Book Review: What Were They Thinking by Kyle Garlett
Book Review
By
John H. Manhold
What Were They Thinking by Kyle Garlett
ISBN 9780061699924, Harper Collins, 231 pages, Hardcover, $24.95.
Garlett has followed his ‘Worst Call Ever’ with another interesting list of serious bloopers. Many of the incidents are well known and remembered not only by sports fans, but others as well, because of their widespread notoriety. There is the infamous interruption of the Oakland Raiders – New York Jets football game at a crucial moment, to show the made-for-TV movie Heidi; the attack on the Olympic skater, Nancy Kerrigan by partisan supporters of rival Tonya Harding; French soccer great Zinedine Zindane’s foolish loss of temper and subsequent disgrace for head butting a rival; the steroid tribulations of Sammy Sousa, Mark McGuire, Rafael Palmeiro and numerous others. Additionally, a great number of other incidents that sports fans remember well are recounted, but with additional details of which the average sports fan is unaware.
However, perhaps an even more interesting facet of this work for reading by the average sports lover is the number of lesser known blunders that have contributed to disastrous results. These incidents cover most sports and range from occurrences in a 1964 baseball series, and early football games, to some of the most recent blunders.
The mechanics of presentation are simple and straightforward, and make finding of material easy for the reader who wishes to recall or reference an incident. The contents are listed under blunders by Coaches/Managers, by The Front Office, by Athletes themselves, by the Media, and by a number of extraneous elements.
What Were They Thinking is a most enjoyable recounting of some of the worst blunders that have been made in sports history. Sports fans will love it, and ‘other readers’ just might find some interesting examples of what a well trained person can do in one thoughtless, or confused, moment.
