One of the hardest things about reading a new book every week is finding what to read next. It should be easy, right? I mean, there are literally millions of books in the world. Everyone has an opinion about what to read next. Maybe it's because you guys are actually reading this blog and taking my suggestions; for whatever reason, I feel this pressure not to waste my time or yours and get it right.
I would have never picked up The Throwback Special if I hadn't heard about it on NPR. It just wouldn't have caught my eye in a bookstore and, as you're about to hear, the premise is a little unusual. But, on a podcast about the best books of 2016, two different women named this among their favorites for the last year. I can totally see why.
That unusual premise? For 22 years, a group of now-middle aged men gets together in a shabby hotel for one simple purpose: to reenact one of the most gruesome plays in NFL history. In 1985, Redskins QB Joe Theismann suffered a career-ending injury when Lawrence Taylor broke his leg on Monday Night Football. Don't take my word for it. In this YouTube era, you can watch it happen.
You may be asking yourself, how the hell did they make a whole book out of that? Turns out, the book is about a whole lot more than that. The actual acting out of the play takes less than five minutes in real time and nothing more than a few pages in the book. But, it sets up a fascinating dynamic between these men, this ritual and the fight to hang onto something normal (ish) from their youth.
I had no problem relating to the concept of this. My husband is part of an insanely close group of friends who I could totally see doing this (though their ritual might be something more like the WSU Cougars heartbreaking loss in the 1998 Rose Bowl.) I've heard enough dudes in my life remember exact plays from high school games that happened 20+ years ago. I totally understand the concept of sports as bonding.
For these guys, the ritual brings them together, but their connection comes from complaining about their back pain, misunderstanding their kids, watching their marriages fall apart. It sounds maudlin, but it doesn't come across that way in the book. It's just the reality of their lives. You see how different they all are - you wonder how they ever came together in the first place. You see they're more attached to the idea that they have to attend this annual gathering than they are to the friendships they've no doubt formed over the years. For the one weekend a year, they simply exist in this space. And when life takes you to unexpected places, maybe that small thread of tradition is all that really holds friendships together.
The whole set up of the weekend is subtly hilarious. They wear full pads, passed from one guy to another each year. They hold a lottery to decide who will portray each player (L.T. is always chosen first; no one wants to be Theismann.) Position players bunk together. Theismann sleeps alone.
The book itself is a fast read. It's complex in its simplicity. If you're an old-school football fan, you'll love it. If you've never watched a down of football in your life and have no idea what a flea-flicker is, there's still something in it for you.
Before I go, a confession: I broke tradition. I started book 13 before I wrote this review of 12. And, it's SO GOOD already, I'm already moved on and invested. I hope I didn't short change this review because of that. There's a reason this book was a National Book Award Finalist. That's enough to give it a shot.
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