Second to None: The Relentless Drive and the Impossible Dream of the Super Bowl Bills

by Joe Valerio

In Second to None, author Joe Valerio tells the incredible story of the Buffalo Bills: the perpetual almost-champions and their indomitable fans. The Bills’ incredible skill and teamwork on the field was matched only by their single-minded determination as, in the four years spanning 1991 to 1994, the team won four consecutive conference championships, and lost four consecutive Super Bowls. The peaks and nadirs of their record reflect a fascinatingly dynamic, uneven, and—at times—uncontrollable array of talents. Valerio renders in sharp detail how the Bills’ unique culture was formed by an unlikely ecosystem of world-class athletes hunkered down in bleak western New York, far away from the celebrity playgrounds of other pro teams. Meticulously researched and carefully crafted, this one-of-a-kind look inside the Super Bowl–era Buffalo Bills is based on extensive interviews with the key players, coaches, and management, including Hall of Famers Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Smith, as well as coach Marv Levy, general manager Bill Polian, and many others, including players and coaches from opposing teams, and the reporters who covered them.

Genres: Sports, Football

249 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[David Edie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has misspellings and grammatical errors throughout, which pretty much sums up the dedication of the author, editor, and publisher to telling the story of these impressive Buffalo Bills teams. The author is not a full-time Bills beat writer and the entire book feels as though the information has been heard secondhand. For people who are familiar with these Bills teams there is very little new information in this book, save for quotes scattered throughout the book from random Buffalonians who offer little of value to the stories being told. This feels like an author/publisher looking to make a quick buck selling a few bucks to a Buffalo audience starved for books about their football team rather than an area of expertise that the author is passionate about.

[Steven Hummer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big thanks to Al Michaels for the wonderful recommendation.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was an elementary school kid and football nut during the period when the Buffalo Bills went to four-straight Super Bowls. And even as just a kid back then, I felt so bad for the Bills after every Super Bowl loss after the 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1993 seasons. I felt bad for the Bills losing all those Super Bowls like I said, but I can just imagine how Buffalo Bills fans felt back then.

In this book, author Joseph Valerio gave you many accounts of Bills fans and some Bill players who suffered through that bittersweet period of Bills history.

Reading this book, it just made you wonder and agonize over how it would have been nice if the Bills would have won even just ONE of those Super Bowls.

To this day I still feel that the best Bills team in their history was that 1990 team, and the Giants were super fortunate that they won Super Bowl XXV.

Super Bowls XXVI (1991 season), XXVII (1992 season), and XXVIII (1993 season), the Bills had no business winning those games. The 1991 Washington Redskins were red-hot that year and the Bills were just in their way. The 1992 and 1993 Dallas Cowboys were in the midst of a dynasty and the Bills again, were in front of a Cowboys run-away train that ran over the Bills.

Overall this was a good book that I enjoyed. But it would have been nice if there were player testimonials from players other than Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith, and Thurman Thomas or other well known Bills players in that period. A lot of times when you read or hear about the 1990 through 1993 Bills, the main players you hear from or about are Kelly, Thomas, and Smith.

What about interviews from linebacker Carlton Bailey, defensive lineman Leon Seals, linebacker Ray Bentley, safety Leonard Smith, tight end Butch Rolle, defensive tackle Mike Lodish, cornerback Nate Odomes, linebacker Marvcus Patton, safety Kurt Schulz, punter Chris Mohr, tackle John Fina, safety Henry Jones, and other lesser known players?

Meanwhile, if you want a trip down memory lane from a magical Bills period, then get this book.

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poorly written, with worse (possibly no) editing. I was surprised to find Valerio had interviewed around 15 football personnel for this book, as most of the quotes could easily have been cribbed from other media sources.
The author clearly had long-term access to Bill Polian, whose viewpoint dominates the narrative. Polian is one of the few subjects who doesn't speak exclusively in football platitudes, so his quotes are the most frequent, and the most memorable. In fairness, Metzelaars, Beebe, Talley, and Reich also come across as thoughtful interviewees.
Notable are the frequently-utilized recollections of the Buffalo Bills' ever-faithful fans. As a member of that melancholy brotherhood, I recognize the painful memories and inarticulate anguish expressed far too often in this book for my liking; page after relentless page of it is either pandering, or padding. The narrative screeches to a halt every time Valerio uses this device.
Do yourself a favor: watch the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary Four Falls of Buffalo instead.

[Jacob Wischoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relive the excitement and heartache of one of America’s best sports tales. A book chalk full of quotes from many of the men who played on the 1990’s Buffalo Bills Super Bowl Teams. Grow with excitement as they come together as a team and learn to lose individual focus and be a team concerned about the whole of its pieces. Also share in the frustrations of four back to back Super Bowls losses. They are perhaps the greatest team to go to the big game a record four times in a row and never win one. You can ask anyone from the city of blue collared Buffalo, Ny and they would tell you that even in the losses they were truly Second To None.

[Scott Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

My three star rating is highly personal, and probably a bit unfair.

I'm a life-long, born in but not raised in Buffalo, Bills fan. So, while celebrations of the Super Bowl era Bills fill me with gooey warmth, page after page of dissection of the games themselves just bring deep anguish (I couldn't even bring myself to read the chapter on SB 27).

Since, I'm not really capable of giving the book a disinterested rating, I'm just going to rate it based on how I felt after the end.