Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN

Book 69 of my 2017 Reading Challenge

read from October 24 - December 21

Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN 

by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales

Summary (via Goodreads)

It began, in 1979, as a mad idea of starting a cable channel to televise local sporting events throughout the state of Connecticut. Today, ESPN is arguably the most successful network in modern television history, spanning eight channels in the United States and around the world. But the inside story of its rise has never been fully told - until now. 

Drawing upon over 500 interviews with the greatest names in ESPN's history and an All-Star collection of some of the world's finest athletes, bestselling authors James Miller and Tom Shales take us behind the cameras. 

Now, in their own words, the men and women who made ESPN great reveal the secrets behind its success - as well as the many scandals, rivalries, off-screen battles, and triumphs that have accompanied the ascent. From the unknown producers and business visionaries to the most famous faces on television, it's all here.

My Opinion

Note: this book was published in 2011 so don't use it as a source for stats.  The fun thing about reading the book years later is reading their opinions on technology, especially the Internet, and where it is going.  The sad thing about reading the book years later is reading interviews with people that have since passed away, particularly when Stuart Scott was talking about his cancer being removed but worrying that it will come back and how that causes him to live each day to the fullest.

I picked up this book because the authors' book on Saturday Night Live is one of my favorite reads.  This book gives the same behind-the-scenes in-depth treatment to ESPN so someone that is as interested in ESPN as I am in SNL would really enjoy this book.  For me, the later years were especially interesting because my son's favorite show is PTI and one of the ESPN channels is on almost constantly at our house but I skimmed parts as well.  Not because of the writing, just because of my interest.  It was a great book to take along with me to appointments or school pick-ups because I could read it in short spurts and put it down very easily.

Quick things I learned...nobody sees the point of the ESPYs.  Keith Olbermann doesn't drive because his inner ear was damaged when he hit his head leaping onto a train at Shea Stadium, affecting his depth perception.

Bottom line: it is very straightforward what the content of this book is so if you're interested in the subject this is well-written and very informative and I would recommend it.

A Few Quotes from the Book

"That twelve-and-a-half month experience of going from the idea on August 16 to on air September 7 was incredible. There were days, lots of 'em, when my father was convinced it was going to die. There were days when I believed it was going to die. But there was never a single day when we both believed it at the same time." ~ Scott Rasmussen

"At ESPN, you find the other people who cried when a team lost. If you had never cried when your team lost, you really shouldn't work at ESPN. You just won't get it." ~ Jean McCormick