Paul Lionel Zimmerman (1932–2018)

Being a fly-on-the-wall account of the New York Jets' 1973 season. Although the book features a certain amount of concentration on coach Ewbank, those are not always the most interesting parts of the book. Ewbank is less remembered today than many of his contemporaries who retired with less impressive resumes. He is also a "nice guy" coach; often those types don't make for interesting reading, but not so with him. Very few of the players mentioned are familiar names any more, and when the show more book gets into money or business matters, it's so anachronistic as to be almost comic. It remains of interest, particularly to older fans who will remember more of the personalirties. show less

This book is a chronicle of the season of the 1973 Jets, covering the team and the head coach from the beginning of training camp thru Weeb's induction to the Indiana sports hall of fame in the following offseason. The reader gains an interesting portrait of the life of an NFL player in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and a brief but interesting history of the Jets early ownership and the interplay between the owners and the football management and coaches.

However, the main theme of the book show more is Weeb Ewbank, the Jets head coach and general manager. He was hired in the early 1960s, drafted Joe Namath and took the Jets to a win in the Superbowl, and then managed their slide back down to the terrible 4-10 season of 1973. During the season the author interviews Weeb's employers (Jets and Colts ownership), people who coached with and against him (such as the legendary Paul Brown), and many fellow players and coaches from Weeb's earliest days as a high school athlete thru this final season coaching in the NFL, and presents a touching portrait of Weeb as a man and a coach. show less

A great review of the state of the NFL around 1970. Interviews with and anecdotes of many of the players of the time. Offers depth by covering a lot of strategies of the day.