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Hell-Bent: The Inside Story of a "Win or Else" Dallas Cowboy Season
Well-known regular on ESPN's Prime Monday and author of two previous bestselling books on America's team, Skip Bayless dares to deliver an inside look at the 1996 Super Bowl Champion Dallas Cowboys, scraping away the glory to reveal the titanic egos, the personality clashes, and the intrigues that go hand in hand with the team's incredible talent. Photos.
- GenresSportsFootballNonfiction
256 pages, Hardcover
First published September 8, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 28, 2009
I love the Cowboys, and the things I liked about this book was reading about the players and the Barry Switzer era. What I didn't like about the book was the author continuously injecting himself into the story. It got annoying, and I'm pretty sure the move to bring Deion Sanders to the team wasn't because Skip Bayless suggested it on his TV show.
December 12, 2012
I read this book because i wanted to see if Skip Bayless was just a troll on ESPN or if he could back up his talk with any real talent. Jalen Rose may have exposed skip as a failed athlete a few months back on First Take but this book proved to me that Ol' skip is a good writer.
He is able to craft a good balanced story out of the craziness that was happening in the Dallas locker room. He gives good background on the characters and explains what makes them tick.
My only complaint was that he focuses too much on the personal problems of the quarterback and the coach and doesn't give enough details on the games that added to the drama in Big D. This gave the book more of a soap opera feel as opposed to a true sports book. Bob Ryan chronicled a couple of the Boston Celtics seasons in a book and gave game details that strengthened the story and the readers connection to the characters.
But as a sports writer in training I learned a lot from this book about humanizing sports figures and giving them due without sucking up to them. As a sports fan I also learned that skip Bayless thinks his ability to write an entertaining book translates to allowing him to criticize athletes day in and day out.
He is able to craft a good balanced story out of the craziness that was happening in the Dallas locker room. He gives good background on the characters and explains what makes them tick.
My only complaint was that he focuses too much on the personal problems of the quarterback and the coach and doesn't give enough details on the games that added to the drama in Big D. This gave the book more of a soap opera feel as opposed to a true sports book. Bob Ryan chronicled a couple of the Boston Celtics seasons in a book and gave game details that strengthened the story and the readers connection to the characters.
But as a sports writer in training I learned a lot from this book about humanizing sports figures and giving them due without sucking up to them. As a sports fan I also learned that skip Bayless thinks his ability to write an entertaining book translates to allowing him to criticize athletes day in and day out.
December 10, 2017
This is a interesting look at Barry Switzer’s 1996 Boys Super Bowl winning team. The pressures of two titles in previous three years and a loss in the NFC championship; as well as the expectations of the and with the triplets. The overwhelming Texas sized personality of Jerry Jones and the still present ghost of Jimmy Johnson. All these are history now but were active ingredients in the pressure cooker of Big D sports scene that year.
The book has some interesting stories and behind the story facts. This is kind of a interesting jog down memory lane for Cowboys fans.
The main and often reoccurring problem with this book is Skip Bayles and his over inflated sense of self. He basically tells the history of 1995 season Cowboys and their successes BUT crediting himself directly or indirectly with their success. Skip, Cowboys didn’t go and get Deion because you suggested it in a morning broadcast or Switzerland didn’t alter his coaching mentality because you favored a change.
Cowboys Fans - If you can put up with a Jackass like Skip then skim read trough this book.... others - give it a pass
The book has some interesting stories and behind the story facts. This is kind of a interesting jog down memory lane for Cowboys fans.
The main and often reoccurring problem with this book is Skip Bayles and his over inflated sense of self. He basically tells the history of 1995 season Cowboys and their successes BUT crediting himself directly or indirectly with their success. Skip, Cowboys didn’t go and get Deion because you suggested it in a morning broadcast or Switzerland didn’t alter his coaching mentality because you favored a change.
Cowboys Fans - If you can put up with a Jackass like Skip then skim read trough this book.... others - give it a pass
December 2, 2021
If you're a Dallas Cowboys fan, you should definitely read this. I've read a couple of books about the Jimmy Johnson led Cowboys who won 2 Super Bowls in 5 years (2 in a row), then Jimmy was fired or he quit and Barry Switzer was made Cowboys coach. While they should have won at least two more Super Bowls with Barry, the missed 3 in a row and then won the next year for 3 Super Bowls in 4 years. What a fun time it was to be a Cowboys fan! What most fans didn't know was all of the drama going on behind the scenes, especially in Barry Switzer's first two years when they lost the NFC championship and then won the Super Bowl. It's a wonder those Cowboys could even have a .500 record which just shows how much talent there was. It is definitely an interesting read, whether you like Skip Bayless or not.
January 6, 2010
I read this book because Kendra loves watching the author go crazy on ESPN's early morning shows. I admit, he's pretty entertaining to watch, so I figured I might as well give this book a chance, even though I don't care one bit about Troy Aikman or the Aikman-era Dallas Cowboys.
It took me a while to get into this book -- if you're more familiar with the players, or care about the Cowboys, you probably wouldn't have that problem. By the middle of the book, I was enjoying reading the drama. The author does a pretty good job of describing the dysfunctionality of the team, and the surprising results that they were able to achieve despite their issues.
Overall, this book is entertaining -- it's just not as entertaining as watching Skip himself.
It took me a while to get into this book -- if you're more familiar with the players, or care about the Cowboys, you probably wouldn't have that problem. By the middle of the book, I was enjoying reading the drama. The author does a pretty good job of describing the dysfunctionality of the team, and the surprising results that they were able to achieve despite their issues.
Overall, this book is entertaining -- it's just not as entertaining as watching Skip himself.
July 30, 2010
I love NFL football and this was a gossipy book about a troubled team.
July 16, 2011
Story about the 1990's Cowboys team. Very candid look at the dsyfunctional relationship among the owner, coaches and players,
July 26, 2014
Not really a fan of Skip Bayless but I have to admit I enjoyed this book. Better than Boys Will Be Boys which covers a similar topic matter.
October 16, 2018
Funny thing about Skip. I can't stand him on TV, but I like his books. Though you should know actual Cowboys like Troy Aikman dispute these stories and H8 Skip Bayless.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews