Review: The Boz is awsome.
his book, is awsome.

Confessions of a Modern Anti-Hero read like that of an Oliver Stone movie. you don't really want to know the truth cause your afraid at what might happen, but like Stone, Bosworth speaks his mind.

the story of the Boz goes from his high school days to his glory days at OU. Boz tells everything about his college playing days at OU, including his relationship with Barry Switzer.

Brian mentions the steriod incedent and how he felt the NCAA used him as an example. Brian speaks of how the NCAA "prostetutes" it's players because the players bring in money for the school and the program, but the player gets no money for himself. classic example of the pimping business.

Brian also speaks of his rookie season with the seahawks, he tells of his hatred for the golden boy of Denver, John Elway, and his hatred of Pete Rozzell.

Brian's hatred of Rozzell stems from the use of the #44 jersey. Brian wore that number since he was little, and now, the NFL told him that he couldn't use it in the NFL, even though other players had done it. from then on, it was the beginning of a "beautiful" relationship between the two.

and Brian doesn't have boundries in the book. he talks of drug use among other players, alcohol, women, football, the NCAA, John Elway, Switzer, etc.

and the one thing that people never understood was, that Brian was actually a good guy, despite his arogant, Terminator like look.

he had a 3.0 GPA, finished a year early if i'm not mistaken, never used drugs, and wasn't exactly a player. the drugs/steriods issue is covered nicely in the book. he was a man who had respect for himself, and took care of himself.

sadly, his career was cut short, but the image of the Boz lives forever. the clean cut kid from Oklahoma who would turn out to be an All-American LB for the OU and became a modern anti-hero speaks his mind in Brian Bosworth: Confessions of a Modern Anti-hero.

Rating:
Summary: A great reminder of the best college linebacker to play...
Review: The verity of the book can be disputed. But you can't deny the force of the Boz on college football in the 80s. He is an awesome individual. The book is not as shocking as everyone claims, he talks about some drugs, drinking, and recounts the intensity of the games, but I was really looking for something super controversial given how the book was received, but I never really found that. Much like the violations that ended up putting OU on probation, the hype/controversy of this book seems overblown.

Rating:
Summary: The Boz:The Man and the Hard Hits
Review: This is a good book about one of the best linebackers in college football in the 1980's. The Boz played for the Oklahoma Sooners and then went to the NFL Seattle Seahawks. This book tells about life in college and on the ball field for Brain Bosworth. This book also tells you about his views on the NCAA.This is a great book for all College Football Fans.