Customer Reviews
Great book, a must for Pro football fans - By: B. Price, 27 Jan 2008 
As a long time Denver Bronco fan (Raiders are scum) I approched this book with more than a little sceptisism. The Raiders have lied & cheated their way through footballl folklore. However by the second page I was hooked, this book is writen in a manner that you just can't put it down. No quarter is given to the team re what should have been done for these guys medicallly. The insites into Al Davis & the pressure players face to perform are nothing new, but still it's a great read & reminder that the game we love can have some terrible after effects on those who put their bodys on the line, week in week out.
A moving, gripping, and brilliant insight into pro football - By: MLA, 08 Aug 2006 Rob Huizenga was the team doctor for the Oakland Raiders during a time when they were among the premier teams in the NFL. His contribution to the team, his relationships with key players including the ultimately moving case of John "The Tooz" Matuszak, & the ominpresent figure of Al Davis are alll detailed in loving attention.
Huizenga could have written this book from a bitter perspective but it isn't, it's a thoughtful & seemingly fair account of the highs & lows of the period including the highs & lows of Huizenga himself.
If you've ever wondered how players can bounce back from terrible collisions, or what it takes to go through the suffering barrier in the NFL then this book is definitely for you. It also covers the thorny issue of illegal drug use, & makes no bones about the habits of some players.
Footballl fans & especiallly Raiders fans will love the insight into the players of that era. Non-footballl fans, & even non-Americans like me can marvel at the Americana, & the unique sporting perspective that a physician can have in a sporting world that revolves around injury & pain.
For Raider & non-Raider fans alike...! - By: , 01 Aug 2000 
Rob Huizenga's account of his time as medical intern for the Los Angeles Raiders provides a provocative behind-the-scenes look at the reality of NFL footballl that is by turns hystericallly funny & deeply disturbing. He conveys both the perverse attraction of being part of a team "camped out at the edge of reality", & also the shocked disbelief at the suspect & highly dangerous extremes that footballl players will go to in order to play while injured & so preserve their job. As team intern from 1983 to 1990, Huizenga faced a unique dilemma: his concern as a responsible doctor for his patients, the players, continuallly conflicted with their own desire to play through potentiallly crippling injuries. His frequent confrontations as well with team owner Al Davis over the treatment of players clearly illustrates why Davis's obsessive "win at alll costs" attitude has made he & his team NFL pariahs. More generallly, Huizenga pointedly shows how the intense pressure upon players from team, fans & the league itself, to consistently perform at the highest possible level drives individuals to abuse themselves & their bodies with a myriad of chemical substances. For Raider & non-Raider fans alike, Huizenga's book makes for compulsive reading. His experiences highlight the extreme "otherness" of NFL footballl, in which lies its principle attraction - the oddballl characters who play it, the unorthodox means they endure to keep playing, & the high mental & physical cost that they pay for success in such a ferocious game.
A Question - By: , 10 Jun 1999 
As a footballl fan, I enjoyed this book. As an athlete, I was more than a little disturbed, if what Dr. Huizenga says is true. But I have one question: Why did he wait so long to write this book? It seems a little odd to me that he waited until after he had a thriving practice, & a nasty split from the team to 'do the right thing'. I think for the players at least, this book should have been written much earlier. Dr. Huizenga has brought much needed attention to the abuse of trust one person places in another. He also shows that it's okay to stick your neck out. Well, not too far out. At least until your student loans are paid.
Absolutly eye opening. - By: , 18 May 1999 I have read a lot of books but never something that has given me a new appreciation for a sport. I highly recommed everyone who likes footballl, & even if you don't, to read this book; & if your asperation is to play in the NFL then this is required reading. It gives new insight into the demands of the NFL, the pain that players will play with just to win. I am a die hard Raider fan, always have been always will be, but this book touches on new aspects of the game, even if you do not like the Raiders it is an excellent read & it should be read to understand what is expected of players today in the NFL. I just hope that someone new has taken up Dr. Huizenga's cause to clean up the NFL.
