Instant Replay - Diary Of A Dynasty
Written: Sep 19 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: An insightful look at Lombardi's Packers through the eyes of one of his players
Cons: This book is out of print
The Bottom Line: Instant Replay by Jerry Kramer is the chronicle of one of pro football's great teams - the 1967 Green Bay Packers - on the road to one more title.
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| pmills1210's Full Review: Suggest Products |
I was first exposed to Jerry Kramer's book "Instant Replay" when I was in high school. I read his account of one of pro football's most famous games - the "Ice Bowl" game between his team, the Green Bay Packers, and the Dallas Cowboys on December 31, 1967. I enjoyed his perspective -simple, direct, and proud without being arrogant. First, he makes us feel the chill of the game - 13 below zero at game time at Lambeau Field. Then, he highlights the scoring and the tension of the game, with the Packers desperately needing a touchdown to win. It was Kramer's block that helped get his quarterback, Bart Starr, into the end zone and give the Packers the NFL championship for a third straight season and a chance to meet the Oakland Raiders in the Super Bowl. After the game, Kramer stayed and answered all questions about his part in that famous play until every reporter got their story.
Years later, I caught up with the rest of Kramer's account, which chronicles this time with the Packers, starting just after the team had won the first Super Bowl. Kramer takes us through his off-season, training camp, the regular season, and the post-season steps to Super Bowl II. In 1967, Kramer was preparing for his tenth NFL season, at times wondering why he put himself through so much year after year for such a small salary. In fact, he had to negotiate with his coach and general manager, Vince Lombardi, to get a salary of $27,500. It soon becomes obvious, though, that he enjoys the camaraderie of his teammates and admires Lombardi, who motivates his men to success.
Then there's the matter of the third title defense, unprecedented in the years the NFL had had championship games. While certain key players had left, most of them were returning for the title defense. When Lombardi arrived in Green Bay in 1959, he announced he wanted players who wanted to win - and for eight seasons, Lombardi's Packers had never had a losing season. Kramer, Lombardi, and the rest of the team are fully aware that everyone wants to dethrone them - especially the Cowboys, who had lost the NFL title game to the Packers the previous year.
"Instant Replay" takes us, game by game, through the Packers' 1967 season. Kramer also offers the insight of a 31-year-old guard whose body now needs more time to get ready for a season's rigors than the younger players on the team. Once he's back at work, he will get cuts and abrasions that won't heal until the season ends. We get a look at a group of draft picks and free agents looking to fill the few vacancies on the squad. We see him catching up with teammates who, like Kramer, have jobs and business interests in the off-season. With the mix of old and new, he has a lot of hellos and goodbyes every training camp. In "Instant Replay," we get a picture of a man who works hard for his team six days per week and enjoys an off day of hunting just as much.
Kramer also offers insight to Lombardi, who knows how to tear down any of his players. He's especially hard on the veterans. Yet, Lombardi also knew when praise should be given. Here, you will find a famous Lombardi line - "Winning isn't everything - it's the only thing." You will also find Lombardi's attitude toward race relations - the only color on his team is Green Bay Packers. It's an attitude that's, too often, sadly missing, even in the world of today. Loyalty mattered a great deal to Lombardi, for it's one of the reasons victory came year after year.
Yet, Kramer also gives us a narrative that is filled with the winds of change. Not only do Kramer and other veterans feel their bodies aging, but Kramer also gives us hints that Lombardi himself is considering retirement. In fact, Kramer begins the book with the departure of two longtime teammates. Halfback Paul Hornung had been taken in the expansion draft by the New Orleans Saints (though Hornung opted to retire rather than play, spending that season as a Saints assistant coach). Jim Taylor, having played out his option, simply sought out another team and also wound up in New Orleans. Kramer had thought about relocating, but some of his business interests (including his own weekly TV show) made him decide to stay.
Kramer also helps to debunk the "dumb jock" myth in "Instant Replay." The prose may be simple, but it's also insightful. Lombardi, like Kramer, was a guard, and Kramer believes that the coach is especially hard on him for that reason. Kramer also admits that it's not always easy to make the time to write or record his thoughts. When he talks about specific plays, he makes sure they're explained in such a way that the reader can easily understand what he's saying. Kramer knows his job on the team is not glamorous, but he's glad to belong. There's even humor, such as the times Kramer gets together with his teammates during the down moments in practice to turn the football into a volleyball. The only help Kramer gets is in the editing, courtesy of Dick Schaap (who now moderates ESPN's "Sports Reporters"). "Instant Replay" was the first of four books Kramer has written about his Packers years. Only one of these books has not included Schaap in some capacity.
After the season is through and Kramer earns his fifth Pro Bowl trip, he talks about playing for five more years (though he wrote "Farewell To Football" the year after "Instant Replay"). Sadly, none of Kramer's books are in print, though all are available, either on eBay or Half.com. "Instant Replay" is a chapter of the history of a great football team aware of its own mortality, yet they remain true to the philosophies and the coach often regarded as the NFL's greatest. It's often been said that Jerry Kramer deserves enshrinement in Canton, where Lombardi and seven of his "Instant Replay" teammates have been honored. That won't come until at least 2003, as the NFL Seniors Committee has pegged the late Rams and Redskins coach George Allen as their 2002 nominee. At some point, Kramer deserves inclusion in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame. It's too bad that someone can't write their way into Canton, or else Jerry Kramer would already be there. "Instant Replay" is the tale of a time in Packers history where their nickname, "Titletown USA," could be taken quite literally.
Recommended:
Yes
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