Rating: 
Summary: Rushed to publication
Review: Author Jeff Benedict has written three other books about the bad behavior of athletes, giving him a unique perspective. With the criminal trial for sexual assault against Kobe Bryant expected to proceed later this summer (2004), Out of Bounds is timely. Unfortunately, Benedict's effort to be timely (write and research the book in less than six months wherein "missing a deadline was not an option") was not without cost. The book is sloppily proofread - "Stockhouse" on page 17, "an (sic) famous athlete's bed" on page 58 are a couple examples.Benedict asserts that 40% of the 177 players researched from the 2001-2002 NBA roster "had been arrested or otherwise recommended by police to prosecuting attorneys for indictment for serious crime." Truly a startling statistic! Unfortunately, about half of the book is devoted to just three players - Ruben Patterson, Sam Mack and Glen Robinson. (Shaquille O'Neal is given about a half dozen pages in the introduction.) Although nearly 70 players would have been identified as "out of bounds" during Benedict's research, a quick count turns up about 20 names of NBA players in the book. Undoubtedly, other players are named, but it would take a very careful line by line review of the book to determine who they are as Benedict does not include an index of the players he mentions. Out of Bounds attempts to detail a truly disturbing trend in the NBA. As lightly written as it is, the collection of bad incidents should be required reading for every NBA owner, league official and employee. Is the bad behavior more prevalent now or is it less ignored? That question remains unanswered. Sadly, little ink is devoted to solutions and policy suggestions - certainly if Benedict did not have the time to develop his own suggestions he could have found a myriad of NBA officials, owners, coaches, current and former players or even fans to interview. Out of Bounds is disappointing in that it could have been so much better. It reads more a like commercial deadline driven book than one where the author is concerned with the depth and quality of his work. It is unfortunate. Benedict has the credentials to have done so much better. Just my opinion . . . .
Rating: 
Summary: Women Beware
Review: Benedict chooses a premise that is easy to prove: Professional athletes, particularly NBA players, statistically are more likely than the general population to commit crimes, specifically crimes of sex and violence. His research is very compelling as he provides statistics on the number of players in his sample who have been accused of crime.
But I do have mixed emotion about this book. The biggest flaw is after stating his thesis, he then gives examples. These are graphic and what grab the reader. But, in my opinion, he spends an exorbitant amount of time on a few examples. So, instead of focusing on a well-researched subject, he relies on a few examples. Now these examples are horrible. Specifically Rueben Patterson. You become more and more amazed at the stupidity and sense of entitlement of some of these athletes. It is appalling!
My second gripe with this book is the story of the Iowa State freshman basketball player who commits armed robbery but is found not guilty, per the book, primarily due to the testimony of his coach, Johnny Orr. This is another detailed history which makes for interesting reading. But virtually all of it concerns an athlete with problems in college. This player's stay in the NBA was very short and not crime related. Benedict has plenty to prove his point. But I was very unimpressed with the stories he chose. Was it because these stories are the most entertaining to tell even if they only narrowly touch NBA players?
Overall, I am glad I read this book. It contains great information and interesting, though disturbing stories. But I find it a little distressing on the thesis/proof connection. And it's also damning to the many good players/citizens who are painted with this broad brush. But if you are a female and want to be around NBA players, you need to understand what you may be dealing with.
Rating: 
Summary: Biased and imbalanced
Review: Having read a few books by Mr. Benedict, I am beginning to question his motives. Is he writing for shock value, or is there a darker agenda hidden here? Questionable statistics, and even more questionable conclusions. Singling out a group of men, using anecdotal evidence, and drawing broad conclusions about the group as a whole is somewhat frightening in my opinion. A shameless attack on NFL players that simply promotes prejudice without any enlightening social content in evidence. Pathetic!
Rating: 
Summary: Just not a good read
Review: Having read and enjoyed Benedict's earlier effort, "Pro's and Cons", I was anxiously awaiting this book and was subsequently thoroughly let down. There's much to do about the painstakingly intense research and hard work in putting this material together, but in the end it just was not a good read. Subpar research, 1-sided storytelling, bad writing -- all attributing.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Research, Good Writing.
Review: I find myself reading this book with mixed feelings. I give it a high rating for research and for writing. But then I find myself saying, who cares.
There was an incident where an underage girl (and in her pictures she didn't look underaged at all, more like a hooker) at a local mall approached a pro basketabll player and soon went up to his hotel room. Later on she cried rape. As Mr. Benedict says, there's a thin line between consensual sex and rape.
You take someone who comes from the wrong side of the tracks, you give him fame and a few million dollars, do you really expect someone you'd want to take home to mother and dad. These athletes aren't being selected for their social graces, they're being selected for basketball proficiency. I think that the book really explains what you'd expect to find.
Finally, why select the NBA? I remember when it seemed that Dallas wouldn't be able to field a Cowboys team because so many team members were in jail. And so far as I know, the NBA players haven't bitten off any ears. And as for rock stars....
Rating:
Summary: A rush to judgement
Review: In "Out of Bounds: Inside the NBA's Culture of Rape, Violence, and Crime", Jeff Benedict attempts to expose the not-so-glamorous side of professional basketball. Along the way we read about the incidents which landed some of the NBA elite off the basketball court and into the courtroom.
Unfortunately, Benedict does not uncover any new revelations from the world of professional sports. He surmises that athletes develop a sense of superiority and entitlement as they grow from young phenoms to millionaire professionals. This, of course, is nothing new.
It should not surprise anyone that crime exists in the NBA. Benedict recounts criminal histories of NBA stars such as Allen Iverson, Anthony Mason, Bonzi Wells, Glenn Robinson, Ruben Patterson, Damon Stoudamire, and the infamous Sam Mack, to name a few.
We all know there are unsavory individuals in the NBA. I'm not quite sure of Benedict's motivation of this book. He doesn't sufficiently state the reasons why the NBA players have swayed to the wrong side of the law so many times, why some of the players have engaged in violence against women and why they are violent on the streets.
Benedict places some of the blame with NBA executives for not levying heavier penalties. However, he doesn't mention how difficult it is to enforce rules because of the strength of the players union.
There are many inconsistencies and holes in Benedict's arguments. I also find it interesting he admits the book was researched in less than six months. Why? I believe it was to capitalize on the exposure the Kobe Bryant case would have brought. Shame on him if this is true.
I believe in Benedict's rush to publish he left out strong conclusions and a clear statement. Everyone knows there is crime in the NBA. I just would have wanted to read more as to what could be done in the future to prevent it from continuing to scar the league, and the victims of its employees.
Rating:
Summary: Two Thumbs Up!!!
Review: It's about time we get a different side of the NBA. I don't know about you, but I'm tired of the NBA scene. NBA players don't care about me or you... all they want is a fat paycheck. We all had theorys of what these players were up to off the court, but this book gave hard facts. When you mix teenagers with 7 figure salarys and 22 hours of spare time what do you get? Think about it, NBA players don't care who's in the crowd cheering for them. You go home $100 dollars short, and they go home $50,000 dollars richer. The NBA is nothing more than a circus act... 10 men (or teenagers) play with a piece of leather that has been inflated with C02, then they put it through a metal circle for points. Does that sound weird!? Thats what they get paid millions for!! After the games they go to the clubs while you go back to work. I don't know about you, but my dollars are going to Fiji, not some ballers back pocket.
Rating:
Summary: To the person with the nasty disposition
Review: No, "the person above" is someone who can write coherent sentences, express intelligent thoughts and knows that getting education is more important than being a jock. They also, as I am, are angry that these athletes get more money than doctors, firefighters, police officers, teachers and others who actually contribute to society and are positive role models. It's sad that some of these athletes get on television and, with few exceptions, can't even speak proper English. It's a shame that people like you can't handle the truth about something that YOU think is great, but the truth of the matter is that the world doesn't revolve around the NBA, NFL or MLB. It's a very, very small part of life.
Rating:
Summary: WASTE OF TIME - POOR WRITING WORSE RESEARCH
Review: One of the worst sports books I've ever read with skewed, unverified statistics. Don't waste your money! If I could give it negative stars, I would do so.
Rating:
Summary: OUT OF BOUNDS IS THE BEST SPORTS BOOK I'VE EVER READ!!!
Review: OUT OF BOUNDS IS THE BEST SPORTS BOOK I'VE EVER READ!!!
Most sports books are lousy. Larry Bird's DRIVE was boring, Bill Walton's NOTHING BUT NET had a few good stories but didn't tell me any of the stuff I really wanted to hear, and the books about superstars like David Beckham are usually books designed to make them seem like picture perfect family man who just happen to look like they're wild and crazy! But OUT OF BOUNDS is different!
I've been following the NBA since 1973, and so I couldn't resist looking at Jeff Benedict's OUT OF BOUNDS, when I saw that it was about the NBA players and crime. I'd always wondered what exactly Ruben Patterson had done, and Jeff Benedict does a terrific job of researching Patterson's criminal history. Patterson, the self proclaimed "Kobe Stopper," sodomized his 16 year old nanny, beat his wife, and Benedict goes on to tell about many other NBA players who did similar things, and along the way he destroys the myths that the victims are groupies or women after players, and so on. (The stuff about the groupies never made sense to me anyhow, how many women are really pro basketball fans???)
OUT OF BOUNDS is like a Mickey Spillane novel, with lots of names, locations, dates, and a terrific writing style that keeps you wanting to go to the next page! Jeff Benedict has changed the way I view NBA players--and all other pro athletes--forever!
The other two great sports books I love are Dennis Rodman's BAD AS I WANNA BE and THE SELLING OF THE GREEN--the real story of the Boston Celtics--but OUT OF BOUNDS IS THE BEST SPORTS BOOK I'VE EVER READ!!!
Chari Krishnan RESEARCHKING
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