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It Never Rains in Tiger Stadium: Football and the Game of Life
"The best sports book of the year."
- Sports Illustrated
"John Ed Bradley says that all he ever wanted to do was to leave behind a pretty piece of writing. Here it is-a wonderful blend of honest introspection, passionate reporting, and superb storytelling. One of the best books I have read in years."
- Jeffrey Marx, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Season of Life
Inspired by a classic essay about a visit to a dying coach, It Never Rains in Tiger Stadium explores in gorgeous detail the inescapable pull of college football-the cocky smiles behind the face masks, the two-a-day drills, the emotionally charged bus rides to the stadium, the curfew checks, the film-study sessions, the locker room antics, and the yawning void left in one’s soul the moment the final whistle sounds. To understand why it’s so painful to give up the game, you must first understand the intimacy of the huddle. "It ends for everybody," writes John Ed Bradley, "and then it starts all over again, in ways you never anticipated. Marty Dufresne sits in his wheelchair listening to the Tiger fight song...Ramsey Darder endures prison by playing the games over in his head...Big Ed Stanton never took up the game of golf, and yet he rides the streets of Bayou Vista in a cart nearly identical to Coach Mac’s, recalling the one time the old man invited him for a ride." Far more than a memoir, It Never Rains in Tiger Stadium is a brutally honest, profoundly moving look at what it means to surrender something you love.
An Amazon Editors’ Best Book of 2007
"John Ed Bradley is a rare gem, a gifted writer trapped in the body of a football player. It Never Rains in Tiger Stadium will send chills down the back of anyone who loves the game and will echo in the minds of former players long after they’ve put it down."
- Tim Green, best-selling author and member of the College Football Hall of Fame
"A mesmerizing read...achingly sentimental in some parts, brutally truthful in others..."
- Chicago Tribune
"The best memoir I have ever read on how a particular game, win or lose, can linger with us."
- Josh Levin, Slate
"An unsparing and often beautiful chronicle of [Bradley’s] attempt to join polite society."
- Play Magazine
"A lyrical memoir...about his teammates, his coaches, his parents and the magnetic power of football in Louisiana." - National Public Radio
"Heart-wrenching, honest, insightful and hard to put down." - The Franklin Sun
From the Trade Paperback edition.
- Sports Illustrated
"John Ed Bradley says that all he ever wanted to do was to leave behind a pretty piece of writing. Here it is-a wonderful blend of honest introspection, passionate reporting, and superb storytelling. One of the best books I have read in years."
- Jeffrey Marx, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Season of Life
Inspired by a classic essay about a visit to a dying coach, It Never Rains in Tiger Stadium explores in gorgeous detail the inescapable pull of college football-the cocky smiles behind the face masks, the two-a-day drills, the emotionally charged bus rides to the stadium, the curfew checks, the film-study sessions, the locker room antics, and the yawning void left in one’s soul the moment the final whistle sounds. To understand why it’s so painful to give up the game, you must first understand the intimacy of the huddle. "It ends for everybody," writes John Ed Bradley, "and then it starts all over again, in ways you never anticipated. Marty Dufresne sits in his wheelchair listening to the Tiger fight song...Ramsey Darder endures prison by playing the games over in his head...Big Ed Stanton never took up the game of golf, and yet he rides the streets of Bayou Vista in a cart nearly identical to Coach Mac’s, recalling the one time the old man invited him for a ride." Far more than a memoir, It Never Rains in Tiger Stadium is a brutally honest, profoundly moving look at what it means to surrender something you love.
An Amazon Editors’ Best Book of 2007
"John Ed Bradley is a rare gem, a gifted writer trapped in the body of a football player. It Never Rains in Tiger Stadium will send chills down the back of anyone who loves the game and will echo in the minds of former players long after they’ve put it down."
- Tim Green, best-selling author and member of the College Football Hall of Fame
"A mesmerizing read...achingly sentimental in some parts, brutally truthful in others..."
- Chicago Tribune
"The best memoir I have ever read on how a particular game, win or lose, can linger with us."
- Josh Levin, Slate
"An unsparing and often beautiful chronicle of [Bradley’s] attempt to join polite society."
- Play Magazine
"A lyrical memoir...about his teammates, his coaches, his parents and the magnetic power of football in Louisiana." - National Public Radio
"Heart-wrenching, honest, insightful and hard to put down." - The Franklin Sun
From the Trade Paperback edition.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published September 4, 2007
30 people are currently reading
383 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
April 6, 2023
John Ed Bradley is a long story sports journalist who wrote for the Washington Post and Sports Illustrated He writes with a wounded soul. If you can get past the fact that he can't get past his glory days and you have an interest in team sports then you will appreciate this book.
Bradley's writing is profound and honest and relatable. The imagery is top notch. One of the better sports books I have read.
5 stars. Highly recommended
Bradley's writing is profound and honest and relatable. The imagery is top notch. One of the better sports books I have read.
5 stars. Highly recommended
May 25, 2024
Incredibly thoughtful and introspective book. The author artfully weaves the glories of football with every other aspect of life it touches. It was not hard to make an emotional connection to the stories and characters
November 20, 2016
In a tribute to the author, when I finished this book I threw it on my reclining chair next to my bed and uttered, "Sonobitch." I did this because early in this book the author, John Ed Bradley, said he wanted to someday write books where people did that like his roommate did in college. Well, Mr. Bradley, mission accomplished.
This is quite simply one of the best books I've ever read. The first chapter may be the best writing to open a book I've ever read.
The book will make you laugh, cry and reflect. It's about a former LSU offensive lineman and his attempts to get over or not get over his playing days at the college. It takes you through his life as a kid, his life playing football at LSU including his upper class years where he already has made up his mind that he doesn't want to be an NFL player, but instead a writer. He goes on to write at the Washington Post and write a few novels and this book is his journey through all of that, including his struggle to confront old teammates that he has left behind and not talked to in a few decades. Teammates that were once like brothers to him. Very, very well written and at 293 pages a quick read. Anyone who knows how to read a book should read this one. Don't have to be a football fans, although it should be mandatory for anyone that does play football.
This is quite simply one of the best books I've ever read. The first chapter may be the best writing to open a book I've ever read.
The book will make you laugh, cry and reflect. It's about a former LSU offensive lineman and his attempts to get over or not get over his playing days at the college. It takes you through his life as a kid, his life playing football at LSU including his upper class years where he already has made up his mind that he doesn't want to be an NFL player, but instead a writer. He goes on to write at the Washington Post and write a few novels and this book is his journey through all of that, including his struggle to confront old teammates that he has left behind and not talked to in a few decades. Teammates that were once like brothers to him. Very, very well written and at 293 pages a quick read. Anyone who knows how to read a book should read this one. Don't have to be a football fans, although it should be mandatory for anyone that does play football.
Read
December 27, 2022This isn't exactly a football book, but it's definitely more a football book than it is most other things. It's just not X's and O's. Instead, it's about being so scared that your best days happened when you were so young that you've got too much life to live after them. And that's a football story, for sure. You just needn't care much about the game to relate to it.
It's also a book about writing, in about as explicit and direct a way as it is about football. Which is to say: it's a really personal, idiosyncratic memoir about one man, and maybe that's why there's a need to qualify that it's not strictly about football, or whatever - it's not about football the way that 'Football For Dummies' is, but it's about the way a game, and being a part of a team, and experiencing a very rare thrill, and working as hard as you can at something as a young man, can all coalesce to make life very confusing. It's not the experience of football you get from watching it at home, but it's one that's pretty fascinating to read.
It's also a book about writing, in about as explicit and direct a way as it is about football. Which is to say: it's a really personal, idiosyncratic memoir about one man, and maybe that's why there's a need to qualify that it's not strictly about football, or whatever - it's not about football the way that 'Football For Dummies' is, but it's about the way a game, and being a part of a team, and experiencing a very rare thrill, and working as hard as you can at something as a young man, can all coalesce to make life very confusing. It's not the experience of football you get from watching it at home, but it's one that's pretty fascinating to read.
January 10, 2008
I just finished reading this book. It is about Life after LSU football. It could be life after any team! It was interesting, but mainly I wanted to tell the author to get a life and move on....it was just football after all (and I am a HUGE LSU fan!). Not a must read, but if you want to feel better about your life NOT being in too big of a rut, this could be a good one!
February 7, 2013
Full review here:
http://aprilreading.tumblr.com/post/4...
This book is really for the hardcore football fan. Bradley delivers interesting anecdotes about his life as a football player and his life as a writer, but he doesn't seem to enjoy either.
http://aprilreading.tumblr.com/post/4...
This book is really for the hardcore football fan. Bradley delivers interesting anecdotes about his life as a football player and his life as a writer, but he doesn't seem to enjoy either.
November 28, 2017
My dad was a student at LSU and actually lived in dorms which were built into Tiger Stadium. So, yeah, I am probably predisposed to like this book, and I freely acknowledge my"homer" bias. Still, this is one of the best books I've ever read, and maybe one of the finest memoirs I've read. Highly recommended, especially if you have any connection to LSU, Louisiana, the SEC, and especially if you like good writing.
January 26, 2025
A/A-
Goodreads’ star rating system is not enough
Goodreads’ star rating system is not enough
July 27, 2024
On August 23rd, 2023 The Advocate, based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, published an article on Politics, Sport and Culinary creations: 7 books that will help you understand south Louisiana. This book is the fourth one on that list, a book I read back in 2008, a memoir by John Ed Bradley, who played football for LSU during the same years that I was a student at LSU.
When your father is a football coach for your town’s public high school, it is not surprising that you play football at that school for the four years of your high school career. When your town is in Louisiana, on Saturday nights you follow Louisiana State University Football, even though there are several other college football programs in the state. And when you are a high school senior being courted by various colleges, you really only want the call from LSU. Bradley played for four years at LSU, under Coach Charlie McClendon. But ever since he was young, he wanted also to be a writer and author, and graduated from LSU with a degree in English. It took several years, but he did become an author, writing several books and article for magazines; however, he also dealt with no longer being in LSU football by disappearing, as much as one can in Louisiana, from his memories and his former teammates. One of his former teammates (they had not talked, or seen each other, in thirty years) compared being teammates at LSU to being at war, and having that closeness with your teammates that you will never have again. Bradley may be known as an author and sportswriter, but whenever he is referenced in Louisiana media, it is always first as “Former LSU Player”, and the same goes for all of his teammates who have become famous (or infamous). And it has taken him many years to come to terms with that simple fact.
This is a great book to read; I can attest, having been there many times, that there is nothing like being at an LSU home game, at night, in August or September (when it is still ninety degrees at game time), and hearing the LSU Fight Song and seeing the Tigers play. (And while they do say that it never rains in Tiger Stadium, I (LSU, Class of 1980) was at a game with a friend (LSU, Class of 1981, whose brother (LSU, Class of 1979) later became my husband), circa 1978, and we left the game early because of drenching rain. And for many years my fingernails have been LSU Purple.
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1st Recorded Reading: May 17th, 2008
When your father is a football coach for your town’s public high school, it is not surprising that you play football at that school for the four years of your high school career. When your town is in Louisiana, on Saturday nights you follow Louisiana State University Football, even though there are several other college football programs in the state. And when you are a high school senior being courted by various colleges, you really only want the call from LSU. Bradley played for four years at LSU, under Coach Charlie McClendon. But ever since he was young, he wanted also to be a writer and author, and graduated from LSU with a degree in English. It took several years, but he did become an author, writing several books and article for magazines; however, he also dealt with no longer being in LSU football by disappearing, as much as one can in Louisiana, from his memories and his former teammates. One of his former teammates (they had not talked, or seen each other, in thirty years) compared being teammates at LSU to being at war, and having that closeness with your teammates that you will never have again. Bradley may be known as an author and sportswriter, but whenever he is referenced in Louisiana media, it is always first as “Former LSU Player”, and the same goes for all of his teammates who have become famous (or infamous). And it has taken him many years to come to terms with that simple fact.
This is a great book to read; I can attest, having been there many times, that there is nothing like being at an LSU home game, at night, in August or September (when it is still ninety degrees at game time), and hearing the LSU Fight Song and seeing the Tigers play. (And while they do say that it never rains in Tiger Stadium, I (LSU, Class of 1980) was at a game with a friend (LSU, Class of 1981, whose brother (LSU, Class of 1979) later became my husband), circa 1978, and we left the game early because of drenching rain. And for many years my fingernails have been LSU Purple.
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1st Recorded Reading: May 17th, 2008
July 30, 2009
I adored the first half of the book (so much nostalgia for the excitement surrounding LSU football!), but felt that ultimately this book would have been an amazing magazine article. The second half of the book spent far too much time musing about his stymied life post-college football.
July 8, 2009
Beautifully written football memoir.
April 24, 2023
RICK ““SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “THEY WALKED BETWEEN THE RAINDROPS!”
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This is the autobiography of a young man named John Ed Bradley who lettered in football for four years at Louisiana State University. (LSU) Despite the fact that the only position more impressive in Louisiana than playing football for LSU would be Governor, this is oh so much more than a sports story!
John Ed’s football career at LSU culminated on December 22, 1979 with a 34-10 victory over Wake Forest in the Tangerine Bowl. At that point John Ed decided to put his entire lifetime football experience behind him, including any contact with any of his teammates or coaches. Though at first blush, the reader might feel, like John Ed did, that this was just a step in the maturation of a child putting aside childhood toys, but twenty-seven years later, John Ed agonizingly realized with excruciating sadness, that his choice reverberated with echoing emptiness in the deepest chambers of his heart and soul.
The writing style of John Ed is akin to romantic poetry, instead of the “click-click-click” staccato you would expect from your everyday sports section in your local newspaper. The reader, with just a little imagination can become ensconced, as if you’re involved in a youthful breakup with a lover, that you walked away from a quarter of a century ago, and though you’ve refused to look back on whether you did the right thing or not so many years ago, an alignment of your life’s planets has forced you to re-examine with fresh eyes and heart, the scene you left frozen in another time.
John Ed was asked by teachers, “What was it like?”.... He was asked by bankers, “What was it like?”... He was asked by women, “What was it like?” He was asked by students, “What was it like?” “TO PLAY FOOTBALL AT LSU!?” HE SAID: “WE WALKED BETWEEN THE RAINDROPS. THAT PRETTY WELL DESCRIBES HOW WE THOUGHT ABOUT OURSELVES. NOTHING COULD TOUCH US, INCLUDING THE RAIN. AND OF COURSE IT WAS AMAZING HOW PEOPLE TREATED YOU OUT IN PUBLIC!”
And then twenty-seven years later, it hit John Ed like a million tons of raindrops, and he poetically wrote: “I miss football so much. I miss it like you can’t believe. I miss the things I didn’t value or pay much attention to when I had them. I don’t miss the games so much, the people in the stadium. I miss being a part of something. I only have myself to worry about now, and it’s about worn me out. The weird thing is I’ve even started to miss the guys I didn’t much care for when I was playing. And I miss August and the way the grass used to smell when we went out to start two-a-days.” “I guess I never saw my time running out. I thought I’d have it forever. And now if I could have anything back, it would be that-the feeling that came around every August when everything was new and anything could happen because the season was about to start.”
As I said; this exquisitely written book, isn’t really about sports. It’s about the parentyou stopped talking to years ago, and now it’s too late. It’s about the lover you walked away from and never looked back. It’s about the best friend whose friendship ended so long ago, and only now in hindsight do you look back. The author uses words like Picasso used colors!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the autobiography of a young man named John Ed Bradley who lettered in football for four years at Louisiana State University. (LSU) Despite the fact that the only position more impressive in Louisiana than playing football for LSU would be Governor, this is oh so much more than a sports story!
John Ed’s football career at LSU culminated on December 22, 1979 with a 34-10 victory over Wake Forest in the Tangerine Bowl. At that point John Ed decided to put his entire lifetime football experience behind him, including any contact with any of his teammates or coaches. Though at first blush, the reader might feel, like John Ed did, that this was just a step in the maturation of a child putting aside childhood toys, but twenty-seven years later, John Ed agonizingly realized with excruciating sadness, that his choice reverberated with echoing emptiness in the deepest chambers of his heart and soul.
The writing style of John Ed is akin to romantic poetry, instead of the “click-click-click” staccato you would expect from your everyday sports section in your local newspaper. The reader, with just a little imagination can become ensconced, as if you’re involved in a youthful breakup with a lover, that you walked away from a quarter of a century ago, and though you’ve refused to look back on whether you did the right thing or not so many years ago, an alignment of your life’s planets has forced you to re-examine with fresh eyes and heart, the scene you left frozen in another time.
John Ed was asked by teachers, “What was it like?”.... He was asked by bankers, “What was it like?”... He was asked by women, “What was it like?” He was asked by students, “What was it like?” “TO PLAY FOOTBALL AT LSU!?” HE SAID: “WE WALKED BETWEEN THE RAINDROPS. THAT PRETTY WELL DESCRIBES HOW WE THOUGHT ABOUT OURSELVES. NOTHING COULD TOUCH US, INCLUDING THE RAIN. AND OF COURSE IT WAS AMAZING HOW PEOPLE TREATED YOU OUT IN PUBLIC!”
And then twenty-seven years later, it hit John Ed like a million tons of raindrops, and he poetically wrote: “I miss football so much. I miss it like you can’t believe. I miss the things I didn’t value or pay much attention to when I had them. I don’t miss the games so much, the people in the stadium. I miss being a part of something. I only have myself to worry about now, and it’s about worn me out. The weird thing is I’ve even started to miss the guys I didn’t much care for when I was playing. And I miss August and the way the grass used to smell when we went out to start two-a-days.” “I guess I never saw my time running out. I thought I’d have it forever. And now if I could have anything back, it would be that-the feeling that came around every August when everything was new and anything could happen because the season was about to start.”
As I said; this exquisitely written book, isn’t really about sports. It’s about the parentyou stopped talking to years ago, and now it’s too late. It’s about the lover you walked away from and never looked back. It’s about the best friend whose friendship ended so long ago, and only now in hindsight do you look back. The author uses words like Picasso used colors!
August 2, 2020
I've had this book on my sports wall of must-reads.
Usually, it's included in the top sports books of all time. Being a football fan, the book was of particular interest but I kept pushing it off with the fear that it would not be as great as it ought to be.
I absolutely adored the book! It felt raw and was intriguing. I've seen many movies and have I've read a few books about the passion of college football, and this book certainly adds to that list.
The exploration by the author into what is the peak of life, is intriguing. Although a little dramatic for my taste, I can understand how once you've reached the highest highs everything else sort of pales in comparison. Everything is compared to that time when you were at that pinnacle. Although somewhat tragic, it also reminds you that frienship and love are enduring yet fragile. It's a good reminder to be mindful, thankful and to share it all before its too late.
Not for everyone, but a wonderful gift for the sports fan.
Usually, it's included in the top sports books of all time. Being a football fan, the book was of particular interest but I kept pushing it off with the fear that it would not be as great as it ought to be.
I absolutely adored the book! It felt raw and was intriguing. I've seen many movies and have I've read a few books about the passion of college football, and this book certainly adds to that list.
The exploration by the author into what is the peak of life, is intriguing. Although a little dramatic for my taste, I can understand how once you've reached the highest highs everything else sort of pales in comparison. Everything is compared to that time when you were at that pinnacle. Although somewhat tragic, it also reminds you that frienship and love are enduring yet fragile. It's a good reminder to be mindful, thankful and to share it all before its too late.
Not for everyone, but a wonderful gift for the sports fan.
February 18, 2020
This was actually a re-read for obvious reasons. OK, it's because they won national championship. John Ed played center at LSU in the late 1970s. He worked for Sports Illustrated for a time. The book is a great insight into playing college football and all the pressure and grueling hours that go into it. It's more of a haunting story than I would have thought as John Ed, an honor student, deals with the not only performing well on the field, but performing well in the classroom and trying to live up to his status as a football player at LSU. A rare inside look that was very enlightening. Would love to see him come out with another book following the national championship looking through the eyes of a player and the difference over the last 30 years.
July 12, 2025
Good but not what I expected
Let me first say, the story is good and the writer is talented; however, this wasn’t what I anticipated. Several LSU supporters have recommended this book as an inside to LSU football, I mistakenly thought this would be about the players, the coaches, the games, the opposing players and the struggles. It touched on some of that but surprisingly very little; it was more about a former player who is trying to get away from the memories of football after graduation and his struggles to be a writer. Like I previously said, it’s good but not what I expected.
Let me first say, the story is good and the writer is talented; however, this wasn’t what I anticipated. Several LSU supporters have recommended this book as an inside to LSU football, I mistakenly thought this would be about the players, the coaches, the games, the opposing players and the struggles. It touched on some of that but surprisingly very little; it was more about a former player who is trying to get away from the memories of football after graduation and his struggles to be a writer. Like I previously said, it’s good but not what I expected.
March 14, 2021
This bittersweet 2007 memoir is engaging, thoughtful and touching. Bradley was a football star at LSU, who rejected opportunities to play in the NFL. He pursued a writing career, and became a successful sportswriter and novelist. This book details Bradley's struggles to come to terms with his football career, LSU, and his teammates, as well as his personal difficulties. This is NOT just a book for football fans!
April 13, 2021
This was a book I’d wanted to read for a long time having lived in Louisiana 10 years ago and first hearing about it then. It’s a book that is at times wonderful - particularly when the author recounts his football experiences and the culture that surrounds LSU. However some portions of the book dragged and the wider discussions of the authors early career in journalism were less effective. Overall though there is some cracking prose here and LSU fans will appreciate the ride.
December 6, 2022
Great even if you’re not an LSU FAN
I began this book with no expectations. I’m an LSU fan and Tiger Stadium is in the title. I absolutely loved it. The author’s experience at LSU and his reluctance to revisit his football days reminded me of the silence common from so many veterans after they return from war.
I began this book with no expectations. I’m an LSU fan and Tiger Stadium is in the title. I absolutely loved it. The author’s experience at LSU and his reluctance to revisit his football days reminded me of the silence common from so many veterans after they return from war.
March 2, 2025
A lot of people have said that this is one of the best books ever written about football — its history, its culture, what it teaches, what it means to be part of a team, and how being part of that team never leaves a person. Those people were right.
September 24, 2017
well-written and heartbreaking.
January 3, 2018
A great read for any LSU Tiger fan!
July 20, 2022
Memories
Well-written. Brought back many of my school football times as well. Enjoyable read. I may start watching some LSU footaball
Well-written. Brought back many of my school football times as well. Enjoyable read. I may start watching some LSU footaball
November 16, 2023
This is the best book I’ve read to to date. The emotional honesty and agonizing sentimentality of the prose are going to sit with me for a while.
February 25, 2024
Simply beautiful.
April 8, 2025
As a LSU alum, very good and heartfelt read. For kids that grow up in Louisiana, LSU football is everything. The author perfectly encapsulates this and the emotions he felt having to give it up so abruptly.
Read
September 27, 2016The book I have read is, It Never Rains In Tiger Stadium by John Ed Bradley. My book has 285 pages and is published by ESPN Books. The reason I chose to read this book is because I play football and this is a football book and I felt like i could relate to this one the most. Sports illustrated said this book was “the best sports book of the year.”
The main character in this book is John Ed Bradley, he is important because this book
he wrote is for his coach and he ties in with all the prominent characters. Some of the prominent characters can be Coach Mac, Robert DeLee, and Charles Mcduff. Coach Mac is important because the author wrote this book for him and his coach had a big impact on how he is today. Robert DeLee is important because he was one of his teammates that he lived with in college and made him remember some of his best memories throughout college. Charles McDuff is important because charles was his best friend in college and helped him a lot through college and left a mark on John after he passed away.
This is a sports book that was set in louisiana and was based around the late 1900’s. The author wrote this book many years after his college life but always based his stories at LSU. This book was interesting to me because I can relate to some of the struggles of being a student athlete, but this book was also sad at times because there was many parts of him describing someone who had passed or all his memories he had and the ones he wish he could go back to. John Ed Bradley goal was to leave a pretty piece of writing, and that's exactly what he did. In this book he explained and talked about how it was to be on the field and play with a team and everything you have to sacrifice to be able to make it.
My final thoughts on “It Never Rains In Tiger Stadium” are that this book was very easy to relate to because I can understand the struggles of what they did and how they overcame it, but the author kind of jumps around from story to story with different characters and at times it can be difficult to follow along with all of the characters he introduces. Some good points in this book is that the author made it clear what he was trying to get across. A weak point could be how there was multiple settings throughout the book. Something I learned from this book is that you have enjoy and make the most out of football while you can because there is going to be a day where you miss all your teammates and wish you could just strap up and get back on the field. I would recommend this book to any of my teammates so they can see how this stuff really is an important part of your life.
October 28, 2021
This book was an emotional deep dive into what athletic fame feels like and how the luster fades with time, even though the emotion and pride remain intact. Sad at times but an honest look at what the players deal with mentally and physically, on the field and in the classroom, but most importantly, in life.
August 28, 2024
Excellent college football book, and obviously a volume that should be in every Louisiana home. Strikes me as sort of a college version of "Instant Replay," Jerry Kramer's famous book about playing guard for Vince Lombardi and the great Packers teams.
Bradley isn't some lugnut SEC lineman. This is a thoughtful book, written about a time when LSU football was very good but nothing like it is today. LSU back then (this was the end of the 1970s) was a kind of regional power, a team that might threaten Alabama every few years but was never in contention, late in the season, for a national championship.
So Bradley is very adept at showing how dedicated the LSU Tigers were at that point, where they are on the cusp, seemingly, of good things. Bradley was a center - his QB would play in the NFL, as would Hokie Gajan, the featured running back - and was an All-SEC caliber player so this is high-level college football. But, as noted, he's also an excellent writer and thinker and consequently "It Never Rains in Tiger Stadium" is much more than a play-by-play - it's excellent at showing how guys felt about things. (The book's title comes from the words LSU's public address announcer uses to end his pregame conditions bit for every game in Tiger Stadium)
The chapter on the legendary game against Southern Cal - the only time USC has ever visited Tiger Stadium and still, to this day, one of the best, most famous games ever played in that iconic college football venue - is alone worth the book.
Highly recommended for sports fans; of course required reading for LSU fans and graduates. Geaux Tigers!
Bradley isn't some lugnut SEC lineman. This is a thoughtful book, written about a time when LSU football was very good but nothing like it is today. LSU back then (this was the end of the 1970s) was a kind of regional power, a team that might threaten Alabama every few years but was never in contention, late in the season, for a national championship.
So Bradley is very adept at showing how dedicated the LSU Tigers were at that point, where they are on the cusp, seemingly, of good things. Bradley was a center - his QB would play in the NFL, as would Hokie Gajan, the featured running back - and was an All-SEC caliber player so this is high-level college football. But, as noted, he's also an excellent writer and thinker and consequently "It Never Rains in Tiger Stadium" is much more than a play-by-play - it's excellent at showing how guys felt about things. (The book's title comes from the words LSU's public address announcer uses to end his pregame conditions bit for every game in Tiger Stadium)
The chapter on the legendary game against Southern Cal - the only time USC has ever visited Tiger Stadium and still, to this day, one of the best, most famous games ever played in that iconic college football venue - is alone worth the book.
Highly recommended for sports fans; of course required reading for LSU fans and graduates. Geaux Tigers!
April 11, 2010
This was a pleasantly surprising sports memoir that, I'm embarrassed to say, I grabbed because of the cover and snippet comments from Esquire and NPR inside the jacket. You can't tell a book by it's cover (I thought it was fiction) but it can steer you towards a good read sometimes.
John Bradley was football star on a very good LSU team under much loved college coach Charlie Mac. They didn't win an NCAA Championship during his years there (he started every year) but they did just miss beating college powerhouse USC. There was still nothing like it. Running out into Tiger Stadium on Game Day with a rabid crowd cheering you on. Going into battle with men that battled each other all week. This is as good as any sport memoir I've ever read because it captures so well the excitement of youth and then what happens as it fades into the distance. This was the time to remember. Bradley tells his story with brutal honesty and he is one of the only ex-sports stars that can tell it so eloquently. This as heartfelt and heart-breaking a memoir as I've ever read. It reminded of my days playing high school sports. Certainly there was no comparison to what Bradley felt like playing for LSU but the memories of success/failure, the hard work, and the friendships gained are as important to me as they are for Ed Bradley. Fortunately it was easier for me to move on. This is a book for anyone who has ever played before a crowd..no matter what the sport.
John Bradley was football star on a very good LSU team under much loved college coach Charlie Mac. They didn't win an NCAA Championship during his years there (he started every year) but they did just miss beating college powerhouse USC. There was still nothing like it. Running out into Tiger Stadium on Game Day with a rabid crowd cheering you on. Going into battle with men that battled each other all week. This is as good as any sport memoir I've ever read because it captures so well the excitement of youth and then what happens as it fades into the distance. This was the time to remember. Bradley tells his story with brutal honesty and he is one of the only ex-sports stars that can tell it so eloquently. This as heartfelt and heart-breaking a memoir as I've ever read. It reminded of my days playing high school sports. Certainly there was no comparison to what Bradley felt like playing for LSU but the memories of success/failure, the hard work, and the friendships gained are as important to me as they are for Ed Bradley. Fortunately it was easier for me to move on. This is a book for anyone who has ever played before a crowd..no matter what the sport.
October 26, 2008
If Tim O'Brien played college football at an SEC school and wrote a book about it, this would be that book.
It's not so much about his playing days at LSU, but how one handles life after one's playing days. Some would call it living in the past of being unable to let go of one's glory days, but it's more than that.
I never got the feeling Bradley missed being a football player as much as he missed his teammates and coaches and what they stood for.
If there's a book about playing football honorably and doing it for more than yourself -- and then trying to forget it all and forgetting who you are in the process, this is the book.
Then again, maybe I'm just a sucker for a well-written sports books.
It's not so much about his playing days at LSU, but how one handles life after one's playing days. Some would call it living in the past of being unable to let go of one's glory days, but it's more than that.
I never got the feeling Bradley missed being a football player as much as he missed his teammates and coaches and what they stood for.
If there's a book about playing football honorably and doing it for more than yourself -- and then trying to forget it all and forgetting who you are in the process, this is the book.
Then again, maybe I'm just a sucker for a well-written sports books.
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