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Over Time: My Life As a Sportswriter
Over Time: My Life as a Sportswriter is as unconventional and wide-ranging as Frank Deford’s remarkable career, in which he has chronicled the heroes and the characters of just about every sport in nearly every medium. Deford joined Sports Illustrated in 1962, fresh, and fresh out of Princeton. In 1990, he was Editor-in-Chief of The National Sports Daily, one of the most ambitious—and ill-fated—projects in the history of American print journalism. But then, he’s endured: writing ten novels, winning an Emmy (not to mention being a fabled Lite Beer All-Star), and last week he read something like his fourteen-hundredth commentary on NPR’s “Morning Edition.”
From the Mad Men-like days of SI in the ‘60s, and the “bush” years of the early NBA, to Deford’s visit to apartheid South Africa with Arthur Ashe, and his friend’s brave and tragic death, Over Time is packed with intriguing people and stories. Interwoven through his personal history, Deford lovingly traces the entire arc of American sportswriting from the lurid early days of the Police Gazette, through Grantland Rice and Red Smith and on up to ESPN. This is a wonderful, inspired book—equal parts funny and touching—a treasure for sports fans. Just like Frank Deford.
Praise for Over Time
“Equal doses of self-deprecating humor and anecdotal history of American sports journalism are the essence of Frank Deford's entertaining new memoir.”—Chicago Tribune
“Deford is the Holy Grail. He's simply one of the greatest sportswriters of all time. ... [Over Time] has a little bit of everything -- great stories about interviewing everyone from Richard Nixon … to Jerry Jones. … Deford played with the Harlem Globetrotters, introduced the world to Bill Bradley, really disliked Rodney Dangerfield, edited the only national sports daily in our history (The National), and has great takes on the history and characters of Sports Illustrated in its formative years. . . . Deford's the best.”—Peter King, SI.com
“He sketches insightful remembrances of stars like Wilt Chamberlain and Billie Jean King and lavishes affection and admiration on Sports Illustrated colleagues Andre Laguerre, Dan Jenkins, and the ‘tortured’ writer Mark Kram … [Deford is] sports writing's Sinatra.” —San Francisco Chronicle
“Endearing... Over Time imparts a sense of a life well lived and fully enjoyed.”—New York Times
"The mixture of homage to sportswriters who came before him, such as Grantland Rice; sometimes wistful vignettes of sports figures like Arthur Ashe; and his own personal reflections on the evolution of sports journalism combine to offer a cultural perspective that transcends a mere job." —Publishers Weekly (Top 10 in Sports)
"Deford's cred is incredible, his accolades deserved... He does not pull a punch when it comes to boxing or even to the tastes-great, less-filling Miller Lite commercials he once made... [Deford] has long been the genuine article." —Los Angeles Times
“A cool ride through Deford’s career.”— Minneapolis Star-Tribune
“Frank Deford is the best there is. His memoir Over Time is beautiful, funny, poignant and poetic.” —Buzz Bissinger, author of Friday Night Lights and Father's Day
“A wonderful book. Over Time is both a treasure and a treasury.”—Sally Jenkins, Washington Post columnist and New York Times bestselling author of It’s Not About the Bike
“Frank Deford is the best sportswriter I’ve ever read. If there’s a Mount Rushmore of sportswriting, Deford is up there, purple ties and all.”—Tony Kornheiser
From the Mad Men-like days of SI in the ‘60s, and the “bush” years of the early NBA, to Deford’s visit to apartheid South Africa with Arthur Ashe, and his friend’s brave and tragic death, Over Time is packed with intriguing people and stories. Interwoven through his personal history, Deford lovingly traces the entire arc of American sportswriting from the lurid early days of the Police Gazette, through Grantland Rice and Red Smith and on up to ESPN. This is a wonderful, inspired book—equal parts funny and touching—a treasure for sports fans. Just like Frank Deford.
Praise for Over Time
“Equal doses of self-deprecating humor and anecdotal history of American sports journalism are the essence of Frank Deford's entertaining new memoir.”—Chicago Tribune
“Deford is the Holy Grail. He's simply one of the greatest sportswriters of all time. ... [Over Time] has a little bit of everything -- great stories about interviewing everyone from Richard Nixon … to Jerry Jones. … Deford played with the Harlem Globetrotters, introduced the world to Bill Bradley, really disliked Rodney Dangerfield, edited the only national sports daily in our history (The National), and has great takes on the history and characters of Sports Illustrated in its formative years. . . . Deford's the best.”—Peter King, SI.com
“He sketches insightful remembrances of stars like Wilt Chamberlain and Billie Jean King and lavishes affection and admiration on Sports Illustrated colleagues Andre Laguerre, Dan Jenkins, and the ‘tortured’ writer Mark Kram … [Deford is] sports writing's Sinatra.” —San Francisco Chronicle
“Endearing... Over Time imparts a sense of a life well lived and fully enjoyed.”—New York Times
"The mixture of homage to sportswriters who came before him, such as Grantland Rice; sometimes wistful vignettes of sports figures like Arthur Ashe; and his own personal reflections on the evolution of sports journalism combine to offer a cultural perspective that transcends a mere job." —Publishers Weekly (Top 10 in Sports)
"Deford's cred is incredible, his accolades deserved... He does not pull a punch when it comes to boxing or even to the tastes-great, less-filling Miller Lite commercials he once made... [Deford] has long been the genuine article." —Los Angeles Times
“A cool ride through Deford’s career.”— Minneapolis Star-Tribune
“Frank Deford is the best there is. His memoir Over Time is beautiful, funny, poignant and poetic.” —Buzz Bissinger, author of Friday Night Lights and Father's Day
“A wonderful book. Over Time is both a treasure and a treasury.”—Sally Jenkins, Washington Post columnist and New York Times bestselling author of It’s Not About the Bike
“Frank Deford is the best sportswriter I’ve ever read. If there’s a Mount Rushmore of sportswriting, Deford is up there, purple ties and all.”—Tony Kornheiser
368 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2012
57 people are currently reading
456 people want to read
About the author
Frank Deford
39 books58 followersFrank Deford (born December 16, 1938, in Baltimore, Maryland) is a senior contributing writer for Sports Illustrated, author, and commentator.
DeFord has been writing for Sports Illustrated since the early 1960s. In addition to his Sports Illustrated duties, he is also a correspondent for HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel and a regular, Wednesday commentator for National Public Radio's Morning Edition.
His 1981 novel, "Everybody's All-American," was named one of Sports Illustrated's Top 25 Sports Books of All Time and was later made into a movie directed by Taylor Hackford and starring Dennis Quaid.
In the early 1990s Deford took a brief break from NPR and other professional activities to serve as editor-in-chief of The National (newspaper), a short-lived, daily U.S. sports newspaper. It debuted January 31, 1990 and folded after eighteen months. The newspaper was published Sundays through Fridays and had a tabloid format.
Deford is also the chairman emeritus of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He became involved in cystic fibrosis education and advocacy after his daughter, Alexandra ("Alex") was diagnosed with the illness in the early 1970s. After Alex died on January 19, 1980, at the age of eight, Deford chronicled her life in the memoir Alex: The Life of a Child. The book was made into a movie starring Craig T. Nelson and Bonnie Bedelia in 1986. In 1997, it was reissued in an expanded edition, with updated information on the Defords and Alex's friends.
Deford grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and attended the Gilman School in Baltimore. He is a graduate of Princeton University and now resides in Westport, Connecticut, with his wife, Carol. They have two surviving children: Christian (b. 1969) and Scarlet (b. 1980). Their youngest daughter Scarlet was adopted a few months after the loss of Alex.
DeFord has been writing for Sports Illustrated since the early 1960s. In addition to his Sports Illustrated duties, he is also a correspondent for HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel and a regular, Wednesday commentator for National Public Radio's Morning Edition.
His 1981 novel, "Everybody's All-American," was named one of Sports Illustrated's Top 25 Sports Books of All Time and was later made into a movie directed by Taylor Hackford and starring Dennis Quaid.
In the early 1990s Deford took a brief break from NPR and other professional activities to serve as editor-in-chief of The National (newspaper), a short-lived, daily U.S. sports newspaper. It debuted January 31, 1990 and folded after eighteen months. The newspaper was published Sundays through Fridays and had a tabloid format.
Deford is also the chairman emeritus of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He became involved in cystic fibrosis education and advocacy after his daughter, Alexandra ("Alex") was diagnosed with the illness in the early 1970s. After Alex died on January 19, 1980, at the age of eight, Deford chronicled her life in the memoir Alex: The Life of a Child. The book was made into a movie starring Craig T. Nelson and Bonnie Bedelia in 1986. In 1997, it was reissued in an expanded edition, with updated information on the Defords and Alex's friends.
Deford grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and attended the Gilman School in Baltimore. He is a graduate of Princeton University and now resides in Westport, Connecticut, with his wife, Carol. They have two surviving children: Christian (b. 1969) and Scarlet (b. 1980). Their youngest daughter Scarlet was adopted a few months after the loss of Alex.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
February 10, 2017
I never subscribed to Sports Illustrated. Having read SI from time to time, I may have read Frank Deford but, like nearly all sports writers, his articles did not capture my attention such that he gained an identity distinguished from sportswriters in general.
Deford, informed by over fifty years in the business, has no illusions about sports writing and its generally lowly reputation. This reminds me of a Mad Men scene wherein Peggy Olsen is introduced to her future boyfriend (Abe) as a free-lance reporter. She states that she’s an advertizing copywriter.
Abe replies: “But what do you WRITE?”
Peggy: “Copywriting IS WRITING”
Literary pretensions aside – sports writing IS WRITING and judging from Over Time Frank Deford IS a WRITER.
It turns out that he’s more than just a pretty face. By now (October 2013) he has graced the airwaves nearly 1700 times over 33 years as the Wednesday morning sports commentator for NPR’s Morning Edition. He was paid at least once to write a screenplay (and collaborated on another). A quick Amazon search shows that he has a handful of novels under his belt so his oeuvre extends beyond the usual fish-wrappers (newsprint, glossy stock, and staples) into the realm of “publishing” (with prologues, afterwords, and bindings).
Some have opined that Over Time is not an autobiography. They are correct – the book is properly called a memoir. As memoirs go this one is openly self-aware as such. Early on, Deford states:
”…ideally your memoir should be about other more attractive people…”
Understand, however, Benjamin Franklin Deford III is no shrinking violet – there’s plenty in this book about him and he’s not shy about himself and his particular talents. He reveals a healthy ego without approaching egotism.
He starts with a watershed moment in his life. As a soon-to-be Princeton-Bachelor-of-the-Arts he showed up to be interviewed by a Time Incorporated recruiter who was not only a Princeton man himself but was also familiar with Deford’s writing in Princeton’s alumni magazine. A round of interviews at “Timeink” was arranged. It soon became clear that the various editors of Time, Life, et al were not impressed so Deford soon took up his mantra – that Sports Illustrated was the only magazine in the Timeink empire in which he was interested.
1962 was well before Sports Illustrated’s heyday, so SI was something of a red-headed-stepchild, which had spilled red ink since it’s inception. So by lunch our wooly, yet intrepid protagonist found himself wined and dined by SI’s editorial staff and was subsequently hustled up to meet the Managing Editor. The baseball research position had just opened up so he was offered that job on the spot. He descended upon Manhattan right after his final round of finals and the rest (as they say) is history.
The early part of the book offers a snapshot of the man’s world that comprised Princeton (which didn’t admit women until 1969), the magazine business in general and Sports Illustrated in particular.
Soon, however, the usual procession of sports personalities is entertainingly trotted out. Notice is given to such luminaries as Arthur Ashe, Wilt Chamberlin, Dan Jenkins, Magic Johnson, and Jimmy (the Greek) Snyder. Vignettes are painted of the not-so-luminous Vince McMahon and Rodney Dangerfield.
He recounts a couple, ultimately unsuccessful, collaborations with producers and film directors along side with life on the road covering the NBA in the early 60s and 70s. The latter is recounted in a generous, 6,000-word except published in Sports Illustrated and offered here:
http://cnnsi.printthis.clickability.c...
All-in-all Over Time is a breezy, worthwhile read which has interest for the sports fan as well as those unfamiliar with the sports page.
3.5 stars – round it up to four.
Deford, informed by over fifty years in the business, has no illusions about sports writing and its generally lowly reputation. This reminds me of a Mad Men scene wherein Peggy Olsen is introduced to her future boyfriend (Abe) as a free-lance reporter. She states that she’s an advertizing copywriter.
Abe replies: “But what do you WRITE?”
Peggy: “Copywriting IS WRITING”
Literary pretensions aside – sports writing IS WRITING and judging from Over Time Frank Deford IS a WRITER.
It turns out that he’s more than just a pretty face. By now (October 2013) he has graced the airwaves nearly 1700 times over 33 years as the Wednesday morning sports commentator for NPR’s Morning Edition. He was paid at least once to write a screenplay (and collaborated on another). A quick Amazon search shows that he has a handful of novels under his belt so his oeuvre extends beyond the usual fish-wrappers (newsprint, glossy stock, and staples) into the realm of “publishing” (with prologues, afterwords, and bindings).
Some have opined that Over Time is not an autobiography. They are correct – the book is properly called a memoir. As memoirs go this one is openly self-aware as such. Early on, Deford states:
”…ideally your memoir should be about other more attractive people…”
Understand, however, Benjamin Franklin Deford III is no shrinking violet – there’s plenty in this book about him and he’s not shy about himself and his particular talents. He reveals a healthy ego without approaching egotism.
He starts with a watershed moment in his life. As a soon-to-be Princeton-Bachelor-of-the-Arts he showed up to be interviewed by a Time Incorporated recruiter who was not only a Princeton man himself but was also familiar with Deford’s writing in Princeton’s alumni magazine. A round of interviews at “Timeink” was arranged. It soon became clear that the various editors of Time, Life, et al were not impressed so Deford soon took up his mantra – that Sports Illustrated was the only magazine in the Timeink empire in which he was interested.
1962 was well before Sports Illustrated’s heyday, so SI was something of a red-headed-stepchild, which had spilled red ink since it’s inception. So by lunch our wooly, yet intrepid protagonist found himself wined and dined by SI’s editorial staff and was subsequently hustled up to meet the Managing Editor. The baseball research position had just opened up so he was offered that job on the spot. He descended upon Manhattan right after his final round of finals and the rest (as they say) is history.
The early part of the book offers a snapshot of the man’s world that comprised Princeton (which didn’t admit women until 1969), the magazine business in general and Sports Illustrated in particular.
Soon, however, the usual procession of sports personalities is entertainingly trotted out. Notice is given to such luminaries as Arthur Ashe, Wilt Chamberlin, Dan Jenkins, Magic Johnson, and Jimmy (the Greek) Snyder. Vignettes are painted of the not-so-luminous Vince McMahon and Rodney Dangerfield.
He recounts a couple, ultimately unsuccessful, collaborations with producers and film directors along side with life on the road covering the NBA in the early 60s and 70s. The latter is recounted in a generous, 6,000-word except published in Sports Illustrated and offered here:
http://cnnsi.printthis.clickability.c...
All-in-all Over Time is a breezy, worthwhile read which has interest for the sports fan as well as those unfamiliar with the sports page.
3.5 stars – round it up to four.
January 22, 2013
Because I enjoy Deford's weekly commentaries on NPR's Morning Edition, I read his book to find out more about him, only to find that with Deford, what you hear is pretty much what you get. Having done hundreds of commentaries full of short-form anecdotes, Deford has written his memoirs the same way, in a few dozen short chapters each telling a little story or following a well-defined theme. You get a lot of stories about hanging out with this athlete or that, and a lot about what it was like being a sports journalist in the 50s, 60s and 70s. What you don't get are many opinions stronger than those he shares on the air, any stories he probably hasn't told before, or much emotion of any stripe. (The death of his young daughter from cystic fibrosis is passed over in a mere mention.)
I'm good at reading between the lines, so Deford's justified outrage over racism in sports and his empathy for the particular trials that great athletes must endure for their moments of glory come through loud and clear. But I wish, as he approaches the end zone of life, he might let his guard drop a bit.
I'm good at reading between the lines, so Deford's justified outrage over racism in sports and his empathy for the particular trials that great athletes must endure for their moments of glory come through loud and clear. But I wish, as he approaches the end zone of life, he might let his guard drop a bit.
September 12, 2022
I am a huge fan of Frank DeFord's writing. Compiled in 2011 this was the last book he wrote and it is more or less a memoir of his sports writing. Of course, like most anything that DeFord wrote, the chapters here are filled with as much humanity as sports topics including his wry observations and the self deprecation that made him lovable. It didn't disappoint.
DeFord passed away five years ago at the age of seventy-eight.
I miss him.
4.5 stars
DeFord passed away five years ago at the age of seventy-eight.
I miss him.
4.5 stars
August 5, 2012
Frank Deford has long been one of my favorite writers, someone whose work I search out, be them in written or spoken form. His erudite and opinionated commentaries on the state of athletics in our society has sustained me, entertained me, as well as disturbed me.
This collection of vignettes are intended to be an autobiography of sorts, they are written as if they were individual essays. Deford is opinionated, brutally honest, and comes off as a curmudgeon. I think he really enjoys the curmudgeon part, or else he wouldn't be projecting this role with such panache and joy. he takes on all comers, he talks about his start in sports journalism, his lucky breaks and he name drops like nobody's business. Many of those names take hits while many others are elevated into the Deford pantheon of all around good guys. Whether you want to believe his observations or not, the delivery is impeccable and always fascinating.
The story that Deford tells is of the evolution of the mass market sports world. It is a recounted of the sports journalism genre as it evolved through the most revolutionary and some say the least beneficent era: the era that goes from the rise of the sports press to today, the social media age. Even though Deford wasn't there at the very beginning, he was an observer through rise and possible demise of the written sports presst. Deford tells the story, or actually history extremely well and does a very elegiac accounting of the history without seeming maudlin or too sentimental.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the essays were of the perfect length for short breaks and interesting enough for the reader to recall the thread when he or she returns to the book.
This collection of vignettes are intended to be an autobiography of sorts, they are written as if they were individual essays. Deford is opinionated, brutally honest, and comes off as a curmudgeon. I think he really enjoys the curmudgeon part, or else he wouldn't be projecting this role with such panache and joy. he takes on all comers, he talks about his start in sports journalism, his lucky breaks and he name drops like nobody's business. Many of those names take hits while many others are elevated into the Deford pantheon of all around good guys. Whether you want to believe his observations or not, the delivery is impeccable and always fascinating.
The story that Deford tells is of the evolution of the mass market sports world. It is a recounted of the sports journalism genre as it evolved through the most revolutionary and some say the least beneficent era: the era that goes from the rise of the sports press to today, the social media age. Even though Deford wasn't there at the very beginning, he was an observer through rise and possible demise of the written sports presst. Deford tells the story, or actually history extremely well and does a very elegiac accounting of the history without seeming maudlin or too sentimental.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the essays were of the perfect length for short breaks and interesting enough for the reader to recall the thread when he or she returns to the book.
June 3, 2012
First, in deference to one of Frank Deford's pet peeves, I have spelled his name correctly. It is not DeFord as so many people write it. Drives him nuts. I can relate; no one could pronounce or spell my maiden name either and it gets really old after a while.
The subtitle of this book is My Life as a Sportswriter and I encourage you to get a copy as soon as it comes out in May. He is in my opinion one of the best writers around. People place sportswriters on a lower level than "actual writers" for some reason, but Deford is just plain great. You may have heard his pieces on NPR on your morning commute as I did for many years. If so, you know he has a somewhat jaded opinion on sports, but since he knows whereof he speaks, it is an opinion that we should take heed of.
In this memoir he writes about his wife Carol, his great friendship with Arthur Ashe, the characters he's met in all his years of covering sports, self-deprecating accounts of his eventful life in sports, and other memories. I hadn't realized how much credit should be given Arthur Ashe for his work in Africa and in trying to create an equality in sports, tennis of course, but also sports in general. I also didn't realize what a great sense of humor he had or his knowledge of topics such as apartheid.
As a person with COPD, I was interested to know that he has lung disease, and that he had a daughter who inherited his abnormality and died of cystic fibrosis. Later he and his wife adopted a little girl from the Philippines, a daughter they adore. He also writes wonderful stories about his son.
Deford grew up in Baltimore and I loved his description of "Bawlmer, Merlin" the way it was in his childhood. In fact, I enjoyed his memories of his personal life more than his sports memories if that's possible. You also get a sense of how sportswriting has changed in Deford's lifetime, from the journalists like Grantland Rice (who, gasp, he doesn't have a lot of respect for) to the television personalities of the current scene. The sportswriters with genuine writing talent don't come any better than Frank Deford. Long may he write. I highly recommend this book.
The subtitle of this book is My Life as a Sportswriter and I encourage you to get a copy as soon as it comes out in May. He is in my opinion one of the best writers around. People place sportswriters on a lower level than "actual writers" for some reason, but Deford is just plain great. You may have heard his pieces on NPR on your morning commute as I did for many years. If so, you know he has a somewhat jaded opinion on sports, but since he knows whereof he speaks, it is an opinion that we should take heed of.
In this memoir he writes about his wife Carol, his great friendship with Arthur Ashe, the characters he's met in all his years of covering sports, self-deprecating accounts of his eventful life in sports, and other memories. I hadn't realized how much credit should be given Arthur Ashe for his work in Africa and in trying to create an equality in sports, tennis of course, but also sports in general. I also didn't realize what a great sense of humor he had or his knowledge of topics such as apartheid.
As a person with COPD, I was interested to know that he has lung disease, and that he had a daughter who inherited his abnormality and died of cystic fibrosis. Later he and his wife adopted a little girl from the Philippines, a daughter they adore. He also writes wonderful stories about his son.
Deford grew up in Baltimore and I loved his description of "Bawlmer, Merlin" the way it was in his childhood. In fact, I enjoyed his memories of his personal life more than his sports memories if that's possible. You also get a sense of how sportswriting has changed in Deford's lifetime, from the journalists like Grantland Rice (who, gasp, he doesn't have a lot of respect for) to the television personalities of the current scene. The sportswriters with genuine writing talent don't come any better than Frank Deford. Long may he write. I highly recommend this book.
July 25, 2012
The first thing you need to know about me, the reader, is that I am not a sport fan of any sport. I have been to possibly two dozen pro and semi-pro baseball games in my 65 years but I have played in thousands of pick-up games as a kid. I wanted to read Mr. DeFord's book for two reasons. The first is that my daughter got an autographed copy and entrusted it to me from her TBR pile. The second is that I have enjoyed Frank's occasional appearances on NPR over the years. The book is episodic, like a compendium of his classic two or three minute radio segments. Like a string of pearls, it could be read in nearly any order and still make sense. He is the master of the pithy observation and three pages of sustained anecdotes to support the observation. It was fun to read, though I was not acquainted with a substantial number of the people who populated some of his narratives, his stories were still entertaining and enlightening. I discovered in the front of the book that he has written ten novels. I think I may choose one of them to see if he is capable of sustaining a plot and narrative for several hundred pages. Obviously some editors think he has, so it may be worth the effort.
May 5, 2020
Absolutely fantastic! The best book I've read this year so far. I think I was desperate for a sportswriting in this time of no sports. But even so, this book was a surprise, a charmer, and Deford had me laughing out loud more times than I can count.
December 31, 2017
Episodic review of becoming and being a sports writer. Section on Arthur Ashe - the best.
October 30, 2022
I still miss Deford’s voice on the radio. We can’t have a sportswriter like him anymore due not only to the nature of journalism in the internet age, but the pedigree of Deford.
“I think of all the boys and girls now, too full, as I was, our good at a sport at some certain level – maybe even really good – but that’s as far as they can go. Sometimes, like me, they’re finished after high school. Sometimes in college. Some players are even absolutely drop – dead terrific, all-Americans, but there are a total bust in the pros. Water finds its own level. When I started covering sports, it helps that, because of my own experience, as a glorious flash in the pan, I understood how hard it was, on the one who thought they were so good, but found out, no, they were no good, only up to a point, because there were faster, guns out there, beyond. There’s always a faster gun.” P.14
“As you grow older, in fact, you gravitated more towards doing stories about coaches – not just because now they’re your new contemporaries, but because they’ve lived longer, more complicated lives. There’s simply better stories. After all, most of them failed, and that they couldn’t cut it as players. That’s why they become coaches.
Coaches are movies. The players are snapshots. Ye
So, and one great irony of writing about sports is that most important to people in sports are young and unformed, and, consequently, if through no fault of their own, less interesting.” P.28
“They came to Muhammad’s side and reached for his hand, or grasped his arm. Some of them handed me their little cameras, and asked me to snap pictures of them with a champ. His body shook a little, and he smiled, shyly at first, perhaps, then, broadly. It was quite a scene. I only been, at last, I knew that, yes, the Vietnam War it was truly over. Also, I could see that, if only occasionally, and I think and grow out of the image of his neon youth, and be accepted at the old gray human being he has become.” P.47
“But we are a society today that is, like sport, entirely too, hung up on numbers, figures, rankings, and statistics, so in this corporately technological world we do not so easily appreciate the odd, singular achievement anymore. Subtlety cannot be quantified, so what may be glorious can get lost nowadays, if it can’t be measured.” P.126
“There are many roles a man finds himself and throughout life. Son, Student, Husband, Father, Breadwinner, and so forth. If he is successful:Star, Hunk, Boss, Man About Town, Grand Old Man. But nothing, do I believe – nothing in this world is ever quite so thrilling if just once you get to be The Kid. That is, you, as a novice, or accepted by your elders into their privileged company. You are not quite a peer. You are tolerated more than embrace, on trial, but you are at least allowed to step into the penumbra of the inner Circle, permitted there to sniff the aroma of wisdom and humor and institutional savoir-faire that belongs to those old hands who have already made it.” P.160
“Imagine being a kid and finding out that you were in that balloon. But also imagine how hard it is to understand that you’re in the balloon only when you’re on the blue line or is the batter’s box over on the 18th green, whatever. And imagine what it’s like when you’re still playing but you’re older and all beat up in the balloon is starting to deflate. Then you’re not even middle-age in real life and the balloon is posted. That’s what it’s like being a great athlete.” P.209
“...The a golden Age of Magazines--that sort time before color television and before all serious large-circulation magazines have to the ghost and became weekly versions of USA Today...’Education as we know it began with the printing press. It ended with television.’ So now, I suppose, we could say: Journalism, as we know it, began with the printing press. It ended with the Internet.” P.220
“.. Vincent Mulchrone of the Daily Mail wrote the greatest sports-page lead ever: “If the Germans beat us at our national game today, we can always console ourselves with the fact that twice we have beaten them at theirs.” P.222
“People remember summer songs better.
Instantly, the dance floor was thronged.
And, in the same way that we have our songs from summers past, we have our athletes, too, whom we connect with a season from long ago. In my own case, for example, no one is more associated with my youth than Johnny Unitas. He meant so much to Baltimore.” P.239
“Very simply, as a consequence of television, sports writers, had lost their original reason for being, which had been to tell you, the reader, about what happened at the game you didn’t see. I thought: you know, I am redundant now. Yes, we could still be a sports riders, but it was all over for gameswriters.
So there. There was another good reason why I began to spend a lot of my time away from the reaches of television, chronicling the unusual, personalities, or athletic exotica, the Americana of sports, out on the fringes. In a sense, I got to go back into time, to see the way it had been, bush before television and the big money, and a great deal of sports meant hustling and scuffling, when there was a vagabond spirit, and the quaintness do it all.” P.250
“It was YouTube, only in person. It’s mostly all gone today, vanished. You see, by now all the memory lanes are interstates.” P.251
“Critics complain about how the United States is too sports-minded, but the fact of the matter is that everybody everywhere is to sports-minded, only most people are really just to soccer-minded. The most salubrious aspect of American sport is that we spread our interest around, so that if your football team is lousy, you can turn to your basketball or hockey team, and then to baseball. And most countries, though, if you’re soccer team is a bummer, that ruins you for the year. Sometimes for all your yours. Not freaking out over soccer is one of the best things about American sport.” P.276
We were discussing how much better things were racially, how much more equal blacks had become. He shook his head and told me that, at least, in our lifetime, he could never gain through a quality with me, simply because a certain amount of his time Dash any black persons time – must be diverted, wasted, in affect by thinking about race. Frank, don’t ever forget: you can get up in the morning and just walk outside and start your day. it. If I walk down the street and pass a white guy, I automatically start wondering if he is looking at me and thinking about my race. It never leaves you completely. So you see, you’ll always have an advantage over me.” P.305
“...but in the months following, I changed my mind, it was so glad that the newspaper head forest, the secret out, because it was almost as if Arthur had become Tom Sawyer, I’ve got to look in on his own funeral. In the 10 months more that he lived, Arthur learned how much the world value to he was, how beloved he was. In fact, he read his own obituaries. I don’t know if ever there was such a wide affection displayed for any athlete.” P.315
“I think of all the boys and girls now, too full, as I was, our good at a sport at some certain level – maybe even really good – but that’s as far as they can go. Sometimes, like me, they’re finished after high school. Sometimes in college. Some players are even absolutely drop – dead terrific, all-Americans, but there are a total bust in the pros. Water finds its own level. When I started covering sports, it helps that, because of my own experience, as a glorious flash in the pan, I understood how hard it was, on the one who thought they were so good, but found out, no, they were no good, only up to a point, because there were faster, guns out there, beyond. There’s always a faster gun.” P.14
“As you grow older, in fact, you gravitated more towards doing stories about coaches – not just because now they’re your new contemporaries, but because they’ve lived longer, more complicated lives. There’s simply better stories. After all, most of them failed, and that they couldn’t cut it as players. That’s why they become coaches.
Coaches are movies. The players are snapshots. Ye
So, and one great irony of writing about sports is that most important to people in sports are young and unformed, and, consequently, if through no fault of their own, less interesting.” P.28
“They came to Muhammad’s side and reached for his hand, or grasped his arm. Some of them handed me their little cameras, and asked me to snap pictures of them with a champ. His body shook a little, and he smiled, shyly at first, perhaps, then, broadly. It was quite a scene. I only been, at last, I knew that, yes, the Vietnam War it was truly over. Also, I could see that, if only occasionally, and I think and grow out of the image of his neon youth, and be accepted at the old gray human being he has become.” P.47
“But we are a society today that is, like sport, entirely too, hung up on numbers, figures, rankings, and statistics, so in this corporately technological world we do not so easily appreciate the odd, singular achievement anymore. Subtlety cannot be quantified, so what may be glorious can get lost nowadays, if it can’t be measured.” P.126
“There are many roles a man finds himself and throughout life. Son, Student, Husband, Father, Breadwinner, and so forth. If he is successful:Star, Hunk, Boss, Man About Town, Grand Old Man. But nothing, do I believe – nothing in this world is ever quite so thrilling if just once you get to be The Kid. That is, you, as a novice, or accepted by your elders into their privileged company. You are not quite a peer. You are tolerated more than embrace, on trial, but you are at least allowed to step into the penumbra of the inner Circle, permitted there to sniff the aroma of wisdom and humor and institutional savoir-faire that belongs to those old hands who have already made it.” P.160
“Imagine being a kid and finding out that you were in that balloon. But also imagine how hard it is to understand that you’re in the balloon only when you’re on the blue line or is the batter’s box over on the 18th green, whatever. And imagine what it’s like when you’re still playing but you’re older and all beat up in the balloon is starting to deflate. Then you’re not even middle-age in real life and the balloon is posted. That’s what it’s like being a great athlete.” P.209
“...The a golden Age of Magazines--that sort time before color television and before all serious large-circulation magazines have to the ghost and became weekly versions of USA Today...’Education as we know it began with the printing press. It ended with television.’ So now, I suppose, we could say: Journalism, as we know it, began with the printing press. It ended with the Internet.” P.220
“.. Vincent Mulchrone of the Daily Mail wrote the greatest sports-page lead ever: “If the Germans beat us at our national game today, we can always console ourselves with the fact that twice we have beaten them at theirs.” P.222
“People remember summer songs better.
Instantly, the dance floor was thronged.
And, in the same way that we have our songs from summers past, we have our athletes, too, whom we connect with a season from long ago. In my own case, for example, no one is more associated with my youth than Johnny Unitas. He meant so much to Baltimore.” P.239
“Very simply, as a consequence of television, sports writers, had lost their original reason for being, which had been to tell you, the reader, about what happened at the game you didn’t see. I thought: you know, I am redundant now. Yes, we could still be a sports riders, but it was all over for gameswriters.
So there. There was another good reason why I began to spend a lot of my time away from the reaches of television, chronicling the unusual, personalities, or athletic exotica, the Americana of sports, out on the fringes. In a sense, I got to go back into time, to see the way it had been, bush before television and the big money, and a great deal of sports meant hustling and scuffling, when there was a vagabond spirit, and the quaintness do it all.” P.250
“It was YouTube, only in person. It’s mostly all gone today, vanished. You see, by now all the memory lanes are interstates.” P.251
“Critics complain about how the United States is too sports-minded, but the fact of the matter is that everybody everywhere is to sports-minded, only most people are really just to soccer-minded. The most salubrious aspect of American sport is that we spread our interest around, so that if your football team is lousy, you can turn to your basketball or hockey team, and then to baseball. And most countries, though, if you’re soccer team is a bummer, that ruins you for the year. Sometimes for all your yours. Not freaking out over soccer is one of the best things about American sport.” P.276
We were discussing how much better things were racially, how much more equal blacks had become. He shook his head and told me that, at least, in our lifetime, he could never gain through a quality with me, simply because a certain amount of his time Dash any black persons time – must be diverted, wasted, in affect by thinking about race. Frank, don’t ever forget: you can get up in the morning and just walk outside and start your day. it. If I walk down the street and pass a white guy, I automatically start wondering if he is looking at me and thinking about my race. It never leaves you completely. So you see, you’ll always have an advantage over me.” P.305
“...but in the months following, I changed my mind, it was so glad that the newspaper head forest, the secret out, because it was almost as if Arthur had become Tom Sawyer, I’ve got to look in on his own funeral. In the 10 months more that he lived, Arthur learned how much the world value to he was, how beloved he was. In fact, he read his own obituaries. I don’t know if ever there was such a wide affection displayed for any athlete.” P.315
November 15, 2025
Someday, hopefully at least 20 years from now, a member of a younger generation of my family will inherit or claim my Kindle. I hope he/she will read the books in it. If they read this one they will find a book well written but missing some notable information, unless they read my notes. Deford, on at least two occasions, failed to complete the story. He puts his 1962 conversation with Cassius Clay, aka Muhammed Ali, in the context of a hearing by the New York Boxing Commission concerning the possible banning of boxing. While mentioning the hypothetical death of a future boxer in the ring, he does not tell us that these hearings were likely called because of a fight on national TV in New York that resulted in the death of a boxer.
Deford also bemoans that the Baseball Hall of Fame has not allowed Pete Rose a place in that shrine.
This and the boxing episode indicate to me the dated nature of this book. It is a book for the sports fan of the 1960's, a fan who would, perhaps know more than the average fan. The reader loses because Deford does not give the whole picture.
Now that I've finished the book, I can give a more complete review. I gave it 5 stars but it really rates a bit lower, perhaps 4.. A very well written book, I appreciated his chapter that included Mark Kram, former SI writer.
Near the end, Deford writes a short paragraph on the SEC which is a quick rant, although Deford says he never rants. He chastises the SEC for no apparent reason although most of his readers probably understand it. Nevertheless, here is another example of Deford not giving us enough.
Four stars waning
Deford also bemoans that the Baseball Hall of Fame has not allowed Pete Rose a place in that shrine.
This and the boxing episode indicate to me the dated nature of this book. It is a book for the sports fan of the 1960's, a fan who would, perhaps know more than the average fan. The reader loses because Deford does not give the whole picture.
Now that I've finished the book, I can give a more complete review. I gave it 5 stars but it really rates a bit lower, perhaps 4.. A very well written book, I appreciated his chapter that included Mark Kram, former SI writer.
Near the end, Deford writes a short paragraph on the SEC which is a quick rant, although Deford says he never rants. He chastises the SEC for no apparent reason although most of his readers probably understand it. Nevertheless, here is another example of Deford not giving us enough.
Four stars waning
August 13, 2012
I've read Frank Deford's writings since I was in high school (many years ago...). He was a long-time senior writer for Sports Illustrated, and I was a long time subscriber--a match made in heaven. I noticed early on that Mr. Deford's articles tended to be about different and sometimes obscure topics, but that once I finished reading his take on these topics, I always wanted to know more about them. That somewhat describes the flow of this book. I was rather expecting an autobiography; I should have known better. Instead this book meanders between such diverse topics as his home town (Bawlmer, Merlin) and its influence on him, his "discovery" of Bill Bradley, an obscure harmonica player named DeFord Bailey (whose name is spelled correctly--you'll have to read the book to figure that out), and the role of women and minorities in sports journalism back in the day. There are also lots of vignettes about famous people, and about Frank Deford himself. He comments on these in a rather curmudgeonly way, but you can't help but love him for the way he puts the words together. His longtime editor Andre Laguerre once told him, "Frankie, it doesn't matter WHAT you write about. All that matters is how WELL you write it." Mr. Deford obviously took this advice to heart, because it perfectly describes his style of writing.
This isn't a book to be read at one sitting, but a collection to be picked up, put down,and savored. Over Time.
This isn't a book to be read at one sitting, but a collection to be picked up, put down,and savored. Over Time.
June 2, 2014
I am listening to this book and with his voice, Frank Deford redeems the story. It's an autobiography and is, at times, interesting and funny, but a lot of it is sorta bland. Deford is such a good narrator, though, he makes the stories come to life. Situations with famous sports celebrities are hardly memorable, on their own, but his intonation brings life to them. As an audiobook this book is OK to good. As a written book, well, it's not bad, but no breakthroughs.
Well . . . I wrote that first paragraph after I had listened to half the book. In the second half, Deford got more poignant and the stories became even more interesting to me. In fact, I cried 3-4 times during the telling. Some great perspective on people and events from the point of view of a sports-oriented guy, but hardly only about sports.
In terms of sports, I especially liked how Deford put the growth of all American sports, but the NBA in particular, into perspective. They have matured and changed so much over the last 50 years, it's easy to forget how nascent they were so recently.
He rails a bit about the lack of respect sportswriters get. This is obviously true, but if you want to get a Pulitzer, you should have known this already and have written about politics.
Deford seems like a great guy who has so many experiences worth sharing. His voice, as a reader, is icing on the cake making thi a good read, but a great listen.
Well . . . I wrote that first paragraph after I had listened to half the book. In the second half, Deford got more poignant and the stories became even more interesting to me. In fact, I cried 3-4 times during the telling. Some great perspective on people and events from the point of view of a sports-oriented guy, but hardly only about sports.
In terms of sports, I especially liked how Deford put the growth of all American sports, but the NBA in particular, into perspective. They have matured and changed so much over the last 50 years, it's easy to forget how nascent they were so recently.
He rails a bit about the lack of respect sportswriters get. This is obviously true, but if you want to get a Pulitzer, you should have known this already and have written about politics.
Deford seems like a great guy who has so many experiences worth sharing. His voice, as a reader, is icing on the cake making thi a good read, but a great listen.
April 3, 2014
As usual Frank Deford is easy to read and enjoyable to spend time with. His obvious feelings of frustration with people’s low opinion of sportswriters are well deserved, at least in his case. He is an engaging writer who chooses to focus his lens on the personalities and dynamics of sports. In the process he uses his craft as well as any writer in any genre. Good writing is good writing.
I found parts of the book slow and less interesting but then there were excellent chapters on legendary sports figures. Frank provides us with unique glimpses into the people and their times. Since we live in a culture that seems unable to appreciate anything older than our underwear, it’s refreshing to get a firsthand look at some vintage players and the evolution of the major sports themselves in our now sports heavy landscape. And reading about the journey of sports journalism and of magazines like Sports Illustrated was a bonus.
The section about Arthur Ash is most noteworthy, as well as the chapter and references to Billy Jean King. We need reminders of the impact sports figures have had on all of us.
Reading Frank Deford is like having the privilege of sitting in on some of those after work sessions with his colleagues he so often refers to, sans the cigarette smoke and scotch.
T. J. Silverio
I found parts of the book slow and less interesting but then there were excellent chapters on legendary sports figures. Frank provides us with unique glimpses into the people and their times. Since we live in a culture that seems unable to appreciate anything older than our underwear, it’s refreshing to get a firsthand look at some vintage players and the evolution of the major sports themselves in our now sports heavy landscape. And reading about the journey of sports journalism and of magazines like Sports Illustrated was a bonus.
The section about Arthur Ash is most noteworthy, as well as the chapter and references to Billy Jean King. We need reminders of the impact sports figures have had on all of us.
Reading Frank Deford is like having the privilege of sitting in on some of those after work sessions with his colleagues he so often refers to, sans the cigarette smoke and scotch.
T. J. Silverio
June 27, 2012
For years I've been on the fence about Frank Deford's writing in Sports Illustrated and his book is no different. Can he paint a pretty picture? Yes, but sometimes it becomes the story instead of the game or the athlete. Can he do a hard hitting interview? Yes, but does he really ask the questions and reveal the answers we as fans want to know? I don't know. This book is 46 short essays on different topics. Most have been covered throughout his career. I wanted a autobiography of his life and times. But you don't always get what you want. I find it hard to believe that he didn't write more about Cosell and Ali or the Olympics and how they have changed. Almost nothing here is recent. Basketball stories consist of Bill Bradley, Kareem, Elgin Baylor and one on Larry Bird. Nothing more recent. There's a short essay on Billie Jean King and another on Arthur Ashe but nothing on Jimmy Connors, McEnroe or Borg let alone Boris Becker, Sampras, Agassi or Federer. Just strange. I go back and forth about his writing, but would encourage anyone looking for some short stories about sports to look this book up. If you are wanting in-depth or things you don't know then keep looking. No secrets revealed. I would rather read Dan Jenkins.
July 21, 2012
It reads a lot like what I imagine a Sid Hartman memoir would be--a lot of boxing, baseball, horse racing, and bemoaning about how times have changed.
The best and worst of the book came at the end. The best was this passage about Arthur Ashe on page 305:
The worst is his categorization of Jimmy The Greeks' racist remarks as merely "some unfortunate racial observations" (p. 344).
The best and worst of the book came at the end. The best was this passage about Arthur Ashe on page 305:
Of course, in a less blithe moment, it was also Arthur who instructed me in a trough so obvious--and yet one that, as a white person, I'd never though through before. We were discussing how much better things were racially, how much more "equal" blacks had become. He shook his head and told me that, at least in our lifetime, he could never gain true equality with me, simply because a certain amount of his time--any black person's time--must be diverted (wasted, in effect) by thinking about race. "Frank, don't ever forget: you can get up in the morning and just walk outside and start your day. I can't do that. If I walk down the street and pass a white guy, I automatically start wondering if he's looking at me and thinking about my race. It never leaves you completely. So you see, you'll always have an advantage over me.
The worst is his categorization of Jimmy The Greeks' racist remarks as merely "some unfortunate racial observations" (p. 344).
June 10, 2012
Always enjoyed reading Mr. Deford's articles in Sports Illustrated and pieces on on NPR. This book is pretty much just an expansion on topics he's touched on before either on the radio or in print.
This collection contains 46 essays on topics ranging from the author's childhood in Baltimore to being one of the "stars" in the famous Miller Lite TV commercials. There are many excellent pieces in here particularly poignant ones about his friendship with tennis great Arthur Ashe and a memorable trip to South Africa and gambling maven Jimmy the Greek who, as did the author, lose a child at an early age to cystic fibrosis. Another revolving around fellow Princeton alums Bill Bradley and Dan Sachs is also beautifully written.
In the area of "inside scoop" Deford writes of Rodney Dangerfield being a cantankerous prima donna while filming the beer commercials and what a total fool wrestling enterpreneur Vince McMahon makes of himself at a dinner party. Numerous pictures add to the enjoyment of the narrative.
All in all enough good stuff for any sports fan to sink his teeth into.
This collection contains 46 essays on topics ranging from the author's childhood in Baltimore to being one of the "stars" in the famous Miller Lite TV commercials. There are many excellent pieces in here particularly poignant ones about his friendship with tennis great Arthur Ashe and a memorable trip to South Africa and gambling maven Jimmy the Greek who, as did the author, lose a child at an early age to cystic fibrosis. Another revolving around fellow Princeton alums Bill Bradley and Dan Sachs is also beautifully written.
In the area of "inside scoop" Deford writes of Rodney Dangerfield being a cantankerous prima donna while filming the beer commercials and what a total fool wrestling enterpreneur Vince McMahon makes of himself at a dinner party. Numerous pictures add to the enjoyment of the narrative.
All in all enough good stuff for any sports fan to sink his teeth into.
July 26, 2016
I have a tough time giving 5-star reviews to books; to me the five-star implies that the book is 'perfect', and I'm not sure the perfect book exists.
But "Over Time" is better than most of the books I've read -- and certainly one of the best memoir/biographies I've ever read. Deford was always one of my favourite sportswriters when he wrote for Sports Illustrated, and all of the things that made him so are alive and well in his books. His elegant way to turn a phrase, and his ability to get at the kernel of what makes people tick shine through every one of the little vignettes that he paints over the breadth of this book.
In addition to the magnificent story-telling, you get a strong sense of the craft of sports journalism and how it's changed (for both better and worse) over the length of his career. And, he throws in some interesting takes on society and pop culture along the way.
If you have interest in sports, sportswriting, the craft of journalism, and/or pop culture, you should find plenty to enjoy in this book. Obviously I highly recommend it.
But "Over Time" is better than most of the books I've read -- and certainly one of the best memoir/biographies I've ever read. Deford was always one of my favourite sportswriters when he wrote for Sports Illustrated, and all of the things that made him so are alive and well in his books. His elegant way to turn a phrase, and his ability to get at the kernel of what makes people tick shine through every one of the little vignettes that he paints over the breadth of this book.
In addition to the magnificent story-telling, you get a strong sense of the craft of sports journalism and how it's changed (for both better and worse) over the length of his career. And, he throws in some interesting takes on society and pop culture along the way.
If you have interest in sports, sportswriting, the craft of journalism, and/or pop culture, you should find plenty to enjoy in this book. Obviously I highly recommend it.
February 26, 2014
Frank Deford is always great to hear on NPR, and impressive in his scope of knowledge and general presence. His writing is packed with incisive wit and keen analysis about the human-interest side of sports, which to me is far more interesting than the scores. This book is a collection of his personal stories from his epic life as the sportswriter (one word, he has clarified) of our times, and it does not disappoint. He is clever and funny with the turn of phrase that leaves me amazed by his broad grasp and precise intuition about the intersection of human nature, sport, literature, and history. What a mind! That said, chapter upon chapter of this began to remind me of being caught awkwardly in the armchair next to a grandpa who has fascinating but, ahem, endless stories of his youth. Stuff we should know, a time capsule of sportswriting and journalism, but best read in small doses.
December 7, 2012
One of my favorite sports commentators, Frank Deford has been around for a good long time and brings a perspective to his work that just resonates with this reader. In this memoir, Mr Deford relates personal anecdotes and reminisces about the various publications and media outlets he has worked for. Liberally sprinkled with humor, these tales paint a picture of Frank as a journalist and as a man, and shed some light on the out-sized personalities that play the games that sports lovers enjoy. The most moving tales relate his friendship with Arthur Ashe and the common bond Frank shared with the owner of the daily sports paper Frank managed for its brief history, the Mexican billionaire Emilio Azcarraga. This reader found he heard Frank's familiar voice reading this, and that is a good thing.
June 24, 2012
Like those he mentions in a later chapter of his memoir, I am one of those who know Frank Deford mostly from his essays on NPR on Wednesday mornings. I have indeed read some of articles, too, and I have always liked his perceptive and eloquent take on sports. Though he takes Over Time on some awkward tangents as he pieces together reflection on his life, his craft, and the subjects of his writing, this is still a enjoyable book for anyone interested in sports and sports writing in the 20th century. It has its charming moments, some fascinating stories, and a wide range of characters. Deford also has one of the best lines I have read on an "Acknowledgments" page: "I didn't ask my wife for any help at all, which is why we still love one another."
January 20, 2016
Over Time: My Life as a Sportswriter by Frank Deford (Atlantic Monthly Press 2012)(Biography) is a collection of highlight stories from his long years as a sportswriter. He grinds no axe in this book with the possible exception of Joe Dimaggio. Dimaggio , who was equally well-known for his baseball prowess and for being married to Marilyn Monroe, is described thusly by the author: "...(Joe) Dimaggio was, in fact, mostly just a cold fish. Not even his brother Dom, who played outfield for the Red Sox..., seemed to care much for the Yankee Clipper. As someone best summed up Dimaggio: "What kind of guy learns to love the most beautiful woman in the world only after she dies?" Over Time, p. 32. My rating: 6/10, finished 12/22/12.
May 27, 2016
Mr. DeFord has written a nice memoir that excels in certain areas and rambles in others. He is at his best writing about the classic sportswriters on the 20th Century from Grantland Rice to Red Barber. His experiences at Sports Illustrated and The National are interesting but not very enlightening. After all, does anyone care how they played "matches" in bars as sportswriters? Mr. DeFord does. His meetings with great athletes and coaches runs from the great (Arthur Asche) to the rude (Vince McMahon) with varying success. His portrait of Arthur Asche debating before the assembled intelligentsia of apartheid in South Africa is wondrous. Mr. DeFord is a talented writer and this book is, in the end, enjoyable.
January 30, 2018
No doubt, this book covers Deford's time as one of the finest, and most iconoclastic, sportswriters in this country's history, but to call this a sports book fails to do it proper justice. "Over Time", filled with masterful and surprising prose, upends the memoir and illuminates through sheer scintillation. There were points reading this book that I wanted to recite Deford's words aloud, to share his close-told tales of Arthur Ashe, Bill Russell, Jimmy the Greek, Bobby Orr, Paul Newman, Mickey Mantle, a villainous Rodney Dangerfield, and Alexandra, his 8 year old daughter who died of Cystic Fibrosis. I highly recommend this exquisitely written, profane and profound book.
June 17, 2012
If you enjoy reading about all sports in a book of well crafted essays, this is it. I got occasionally bored with his long disquisitions on how his name should be spelled, but otherwise each chapter held my attention to the end. His recounting of stories told about sports figures showed sides of them that transcended their game, and those about Arthur Ashe were worth the price of the book, and I'll always remember his account of something Magic Johnson did, who in this particular story "was standing at the intersection of the longitude of humility and the latitude of grace.". That's a sports-writer (hyphen intended) at his best.
August 23, 2012
I'd long been aware of Deford's standing among the sportswriter pantheon, but never truly possessed of any firsthand experience with his work. This book served as an appropriate introduction, giving me a sense of his narrative persona and allowing me to savor some beautifully-written passages while getting a tour through his take on the last half-century of sports and journalism. This memoir is more a collection of anecdotes than a true beginning-middle-end story, so it lent itself to short-burst reading and never labored too long over any passage too obscure or arbitrary to hold my interest.
December 26, 2012
Comments based on advanced reading copy. This is a book for sports fans with brains, or intellectuals who have a cursory interest in sports. Deford provides historical insights in the course of his career based on anecdotes drawn from his career and work. Very open,forthright, and honest, especially in his candor about his alma mater Princeton in the 50s and 60s and the challenging ethics of college sports. If The Education of Henry Adams was more honest and about sports, this would be the book.
May 6, 2012
I am generally not one for collections. Short stories, essays, they don't really float my boat. And for 50 or so pages I was not into this at all, but then Deford's strong talent took over. It turned out to be a very enjoyable book. Being an old guy, an old sports guy, I was familiar with almost everyone he was writing about. I don't think it is totally worhty of all the hype it is getting but if you are up for some good stories about sports and athletes he is one of the best writers around.
July 18, 2012
As a fan of Deford's NPR commentaries on Wednesday mornings, I loved this book! I do think, however, that even those who won't be reading it with Deford's voice in their head will love it too. Deford gives an insightful and funny inside look at the world of sports reporting with just enough history to make you feel smart while reading. His anecdotes are great. This guy has been everywhere and met everyone! I want to read more. I feel like he's just gotten started telling his story with "Over Time."
July 19, 2012
I really like Deford, but haven't read any of his other books. He always writes longer pieces for the magazine, and this book had the feel at times of several of these scattered throughout the timeline of his life.
There are some gems, and there are some misses. I called this an "upstairs" book, those being the ones I keep by the bedside table and only read parts of as I'm getting ready to fall asleep.
I don't do these kind of compilations well if I try to sit down for a long time and read straight through. In that context, this was an enjoyable read.
There are some gems, and there are some misses. I called this an "upstairs" book, those being the ones I keep by the bedside table and only read parts of as I'm getting ready to fall asleep.
I don't do these kind of compilations well if I try to sit down for a long time and read straight through. In that context, this was an enjoyable read.
May 30, 2016
Some wonderful anecdotes and stories from an iconic 20th century sportswriter who covered some seminal events and those less remarkable like roller derby. Fascinating stuff from his travel to South Africa with Arthur Ashe, heartbreaking stuff about the loss of his daughter to Cystic Fibrosis, crossing swords with Kingsley Amis when the Englishman was a visiting professor at Princeton, and more. Makes me want to start listening to his segment on NPR again. I'd definitely read another of his books.
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