One on One: Behind the Scenes with the Greats in the Game

by John Feinstein

John Feinstein's illuminating recollections from two decades of interviews with sports legends.

John Feinstein's career is a sports fan's dream-a lifetime of encounters with the great figures in sports, not just on the field, but in the locker room and behind the scenes with legends like Bob Knight, Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and John McEnroe.

Since his days as a young Washington Post journalist, Feinstein has written twenty-eight books and countless magazine articles and newspaper columns, covering college basketball, golf, tennis, baseball, and very nearly every sport in between. He has told us of victory and defeat, of athletes and coaches we love -- and love to hate. But some of his best stories have been left untold, until now.

One on One is an incredible portal into the sports we love-from the box scores and the pageantry of game night and into the hard work and intensity that turn players and coaches into legends.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Basketball

533 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

John Feinstein was an American sportswriter, author, and sports commentator.

Reviews

[Cheryl Gatling]

It took me a while to "get" this book. Based on the title and subtitle, I expected it to be a series of interviews with famous athletes. Instead it seemed to ramble all over the place.

Indeed there is a plan to this book, but it would be better described by the title, "What It's Like to Be John Feinstein: Behind the Scenes With Me As I Wrote All My Other Books." Feinstein reminisces about writing "A Season on the Brink," "Hard Courts," "A Good Walk Spoiled," "A Civil War," and many others. The last few chapters revisit some of the people he interviewed in those books to find out what they are doing now.

While I originally wondered why someone would think we wanted to read this kind of blow by blow view of authorship ("I got an idea. I pitched it to my agent. I got an advance. I started calling people..."), once I relaxed and just went with the flow, I found the book extremely entertaining. Feinstein is at heart a storyteller, and this book is like you are sitting around with him after dinner, and he says, "That reminds me of the run-in I had with the stuck-up officials at Wimbledon," or "Did I ever tell you how I got harrassed by the Czech KGB for researching a story, and got detained and interrogated, and threatened?" or, "You heard Bob Knight had a temper? Well, let me tell you about Bob Knight and his temper."

Along the way there are, as advertised, some up-close portraits of great athletes, but the main character remains John Feinstein. But so what? If he were at my dinner table, I would ask him to keep telling another one, and I would invite him back. Boys and girls all over the country dream of growing up to be sports stars. This is a book to make you want to grow up and be a sports reporter, at least if you can be as lucky and privileged as John Feinstein.

[Ken Heard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This provides a good insight into what drives John Feinstein to be one of the better sports reporters out there. I, like most, have read his Season on the Brink and other books (Good Walk Spoiled, Tales from Q School, Civil War) and thought they were okay. I also thought Feinstein had a bit of ego and wasn't a huge fan of his.

Until I read this book. I realized in order to really shine at any profession, you have to be pushy, pompous, over confident, etc. Feinstein admits some of this and I was impressed that, while cutting others at times, he also took shots at himself. I admired him more for that.

The book covers his career in writing, starting at the Washington Post and moving on into big time book writing. His humbleness does show when he writes of hearing how well Season on the Brink did in sales and then when his golf book topped the best-seller charts.

Feinstein also does not pull punches and can criticize athletes for their boorish behavior and actions. But he's also good enough to rescind if he learns otherwise. He thought golfer David Duval was a turd based on other comments and a brief encounter. But when he actually met him, he realized Duval was okay. I'd hate to have Feinstein write negatively about me if I were an athlete, but I'd also know he was professional enough to know it was not as much a personal jab than an observation that comes with being an athlete. In other words, he could attack an athlete and then enjoy going out to eat with him or her.

Despite its 500+ pages, this is a quick, enjoyable read that shows the inside of sports writing. From covering the Masters to watching a basketball game in upstate New York after driving on bad roads during winter, this shows the life as it is. A great read and a great way to start off 2019 in books.

[Tami · Rating 2 out of 5]

As I've gotten older, I really enjoy watching sports, mostly college, well mostly BYU since it is my alma mater. I had never heard of this author/sports writer/sports commentator, John Feinstein, before and after reading this book, sounds like I live under a rock. This guy knows everyone and anyone involved in college basketball, pro golf, tennis and baseball and all the greats know him. I did enjoy reading a few of his personal interactions with some of the superstars and some not so superstarish men. I got bored with the hundreds of people he dealt with like, agents, administrative guys, trainers, coaches, assistant coaches, etc. Just way too many for my pea brain to handle.
I do agree with Mr. Feinstein that a movie should be made about Steve Kerr. Steve Kerr was at UofA when I lived in AZ so I watched him play for Lute Olsen whom my husband admired. Steve Kerr seamed liked such a humble, fun loving, hard working guy back then and I think he hasn't changed. So that part of this book I really enjoyed, learning more about Steve Kerr was a treat but reading over 500 pages of others, not so much.

[Peg · Rating 4 out of 5]

One on One: Behind the Scenes with the Greats in the Game by John Feinstein. This book was provided to me free-of-charge by GoodReads, FirstReads. I never got around to marking it as "currently reading" because I read it a little at a time since it was easy to put down and then pick up again. This book has over 500 pages, so doing it that way I was able to read other material during the time span I spent on 'One on One.'

I am a sports fan but not a fanatic one. I feel that anybody who is even remotely interested in sports will enjoy this book. It covers lots of sports, i.e., tennis, baseball, golf, football, college basketball, etc. It's obvious that Mr. Feinstein has written about sports for a long time, does lots of research, therefore knows what he is writing about. His access to coaches, players, etc., is amazing! The behind-the-scenes are incredible reading, very interesting and most enjoyable. This book is highly recommended.

Since I grew up in southern Indiana, I am a huge fan of Indiana University in Bloomington. The segment about the basketball season spent with Bobby Knight and the IU team was very entertaining for me.

[Mike Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Feinstein is the greatest author/columnist in sports, just ask him. His ego aside, he does know how to write an interesting book. The first four hundred pages revolve around the first ten books he wrote and the stories behind them. He spends a lot of time on the book that made him, "A Season on the Brink.". Having never read this book, it was really interesting to see how Knight (thank god he isn't here to choke me) ran his program and how self centered and arrogant he was. I found myself on the outside looking in a few times having not read all of John's books, although for the most part the stories stand on there own with a little background from John. The last hundred pages are follow up on the people in his book. I found this section hit or miss. It was frustrating when he teases interviews with Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe, but only goes on to give you the story of the Lendl interview. This epilogue was moving as he spoke about the great bond at the service academies, and how their teams are truly like a family. Overall I like this book, although I could have done with a little less of John's ego.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy as part of the Goodreads First Read Giveaway.

This is really a book for sports fans. Everyone else will be rather bored.

I first heard of John Feinstein when my brother asked for "Hard Courts" for his birthday. My family is obsessed with tennis and everyone plays tennis (except for me). "Hard Courts" is all about tennis and includes extensive interviews with players. It is one of my brothers all time favorite books. So, this book will be re-gifted to that person in my life and I will be the favorite sister.

Feinstein includes a section on tennis, including some amusing stories about Ivan Lendl, baseball, golf, football, and baseketball. He really includes details and conversations that the typical fan would never been able to have.

I thought this was well done and included information about a wide variety of sports. I liked the tennis section the best and really don't care about the other sports too much although I found the information interesting.

[Katelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I signed up to win this book, I had planned on giving it as a gift. That didn't work out however, so I ended up winning it and having it to myself! I was hesitant to read it, because although I watch college sports, I don't believe I'm an avid enough fan to read a 500 page book about it. But I decided to try it anyway, and I am glad I did.

This book was not filled with endless statistics, or play by plays that could have been hard for me to get through. Instead, it was a well written memoir of John Feinstein's best encounters in the past few decades. Overall, this book was a good overview of the adventures he most surely goes into more detail with in his other books. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Tom Gase · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book by John Feinstein, but you should only read if you're a big fan of the legendary sports writer of great books such as Season on the Brink, A Civil War, A Good Walk Spoiled and The Punch. This book is basically Feinstein's look back at his first 10 books (so...no talking about the Punch sadly). Feinstein goes into great detail on what it was like to write Season on the Brink with Bobby Knight and his other books. I especially like the last 100 pages where he does a "Where are they Now?" type writing with all his first 10 books. A must-read for sports writers and fans of Feinstein will love.

[Sandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be a mostly enjoyable listen. Feinstein recounts his early career as a sportswriter, how he came to write Season on the Brink, and how its success led to his other books on various sports. The book needed better editing though. There were a couple of rather big errors early on and Dan Dakich's name was mispronounced throughout the audio. The narration was done by David De Vries.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really interesting behind the scenes look at the writing of Feinstein's first ten books, as well as a small update on where some of the major figures from those books have ended up since. I think this book would still have been enjoyable if I hadn't read all of Feinstein's previous books. Having read them, though, this was just an added bonus. Really enjoyed this one.

[Jason X · Rating 3 out of 5]

The "One" in the title is a little misleading. Picking this up I assumed this would be Feinstein going one on the other ones he wrote books about. Not so much. It's really Feinstein talking about the one most important person in the room, himself, as he remembers the work he did on his books. This is not as bad as I make it sound, really, because there is no disputing the author is a top notch writer: interesting, funny, opinionated, and most of all not afraid to go places many would never dare.

So what we have here is the director's cut and the director's commentary on decades of famous and infamous books and stories inside sports. Some, to me, was boring and I skimmed right over it (most of the tennis). Other parts were fantastic, like the details surrounding A Civil War: Army vs. Navy - A Year Inside College Football's Purest Rivalry, and of course Tiger Woods (it is impossible to be uninterested in Tiger).

Here's a snippet from where the book, and John's work, shines brightest:

The ball rolled to the turf while the Army bench celebrated as if it had just won the game.

In fact, I distinctly remember Jim Cantelupe turning to Derek Klein and saying, "We just won the game. We just won the f--ing game." In the book, I changed f--ing to damn so Jim's mom wouldn't get mad at him. She got mad at him anyway, so I can now reveal the truth. Jim has since given her two grandchildren, so I think she'll forgive him.

[Richard Lister · Rating 5 out of 5]

The finest sportswriting reveals its subjects' humanity. In this respect, John Feinstein is a master sportswriter.

He has built a career by becoming a reporter earning the trust of the people he covers and the teams with which he encamps. He thus becomes an inside yet semi-invisible witness to athletes' and coaches' triumphs along with their flaws.

One on One recounts in detail how he created the works that preceded it by reliving stories about how he came to write his books, including obstacles impeding him and the not-insignificant blowback from some he covered.

His work over the years has given readers a sense of personalities that range from the self-absorbed Bobby Knight to the heroic athletes from the U.S. Naval Academy and West Point. A gifted observer and storyteller, Feinstein makes One on One his platform from which to describe not only the backstories for how he approaches his craft but as an even deeper retrospective look into his earlier books' subjects. His reconnection with them and at-times thwarted efforts toward it provide a renewed look at how time's passage and the impact of his writing affected him and those he covered. In this way, this book reveals a slice of who Feinstein is as a writer and person.

If you are a John Feinstein devotee, you will want to read One on One.

[Michael Heneghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feinstein goes behind the scenes of all of his famous sports books, e.g. The Season on the Brink, A Good Walk Spoiled, and more.

I really liked this book. So cool to see an insider's view on college basketball, PGA golfers, tennis, college football, and especially Bob Knight--what a huge asshole he turned out to be. I guess I shouldn't be shocked, but to see him up close and personal is to loathe him.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you miss the good ol' days of reading about sports in the newspaper from pretentious old white guys, this book is definitely for you.

Many of the athletes and coaches that he talks to brought back some good memories but man does this guy think highly of himself.

Thank god for the internet and sports blogs.

I might finish this one day.

[Michael Stoudt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Feinstein wrote this book on the 25th anniversary of A Season on the Brink which established him as a bestselling author. This book revisits old friends and book subjects, and gives background on how he came to write his books. I love this book. It is one of his best.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done!

This was a wonderful follow up. Knowing many of the people that John writes about made it that much richer. Thank you, John, once again, for sharing your amazing gift of storytelling.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh good grief, it FOREVER for this book to end. I thought it would be an interesting read but how much can you read about how great, lucky, positive, blah, blah, blah you are as you've had this amazing career. Maybe if it was cut in half?

[Dan O'Neill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like others, I took the title of the book a little too seriously. Far from being a mistake though, this book turned out to be one of the best books I've read in recent years. I'll write a full review soon but I loved every page of this book.

[Randy Fonner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

[Chris Shadburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was absolute pleasure to read. Mr. Feinstein does a great job taking you back to where he was during the course of his career. It’s a great read for any sports buffs out there.

[Doug I · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging. Dated in the best way. Good background book and excellent context if you've read other works by this author. 50 pages too long.

[R J M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read a few of Feinstein's books and they've all been a good read. This book makes me want to read a few others that I previously had no interest in.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great behind the scenes look along with updates with people from his books. A lot of how the Season on the Brink came to be . Feinstein is great.

[David Jimenez · Rating 5 out of 5]

One on One is a complete Walk off Grand Slam
This book, One on One, is just what it says, one on one with all of the greatest to ever play the sports. The author, John Feinstein, is arguably one of the greatest, most hard-nosed, in depth and nicest reporters of all time. The man is trusted by all in sports, and it shows in this book. He has been able to go where no other but few have gone. Most of the people who are present on the list are Presidents. To say that this man loves what he does is quite possibly the understatement of the century. But back to the book, on the cover of the book as a subtitle it says “Behind the scenes with the greatest in sports.” This is not a misleading title. But the fact that he has been able to connect with the athletes on a writers level, and also an emotional level, is just astounding to me. He seems to be able to find and speak to the greatest men at what they do. But this is no newspaper article; this is no 500 page interview. This is information behind the scenes of such sports as Golf, Basketball, Tennis, Football, Baseball, and Hockey. With the exception of Soccer he has covered all of the biggest sports in the world. This is going where no man or woman has ever been able to go. This is spending a year with the great and terrible Bob Knight. This is 5 hour long drives with Dean Smith. This is spending weeks in France with John McEnroe. This is spending time with the late and great Jimmy Valvano. Feinstein has drawn the picture that so many of us have been waiting for. The things we don’t see on the television, the newspaper or on the internet. With one book cover to cover, he has changed the way I will view sports forever. But more impressive than the book, are the lengths he went through to be able to write this story. Dodging angry players, angry coaches, endless PR people, and a few punches he has produced sports literature gold. This is quite widely considered by many experts, to be one of the greatest books to ever be written and categorized in the sports section. But keep in mind; this is not Feinstein’s first rodeo. All of his books are held to an almost unparalleled standard and he could be, as he is a reporter, one of the greatest sports writers of all time. This book is a must read for anyone who considers themselves a well-rounded sports fan.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

For any true sports fan, especially any multi-sports fan, this is a must read. It is great insight into the people that make various sports what they are.

I hear the criticism from some of the others who have read the book about Feinstein's ego showing through. It has some autobiographical aspects, so I would be surprised if it didn't have some of that showing through. But his insight into some of the leading personalities is great.

I liked his 10-25 years later follow-ups, except for his follow-up on Tiger Woods. All of the other follow-ups were based on actual meetings, or at least encounters (Bobby Knight) in an attempt to follow-up. (I especially loved the academy, Patriot league, and Dean Smith segments.) But c'mon John - Earl Woods is dead and buried, and your diatribe about Tiger was based on public information, not any special insight or access that you had.

I really liked the ending for two reasons. One, the decision to not end the book on a sour note about Bob Knight - Two, the stories were great!

Even if you have issues with the ego aspects that come through, this book is well worth the read because of the insights that come into it.

Also - I listened to this book in the audio version. David Devries does one of the best jobs I have heard on an audio book, almost in a league with Jim Dale of Harry Potter fame.

[Motez Bishara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd say this one is a solid 4.5 stars. I've read a half-dozen Feinstein books over the years, starting with the classic 'A Season on the Brink' while I was still in high school. Feinstein is a terrific writer, but is, first and foremost, an outstanding reporter. There are not many reporters left who focus almost exclusively on books (Bob Woodward is another that comes to mind), and in this era of the 140 character blasts and barking heads on sports talk shows, Feinstein is true throwback.

One on One details how the writer started his career and formed relationships with most of the top names in sports. He's sat down with everyone from Tiger Woods to Serena Williams to Coach K and of course, Bobby Knight. Reading about his methodology is worthwhile for anyone interested in sports writing, but especially those starting their careers or education in the field of journalism.

Ever wondered how to get into the tough to crack player's lounge at Wimbledon for an interview? It's all in here and more, with a lot of laughs along the way. My one slight criticism is the author's fascination on the armed forces sports teams drags on a bit, but hey, it's his passion and we're along for the ride.

Just about every Feinstein book is worth reading, and this one is close to the top.

[Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read several of John Feinstein's books, the recent being "A Season on the Brink" but this one is definitely his best so far. A nice big hardback of 500 pages I just took my time reading and enjoyed each and every interview. It's not always easy as people think to get back in locker rooms and to get that special interview no one else can manage to get. His year with Bobby Knight was a long one but you have to appreciate the coach and what he stood for. Feinstein told it just like it was, leaving in all the profanity which Knight wanted to take out. There wasn't too many celebrities he didn't like but Feinstein didn't care for Tiger Woods that much and a couple of others. He covers all the sports, not just football and he must have felt sometimes he has the most hectic life imaginable always rushing to catch a plane or being somewhere on time. Again, a great book and a keeper for my library shelf!

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feinstein is a massive name in sports writing, but I hadn't read a single one of the many books that he's written in the past 25 years. Still, as a general sports fan, this was a really interesting read. He focuses on a handful of the games that he's most passionate about - college basketball and football, and professional golf and tennis. He throws in some baseball, too. Some of the people he's interacted with are lovable, some despicable; nearly all are engaging. Even more interesting than the seemingly endless array of amusing anecdotes are the insights that the book offers into journalism in the sports world. Reading about Feinstein, a rather aggressive New York reporter, and his run-ins with various hot-heads within and around sports is an intriguing look at how a reporter goes about his job. Any serious fan of sports should read at least a few chapters of the book, as skipping the sports you don't care about takes nothing away from the individual chapters.

[Sandra Strange · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wierdly, I really liked this book--not to say I can recommend it to my students, unfortunately, because it contains a LOT of bad language (we're talking Bobby Knight here, after all). Feinstein is a good writer, which really captivates the reader. The book is merely his story of why/how he wrote most of his blockbuster sports books, beginning with his book on Knight (he followed him and his team around for a season), continuing with his books on golf, baseball, and tennis. The characteristics that make this book interesting include all of the stories of his contacts, pleasant and not, with the greats of these sports, especially college basketball coaches, and the relationships among them all. The book ends with a really touching incident that shows the best of sports, after showing some of the worst, as well. You don't have to be overly interested in sports to really enjoy reading about these fascinating characters and their absolute commitment to games.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read Season On the Brink and The Punch so I knew I was probably going to like this book. John Feinstein loves his job and you can tell. Yet, I was still surprised that I fell in love with it. I easily didn't know 70% of the people that John Feinstein was talking about. Athletes, coaches and sports agents??? Half the time I was googling people because I knew I had heard the name before but I couldn't remember their face. My brother told me I was an idiot for asking who was Dean Smith. Oops. I enjoyed the journalism and behind the scene stories so much that that didn't matter. Many great one liners and random acts of smart arsery. Reminded me that while you can't removed the money and the politics from any organized sports, some people are there for the love of the game and, to me, that is the whole point.