10-10-2017, 09:50 PM
Great stories these guys.
I never really read books - I hated them. I can't stand science fiction or fantasy novels etc.
I come from a rugby mad family and we brought every rugby biography going from 'I George Nepia' and Colin Meads etc
While some rugby players stories like those above make good reading the rest are seriously bland.
My wife asked me once would I like Dan carters book for Christmas ... I said he is a brilliant player but that would be a boring read... same answer to her Richie book question.
About 10 years ago I found the book Night Train- the Sonny Liston story in a bargain bookstore in Ireland.... I was hooked. The life of a boxer (Not todays athlete programmed type) was enthralling ... all came from abject poverty - racial prejudice beyond our belief - dodgy promoters (Don King) the Mob, Woman and drugs.
I have George Foremans , about 4 on Ali ( Including Ghosts of manila) Evanders, Tysons and all have that common theme of hardship - well actually bizarrely Ali probably experienced the least hardship in his early years apart from his bike being stolen.
I love the stories these guys have - (the Cinderella man in the depression) and how they overcome the odds to be true champions of their sport (a brutal sport) and in some cases life... other cases unfortunately end in tragedy but they probably would accept as inevitable (Liston).
I never really read books - I hated them. I can't stand science fiction or fantasy novels etc.
I come from a rugby mad family and we brought every rugby biography going from 'I George Nepia' and Colin Meads etc
While some rugby players stories like those above make good reading the rest are seriously bland.
My wife asked me once would I like Dan carters book for Christmas ... I said he is a brilliant player but that would be a boring read... same answer to her Richie book question.
About 10 years ago I found the book Night Train- the Sonny Liston story in a bargain bookstore in Ireland.... I was hooked. The life of a boxer (Not todays athlete programmed type) was enthralling ... all came from abject poverty - racial prejudice beyond our belief - dodgy promoters (Don King) the Mob, Woman and drugs.
I have George Foremans , about 4 on Ali ( Including Ghosts of manila) Evanders, Tysons and all have that common theme of hardship - well actually bizarrely Ali probably experienced the least hardship in his early years apart from his bike being stolen.
I love the stories these guys have - (the Cinderella man in the depression) and how they overcome the odds to be true champions of their sport (a brutal sport) and in some cases life... other cases unfortunately end in tragedy but they probably would accept as inevitable (Liston).