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Black and Blue: A Smash-Mouth History of the NFL’s Roughest Division
Formed in 1967, the NFL's Central Division, made up of the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, and Minnesota Vikings, quickly earned the nickname “Black and Blue Division” due to the teams' fierce, physical play. Through the years, many of the toughest men in pro football have played in the Black and Blue — from Butkus to Nitschke, Eller to Spielman, Favre to Singletary to Karras to the Purple People Eaters. Now known as the NFC North, the rivals still battle each other twice a year, celebrating their 40th season together in 2006. Black and Blue celebrates along with them, recalling the great plays and players, the memorable seasons, and the crucial games through first-hand interviews with players and coaches and first-rate photography. Capsule summaries of every game played in the division make this an essential reference for every football fan.
- GenresSports
240 pages, Hardcover
First published August 28, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 26, 2024
A trip down memory lane, ok, some skimming.
April 12, 2024
In "Black & Blue" Bob Berghaus writes about the first four decades of the National Football Conference's (NFC) North Division. Formerly called the NFC Central Division, its present name was changed at the start of the 2002 season. This conference was formed in 1967 following the Green Bay Packers' 35-10 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl I. Besides the Packers, the other three teams consist of the Chicago Bears, the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings.
Being from the Midwest myself, I believe that the rivalries between these four divisional teams are a must. Their so-called "holy wars", when they face one another twice a year, don't care about their or their opponent's win-loss record. It all boils down to winning the current game that's on their radar. Winning is a must and a tie can either be good or bad--depending on who you're rooting for. Losing a divisional game, though, can get a team's blood boiling until they're able to redeem themselves with a win.
Of course, the Bears and the Packers have the longest rivalry in the National Football League (NFL) dating back to 1921 and, as of right now, played in 208 games. The Bears have 30 players enshrined at the Pro Football Hall of Fame while the Packers have 25 members. The Packers are the winningest team in NFL history and boast 13 championships including four Super Bowl titles. The Bears have nine including their 46-10 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX.
But both the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings are stalwart opponents in the NFC North. Neither team should be taken lightly. The Lions won one title in 1935 and three more during the 1950's. The Vikings joined the NFL in 1961 and proved themselves worthy right from the word go. Though they lost in four Super Bowls during the 1970's, Minnesota's purple and gold continue to be a force to be reckoned with. When Sundays roll around in fall, football fans flock to these inter-rivalry games or to the nearest watering hole to watch some literal smash-mouth football on TV!
Bob Berghaus writes a great book about the first 40 years in the present-day NFC North division. "Black and Blue" is the perfect gift for any Bears, Lions, Packers or Vikings fan. It's chock full of history of the greatest players, games, playoffs, shut-outs and a list of the Hall of Fames enshrined in Canton, Ohio. While there's lots more that's happened in the NFL and NFC North division since 2006, this book is a must-read for those sports fans and historians out there! Do not miss the chance to read this book!
Rating for "Black and Blue": *****
Being from the Midwest myself, I believe that the rivalries between these four divisional teams are a must. Their so-called "holy wars", when they face one another twice a year, don't care about their or their opponent's win-loss record. It all boils down to winning the current game that's on their radar. Winning is a must and a tie can either be good or bad--depending on who you're rooting for. Losing a divisional game, though, can get a team's blood boiling until they're able to redeem themselves with a win.
Of course, the Bears and the Packers have the longest rivalry in the National Football League (NFL) dating back to 1921 and, as of right now, played in 208 games. The Bears have 30 players enshrined at the Pro Football Hall of Fame while the Packers have 25 members. The Packers are the winningest team in NFL history and boast 13 championships including four Super Bowl titles. The Bears have nine including their 46-10 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX.
But both the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings are stalwart opponents in the NFC North. Neither team should be taken lightly. The Lions won one title in 1935 and three more during the 1950's. The Vikings joined the NFL in 1961 and proved themselves worthy right from the word go. Though they lost in four Super Bowls during the 1970's, Minnesota's purple and gold continue to be a force to be reckoned with. When Sundays roll around in fall, football fans flock to these inter-rivalry games or to the nearest watering hole to watch some literal smash-mouth football on TV!
Bob Berghaus writes a great book about the first 40 years in the present-day NFC North division. "Black and Blue" is the perfect gift for any Bears, Lions, Packers or Vikings fan. It's chock full of history of the greatest players, games, playoffs, shut-outs and a list of the Hall of Fames enshrined in Canton, Ohio. While there's lots more that's happened in the NFL and NFC North division since 2006, this book is a must-read for those sports fans and historians out there! Do not miss the chance to read this book!
Rating for "Black and Blue": *****
October 11, 2013
An interesting look at the teams and players of the NFC North division. It includes game scores, statistics, and photos. There are some good stories and quotes from players and others associated with the NFL. Berghaus is a sportswriter who was with the Milwaukee and Green Bay newspapers. Fans will love it.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews