What do you think?
Rate this book
This Book Has Balls: Sports Rants from the MVP of Talking Trash
Michael Rapaport, actor, Top 50 podcaster, award-winning film maker, and sports fanatic, is here to set the world straight on the greatest and downright worst athletes, players, teams, and jerseys—while refusing to mention statistics, analytics, or anything else that isn’t pure hustle.
In 1979, nine-year-old Michael Rapaport decided he was going to do whatever it took to be a pro baller. He practiced and practiced, but by the time he was fifteen, he realized there was no place for a slow, white Jewish kid in the NBA. So he found another way to channel his obsession with talking trash.
In This Book Has Balls , Rapaport uses his signature smack-talk style and in-your-face humor to discuss everything from why LeBron will never be like Mike, that Tiger needs the ladies to get his golf game back, and how he once thought Mary Lou Retton was his true love. And, of course, why next year will be the year the New York Knicks win the championship. This book is a series of rants—some controversial, some affectionate, but all incredibly hilarious.
In 1979, nine-year-old Michael Rapaport decided he was going to do whatever it took to be a pro baller. He practiced and practiced, but by the time he was fifteen, he realized there was no place for a slow, white Jewish kid in the NBA. So he found another way to channel his obsession with talking trash.
In This Book Has Balls , Rapaport uses his signature smack-talk style and in-your-face humor to discuss everything from why LeBron will never be like Mike, that Tiger needs the ladies to get his golf game back, and how he once thought Mary Lou Retton was his true love. And, of course, why next year will be the year the New York Knicks win the championship. This book is a series of rants—some controversial, some affectionate, but all incredibly hilarious.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published October 24, 2017
77 people are currently reading
243 people want to read
About the author
Michael Rapaport
3 books9 followersMichael David Rapaport is an American actor and comedian. He has appeared in over sixty films since the early 1990s, and starred on the sitcom The War at Home. He also appeared in Boston Public, Friends, Prison Break, Justified, and Atypical.
Some of his notable film roles include True Romance (1993), Higher Learning (1995), Metro (1997), Cop Land (1997), Deep Blue Sea (1999), The 6th Day (2000), Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001), Big Fan (2009), and The Heat (2013). He also directed the documentary Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest (2011).
Some of his notable film roles include True Romance (1993), Higher Learning (1995), Metro (1997), Cop Land (1997), Deep Blue Sea (1999), The 6th Day (2000), Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001), Big Fan (2009), and The Heat (2013). He also directed the documentary Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest (2011).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
April 27, 2018
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Obviously I wasn’t the target demographic for this book. My husband was. And he read it. Since we’ve been married 20+ years and he’s only finished three books that I can remember during that time, when he told me he thought I would like this one I had to give it a go.
Before I get to what I had to say, let me tell you that ol’ hubs would give this one the full monty. In an attempt to give full disclosure, you should know that he’s also a Rapaport superfan. He listens to his podcast, every movie dude has ever been in makes his fave list, he’ll watch a TV show just because Rapaport’s guest-starring on it. Major one-sided bromance. He’s also a fan of all sports in general andis a fucking know it all has Rainman capabilities when it comes to stats and trivia tidbits.
Me, on the other hand? I currently live in a house full of these types of people and I was raised by another army of them. My kids play sports and sportsball games or shows about sportsball games are always on the television so I have a general knowledge of the rules and the who’s who. Really, though? My one sports-oriented bucketlist item was finally achieved . . . .
In addition to the catchy title, this thing wasn’t too bad. I will say it was a little East Coast – for obvious reasons since that’s where dude came from. My fan experience has been strictly flyover country centered, so I got lost occasionally in not knowing the various New York players from the olde days of yore that he fawned over. The bright side was, he was brutal when it came to trash talking. From Tiger Woods’ downfall due to the voodoo punany, to the King of Flop . . . .
(Who I still have permission to make-out with if we should ever meet.)
To the dad everyone loves to hate . . . .
NOTHING was off limits for Rappaport.
I listened to the audio of this and I have to say the delivery was a bit like an old SNL skit . . .
I’ve been accusing the husband of selective hearing for YEARS. Now I’m pretty sure he just went deaf from over-Rappaporting his poor earholes.
I was going to throw this one a bone (that’s what he said) and hand out 3.5 Stars simply for the fact that a Real Housewhores segment was included proving to my husband that my addiction to watching EVERY CITY ON THE PLANET is absolutely A-Okay. But then Rapaport gave Bethenny Frankel – who yes is most definitely a boss, but she’s a fucking crybaby when anyone calls her on her shit and I just can’t tolerate that noise – the #1 ranking when it’s sooooooo obvious there’s a new HBIC . . . .
3 Stars it is.
Obviously I wasn’t the target demographic for this book. My husband was. And he read it. Since we’ve been married 20+ years and he’s only finished three books that I can remember during that time, when he told me he thought I would like this one I had to give it a go.
Before I get to what I had to say, let me tell you that ol’ hubs would give this one the full monty. In an attempt to give full disclosure, you should know that he’s also a Rapaport superfan. He listens to his podcast, every movie dude has ever been in makes his fave list, he’ll watch a TV show just because Rapaport’s guest-starring on it. Major one-sided bromance. He’s also a fan of all sports in general and
Me, on the other hand? I currently live in a house full of these types of people and I was raised by another army of them. My kids play sports and sportsball games or shows about sportsball games are always on the television so I have a general knowledge of the rules and the who’s who. Really, though? My one sports-oriented bucketlist item was finally achieved . . . .
In addition to the catchy title, this thing wasn’t too bad. I will say it was a little East Coast – for obvious reasons since that’s where dude came from. My fan experience has been strictly flyover country centered, so I got lost occasionally in not knowing the various New York players from the olde days of yore that he fawned over. The bright side was, he was brutal when it came to trash talking. From Tiger Woods’ downfall due to the voodoo punany, to the King of Flop . . . .
(Who I still have permission to make-out with if we should ever meet.)
To the dad everyone loves to hate . . . .
NOTHING was off limits for Rappaport.
I listened to the audio of this and I have to say the delivery was a bit like an old SNL skit . . .
I’ve been accusing the husband of selective hearing for YEARS. Now I’m pretty sure he just went deaf from over-Rappaporting his poor earholes.
I was going to throw this one a bone (that’s what he said) and hand out 3.5 Stars simply for the fact that a Real Housewhores segment was included proving to my husband that my addiction to watching EVERY CITY ON THE PLANET is absolutely A-Okay. But then Rapaport gave Bethenny Frankel – who yes is most definitely a boss, but she’s a fucking crybaby when anyone calls her on her shit and I just can’t tolerate that noise – the #1 ranking when it’s sooooooo obvious there’s a new HBIC . . . .
3 Stars it is.
November 2, 2017
Hilarious Shit Talker Extraordinaire. Definitely get the audible version.
November 26, 2017
Michael Rapaport is an actor who knows his sports, especially basketball. He has a very popular podcast in which he rants on many different sports topics. Sometimes he is crass, often his commentary is laced with colorful language but he also emphatically makes his point and if doesn’t matter if you agree or not, it’s his way or the highway.
This book is a collection of essays written in the same manner as these commentaries. Therefore, if a reader is familiar with Rapaport’s style, then he or she will love this book. For a reader like me, who knows of it and has seen him on television in various roles, then this will be an introduction to his sports side.
The first impression I had was that is basketball cred is outstanding, despite never playing in college or professional basketball. He writes great essays on Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Allan Iverson, the New York Knicks and Madison Square Garden, the “mecca” of basketball. These were my favorite ones and I found myself agreeing with him on just about every story about this sport.
The book is not limited to basketball, however, as he also writes about Tiger Woods, Lawrence Taylor (which I thought was the funniest story), athletes whose prowess in the bedroom as well as the playing arena was legendary, and, in a non-sports rant that surprised me, the Real Housewives series which he believes was great television.
Since his calling is comedy, of course the book is filled with humor, from the beautifully sublime to the crude and obvious. I mentioned the Lawrence Taylor story, in which Rapaport believes LT is the greatest player in football history because he played while under the influence of cocaine. That was hilarious as well as some other stories and excerpts.
I will give one more example of this comedy that left me in tears. To put it in proper context, this is about Shawn Kemp, a star NBA player in the 1990’s who was as well known for fathering children with numerous women as well as his play on the court. This is about a dream Rapaport had: “I actually had (a dream) a few nights ago that I was playing for the Seattle Supersonics during the Nineties and Shawn Kemp and I were having an extensive conversation on the layup line about getting vasectomies.”
While certainly this book has to be read only by adults because of the language, it is a very funny and entertaining book that is recommended for fans of Rapaport, basketball fans, or those who want to just laugh out loud while reading a book with sports content.
I wish to thank Touchstone Publishing for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
http://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/201...
This book is a collection of essays written in the same manner as these commentaries. Therefore, if a reader is familiar with Rapaport’s style, then he or she will love this book. For a reader like me, who knows of it and has seen him on television in various roles, then this will be an introduction to his sports side.
The first impression I had was that is basketball cred is outstanding, despite never playing in college or professional basketball. He writes great essays on Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Allan Iverson, the New York Knicks and Madison Square Garden, the “mecca” of basketball. These were my favorite ones and I found myself agreeing with him on just about every story about this sport.
The book is not limited to basketball, however, as he also writes about Tiger Woods, Lawrence Taylor (which I thought was the funniest story), athletes whose prowess in the bedroom as well as the playing arena was legendary, and, in a non-sports rant that surprised me, the Real Housewives series which he believes was great television.
Since his calling is comedy, of course the book is filled with humor, from the beautifully sublime to the crude and obvious. I mentioned the Lawrence Taylor story, in which Rapaport believes LT is the greatest player in football history because he played while under the influence of cocaine. That was hilarious as well as some other stories and excerpts.
I will give one more example of this comedy that left me in tears. To put it in proper context, this is about Shawn Kemp, a star NBA player in the 1990’s who was as well known for fathering children with numerous women as well as his play on the court. This is about a dream Rapaport had: “I actually had (a dream) a few nights ago that I was playing for the Seattle Supersonics during the Nineties and Shawn Kemp and I were having an extensive conversation on the layup line about getting vasectomies.”
While certainly this book has to be read only by adults because of the language, it is a very funny and entertaining book that is recommended for fans of Rapaport, basketball fans, or those who want to just laugh out loud while reading a book with sports content.
I wish to thank Touchstone Publishing for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
http://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/201...
February 5, 2018
I gave this book a 5 star rating My reasoning for this was because I really enjoyed this book- which doesn’t usually happen for me. This book was full of humor, interesting stories, and lots of sports. It kind of reminded me of some of the ESPN 30 for 30 documentaries except it was like a bunch packed into one book.
This book was a mixture of sports nonfiction and nonfiction because it wasn’t just sports. I liked the way the author told a ton of awesome sports stories but also threw in some curveballs with hilarious stories that have nothing to with sports. Some of those stories are about when his wife took him to spin class, or how he has a weird enjoyment of the TV show the real housewives, and many other stories.
In this particular book there aren’t really any characters. The author uses different people in his stories but none of them are used throughout the book consistently enough to where there are characters. The only person that might count as a character in my eyes is the author, Michael Rapaport.
Michael Rapaport is an actor, a top 50 podcaster, a filmmaker, a sports fanatic, and of course an author. This is his first book and I hope he writes some more because this one was really funny. Michael might be the biggest Knicks fan on the face of the earth. His dream as a kid was to play for the Knicks but he eventually realized he wasn’t gifted with the right abilities to be a professional baller. Instead he went on to be a sports journalist who loved talking trash- and he is pretty good at it.
Although I really enjoyed this book it did have some flaws. Sometimes the author would go on a little to long with his stories and sometimes they got a little bit boring. One more tiny thing that could be fixed is that the author probably should’ve held back a little on his cussing because some of it was just thrown around in unnecessary places, but other than those two things this book was great.
If you enjoyed this book I think you would enjoy The Legends Club by John Feinstein because it’s like this book except it has a broader topic of ACC basketball in the 80’s and 90's and it isn’t full of jokes. The Legends Club is full of lots of good basketball stories and it taught me a lot about the game of basketball.
“Nine schools in twelve years. I was expelled or politely asked to leave nine schools in twelve years. That’s some sort of record. Even in preschool, I was labeled disruptive and out of control. In f***ing preschool.”
This book was a mixture of sports nonfiction and nonfiction because it wasn’t just sports. I liked the way the author told a ton of awesome sports stories but also threw in some curveballs with hilarious stories that have nothing to with sports. Some of those stories are about when his wife took him to spin class, or how he has a weird enjoyment of the TV show the real housewives, and many other stories.
In this particular book there aren’t really any characters. The author uses different people in his stories but none of them are used throughout the book consistently enough to where there are characters. The only person that might count as a character in my eyes is the author, Michael Rapaport.
Michael Rapaport is an actor, a top 50 podcaster, a filmmaker, a sports fanatic, and of course an author. This is his first book and I hope he writes some more because this one was really funny. Michael might be the biggest Knicks fan on the face of the earth. His dream as a kid was to play for the Knicks but he eventually realized he wasn’t gifted with the right abilities to be a professional baller. Instead he went on to be a sports journalist who loved talking trash- and he is pretty good at it.
Although I really enjoyed this book it did have some flaws. Sometimes the author would go on a little to long with his stories and sometimes they got a little bit boring. One more tiny thing that could be fixed is that the author probably should’ve held back a little on his cussing because some of it was just thrown around in unnecessary places, but other than those two things this book was great.
If you enjoyed this book I think you would enjoy The Legends Club by John Feinstein because it’s like this book except it has a broader topic of ACC basketball in the 80’s and 90's and it isn’t full of jokes. The Legends Club is full of lots of good basketball stories and it taught me a lot about the game of basketball.
“Nine schools in twelve years. I was expelled or politely asked to leave nine schools in twelve years. That’s some sort of record. Even in preschool, I was labeled disruptive and out of control. In f***ing preschool.”
April 14, 2018
You ever get lost in a YouTube vortex for hours...well that’s what lead to be buying this book impulsively and reading it. Do I know sports? Nope. Do I care about sports? Nope. Did I buy this book because he talks about the real housewives in one chapter....maybe! By far the most random read I’ve had all year.
May 19, 2021
I was recommended to read this book ages ago. I should have read it sooner. I had nothing but laughs and was ready to bring in my own sports point of views. If you don’t have a sense of humor and aren’t a sports person then listen to a sample of the audiobook. You still may find a reason to read it and laugh.
November 1, 2017
If you don’t like Rap, this isn’t the book for you. It’s chock full of the same brash, crass, un-PC trash talking as in his podcasts and his tv appearances. He has an opinion on everything and he’s always right and if you don’t agree, you’re always fucking wrong.
I happen to agree with the man on most things and as such I loved this book and hammered through it in a day.
This was probably one of the more entertaining books I’ve read in a long time.
Again, don’t fuck with this book if you don’t fuck with Rapaport. But if you do, hit this shit up but quick.
I happen to agree with the man on most things and as such I loved this book and hammered through it in a day.
This was probably one of the more entertaining books I’ve read in a long time.
Again, don’t fuck with this book if you don’t fuck with Rapaport. But if you do, hit this shit up but quick.
November 14, 2017
The first thing i thought of after i finished this book is WHO will be doing the audio version???? I’m not a big audio book fan, but I️ May have to check this one out when it is available. Mike pulls no punches and definitely says what’s on his mind. Great read for sports fans!
October 31, 2018
Kinda half-assed in the way that a lot of these celebrity books are. It starts out as a sort of memoir, but then it cuts off midstream, like maybe Rapaport got tired of submitting to interviews. The rest of it consists of topical rants not unlike those delivered on his podcast. Some of them may even be adapted and/or expanded from the podcast. Like the podcast, they're often kinda amusing, but they seem kinda bowdlerized, which is surprising given how vulgar he can be in situations when it's not called for, e.g. the few times he was on shows with Bill Simmons before Simmons stopped taking his phone calls. Why tone it down for your own book?
February 27, 2018
My other half bought me this book -- and it was a great gift. Michael while concentrating mainly on basketball also rants about other sports and sports personalities. He states at the beginning that the chapters are not related to one another but I think they really build on one another.
I would guess that if he was sitting in front of me doing his rants they might be irritating but reading it softens it. I would say I agreed with him about 80 to 85 percent of the time.
The standout chapter for me was about Magic Johnson. The description of his interaction with Magic Johnson supports his (and my) contention is that he is/was not only a great athlete but also a great person.
It is not an esoteric book -- even if you have a passing knowledge of sports I think you will like it -- and you might skip one or two chapters but I think you will enjoy it as a whole. There are even a few chapters about his "Real Housewives" obsession so it is not entirely about sports.
So maybe you will be lucky and your other half will buy it for you but if not, it is well worth the read.
I would guess that if he was sitting in front of me doing his rants they might be irritating but reading it softens it. I would say I agreed with him about 80 to 85 percent of the time.
The standout chapter for me was about Magic Johnson. The description of his interaction with Magic Johnson supports his (and my) contention is that he is/was not only a great athlete but also a great person.
It is not an esoteric book -- even if you have a passing knowledge of sports I think you will like it -- and you might skip one or two chapters but I think you will enjoy it as a whole. There are even a few chapters about his "Real Housewives" obsession so it is not entirely about sports.
So maybe you will be lucky and your other half will buy it for you but if not, it is well worth the read.
October 3, 2018
Now most know actor-director Michael Rappaport for being opinionated and here he truly shows where his passions lay. Not that they were ever in doubt. He is quite funny and once you read and find out his way of thinking and rationalizing you might find yourself actually agreeing.
Now of course he is a train and true New Yorker and original. Now while I’m not the biggest sports fan. I am a native New Yorker myself. Who praises Madison square garden and roots for New York teams almost exclusively. Knicks and the Yankees being particular favorites. Even if I canMt name half the modern roster of players or the names of the coaches. Many of the people and teams he talks about I remember and brought some old memories back to the surface.
You know what you are in for with this book and itMs a fun quick read. Sort of like having a drink and striking up a co versatility with a stranger. He stays captivating even when ridiculous.
While I await hopefully another book. Maybe about his Hollywood career and years. Which he only dips into here and there. This is where his heart is
Now of course he is a train and true New Yorker and original. Now while I’m not the biggest sports fan. I am a native New Yorker myself. Who praises Madison square garden and roots for New York teams almost exclusively. Knicks and the Yankees being particular favorites. Even if I canMt name half the modern roster of players or the names of the coaches. Many of the people and teams he talks about I remember and brought some old memories back to the surface.
You know what you are in for with this book and itMs a fun quick read. Sort of like having a drink and striking up a co versatility with a stranger. He stays captivating even when ridiculous.
While I await hopefully another book. Maybe about his Hollywood career and years. Which he only dips into here and there. This is where his heart is
November 6, 2017
F*CKING HILARIOUS!!!!
In true Mike Rap fashion, this book, was all over the place ; YET it made sense and was an absolute joy to read! I listened to the audiobook (narrated by M.R.) and would describe it more as a comedy album/variety show mixed with sports radio rants than a traditional memoir style Audible recording. From the music & sound affects to the dramatized skits and personal digs, the book is funny as hell and had me laughing out loud the whole time! It encompasses all the things I love about "The Gringo Mandingo", including his ability to incorporate numerous uses of the word "f*ck" in to any conversation or story about any subject!!! #Skills #MidnightRunLevelofF*cks
I definitely recommend the Audible version of the book. Just be prepared to listen with headphones/earbuds on if you have younger children. Also have a few tissues on hand to wipe your tears from laugher!!! This guy is wild!
Well done Michael Rapaport! Cheers to you on your first book!!!
In true Mike Rap fashion, this book, was all over the place ; YET it made sense and was an absolute joy to read! I listened to the audiobook (narrated by M.R.) and would describe it more as a comedy album/variety show mixed with sports radio rants than a traditional memoir style Audible recording. From the music & sound affects to the dramatized skits and personal digs, the book is funny as hell and had me laughing out loud the whole time! It encompasses all the things I love about "The Gringo Mandingo", including his ability to incorporate numerous uses of the word "f*ck" in to any conversation or story about any subject!!! #Skills #MidnightRunLevelofF*cks
I definitely recommend the Audible version of the book. Just be prepared to listen with headphones/earbuds on if you have younger children. Also have a few tissues on hand to wipe your tears from laugher!!! This guy is wild!
Well done Michael Rapaport! Cheers to you on your first book!!!
February 22, 2018
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
If you are familiar with Michael Rapaport and his sports commentary stylings, then you know exactly what to expect from this book. If you are not familiar with Rapaport, search out a podcast or two with him as a guest or host, and you will immediately understand his brand of humor. This book serves as an elongated version of his sports rants. Rapaport does not hold back on an opinion, regardless of the subject and does not concede simply because you disagree. This book is abrasive, polarizing, and honest. I imagine that this book is even better in an audiobook format since you would have the benefit of Rapaport’s inflection and unique voice to strengthen his points. This book has several rants about basketball, but it certainly is not exclusive to basketball. If you enjoy Rapaport and you do not mind to read about sports in a not so PG manner, you will enjoy this book.
If you are familiar with Michael Rapaport and his sports commentary stylings, then you know exactly what to expect from this book. If you are not familiar with Rapaport, search out a podcast or two with him as a guest or host, and you will immediately understand his brand of humor. This book serves as an elongated version of his sports rants. Rapaport does not hold back on an opinion, regardless of the subject and does not concede simply because you disagree. This book is abrasive, polarizing, and honest. I imagine that this book is even better in an audiobook format since you would have the benefit of Rapaport’s inflection and unique voice to strengthen his points. This book has several rants about basketball, but it certainly is not exclusive to basketball. If you enjoy Rapaport and you do not mind to read about sports in a not so PG manner, you will enjoy this book.
July 4, 2018
5-star narration from Michael himself.
A lot of F-bombs and sports and I only grasped the f-bombs jokes. But I learned a lot about people who play sports – even got me curious to check out some the material he presented. Rapaport is such a comical guy – knew this going into the audiobook. I also learned how much he loves to talk trash about practically any subject. Not that anyone cares but I need to get this out …I made the mistake of brushing my teeth while listening and I laughed so hard & threw my head back, I swallowed my toothpaste foam, followed by (almost) the whole toothbrush – which is electric…so I almost cleaned my larynx.
Recommend for the sporty types but I sense a fight would break out concerning the "disses" LOL!! Recommend for the non-sporty types too - just because it's so funny
A lot of F-bombs and sports and I only grasped the f-bombs jokes. But I learned a lot about people who play sports – even got me curious to check out some the material he presented. Rapaport is such a comical guy – knew this going into the audiobook. I also learned how much he loves to talk trash about practically any subject. Not that anyone cares but I need to get this out …I made the mistake of brushing my teeth while listening and I laughed so hard & threw my head back, I swallowed my toothpaste foam, followed by (almost) the whole toothbrush – which is electric…so I almost cleaned my larynx.
Recommend for the sporty types but I sense a fight would break out concerning the "disses" LOL!! Recommend for the non-sporty types too - just because it's so funny
December 6, 2018
There is such a thing as Rapaport over-saturation. It happens after about an hour. This book is about 5 hours long.
I love listening to Rapaport on Bill Simmons' podcast. He is high energy, shit talking and extremely brash. Laugh out loud funny, just because he is saying things out loud. Those podcasts are about an hour long with breaks and at the end of it I feel happy with what I heard. Incredulous and a bit taken aback, but happy with it.
I thought about listening to his podcast, but don;t really have time to consume more podcasts.
Then I saw this book, and AHA! So I got it and listened to it. I liked the first hour maybe two and then it kind of went downhill. I started skipping some chapters (Real Housewives, something else). But I made it through.
It is an okay book.
I love listening to Rapaport on Bill Simmons' podcast. He is high energy, shit talking and extremely brash. Laugh out loud funny, just because he is saying things out loud. Those podcasts are about an hour long with breaks and at the end of it I feel happy with what I heard. Incredulous and a bit taken aback, but happy with it.
I thought about listening to his podcast, but don;t really have time to consume more podcasts.
Then I saw this book, and AHA! So I got it and listened to it. I liked the first hour maybe two and then it kind of went downhill. I started skipping some chapters (Real Housewives, something else). But I made it through.
It is an okay book.
November 17, 2017
I thought I was a sports fan but this book showed me how JV my sports game is. That said, I enjoyed the pieces that weren't over my head. My favorite bit is close to end with the chapter on Ali. I truly cried at the story Michael meeting at Ali and the moment they shared. It was a beautiful tribute.
January 2, 2018
This book was absolutely hilarious! There is no correct way to read this book because each chapter has a different topic. Each topic was more funny then the last. I do not recommend this book for younger children do to the content.
July 9, 2018
I enjoyed it. I like Michael Rapaport and love a good story. His sport rants are entertaining and fun to read. Had it been an audiobook with him reading it, I probably would have given it a 4. Something is lost though without that great accent of his!
May 17, 2019
It's a mess, really, but it shouldn't come as a surprise since it says that it's basically a bunch of rants. It does veer off into strange territory with some Housewives stuff that I didn't really need, but Rapaport is always entertaining to listen to, at least.
August 17, 2019
I like Rapaport. I like him as a director, an actor, as a ranter and now as an author. I enjoyed this book, I wish I could discuss this these chapters one by one with him, agreeing and disagreeing on stuff. I’ll definitely be reading the sequel. Hahaha
June 4, 2022
¨ The media also needs to stop portraying boxers and MMA fighters as equals in the ring.¨( pg.207)
I chose this quote because I think that he is correct about them not being equal and the sentences that follow this are pretty funny.
I chose this quote because I think that he is correct about them not being equal and the sentences that follow this are pretty funny.
September 6, 2022
Some fine rants on mostly sports of the American variety (we don’t need futbol). The trash he talks on LeBron James makes it worthwhile. He loses a star for the random chapter on the Real Housewives TV show. Shame.
July 18, 2025
I laughed my ass off the first few chapters. I read this for a friend. I wish I was a sports person and could get into it more. Though I did know most of then people that he talked about so I knew enough.
October 29, 2017
Rapaport is insane and hilarious. I'm glad he joined Barstool as I've been following him since his original Pardon My Take appearances.
October 31, 2017
Hilariously funny
November 16, 2017
It’s still about being great, not about being seen.
December 4, 2017
A quick, fun read, perfect "bathroom reading" for anyone who loves sports
December 14, 2017
Super funny book. You can just hear Rapaport's voice. I absolutely loved the Mary Lou Rhetton chaper and fake conversations in there.
December 15, 2017
OUTSTANDING. He says everything you want to say, and says it better!!
December 27, 2017
I wish this had more of Michael's thoughts on the Real Housewives and other shows on Bravo but I enjoyed it. It's a fun quick read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews