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Third and Long
Can the handsome, haunted stranger with a mysterious past save the soul of a dying Midwest factory town?
“This novel is so good-hearted, so life-affirming, it’s a joy to read…—Mary Ann Grossman, St. Paul Pioneer Press
Meet Nick Remke, a damaged former Notre Dame football star desperate for a job and maybe redemption.
It’s 1997. Longview, Ohio, U.S.A. Nick finally gets his chance when he’s hired to run Made Right, a family-owned clothing factory severely threatened by offshore competition. The entire town depends on the fragile fortunes of the overworked factor. All eyes now turn to Nick .
Marie Zanay is among them. A single mother whose son stars on the Longview High football team, she’s spent a lifetime rooting for her hometown and is acutely aware of the overwhelming odds against it. Still, Marie is forced to admit that Nick the newcomer suddenly has the townsfolk feeling inspired. Is that hope misplaced, or is it possibly real?
For Nick, it’s been a long, winding, rocky road filled with disappointment and doubt. Becoming MVP of a small town on the Ohio River was never his goal . . . until it became his dream.
Third and Long is the saga of a vanishing America hanging by a thread, with perhaps just enough time remaining for one last hail-Mary. Think Friday Night Lights meets It’s A Wonderful Life.
With a cast of characters both unforgettable and strikingly familiar, Third and Long takes you on a poignant, emotional journey across an iconic American landscape.
“Third and Long is an American classic. It’s a story about hope and possibilities, crumbled dreams, and surprising redemption. I loved it!”—Lynne Cox, author of Swimming to Antarctica
Get your copy of Third and Long today!
Third and Long is the winner of the Independent Book Publishers Association Popular Fiction award.
Bob Katz is the author of several acclaimed books, including Elaine’s Circle, a non-fiction account of a dramatic year in the rural Alaska classroom of an innovative schoolteacher, the novel Hot Air, which was optioned by actor Michael Keaton and MGM for a movie, The Whistleblower, a nonfiction exploration of the world of college basketball referees, and, most recently, EZ and the Intangibles, a novel for middle readers. More at BobKatz.info.
"If John Steinbeck had known as much about sports as Bob Katz does, he would have been proud to have written Third and Long. Katz has offered us a smart, moving, beautiful and important book."--E. J. Dionne Jr., syndicated columnist, NPR commentator
“A sly, lyrical novel (think Friday Night Lights meets All the Right Moves, only funny) . . . "--Sports Illustrated
"Third and Long by Bob Katz is one of those books you want to read every word of for fear you’ll miss one of the many brilliant passages. Whether it’s characterization, descriptive setting, or narrative insights, they all shine with originality and effectiveness..."--Rod Raglin, The San Francisco Book Review
“This novel is so good-hearted, so life-affirming, it’s a joy to read…—Mary Ann Grossman, St. Paul Pioneer Press
Meet Nick Remke, a damaged former Notre Dame football star desperate for a job and maybe redemption.
It’s 1997. Longview, Ohio, U.S.A. Nick finally gets his chance when he’s hired to run Made Right, a family-owned clothing factory severely threatened by offshore competition. The entire town depends on the fragile fortunes of the overworked factor. All eyes now turn to Nick .
Marie Zanay is among them. A single mother whose son stars on the Longview High football team, she’s spent a lifetime rooting for her hometown and is acutely aware of the overwhelming odds against it. Still, Marie is forced to admit that Nick the newcomer suddenly has the townsfolk feeling inspired. Is that hope misplaced, or is it possibly real?
For Nick, it’s been a long, winding, rocky road filled with disappointment and doubt. Becoming MVP of a small town on the Ohio River was never his goal . . . until it became his dream.
Third and Long is the saga of a vanishing America hanging by a thread, with perhaps just enough time remaining for one last hail-Mary. Think Friday Night Lights meets It’s A Wonderful Life.
With a cast of characters both unforgettable and strikingly familiar, Third and Long takes you on a poignant, emotional journey across an iconic American landscape.
“Third and Long is an American classic. It’s a story about hope and possibilities, crumbled dreams, and surprising redemption. I loved it!”—Lynne Cox, author of Swimming to Antarctica
Get your copy of Third and Long today!
Third and Long is the winner of the Independent Book Publishers Association Popular Fiction award.
Bob Katz is the author of several acclaimed books, including Elaine’s Circle, a non-fiction account of a dramatic year in the rural Alaska classroom of an innovative schoolteacher, the novel Hot Air, which was optioned by actor Michael Keaton and MGM for a movie, The Whistleblower, a nonfiction exploration of the world of college basketball referees, and, most recently, EZ and the Intangibles, a novel for middle readers. More at BobKatz.info.
"If John Steinbeck had known as much about sports as Bob Katz does, he would have been proud to have written Third and Long. Katz has offered us a smart, moving, beautiful and important book."--E. J. Dionne Jr., syndicated columnist, NPR commentator
“A sly, lyrical novel (think Friday Night Lights meets All the Right Moves, only funny) . . . "--Sports Illustrated
"Third and Long by Bob Katz is one of those books you want to read every word of for fear you’ll miss one of the many brilliant passages. Whether it’s characterization, descriptive setting, or narrative insights, they all shine with originality and effectiveness..."--Rod Raglin, The San Francisco Book Review
- GenresSports
263 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2010
81 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 5, 2021
Nick Remke is a good man with bad luck. Or maybe bad timing. Or both. He’s worked hard as a plant manager for textile manufacturers and done a good job, but luck, timing, or fate seem to have always been against him, denying him a permanent position and the opportunity to put down roots.
Now time’s running out for Nick. He’s no longer a young man and his spotty track record is a liability. To say he’s desperate when he arrives in Longview, Ohio, a sleepy town of twelve thousand, to apply for a position at the Made Right, the town’s major employer, would not be an exaggeration.
On the way into the interview, Marie, the foxy administrative assistant to the owners, notices Nick’s limp and suggests it would be to his advantage to say it’s an old football injury. The owners are huge football fans, especially concerning Notre Dame. Jeremy Ziglar Jr. quickly decides that Nick’s not the man for the job until he notices he went to Notre Dame and has a limp attributed to his favorite game. Did Nick play for Notre Dame? Yes. How come he’s never heard of him? Nick changed his name. “It used to be…” Nick provides the name of a Notre Dame football icon. Being a football legend, even if from bygone seasons, is enough to get Nick the job. His football prowess is further enhanced when he’s coerced into coaching the local high school squad.
As the months go by, Nick continues to win the hearts (especially Marie’s) and minds of the Longview with solid performances at work and on the gridiron. His reluctance to talk about his Notre Dame glory days is considered humility, a character trait that is in itself inspiring. He’s a local celebrity. However, being newsworthy turns out not to be an asset for Nick, being more of a ruinous liability.
Third and Long by Bob Katz is one of those books you want to read every word of for fear you’ll miss one of the many brilliant passages. Whether it’s characterization, descriptive setting, or narrative insights, they all shine with originality and effectiveness, for example:
“Like angry callers to talk radio, ill-informed but hotly passionate, we had hunches.”
Katz’s use of a challenging and relatively rare point of view, the first-person omniscient, in which the narrator is a character in the story but also knows the thoughts and feelings of all the other characters, enables the reader to become immersed in the culture and character of this small town. You know these people, how they feel, how they think, what their dreams and disappointments are, because you’ve become one of them.
Third and Long is literary fiction at its best.
Now time’s running out for Nick. He’s no longer a young man and his spotty track record is a liability. To say he’s desperate when he arrives in Longview, Ohio, a sleepy town of twelve thousand, to apply for a position at the Made Right, the town’s major employer, would not be an exaggeration.
On the way into the interview, Marie, the foxy administrative assistant to the owners, notices Nick’s limp and suggests it would be to his advantage to say it’s an old football injury. The owners are huge football fans, especially concerning Notre Dame. Jeremy Ziglar Jr. quickly decides that Nick’s not the man for the job until he notices he went to Notre Dame and has a limp attributed to his favorite game. Did Nick play for Notre Dame? Yes. How come he’s never heard of him? Nick changed his name. “It used to be…” Nick provides the name of a Notre Dame football icon. Being a football legend, even if from bygone seasons, is enough to get Nick the job. His football prowess is further enhanced when he’s coerced into coaching the local high school squad.
As the months go by, Nick continues to win the hearts (especially Marie’s) and minds of the Longview with solid performances at work and on the gridiron. His reluctance to talk about his Notre Dame glory days is considered humility, a character trait that is in itself inspiring. He’s a local celebrity. However, being newsworthy turns out not to be an asset for Nick, being more of a ruinous liability.
Third and Long by Bob Katz is one of those books you want to read every word of for fear you’ll miss one of the many brilliant passages. Whether it’s characterization, descriptive setting, or narrative insights, they all shine with originality and effectiveness, for example:
“Like angry callers to talk radio, ill-informed but hotly passionate, we had hunches.”
Katz’s use of a challenging and relatively rare point of view, the first-person omniscient, in which the narrator is a character in the story but also knows the thoughts and feelings of all the other characters, enables the reader to become immersed in the culture and character of this small town. You know these people, how they feel, how they think, what their dreams and disappointments are, because you’ve become one of them.
Third and Long is literary fiction at its best.
June 18, 2021
I loved this book!
I just finished Third and Long with tears in my eyes and a smile on my face. I didn’t want it to end. What a beautiful journey with a cast of lovable characters and a town that could be Anywhere, U.S.A. Nick, the main character is ostensibly looking for a job and a foothold in a life of failures and disappointments. What he finds is love, life, and a home.
But Nick has a secret. A secret that could upend his newfound haven. Although I love Nick, I think my favorite character is Marie, a spirited young woman with a flare who has yet to find the right man. When she does find love, it’s as tender and beautiful as any romance novel has portrayed. The author vividly paints the picture of Nick, Marie, and a supporting cast of quirky characters that somehow most of us have met in our lives. And there they all are, struggling to survive, dealing with a community crisis colored by shame, and finding themselves along the way.
Although football plays a part in the story, it is really more a metaphor and a foil for overcoming obstacles and coming together to achieve a goal. In the process Nowhere becomes Somewhere, U.S.A.
I loved Arthur Morton’s narration. He handled the many voices with aplomb and added just the right tone and pacing to heighten the emotional impact of this brilliant story.
If you’re looking for a feel-good story with characters that sparkle, I’d highly recommend Third and Long.
I just finished Third and Long with tears in my eyes and a smile on my face. I didn’t want it to end. What a beautiful journey with a cast of lovable characters and a town that could be Anywhere, U.S.A. Nick, the main character is ostensibly looking for a job and a foothold in a life of failures and disappointments. What he finds is love, life, and a home.
But Nick has a secret. A secret that could upend his newfound haven. Although I love Nick, I think my favorite character is Marie, a spirited young woman with a flare who has yet to find the right man. When she does find love, it’s as tender and beautiful as any romance novel has portrayed. The author vividly paints the picture of Nick, Marie, and a supporting cast of quirky characters that somehow most of us have met in our lives. And there they all are, struggling to survive, dealing with a community crisis colored by shame, and finding themselves along the way.
Although football plays a part in the story, it is really more a metaphor and a foil for overcoming obstacles and coming together to achieve a goal. In the process Nowhere becomes Somewhere, U.S.A.
I loved Arthur Morton’s narration. He handled the many voices with aplomb and added just the right tone and pacing to heighten the emotional impact of this brilliant story.
If you’re looking for a feel-good story with characters that sparkle, I’d highly recommend Third and Long.
March 14, 2023
Summary: When a drifter, once a Notre Dame football star, shows up in Longview, Ohio, he quickly becomes the town’s hope to save its major factory, lead its football team to victory, and maybe save the town.
He’d drifted from town to town after a brief football career, dropping out of Notre Dame. With experience in clothing manufacturing, he got off the train in Longview, Ohio in 1997 to apply for a job as factory manager of the Made Right Clothing Company, the major business in this Ohio River county seat. He almost didn’t make the cut until Marie, the administrative assistant who had taken a shine to him let slip he had a football injury. His abbreviated career at Notre Dame, under the name of Nick Nocero was enough to change the owner’s mind.
It became clear he faced a challenge. There had already been layoffs. Foreign competition was making it more difficult to get contracts. Yet the change was noticeable. Nocero cared, and would help out wherever needed. Working with the union steward, they met some rush contracts and business was up. But that just appeared to make them more attractive to some visiting Korean businessmen discussing a “strategic partnership.”
Longview High School, playing at Made Right Stadium, had fielded a string of mediocre football teams, the Bobcats, under Coach Pruitt, who has just suffered a stroke. The assistant, Sherman, was a math teacher who could do stats but knew little of the game. The Made Right owners put the pressure on for Nick to help. He assists and then takes over, which Sherman was only too glad for him to do. And the team starts winning. Marie’s son Brian plays for them, and he not only plays better, but starts becoming a better student.
Suddenly he is in demand. To speak to the Chamber of Commerce. To swap stories at the American Legion. To get a celebrity to the town’s Christmas tree lighting event. Both for the town and for him, it’s “third and long” and everyone is hoping for a miracle. The company, the school, the town have been just hanging on. Marie, a single mom sees a man who is worthy of her.
It’s hopeful. The team’s winning, the company is making respectable gains, and romance is budding. But there is a secret in Nick’s past that could trip him, and the whole shebang, up, downing them all for a loss.
Bob Katz has captured life in an Ohio town. The cover even looks familiar, like I’ve been in this town. Nearly all the small county seats are just hanging on, if that. If that one big employer pulls out, it changes everything. It has for a number of them. He also captures how a winning team can lift a whole town. Nick both intrigues, with the sense of mystery surrounding his life, about which he say little, and his ability to lead and inspire. Katz understands what a famous pastor once observed, that people love to be led well. The people of the town did, the kids did, and I found myself rooting for Nick, as he tries to make the most of this “third and long” shot to show what he can do, who he can be. This is a finely written story speaking to the hopes we cling to for ourselves, and for the places we call home.
____________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author.
He’d drifted from town to town after a brief football career, dropping out of Notre Dame. With experience in clothing manufacturing, he got off the train in Longview, Ohio in 1997 to apply for a job as factory manager of the Made Right Clothing Company, the major business in this Ohio River county seat. He almost didn’t make the cut until Marie, the administrative assistant who had taken a shine to him let slip he had a football injury. His abbreviated career at Notre Dame, under the name of Nick Nocero was enough to change the owner’s mind.
It became clear he faced a challenge. There had already been layoffs. Foreign competition was making it more difficult to get contracts. Yet the change was noticeable. Nocero cared, and would help out wherever needed. Working with the union steward, they met some rush contracts and business was up. But that just appeared to make them more attractive to some visiting Korean businessmen discussing a “strategic partnership.”
Longview High School, playing at Made Right Stadium, had fielded a string of mediocre football teams, the Bobcats, under Coach Pruitt, who has just suffered a stroke. The assistant, Sherman, was a math teacher who could do stats but knew little of the game. The Made Right owners put the pressure on for Nick to help. He assists and then takes over, which Sherman was only too glad for him to do. And the team starts winning. Marie’s son Brian plays for them, and he not only plays better, but starts becoming a better student.
Suddenly he is in demand. To speak to the Chamber of Commerce. To swap stories at the American Legion. To get a celebrity to the town’s Christmas tree lighting event. Both for the town and for him, it’s “third and long” and everyone is hoping for a miracle. The company, the school, the town have been just hanging on. Marie, a single mom sees a man who is worthy of her.
It’s hopeful. The team’s winning, the company is making respectable gains, and romance is budding. But there is a secret in Nick’s past that could trip him, and the whole shebang, up, downing them all for a loss.
Bob Katz has captured life in an Ohio town. The cover even looks familiar, like I’ve been in this town. Nearly all the small county seats are just hanging on, if that. If that one big employer pulls out, it changes everything. It has for a number of them. He also captures how a winning team can lift a whole town. Nick both intrigues, with the sense of mystery surrounding his life, about which he say little, and his ability to lead and inspire. Katz understands what a famous pastor once observed, that people love to be led well. The people of the town did, the kids did, and I found myself rooting for Nick, as he tries to make the most of this “third and long” shot to show what he can do, who he can be. This is a finely written story speaking to the hopes we cling to for ourselves, and for the places we call home.
____________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author.
December 29, 2023
A drifter arrives in a small Midwest town looking for a job and redemption. Because of his status as a former Notre Dame football player, he is hired as a plant manager for the town's one large employer, a struggling clothing factory, and is eventually asked to help coach the town's mediocre high school football team.
The drifter settles in, embraces the small town lifestyle, creates positive energy at the plant, and wins for the football team. The townspeople's excitement and hope are palpable.
I enjoyed the narration from a townsperson's point of view that provided insight into the other characters' personas, pasts, and dreams, immersing the reader into the character and culture of the sleepy town.
Football plays a part in the story, but there is a much deeper meaning to the story. Football seems to be a metaphor for achieving goals by coming together to overcome obstacles, with valuable life lessons artfully woven into the story.
Can Nick save the town? Does Nick have secrets? Who or what is the ultimate winner in this story?
The drifter settles in, embraces the small town lifestyle, creates positive energy at the plant, and wins for the football team. The townspeople's excitement and hope are palpable.
I enjoyed the narration from a townsperson's point of view that provided insight into the other characters' personas, pasts, and dreams, immersing the reader into the character and culture of the sleepy town.
Football plays a part in the story, but there is a much deeper meaning to the story. Football seems to be a metaphor for achieving goals by coming together to overcome obstacles, with valuable life lessons artfully woven into the story.
Can Nick save the town? Does Nick have secrets? Who or what is the ultimate winner in this story?
February 4, 2023
I thoughouly enjoyed this book. The style was great, using an unseen, unnamed, all knowing, always present narrator, the plot worked out in a very realistic way, and the characters were fully developed. As I read it, I was reminded in a good way, of something I had read a long time ago about another Ohio town. By the time I was halfway through, I remembered that it was "Winesburg, Ohio" by master storyteller Sherwood Anderson. The story plots are very different, as are the characters, but the style and way of showing them are quite similar. Although they take place a century apart, Mr. Katz shows the human condition in small town USA hasn't changed all that much during that century. Many of us face the same type problems and solve them in the same way. The author shows this in a very uplifting, and to me, surprisingly entertaining manner. I intend to read more from this author!
June 13, 2022
This book isn’t about any great accomplishment; any great happening; anything historical or remarkable or even eventful. No, this is a book about life - ordinary, every day life. But it is just interesting enough to keep you going - all the way to the end. And that is what it is all about. An ending that you didn’t expect. An ending that makes you smile. NO, makes you cheer out loud. To stop and clap and then sit back and say, “I just knew it had to have a really good ending!” And sometimes that is all it needs. P.S. The fact that it takes place in a small town in Ohio along the Ohio River also made it special for me. Something I could easily relate to since that is where I came from - only the Little Miami River vice the mighty Ohio.
July 15, 2021
I loved this story. It was very nostalgic for me as the author totally understood and correctly portrayed the culture of small towns and the honest relationships of people when I was a kid growing up in one of those small, mid-western towns It's a feel-good book with romance, secrets, love, hate, fantastic characters. I enjoyed the way the whole thing is told by one of the townspeople. And the book has a wonderful conclusion. There are lessons to be learned that are skillfully woven into the story. The only negative is that some of the language is rather inappropriate for my taste.
The narrator did a super job which always makes listening a real pleasure.
The narrator did a super job which always makes listening a real pleasure.
June 22, 2021
Third and Long by Bob Katz is a well written story with impressive characters, setting and plot. Word prose is excellent. From the book: “Longview’s economic history had not been an entirely upward trajectory. Unless you count survival as a noteworthy goal.” I enjoyed this story. This book is definitely worth the read. This book was provided to me in the hopes I would read and review it. Appreciate this author's work.
July 10, 2021
Inspiring story
Well written. The story is told from the viewpoint of the people that live in a small Ohio town that has only one substantial business. The business and the town are both going downhill when Nick arrives. Lots of accurate description of small town life and the kinds of people who live there. An interesting read.
Well written. The story is told from the viewpoint of the people that live in a small Ohio town that has only one substantial business. The business and the town are both going downhill when Nick arrives. Lots of accurate description of small town life and the kinds of people who live there. An interesting read.
April 20, 2023
A story like the movie Rudy, but for the coach
This was a very insightful view of life in a small Midwest town, focused on football and the local mill - when a newcomer to town embraces their life and creates positive energy. A heart-warming story, with a sports theme, but ultimately with deeper meaning emerging. I was wonderfully surprised with this gem of a book.
This was a very insightful view of life in a small Midwest town, focused on football and the local mill - when a newcomer to town embraces their life and creates positive energy. A heart-warming story, with a sports theme, but ultimately with deeper meaning emerging. I was wonderfully surprised with this gem of a book.
January 8, 2023
A great read
I loved all the characters in this book and their belief and pride in their hometown. It was they who believed in Nick and purported him as a hero and proved him so, regardless of who he actually was.
A great read for anyone who is seeking to find himself/herself.
I loved all the characters in this book and their belief and pride in their hometown. It was they who believed in Nick and purported him as a hero and proved him so, regardless of who he actually was.
A great read for anyone who is seeking to find himself/herself.
December 4, 2023
Well written
I wasn't sure if I would like this book or not, so I decided to give it a shot. I was very pleasantly surprised. I very much enjoyed this story. It was quite well written. I recommend this book.
I wasn't sure if I would like this book or not, so I decided to give it a shot. I was very pleasantly surprised. I very much enjoyed this story. It was quite well written. I recommend this book.
June 29, 2021
Great book
Could be a movie it was that good! I enjoyed the characters and feel of the small town. I couldn't put it down !
Could be a movie it was that good! I enjoyed the characters and feel of the small town. I couldn't put it down !
August 30, 2021
Pleasantly pedestrian
A simple story, simply told, about simple people in a simple town and how one simple arrival can change everything
A simple story, simply told, about simple people in a simple town and how one simple arrival can change everything
October 9, 2022
Well two stars means "it was okay" and it was. I just didn't find the writing or the story compelling, skipped through to read the end.
February 18, 2023
Not great literature but a touching ending.
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January 21, 2023FREE today (January 5, 2023) on Amazon.
August 4, 2011
One Word Review: YES!
Set in southern Ohio, Third and Long is a story of small-town life, second chances and football. But don't let the football part deter you if, like me, you're not a fan.
Bob Katz gives the job of narrator to the town itself. This put me in mind of cozy setting akin to "The Brick" from Northern Exposure and I heard the voice of Holling Vincoeur as I read.
Third and Long is a joy to read because the narrator is frank and self-deprecating ("He'd attended private schools in Connecticut, which we took to be somewhere near Europe"), and the writing is so vivid ("The stepmom reputed to have the olfactory acuity of a narcotics squad dog"). I found myself re-reading lines and passages over and over just to savor the writing.
Katz had me rooting for the characters and the town and he did not disappoint in the end.
Not only would readers enjoy this book, I think it would make an excellent text for use in high school English classes. High school football is a main focus of the book, making it easy for students to relate. The writing is impeccable, and the setting, plot, characters and resolution would make for good classroom discussion. The only pitfall teachers would encounter is some drug use described in the book.
Disclosure - I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Set in southern Ohio, Third and Long is a story of small-town life, second chances and football. But don't let the football part deter you if, like me, you're not a fan.
Bob Katz gives the job of narrator to the town itself. This put me in mind of cozy setting akin to "The Brick" from Northern Exposure and I heard the voice of Holling Vincoeur as I read.
Third and Long is a joy to read because the narrator is frank and self-deprecating ("He'd attended private schools in Connecticut, which we took to be somewhere near Europe"), and the writing is so vivid ("The stepmom reputed to have the olfactory acuity of a narcotics squad dog"). I found myself re-reading lines and passages over and over just to savor the writing.
Katz had me rooting for the characters and the town and he did not disappoint in the end.
Not only would readers enjoy this book, I think it would make an excellent text for use in high school English classes. High school football is a main focus of the book, making it easy for students to relate. The writing is impeccable, and the setting, plot, characters and resolution would make for good classroom discussion. The only pitfall teachers would encounter is some drug use described in the book.
Disclosure - I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews