What do you think?
Rate this book
Boys Will Be Boys: The Glory Days and Party Nights of the Dallas Cowboys Dynasty
New York Times bestseller From celebrated sports writer Jeff Pearlman, author of The Bad Guys Won, a rollicking, completely unabashed account of the glory days of the legendary Dallas Cowboys They were called America's Team. Led by Emmitt Smith, the charismatic Deion "Prime Time" Sanders, Hall of Famers Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin—and lorded over by swashbuckling, power-hungry owner Jerry Jones and his two hard-living coaches, Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer—the Cowboys seemed indomitable on the football field throughout the 1990s. Off the field the 'Boys were a dysfunctional circus, fueled by ego, sex, drugs, and jaw-dropping excess. What they achieved on game day was astonishing; what they did the rest of the week was unbelievable. Boys Will Be Boys is the story of the Dallas Cowboys in their prime—a team of wild-partying, out-of-control glory-hounds that won three Super Bowls in four years and earned their rightful place in sports lore as the most beloved and despised dynasty in NFL history.
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
292 people are currently reading
4144 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Pearlman
18 books575 followersJeff Pearlman is an American sportswriter. He has written nine books that have appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list: four about football, three on baseball and two about basketball. He authored the 1999 John Rocker interview in Sports Illustrated.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 300 reviews
January 25, 2009
OK, first of all, as a Washington Redskins fan, I fucking hate the Dallas Cowboys. It's something I was raised to do, and they've given me plenty of excuses to maintain that policy in the 25 or so years that I've spent following professional football (I started when I was 5, and I'm 33 now; the missing years in there are the late 90s, when Norv Turner coached the Redskins and hope vanished from the lives of Redskins fans for years. I just couldn't stand to watch for a few years there). The Redskins have never been a star-driven team; instead, they're generally coached by people who believe in old-school smashmouth football, as best personified by Joe Gibbs, who coached the Redskins throughout my childhood and led them to three Super Bowl wins. Back in those days, the Cowboys were coached by aging Hall Of Famer Tom Landry, who'd started out as the defensive coach of the Giants back in the 50s. I hated him too, don't get me wrong, but I could at least respect him. That all changed when I was 13; filthy rich Texas oilman Jerry Jones purchased the Cowboys, fired Landry, and brought in ethically-challenged Miami Hurricanes coach Jimmy Johnson. This is the point at which Dallas really began to justify my hatred for them, and, not at all coincidentally, the starting point of this book.
Author Jeff Pearlman knows that he's latched onto a hell of a narrative here, and he tells the story in high style, detailing the heights of insanity and depths of debauchery that were the hallmark of the 90s Cowboys, even as they took over from the Redskins as the NFC East team most likely to win the Super Bowl in any given year (grumble grumble). Pearlman tells stories you've never heard before, about Troy Aikman battling with the Dallas media, Michael Irvin indulging in drugs and sex for hire, and most notoriously, about monstrous defensive lineman Charles Haley's propensity for indecent exposure, which is one of those truth is stranger than fiction things that's hard to believe for me even after reading so many corroborating quotes, both in this book and in articles about it. Pearlman's narrative is often humorous and ribald, and keeps this book far more entertaining than the most recent football-related book I read, "War As They Knew It". Where that book maintained a studied impartiality and a factual delivery of the history, Pearlman's narrative moves with the emotional tenor of each scene he describes, and keeps the reader emotionally invested in all of them. And I WAS emotionally invested. Even though I was horrified whenever I found myself sympathizing with the Cowboys as a team, I often felt compelled by the stories of individual players. Growing up, I felt a rival fan's instinctive rage and repulsion at the mention of players like Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman, and Emmitt Smith, but at various points while reading this book, I found myself concerned about them, and how their stories would turn out. All of them came off, in the end, as standup guys, even if some (Irvin) had quite a few personal demons to struggle with.
On the other hand, a couple of the biggest players in this story did not come off as standup guys. Jerry Jones has always seemed to me like a guy with more money than sense, at least where football is concerned, and "Boys Will Be Boys" makes it abundantly clear that Jones indeed values his ego above the success of his team as a whole. He doesn't know when to delegate, and has made a career out of drafting players that go bust in a hurry. Of course, Redskins owner Dan Snyder has problems of his own in this area--while he's not his own general manager, he does employ his best friend, Vinny Cerrato, in this position, which has largely the same results--but that being said, the Redskins still aren't nearly as likely to reach for high maintenance prima donna veterans that have been run off from other ball clubs due to behavioral problems as Jerry Jones is. There were stories in the book of him behaving this way with Deion Sanders and others that very closely parallel his more recent escapades with Terrell Owens and Adam "Pacman" Jones. Some things never change, I suppose. All of that having been said, Jerry Jones, to his credit, at least seems like a nice enough guy on a personal level. Jimmy Johnson comes off like a flaming asshole throughout this book. He may have been a good coach, and the record shows that he indeed was, especially considering the shape of the Dallas club that he took over in 1989, after a few years of Tom Landry's obvious decline. That said, he was such a poisonous figure in the team's makeup that he eventually got fired after winning the Super Bowl for the second straight year. That's how little he was liked by the end.
If I go on, this entry will become (even more of) a rant against the Dallas Cowboys, though, so I should probably just stop here. This is a great book. If you like football, you should read it. This is especially true because, regardless of what team you root for, you probably have a very strong opinion about the Cowboys. They're the New York Yankees of football, and for very good reason. Thankfully, they're also an incredibly entertaining team to read about, and it seems like no one could have told the story of their 90s-era rise and fall than Jeff Pearlman has done here. Don't miss this one.
[NOTE: This review would have received 5 stars, but I can't bear to give perfect marks to any book about the fucking Dallas Cowboys, whom I hate and will continue to hate, always and forever, world without end, amen.
Just sayin.]
Author Jeff Pearlman knows that he's latched onto a hell of a narrative here, and he tells the story in high style, detailing the heights of insanity and depths of debauchery that were the hallmark of the 90s Cowboys, even as they took over from the Redskins as the NFC East team most likely to win the Super Bowl in any given year (grumble grumble). Pearlman tells stories you've never heard before, about Troy Aikman battling with the Dallas media, Michael Irvin indulging in drugs and sex for hire, and most notoriously, about monstrous defensive lineman Charles Haley's propensity for indecent exposure, which is one of those truth is stranger than fiction things that's hard to believe for me even after reading so many corroborating quotes, both in this book and in articles about it. Pearlman's narrative is often humorous and ribald, and keeps this book far more entertaining than the most recent football-related book I read, "War As They Knew It". Where that book maintained a studied impartiality and a factual delivery of the history, Pearlman's narrative moves with the emotional tenor of each scene he describes, and keeps the reader emotionally invested in all of them. And I WAS emotionally invested. Even though I was horrified whenever I found myself sympathizing with the Cowboys as a team, I often felt compelled by the stories of individual players. Growing up, I felt a rival fan's instinctive rage and repulsion at the mention of players like Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman, and Emmitt Smith, but at various points while reading this book, I found myself concerned about them, and how their stories would turn out. All of them came off, in the end, as standup guys, even if some (Irvin) had quite a few personal demons to struggle with.
On the other hand, a couple of the biggest players in this story did not come off as standup guys. Jerry Jones has always seemed to me like a guy with more money than sense, at least where football is concerned, and "Boys Will Be Boys" makes it abundantly clear that Jones indeed values his ego above the success of his team as a whole. He doesn't know when to delegate, and has made a career out of drafting players that go bust in a hurry. Of course, Redskins owner Dan Snyder has problems of his own in this area--while he's not his own general manager, he does employ his best friend, Vinny Cerrato, in this position, which has largely the same results--but that being said, the Redskins still aren't nearly as likely to reach for high maintenance prima donna veterans that have been run off from other ball clubs due to behavioral problems as Jerry Jones is. There were stories in the book of him behaving this way with Deion Sanders and others that very closely parallel his more recent escapades with Terrell Owens and Adam "Pacman" Jones. Some things never change, I suppose. All of that having been said, Jerry Jones, to his credit, at least seems like a nice enough guy on a personal level. Jimmy Johnson comes off like a flaming asshole throughout this book. He may have been a good coach, and the record shows that he indeed was, especially considering the shape of the Dallas club that he took over in 1989, after a few years of Tom Landry's obvious decline. That said, he was such a poisonous figure in the team's makeup that he eventually got fired after winning the Super Bowl for the second straight year. That's how little he was liked by the end.
If I go on, this entry will become (even more of) a rant against the Dallas Cowboys, though, so I should probably just stop here. This is a great book. If you like football, you should read it. This is especially true because, regardless of what team you root for, you probably have a very strong opinion about the Cowboys. They're the New York Yankees of football, and for very good reason. Thankfully, they're also an incredibly entertaining team to read about, and it seems like no one could have told the story of their 90s-era rise and fall than Jeff Pearlman has done here. Don't miss this one.
[NOTE: This review would have received 5 stars, but I can't bear to give perfect marks to any book about the fucking Dallas Cowboys, whom I hate and will continue to hate, always and forever, world without end, amen.
Just sayin.]
December 31, 2008
I learned that Michael Irvin is a crazy mofo, Troy Aikman is as dumb as I thought, Jerry Jones is an egoistical idiot and Charles Haley masturbates during team meetings. So there, also I hate that as a society hold up professional athletes on a pedestal. There are many stand up guys, but many are also thugs, hoodlums, and sociopaths that believe they are above not just the law, but normal human decency. Pay teachers, fireman, policeman, not these pampered primadonnas.
January 14, 2009
This was an interesting book, and I enjoyed reading it. It gave a lot of insight to what went on during a specific time with the Dallas cowboys. What I learned from this book: they were mostly (a few exceptions) drunks, druggies, cheaters (on their partners), womanizers, had big egos, and some were just plain Aholes. I guess it wasn't a total surprise, but I didn't know how bad it really was. Makes me wonder how different things are today...
February 9, 2017
5-stars
I thought this was a real treat--a total must-read for Dallas Cowboy fans of the 90s.
I thought this was a real treat--a total must-read for Dallas Cowboy fans of the 90s.
March 10, 2019
If you'll excuse the cliché: this is one of those true stories that, if it had been fiction, would have been universally regarded as too absurd and over-the-top to be believable. Yet here we are!
A football book would quickly become interminable if its story centered on one man in shiny pants throwing a ball to another man in shiny pants. That's not the part of athletics that truly compels us. Our conversations are most often concerned with the dissatisfaction of the star wide receiver, or the redemption of a player pinning his hopes upon a second chance. The human drama that circulates between and above the Xs and Os is the real reason to pay attention.
Pearlman understands this well, and uses the in-game details primarily to contextualize the illicitness that unfolded outside the hashmarks. Those events don't need to be recounted here (anyone with a passing interest in this story can likely imagine them, or has read about them). They have the classic arc of many moral dramas: an ambitious group achieves success and fame, then becomes enamored with the trappings of being on top of the world. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, these distractions chip away at the cohesiveness of the whole until the entire enterprise becomes destabilized and falls apart. This is almost a fundamental property of physics: we see it in the way that water seeps into rock, freezes, expands, and breaks it apart from within. It's what made the Grand Canyon!
It would be easy (and ultimately missing the point) to walk away from this sordid tale levying disgust at the individuals who commit so many acts of selfishness. Not that they necessarily deserve our respect or forgiveness, but the true revelation here is that this is almost an emergent property of competition, particularly in the context where this takes place.
We can easily witness, on any given Sunday, between any two NFL teams, financial gain at the expense of personal well being; a dependence on narcotics; and, most perniciously, a delegation of women to roles of sexual exploitation or irrelevance. Shouldn't we expect to witness the same off the field as well?
It also doesn't take a genius to point out that this is not merely playing out in our favorite sport, but is also readily observable in our nation itself. The United States has well documented problems with unfettered capital acquisition, drug addiction, and its treatment of women. This is also why the NFL is worth watching. It is not merely an affected and superficial drama, but a mirror that we hold up towards ourselves.
The most compelling figure at the center of all of this is Michael Irvin, who serves a redemptive role at the book's close. It's here where we finally get a taste of contrition and maturation from the detritus of all that has been wrought. Throughout the book, Irvin serves as the most relatable and sympathetic characters. It's quite powerful to witness him openly admit to his children that he cannot look his them in the eye and point to himself as an example of how to "do things right". After having achieved so much success, it's a somber expression of the negative consequences that can emanate from the pinnacles of success.
A football book would quickly become interminable if its story centered on one man in shiny pants throwing a ball to another man in shiny pants. That's not the part of athletics that truly compels us. Our conversations are most often concerned with the dissatisfaction of the star wide receiver, or the redemption of a player pinning his hopes upon a second chance. The human drama that circulates between and above the Xs and Os is the real reason to pay attention.
Pearlman understands this well, and uses the in-game details primarily to contextualize the illicitness that unfolded outside the hashmarks. Those events don't need to be recounted here (anyone with a passing interest in this story can likely imagine them, or has read about them). They have the classic arc of many moral dramas: an ambitious group achieves success and fame, then becomes enamored with the trappings of being on top of the world. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, these distractions chip away at the cohesiveness of the whole until the entire enterprise becomes destabilized and falls apart. This is almost a fundamental property of physics: we see it in the way that water seeps into rock, freezes, expands, and breaks it apart from within. It's what made the Grand Canyon!
It would be easy (and ultimately missing the point) to walk away from this sordid tale levying disgust at the individuals who commit so many acts of selfishness. Not that they necessarily deserve our respect or forgiveness, but the true revelation here is that this is almost an emergent property of competition, particularly in the context where this takes place.
We can easily witness, on any given Sunday, between any two NFL teams, financial gain at the expense of personal well being; a dependence on narcotics; and, most perniciously, a delegation of women to roles of sexual exploitation or irrelevance. Shouldn't we expect to witness the same off the field as well?
It also doesn't take a genius to point out that this is not merely playing out in our favorite sport, but is also readily observable in our nation itself. The United States has well documented problems with unfettered capital acquisition, drug addiction, and its treatment of women. This is also why the NFL is worth watching. It is not merely an affected and superficial drama, but a mirror that we hold up towards ourselves.
The most compelling figure at the center of all of this is Michael Irvin, who serves a redemptive role at the book's close. It's here where we finally get a taste of contrition and maturation from the detritus of all that has been wrought. Throughout the book, Irvin serves as the most relatable and sympathetic characters. It's quite powerful to witness him openly admit to his children that he cannot look his them in the eye and point to himself as an example of how to "do things right". After having achieved so much success, it's a somber expression of the negative consequences that can emanate from the pinnacles of success.
April 16, 2010
The content is very entertaining and eye opening. My Dad's a big Cowboys fan so I followed this team in my early teens. I remember thinking of the on-field edition of Charles Haley being a "stabilizing veteran influence". Wow. Youth memories destroyed. Still, I try not to judge and I like the Cowboys. It seems the best way to really enjoy this book is if you're a Giants, Redskins, 49ers or Eagles fan and need fuel for some anti Cowboy tirades. I like these kind of trashy wild behind the scenes books but the writer is a bit of a hack. He'll describe a 10 point victory as a blowout in one chapter and a narrow victory in another. He uses a lot of snarky references (some football related, some not) and tries to shoehorn a redemption for Michael Irvin in at the end vis-a-vis his Hall of Fame induction. I'm not sure sometimes if he's trying to vilify or exonerate many of the Cowboys.
November 20, 2008
a couple of great stories in the earlier chapters. it gets boring later on. the story on kevin mitchell and how the mets trashed airplanes make it a must read.
July 26, 2011
At being a well-written work of non-fiction with a cohesive narrative, Jeff Pearlman's "Boys Will Be Boys" fails miserably.
As an unctuous, salacious trove of juicy, gossipy tidbits, it excels. Whether by conscious design or by accident, "Boys Will Be Boys" should appeal to the Dallas Cowboys' fans and haters alike. Though this is a good thing, it is the product of bad writing.
No half-way informed fan of the NFL will come away from "Boys Will Be Boys" with any significantly altered opinion of the key players of Dallas' early 90s dynasty years. Michael Irvin as brash womanizer, Jerry Jones & Jimmy Johnson as conflicted egos, Barry Switzer as well-meaning yokel out of his depth--these aren't exactly recently-unearthed nuggets of information.
Pearlman has made a career out of publishing books examining the supposedly surprising depravity of famous athletes--the 1986 Mets, Barry Bonds, the Dallas Cowboys, and recently, Roger Clemens. That the coddled athlete with millions of dollars and fame thrust upon him will then go hog-wild with little or no supervision is a truism. The bulk of what is proffered here as new information really only concerns the sordid details of the Cowboys' depravity; the depravity itself is old news, the particulars are not.
That being said, the particulars of the 1990s Dallas Cowboys are a sight to behold (or at least, imagine).
Whether it's Michael Irvin's exploits as a "Hall of Fame hoochie magnet", Emmitt Smith's giving copies of his own autobiography to teammates as Christmas presents, Jerry Jones' offering attractive females a chance to ride in his private jet so that he could "take them to heaven", Barry Switzer drunkenly kicking player personnel director Larry Lacewell while Lacewell was urinating in public in the nights leading up to Super Bowl XXX, a Snickers bar popping out of Nate Newton's pants mid-game, or Charles Haley being...Charles Haley.
Ah, Charles Haley.
Really, an entire book should be devoted to the insane, manic-depressive exploits of Charles Haley. As one of the best pure pass rushers to ever play in the NFL (and owner of 5 Super Bowl rings to prove it), Haley presents an interesting test case for what amount of bizarre, anti-social behavior will be tolerated in trade for one's talent.
Whenever Haley was in the 49ers or Cowboys team facilities, there was always the likelihood that he'd pull out his penis and show it to anyone fortunate enough to cross his path. After one game he ripped out his IV and attacked George Seifert and then, Steve Young, who Haley tamely referred to as "a motherfucking pussy faggot quarterback!" He left a team meeting to take a shit, then wiped his ass and threw the soiled paper at a coach. He cut the top out of Tim Harris' convertible BMW and urinated on the steering wheel. He rode his motorcycle into the front of former Cowboy Randy White's restaurant, and was knocked out cold by White. He had his head shoved through a glass window by Chad Hennings. He laid on the floor at the front of a team film session, pulled a blanket over himself, and said "Wake me up when #94 comes on". At the White House, Haley whispered into Bill Clinton's ear that another Cowboy who'd just shaken his hand was bisexual. And on, and on, and on.
If Haley didn't really exist, surely some clever writer of fiction would have to create him. Fortunately for Jeff Pearlman, who is neither a clever writer, nor a writer of fiction, all that "Boys Will Be Boys" required was a tape recorder and a transcriber.
As an unctuous, salacious trove of juicy, gossipy tidbits, it excels. Whether by conscious design or by accident, "Boys Will Be Boys" should appeal to the Dallas Cowboys' fans and haters alike. Though this is a good thing, it is the product of bad writing.
No half-way informed fan of the NFL will come away from "Boys Will Be Boys" with any significantly altered opinion of the key players of Dallas' early 90s dynasty years. Michael Irvin as brash womanizer, Jerry Jones & Jimmy Johnson as conflicted egos, Barry Switzer as well-meaning yokel out of his depth--these aren't exactly recently-unearthed nuggets of information.
Pearlman has made a career out of publishing books examining the supposedly surprising depravity of famous athletes--the 1986 Mets, Barry Bonds, the Dallas Cowboys, and recently, Roger Clemens. That the coddled athlete with millions of dollars and fame thrust upon him will then go hog-wild with little or no supervision is a truism. The bulk of what is proffered here as new information really only concerns the sordid details of the Cowboys' depravity; the depravity itself is old news, the particulars are not.
That being said, the particulars of the 1990s Dallas Cowboys are a sight to behold (or at least, imagine).
Whether it's Michael Irvin's exploits as a "Hall of Fame hoochie magnet", Emmitt Smith's giving copies of his own autobiography to teammates as Christmas presents, Jerry Jones' offering attractive females a chance to ride in his private jet so that he could "take them to heaven", Barry Switzer drunkenly kicking player personnel director Larry Lacewell while Lacewell was urinating in public in the nights leading up to Super Bowl XXX, a Snickers bar popping out of Nate Newton's pants mid-game, or Charles Haley being...Charles Haley.
Ah, Charles Haley.
Really, an entire book should be devoted to the insane, manic-depressive exploits of Charles Haley. As one of the best pure pass rushers to ever play in the NFL (and owner of 5 Super Bowl rings to prove it), Haley presents an interesting test case for what amount of bizarre, anti-social behavior will be tolerated in trade for one's talent.
Whenever Haley was in the 49ers or Cowboys team facilities, there was always the likelihood that he'd pull out his penis and show it to anyone fortunate enough to cross his path. After one game he ripped out his IV and attacked George Seifert and then, Steve Young, who Haley tamely referred to as "a motherfucking pussy faggot quarterback!" He left a team meeting to take a shit, then wiped his ass and threw the soiled paper at a coach. He cut the top out of Tim Harris' convertible BMW and urinated on the steering wheel. He rode his motorcycle into the front of former Cowboy Randy White's restaurant, and was knocked out cold by White. He had his head shoved through a glass window by Chad Hennings. He laid on the floor at the front of a team film session, pulled a blanket over himself, and said "Wake me up when #94 comes on". At the White House, Haley whispered into Bill Clinton's ear that another Cowboy who'd just shaken his hand was bisexual. And on, and on, and on.
If Haley didn't really exist, surely some clever writer of fiction would have to create him. Fortunately for Jeff Pearlman, who is neither a clever writer, nor a writer of fiction, all that "Boys Will Be Boys" required was a tape recorder and a transcriber.
July 18, 2022
I sat down one Saturday to read Boys Will Be Boys, about the 1990 Dallas Cowboys, and couldn’t put it down. This book chronicles the hard partying team that won three Super Bowls in four years and is definitively the team of the 1990’s.
Given the drinking, drugs, women, and super hard partying this team engaged in during their run in the 1990’s it is simply amazing that they were able to win championships. I’m not sure if it is a testament to just what phenomenal athletes these men were, or their dedication to football and winning despite their debauched lifestyle off the field. According to this book it seems nearly the entire team, with the exception of a few like stars like Troy Aikman, were engaged in a wild years long party off the field, while racking up wins and championships off of it.
Michael Irvin, the Hall of Fame wide receiver and guard Nate Newton appear to be the ringleaders of this band of imbibers. Of course Irvin has been busted enough times with drugs and women that it comes as no surprise. What is surprising is just how pervasive the lifestyle was. Certainly we all know there are a handful of players on every team that lead pretty wild lifestyles, but how a team that seemed to be immersed so deeply in drinking and womanizing (and presumably other illicit activities as well) could be so successful is really amazing.
Another completely bizarre character is defensive end Charles Haley. Basically run out of San Francisco by his teammates for his horrible behavior, he nearly fit right in with the Dallas Cowboys. This nasty fellow was known for exposing himself to his teammates and constantly harassing them and stirring up trouble. Only professional athletes could ever get by with the horrendous behavior and bizarre antics of Haley.
There is also plenty of other inside information about the 1990 Cowboys. We learn more about Troy Aikman and his leadership on the field. And of course there is great detail about coach Jimmy Johnson who turned a blind eye to off field behaviors as long as the team kept winning. We follow how he turned a losing team into a powerhouse with adroit drafting, his arrogant yet winning ways, and his falling out with owner Jerry Jones, when two Texas sized egos found they could not coexist. We also get a view of the inevitable decline after the inept blowhard Barry Switzer took over as head coach.
All in all this was a wildly informative book about a wild but winning team.
Given the drinking, drugs, women, and super hard partying this team engaged in during their run in the 1990’s it is simply amazing that they were able to win championships. I’m not sure if it is a testament to just what phenomenal athletes these men were, or their dedication to football and winning despite their debauched lifestyle off the field. According to this book it seems nearly the entire team, with the exception of a few like stars like Troy Aikman, were engaged in a wild years long party off the field, while racking up wins and championships off of it.
Michael Irvin, the Hall of Fame wide receiver and guard Nate Newton appear to be the ringleaders of this band of imbibers. Of course Irvin has been busted enough times with drugs and women that it comes as no surprise. What is surprising is just how pervasive the lifestyle was. Certainly we all know there are a handful of players on every team that lead pretty wild lifestyles, but how a team that seemed to be immersed so deeply in drinking and womanizing (and presumably other illicit activities as well) could be so successful is really amazing.
Another completely bizarre character is defensive end Charles Haley. Basically run out of San Francisco by his teammates for his horrible behavior, he nearly fit right in with the Dallas Cowboys. This nasty fellow was known for exposing himself to his teammates and constantly harassing them and stirring up trouble. Only professional athletes could ever get by with the horrendous behavior and bizarre antics of Haley.
There is also plenty of other inside information about the 1990 Cowboys. We learn more about Troy Aikman and his leadership on the field. And of course there is great detail about coach Jimmy Johnson who turned a blind eye to off field behaviors as long as the team kept winning. We follow how he turned a losing team into a powerhouse with adroit drafting, his arrogant yet winning ways, and his falling out with owner Jerry Jones, when two Texas sized egos found they could not coexist. We also get a view of the inevitable decline after the inept blowhard Barry Switzer took over as head coach.
All in all this was a wildly informative book about a wild but winning team.
December 7, 2012
Charles Haley has a gigantic penis. And he likes to slap people with it. This is one of the many entertaining anecdotes you will learn if you read this book. It is a well-told, often gripping look at the wild and strange personalities that somehow combined for three super bowls on the 90's Dallas Cowboys. Pearlman paints an interesting picture of how success and fame can tear down a franchise, especially one with egos as large as this particular team. It is also incredible to learn what rich and famous athletes can get away with. For every headline on espn.com about athlete X getting caught with a prostitute, or drugs, or both, it seems there are probably hundreds more doing the same thing but not getting caught.
Pearlman is a pretty solid writer - but I had two minor gripes. One, his favorite kind of sentence is a one paragraph sentence.
Like this one.
Or this one.
And he seems to think this adds immensely to the drama of his story, so he employs this tactic probably half-a-dozen times per chapter. Well, Jeff, you may think that makes the story more exciting.
It doesn't.
Also, this is sort of a football technicality gripe - but Pearlman talks about the decadent ways that brought down America's team, and tries to back this up with what happened in the on field action. Overall, he's probably right, the lack of eventually lead to this team's demise. But Pearlman wants this downfall to match up a little too neatly with the off the field drama he is writing about. So he'll write something like, "With Newton's arrest, the distraught Cowboys struggled to a 17-3 win over the lowly Cardinals." And I'm like, 17-3 sounds like a pretty solid win, Jeff.
Anyways, I'm picking nits. This was breezy, juicy, sports reading about a team etched in the consciousness of any football fan. Easily 3 star worthy.
Charles Haley has a big penis.
Pearlman is a pretty solid writer - but I had two minor gripes. One, his favorite kind of sentence is a one paragraph sentence.
Like this one.
Or this one.
And he seems to think this adds immensely to the drama of his story, so he employs this tactic probably half-a-dozen times per chapter. Well, Jeff, you may think that makes the story more exciting.
It doesn't.
Also, this is sort of a football technicality gripe - but Pearlman talks about the decadent ways that brought down America's team, and tries to back this up with what happened in the on field action. Overall, he's probably right, the lack of eventually lead to this team's demise. But Pearlman wants this downfall to match up a little too neatly with the off the field drama he is writing about. So he'll write something like, "With Newton's arrest, the distraught Cowboys struggled to a 17-3 win over the lowly Cardinals." And I'm like, 17-3 sounds like a pretty solid win, Jeff.
Anyways, I'm picking nits. This was breezy, juicy, sports reading about a team etched in the consciousness of any football fan. Easily 3 star worthy.
Charles Haley has a big penis.
September 24, 2008
I am a New York Giants fan who has always hated the Dallas Cowboys with a passion ever since I started watching football. Back in the 70's, it always seemed that America's Team would rain holy crap on our men in blue. Of course they did that to other teams too.
The original America's Team had an American hero, Roger Staubach, at quarterback and numerous straight-laced players and coaches. Rebels, like Duane Thomas, Clint Longley and Thoman "Hollywood" Henderson played within the Dallas system, but all of them were discarded after a more obedient player came along.
The Cowboys of Jimmy Johnson were bigger winners than America's Team, but they were characters of a different, and more dangerous kind. This book brought that to detailed reality.
This is the best Cowboys book for Cowboy haters--bar none
The original America's Team had an American hero, Roger Staubach, at quarterback and numerous straight-laced players and coaches. Rebels, like Duane Thomas, Clint Longley and Thoman "Hollywood" Henderson played within the Dallas system, but all of them were discarded after a more obedient player came along.
The Cowboys of Jimmy Johnson were bigger winners than America's Team, but they were characters of a different, and more dangerous kind. This book brought that to detailed reality.
This is the best Cowboys book for Cowboy haters--bar none
November 13, 2018
I sometimes forget how much I enjoy reading books about sports, athletic events, sports figures and heroes, and the grab ass that happens in that world. This book is more a chronicle of the personalities and quirks of the players on the 1990 Dallas Cowboys. The games and some highlights are in there of course but the majority of the book tells how the players lived and personally reacted to their lives as sports icons. I found it to be a pretty easy, enjoyable, fast read but I think I have a preference for more wholesome narrations like the Jackie Robinson story or Sandy Koufax. I know, I hear the groans in the back there, and it's true, those two figures I just mentioned had stories that were probably kept clean for the audience, but this book would have been better if there was a more wholesome atmosphere included. Don't get me wrong. There was some, but not enough to give me that uplifted feeling you get when you read about a hero in any environment who against odds succeeds and wears a white hat so to speak. For me, that would have made a better book here. I did enjoy it though. And the excesses and giant egos and the things they allowed themselves to do in their lives as idols were something I sometimes seek out. If you look for that yourself, you will like this book. Even as a sportsfan I think you will like this book. It comes off as all very believable.
January 29, 2025
Ok I can see why people don’t like Jerry Jones. I don’t have the same level of distaste for the Cowboys as others and yes, the 90s were a different time all together, but this was like hearing about the weirdest/raunchiest parts of a frat party if they were funded by a multimillionaire.
I liked hearing not only about the history of the players and their lifestyles before and after becoming a Cowboy, but also some of Jerry Jones’s history and some of the other dudes who have been in the game for awhile. I hadn’t known Belichick had coached in Cleveland. And man would history have been different if Jerry was actually able to buy the Chargers.
The coaching situation in Dallas makes no sense to me and it doesn’t seem to make sense to literally anyone else. The sex-capades and weirdness that happened in the locker room….weird. Also crazy that the players could choose which American flight attendants they wanted attending their flights and that being single was a requirement for them if they wanted to fly with the players.
This was a long book and at times, I considered skimming a little but there were honestly so many wild things happening that it kept me hooked. I’d say walking away from this book, I probably have a lower view of how I see the Dallas organization after reading this. Hopefully the culture has evolved with the times since the 90s but I doubt Jerry has
I liked hearing not only about the history of the players and their lifestyles before and after becoming a Cowboy, but also some of Jerry Jones’s history and some of the other dudes who have been in the game for awhile. I hadn’t known Belichick had coached in Cleveland. And man would history have been different if Jerry was actually able to buy the Chargers.
The coaching situation in Dallas makes no sense to me and it doesn’t seem to make sense to literally anyone else. The sex-capades and weirdness that happened in the locker room….weird. Also crazy that the players could choose which American flight attendants they wanted attending their flights and that being single was a requirement for them if they wanted to fly with the players.
This was a long book and at times, I considered skimming a little but there were honestly so many wild things happening that it kept me hooked. I’d say walking away from this book, I probably have a lower view of how I see the Dallas organization after reading this. Hopefully the culture has evolved with the times since the 90s but I doubt Jerry has
November 28, 2019
As a kid born in Milwaukee but had relocated to Dallas in 1975 when I was 6, I hated the Dallas Cowboys and the whole "America's Team" label (no one asked the rest of America about that). After leaving Dallas in 1984, I moved back toTX again during the 1990s Cowboys dynasty. I hated them even more back then. At least Tom Landry was classy and Christian; Jerry Jones was a sleazy oil man. Or so I thought.
My wife found this book at a library book sale and bought it for my oldest son who loves football. I decided to read it first. I'm glad I did because 1) this book showed the human side of Jones, Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin, along with lesser known Cowboys such as Robert Jones. Yes, there was lots of excessive partying, womanizing, drugs, and alcohol. However, there were also stories of how the team dynamics contributed to the rise and eventual fall of that dynasty.
I highly recommend this book, whether you love or hate the Dallas Cowboys.
My wife found this book at a library book sale and bought it for my oldest son who loves football. I decided to read it first. I'm glad I did because 1) this book showed the human side of Jones, Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin, along with lesser known Cowboys such as Robert Jones. Yes, there was lots of excessive partying, womanizing, drugs, and alcohol. However, there were also stories of how the team dynamics contributed to the rise and eventual fall of that dynasty.
I highly recommend this book, whether you love or hate the Dallas Cowboys.
June 21, 2024
I was born in 1987, which means that I was far too young to remember the freight train that was the Dallas Cowboys of the 1990s. I, like many football fans, knew of the greatness of Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith, and Troy Aikman but didn't know the full story like I might know other dynasties that were born after the year 2000.
Pearlman does an amazing job of chronicling the success on the field, the chaos off the field, and the ego clash in the executive suite at Texas Stadium.
What this story ultimately boils down to, and the way Pearlman wrote it, is that of a power struggle between two very powerful men: Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones. The story weaves in and out of this general theme and the reader is left captivated even if they know the ultimate outcome.
This is a story of football of course. But also one of ego, infidelity, loose morality, and the perils of Fame and fortune. This is a must read for any football fan, much like just about any of Pearlman's books are. Pick this one up and don't think twice.
Pearlman does an amazing job of chronicling the success on the field, the chaos off the field, and the ego clash in the executive suite at Texas Stadium.
What this story ultimately boils down to, and the way Pearlman wrote it, is that of a power struggle between two very powerful men: Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones. The story weaves in and out of this general theme and the reader is left captivated even if they know the ultimate outcome.
This is a story of football of course. But also one of ego, infidelity, loose morality, and the perils of Fame and fortune. This is a must read for any football fan, much like just about any of Pearlman's books are. Pick this one up and don't think twice.
July 18, 2022
Lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan since I was a child in the '70's. Especially enjoyed being a fan when they reached the storied success of the 90's. You saw the stories on the news and the other events of that period are well-documented. This book digs deeper and gives greater insight into the rise and fall of the Cowboys dynasty.
June 25, 2023
This book is straight up bananas , stunned these things actually happened
February 18, 2025
Another Pearlman gem.
May 19, 2025
This year’s going to be our year
October 9, 2025
I hate the Cowboys and thoroughly enjoyed this book! Boy did they do some shit in the 90s! Jerry inserted himself in decisions after Jimmy left and then the drought began! Gotta love it!
June 21, 2025
Now I know why Klay hates Jerry Jones so much.
February 16, 2021
Everything about Pearlman's work is near flawless, but perhaps the finest part is Pearlman's understated and poignant closing acknowledgments section.
October 20, 2021
This team was filled with some very talented people who showed a lack of respect for everyone around them - women were objects, teammates were treated with violence, laws were broken over and over and wives and kids were seen as hassles.
All this bad behavior and for wait - three Super Bowls? I mean, who cares how many rings you have if you are a repellant human being?
All this being said, Jeff Pearlman is a great writer.
All this bad behavior and for wait - three Super Bowls? I mean, who cares how many rings you have if you are a repellant human being?
All this being said, Jeff Pearlman is a great writer.
September 5, 2022
I’ve never been a fan of the Cowboys, but Jeff Pearlman is a national treasure. Like “The Bad Guys Won,” this is another great peak behind the curtain of a morally flawed championship team. This was a very interesting read, and I would highly recommend
April 29, 2018
Tough Look at the ‘Real’ ‘90s Dallas Cowboys
Look, I’ve loved the Dallas Cowboys all my life. My parents know you never, ever joke about my Boys. In fact, when I was 10 years old, they blessed me (a girl!) with the much sought-after Cowboys-Dolphins electric football game for Christmas. I grew up admiring Roger “The Dodger” Staubach for faithfully serving his country before serving the Cowboys on the field—and he remains my life hero today. Troy Aikman won my heart tallying Super Bowl successes during the early ‘90s. I’ll defend Tony Romo’s statistics til my voice is gone, and it hurt my heart to watch this Cowboy have to ride away. But I got it—Tony understood he had to make room for the new QB to win. Which is why my new Cowboys hero is our new QB...Dak “Attack” Prescott. I could list more respected names (Drew Pearson, Sean Lee, recently retired Jason Witten), but I really want you to understand my deep devotion to the Cowboys.
That’s why Boys Will Be Boys was so hard to swallow. I heard whispers of players walking on the wild side, but turned a blind eye to it. Then here’s this book on the ‘90s that details so many Stars—players AND coaches—as blatantly egotistical sex/drug/alcohol addicts. GM Jerry Jones not only knew what was going on, but participated in the debauchery. HC Jimmy Johnson...wow, the level of cruelty and utter disregard for professional football players was shocking. He and his lead QB—Aikman—never really talked. At all. Jimmy still thinks Steve Walsh and Steve Buerlein were better than Troy. Huh? The head coach got up on the wrong side of the bed every day. He threw chairs at people (Bobby Knight, anyone?), maniacally cussed out players and coaches, kicked off the team any minions who were late to or fell asleep during meetings (but not the superstars, of course). On and on. Jimmy was a dictator and spread damage everywhere. Barry Switzer was the opposite—Mr No Discipline. He would miss practices to watch his son play football and joined in on the SB White House parties. A very drunk joke. Yes, the Cowboys were still winning, but behind the curtain the team was falling apart. And you wonder why so many NFL fans mocked America’s Team then...and still do (i.e., Philly’s David Akers, 2018 draft).
Well, despite this illuminating book, I’m not throwing in the towel. I’ll still be a card-carrying member of Cowboys Nation and will loudly cheer for them every season like I always have. Just wish I didn’t know now what I didn’t think about then. Glad the player who wore #12 has never disappointed me. Roger, you’re still my life hero. :) Let’s Go Cowboys!!
Look, I’ve loved the Dallas Cowboys all my life. My parents know you never, ever joke about my Boys. In fact, when I was 10 years old, they blessed me (a girl!) with the much sought-after Cowboys-Dolphins electric football game for Christmas. I grew up admiring Roger “The Dodger” Staubach for faithfully serving his country before serving the Cowboys on the field—and he remains my life hero today. Troy Aikman won my heart tallying Super Bowl successes during the early ‘90s. I’ll defend Tony Romo’s statistics til my voice is gone, and it hurt my heart to watch this Cowboy have to ride away. But I got it—Tony understood he had to make room for the new QB to win. Which is why my new Cowboys hero is our new QB...Dak “Attack” Prescott. I could list more respected names (Drew Pearson, Sean Lee, recently retired Jason Witten), but I really want you to understand my deep devotion to the Cowboys.
That’s why Boys Will Be Boys was so hard to swallow. I heard whispers of players walking on the wild side, but turned a blind eye to it. Then here’s this book on the ‘90s that details so many Stars—players AND coaches—as blatantly egotistical sex/drug/alcohol addicts. GM Jerry Jones not only knew what was going on, but participated in the debauchery. HC Jimmy Johnson...wow, the level of cruelty and utter disregard for professional football players was shocking. He and his lead QB—Aikman—never really talked. At all. Jimmy still thinks Steve Walsh and Steve Buerlein were better than Troy. Huh? The head coach got up on the wrong side of the bed every day. He threw chairs at people (Bobby Knight, anyone?), maniacally cussed out players and coaches, kicked off the team any minions who were late to or fell asleep during meetings (but not the superstars, of course). On and on. Jimmy was a dictator and spread damage everywhere. Barry Switzer was the opposite—Mr No Discipline. He would miss practices to watch his son play football and joined in on the SB White House parties. A very drunk joke. Yes, the Cowboys were still winning, but behind the curtain the team was falling apart. And you wonder why so many NFL fans mocked America’s Team then...and still do (i.e., Philly’s David Akers, 2018 draft).
Well, despite this illuminating book, I’m not throwing in the towel. I’ll still be a card-carrying member of Cowboys Nation and will loudly cheer for them every season like I always have. Just wish I didn’t know now what I didn’t think about then. Glad the player who wore #12 has never disappointed me. Roger, you’re still my life hero. :) Let’s Go Cowboys!!
November 15, 2018
A real treat for fans who grew up watching the 90s Cowboys, but it’s like finding out America wasn’t always the good guy once you actually delve into the details of history. Sure, you saw some of their misdeeds in news stories at the time, but so much went unreported. I can’t believe such a classless bunch of people, with some exceptions, brought so much joy to my life. Ugh! Glad some of them found Jesus or whatever and at least became better people later in life. That’s a great life lesson right there. Party it up like a mofo while you can, and become pious when you’re past your hard rockin’ glory days and can settle into a comfortable, stable life, reaping the rewards of the mofo lifestyle till ya die! HOW ‘BOUT THEM COWBOYS!
April 21, 2009
Whatever. It did a lot of things...none well at all. It wasn't salacious enough, didn't delve deeply enough into the tactical aspect of the Cowboys' reign, didn't attempt to mine the personalities of the players, coaches and owner to make some sort of conclusion about their success, or success on the football field in general, or just plain ol' success.
And what a hack this guy is. Jesus Christ. Sportswriting by someone who can actually WRITE (Updike, Ford and King to name three off the top of my head) is rare and precious. This book was a waste of my time but I am very happy that I, unlike a couple million American men, didn't pay $26.00 to do so.
And what a hack this guy is. Jesus Christ. Sportswriting by someone who can actually WRITE (Updike, Ford and King to name three off the top of my head) is rare and precious. This book was a waste of my time but I am very happy that I, unlike a couple million American men, didn't pay $26.00 to do so.
April 28, 2017
Rating - 9.5
Spell-binding in that it does not pull many punches on the moral depravity (sex, drugs & booze) of Jerry Jones & the Dallas Cowboys nor the dislike that players had for each other & coaches alike
Appreciate the year-by-year breakdown & Pearlman has spoken to a number of Cowboys for their perspective; Great stuff on Haley, Irvin, Aikman, Emmitt for the sport's fan to really sink teeth into
Spell-binding in that it does not pull many punches on the moral depravity (sex, drugs & booze) of Jerry Jones & the Dallas Cowboys nor the dislike that players had for each other & coaches alike
Appreciate the year-by-year breakdown & Pearlman has spoken to a number of Cowboys for their perspective; Great stuff on Haley, Irvin, Aikman, Emmitt for the sport's fan to really sink teeth into
December 2, 2008
Pearlman dishes the dirt on one of the greatest NFL dynasties in history: the 1990s Cowboys. My heroes have always been Cowboys, so the stories in this book disappointed me. But it made for an interesting read.
January 3, 2009
Awesome book if you like football, and a must read if you want to know about one of the greatest franchises in football history. Gives you an inside look at how, not only the Cowboys lived and worked, but how a league team works.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 300 reviews