Most readers might pick up Phil Simms' book, "Sunday Morning Quarterback," with something approaching low expectations. It's a relatively small, thin book at a little more than 200 pages, and it's easy to guess that Simms is looking to publicize himself and his role as the top analyst on CBS' football telecasts.
That may all be true, but it's still necessary to tip one's hat to Simms when he comes through. And this book does do that by presenting information that is of use to most football fans in an entertaining manner.
Before Simms became a football commentator, he was a quarterback for the New York Giants in the 80's and 90's. He wasn't the only reason why the Giants ended 15 years of poor football to become an NFC power -- Bill Parcells and Lawrence Taylor had something to do with it too -- but he was a factor. Simms came across as accurate and smart in his days as a quarterback.
When Simms retired, it didn't take him long to climb the ladder of football broadcasting. What's more, this was not a case of New York bias. Simms fractured the English language at times when he first came into the NFL, but he obviously did his homework and became much more articulate as the years went by. Never underestimate the benefits of a good work ethic.
That sort of concentration on business, which obviously came in handy during the Giants' Super Bowl win under Simms, is evident throughout here. He makes smart, common-sense observations about the game of football that go further than he has time to make in the broadcast booth.
The book really could be split into two categories. In the first part, Simms takes some common theories about the game and rips them to shreds. For example, there's the myth that a 6-foot-4 receiver should be able to jump up and catch a ball over a 5-foot-11 defender whenever he wants. It's the old jump ball play. And it doesn't exist. Simms points out just how difficult it is to place a football into a spot where the receiver can catch it and the defender can't. We are talking inches here, and no one is that accurate. Not Marino, Elway, Manning.
Simms has a long list of such bromides. Do halftime adjustments matter? Not really. There's really not enough time. Should rookie quarterbacks be brought along very slowly? Simms argues that there's no replacement for game experience. Is play-calling too predictable? Simms says that's rarely the case, especially since coaches have all sorts of computer charts on what they have called and what might work against the opponent.
The second part of the book centers more on Simms' time with Giants and his work as an announcer. As you could guess, there are many stories about what Parcells was like as a coach. He's no players' coach, but Simms says that concept is outdated -- the good coaches always give orders and not take them. There also are details on how Simms prepares for each broadcast.
There's a great deal of good information in "Sunday Morning Quarterback." I would bet that most fans would learn quite a bit from it, and will come away wishing it had been longer. After reading it, I'll also bet that you'll appreciate Simms' work on broadcasts a little more, and listen just a little more carefully to what he's saying.
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