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Rating: 
Summary: It's a Very Good Book!
Review: Fred Neil's tale on the life and times of Charley Eckman is an all over full court press on basketball on all levels, from high school to pro. No foul shots and Neil's only warming up as he takes on Eckman's adventures on and off the court and in TV and radio.
The sports tidbits sprinkled in as the story winds its merry way are priceless. The anecdote about how Fidel Castro almost never joined the revolution is worth the cover price in itself. Yeah, Charley Eckman is hardly a "household name," but his book is superstar material--a three-pointer at the buzzer!
Rating: 
Summary: Eckman Bio Reveals An Amazing Character
Review: I grew up in the Baltimore area and was always mesmerized by the opinionated -- and often high volume -- sports broadcasts of Charley Eckman on radio station WFBR. While that is what many of his fans in his beloved hometown remember first and foremost about Charley, there is much more to know about this most amusing (and sometimes controversial) character, whose trademark was "telling it like it is." For instance, while Eckman's first two sports loves were baseball (the OH-ree-oles) and soccer, he first made a name for himself an always decisive basketball referee. He started officiating games in his hometown before working his way up to the NBA. Later, to the surprise of the sports world, he became the first ref to be named a pro head coach when owner Fred Zollner tabbed him to run the then-Ft. Wayne Pistons. In that position, he almost won a league championship and was in fact the winning head coach in the All-Star game. His popularity was such that there was a board game about him! Even old-timers often forget the irrepressable Eckman was still coaching when the team moved to Detroit. That's not all, though. The book is peppered with the colorful stories he so loved to tell anyone within five miles over a few of his beloved scotches. For instance, he was a bat boy for the Baltimore Black Sox and once saw Fidel Castro pitch during a try out. Later, back in the day when pro sports figures still had to work in the offseason, he even served as -- among many other things over the years -- a judge in Maryland's orphan's court! While his language was often profane -- as he spoke in the "native tongue" -- Eckman loved people and always had a minute for everyone. The stories in the book really stand out. No true sports fan should be disappointed by this very interesting and often hilarious effort. And do check out those photos! Mark Smith Crofton, MD
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