They were America's Team--the high-priced, high-glamour, high-flying Dallas Cowboys of the 1990s, who won three Super Bowls and made as many headlines off the field as on it. Led by Emmitt Smith, the charismatic Deion "Prime Time" Sanders, and Hall of Famers Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin, the Cowboys rank among the greatest of all NFL dynasties.
In similar fashion to his New York Times bestseller The Bad Guys Won!, about the 1986 New York Mets, in Boys Will Be Boys, award-winning writer Jeff Pearlman chronicles the outrageous antics and dazzling talent of a team fueled by ego, sex, drugs--and unrivaled greatness. Rising from the ashes of a 1 15 season in 1989 to capture three Super Bowl trophies in four years, the Dallas Cowboys were guided by a swashbuckling, skirt-chasing, power-hungry owner, Jerry Jones, and his two eccentric, hard-living coaches, Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer. Together the three built a juggernaut that America loved and loathed.
But for a team that was so dominant on Sundays, the Cowboys were often a dysfunctional circus the rest of the week. Irvin, nicknamed "The Playmaker," battled dual addictions to drugs and women. Charles Haley, the defensive colossus, presided over the team's infamous "White House," where the parties lasted late into the night and a steady stream of long-legged groupies came and went. And then there were Smith and Sanders, whose Texas-sized egos were eclipsed only by their record-breaking on-field perfomances.
With an unforgettable cast of characters and a narrative as hard-hitting and fast-paced as the team itself, Boys Will Be Boys immortalizes the most beloved--and despised--dynasty in NFL history.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Best Book I Have Read In A Long Time:
I loved this book. I am slightly biased as a Cowboys Fan, but I had an extremely hard time putting this book down. I have read other sports books over the Florida Gators (other favorite team) and other sports and teams. But this is the only book I put off plans to do other things to read. Once you open up with the story of the end, and then go through the understanding of the players, coaches, and owner of the Cowboys of the 1990's. I thought I knew this team, but now I know the team. This might be the... more info
Enjoyable Voyeuristic read:
First off - do not purchase this book for your child thinking "He likes football - here is something he will like". No. This book is a true inside look into the locker room & private (formerly private) lives of NFL prima donna's. Lot's of stories about everything available to NFL superstars and how they partake in the drugs, alcohol & women that are thrown at them. A fun read - but not suitable for a younger person.
Loved it!:
I highly recommend this book to anyone who: a) was a big fan of the early 90's Cowboys, b) is curious about what goes on behind the scenes in the NFL, or c) is interested in the impact leadership has on organizations. This book comes up juicy in all three categories. This book is great because it avoids the common mistake made by authors documenting certain teams. Instead of going through the boring minutiae of old games, Jeff Pearlman gives gripping, inside stories that no fan ever knew about. For... more info
Sometimes you don't want to know how sausage is made:
I love the Dallas Cowboys. I am like one of those people that stays in an abusive relationship. I just keep watching them year after year.
I think any Cowboy fan will be unable to put the book down. Anyone who hates the Cowboys may love this book even more! There is a lot more here than a sports story.
This has a seamy underside that pretty much destroys any Cowboy idol worship that may be going on...yet there is something uplifting in it somehow. Tragedy and comedy.
Sort of a story... more info