Gary Myers – författare

How many great catches have there been in the history of the NFL? Hundreds? Thousands? Mention "The Catch,"though, and fans will think of only one: Joe Montana to Dwight Clark, the NFC Championship game, the Dallas Cowboys vs. the San Francisco 49ers, January 10, 1982. It changed the game and The Game. This is the story of the pieces that fell into place to allow it to happen and what it meant to the players, to the fans, and to the future of professional football.Drama like this couldn''t be scripted any better. Dallas was still reigning as America''s team. San Francisco was hungry for a ticket to its first Super Bowl. With less than a minute left, the 49ers were one touchdown and extra point away from pulling it off, six yards from the end zone. Too Tall Jones and the Cowboys'' celebrated defense were primed to stop Montana and the 49ers. The play came in from head coach Bill Walsh: Sprint Right Option. It almost never worked in practice. But this was game on. It had to work. Montana took the snap and rolled right. With 700 pounds of prime defensive talent bearing down on him, leaning backward, in his last moment of upright balance, Montana sent the ball to the back of the end zone. The primary receiver had slipped and was not in place. But the secondary receiver, Dwight Clark, was streaking toward the corner, leaping higher than he ever had or ever would again. With his arms reaching for the sky, his fingers splayed, he snatched the impossibly high pass, briefly lost control, regained it . . . touchdown!Franchises, careers, lives, and dynasties all changed in that moment.Sports journalist Gary Myers was there, and now with fresh revelations from key players, including Montana, Clark, Ronnie Lott, Randy Cross, Tony Dorsett, Drew Pearson, Charlie Waters, and others, he takes fans back to an iconic game and one of the NFL''s most breathtaking plays. Myers presents new details on the rise of Montana and the 49ers and the fall of the ''80s Cowboys. He reveals what Bill Walsh saw in an overlooked third-round draft pick named Joe Montana and how Walsh accidentally discovered Dwight Clark. He shows how legendary Dallas head coach Tom Landry, who as reputed did put winning first, was not above crying over players whose personal careers had to come second. He celebrates forgotten heroes like journeyman running back Lenvil Elliott, who picked that particular game–and that final drive down the field–to shine. It''s all here, from the death threat that spooked Montana during the game to 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo''s bad luck when his view of the historic play was literally blocked by a horse''s ass.The Catch is both the ultimate replay of a sports moment for the ages and a penetrating look into the inner dynamics of the NFL.From the Hardcover edition.

A behind-the-scenes look at the high-pressure lives of NFL head coachesCoaching Confidential chronicles a year in the life of an NFL head coach. But not just one head coach. A composite portrait is drawn through interviews with at least 20 current and former head coaches (including Super Bowl winners such as Bill Parcells, Tom Coughlin, Jimmy Johnson, Tony Dungy, Sean Payton, Mike Shanahan, Dick Vermeil, Mike Holmgren, Brian Billick, and Joe Gibbs), taking us through the professional and personal challenges of the job. This book covers the draft, free agency, big trades, training camp, family crisis, player troubles, coaching relationships with members of the staff, coach-owner dynamics, rivalries, Xs and Os, the playoffs--all the way to the Super Bowl.      Just getting to Sunday is almost a relief for NFL head coaches. It''s during that three-hour window 16 days a year when they can simply concentrate on what they do best, which is trying to win football games. But the job is, of course, much more than that.

New York Times Bestseller From Acclaimed sports journalist Gary Myers comes the definitive inside account of the greatest rivalry in NFL historyTom Brady and Peyton Manning are perhaps the two greatest quarterbacks of all time. They are living legends who have come to embody the quarterback position and shape an entire generation of the NFL. They have also been fierce rivals every step of the way, and their many epic duels have not only ranked among the best and most exciting games ever played, they have fundamentally shaped the lives of and careers of both men.But for all their shared brilliance, they are a study in contrasts. Tom is the underdog turned ultimate winner, an unheralded draft pick who went on to win a miraculous Super Bowl and become the leader of one of the NFL’s greatest dynasties. He is as firmly associated with big game brilliance as anyone who has ever played. Meanwhile Peyton was born into NFL royalty and a mountain of outsized expectations, yet somehow lived up to and exceeded all the hype, claiming virtually every passing record along his path to football immortality.The contrast in greatness—between the overachieving underdog and the crown prince of football, between postseason brilliance and statistical dominance—has served as an endless source of fascination for fans and media, and over the years as the two players have faced off again and again in classic games, the argument has only intensified. But until now, there has never been a definitive treatment of the debate that tells the real story. What do Tom and Peyton actually think of each other? What do their coaches think of them? What about teammates and opposing players? What are they like behind closed doors and in the locker room, and how does that influence their careers? How did their vastly different upbringings shape them, and how has each handled the injuries, setbacks and defeats they’ve dealt with over their careers? In this extraordinary book, veteran NFL correspondent Gary Myers tackles this subject from every angle and with unprecedented access and insight, drawing on a huge number of never-before-heard interviews with Brady and Manning, their coaches, their families, and those who have played with them and against them. The result is a remarkable collection of the most entertaining and revealing stories ever told about Peyton and Tom, from how they developed their vastly different leadership styles, to the unlikely friendship they’ve built over the years, to their respective exploits as locker room pranksters. Wildly entertaining and deeply thought-provoking, Brady vs Manning is essential reading for anyone who truly wants to understand these extraordinary players.From the Hardcover edition.

Tom Brady's father is an estate planner. Aaron Rodgers' father is a chiropractor. Cam Newton's father tried to sell his son to Mississippi State when he was leaving junior college. Archie Manning played 14 years in the NFL and never made the playoffs, but his sons Peyton and Eli combined to win four Super Bowls. Joe Montana is considered by many to be the greatest quarterback of all time, but his two sons bounced around college football with limited success."Fathers and Sons," will go behind the scenes to explore the unique relationship between quarterbacks and their fathers. The book will appeal to two generations: Fathers and mothers and their sons and daughters. It will explore the various approaches to parenting through the stories of some of the best quarterbacks and their fathers and include the back stories of fathers who were successful quarterbacks with sons attempting to follow in their footsteps.It will provide life lessons and a guide to what to do and what not to do raising children with special athletic skills. Can young athletes overcome helicopter parents? Todd Marinovich was basically bred by his father Marv to be an NFL quarterback and although he was a first-round pick and drafted ahead of Brett Favre, he turned out to be a bust with many off the field issues. What would have happened if he was allowed to live a normal childhood? Kerry Collins had an overbearing father who moved him out of his home and to a different highs school because he didn't like the way his son was being coached. It took an emotional toll on Kerry and destroyed family relationships.Brady came from a family with an athletic mother and three older sisters who all played college sports. He had such a close relationship with his father that when he decided to play at Michigan rather than stay in the Bay Area and play at Cal, his father needed months of counseling to overcome the separation. Even so, he never tried to influence Tom where to attend college, not wanting to be blamed if it turned out to be the wrong choice.How did the kids with NFL aspirations deal with fathers who made it in the NFL? What kind of pressure did they have to overcome? What kind of pressure did the father who succeeded put on their son to be an athlete? Would the expectations be lower and the results greater if the father was an attorney or doctor? Was it better for the fathers to be overbearing or border on disinterested?"Fathers and Sons" will be the real-life compelling stories of quarterbacks growing up and how they took advantage or overcame the relationships with their fathers.

Many books have been written about the Cowboys, but there's never been an account like this one. HOW 'BOUT THEM COWBOYS tells the story of the NFL's most successful franchise, with special access to its outspoken owner, Jerry Jones, his sons Stephen and Jerry Jr., daughter Charlotte, and dozens of interviews of current and former players and coaches, and characters from across Cowboy Nation. While tracking the successes and controversies of some of the biggest names in the NFL on and off the field, HOW 'BOUT THEM COWBOYS? remembers the legends of previous generations, and explains why the star on the helmet has become iconic, and how a little expansion team from North Texas has evolved into a global $5 billion brand.Primed for their make-or-break 2018 season, HOW 'BOUT THEM COWBOYS? delivers a fun and surprising account of America's Team, its greatest celebrities, its mercurial management, the vicious rivalries, and the enduring saga that makes this the most popular and polarizing team in sports.

The inside story of the Super Bowl champion 1986 Giants, the extraordinary friendships that resulted--and stunning revelations about the hardships they faced, based on new interviews with Bill Parcells, Phil Simms, Mark Bavaro, and Bill Belichick.The 1986 New York Giants are legendary. A championship team coached by Bill Parcells and his wunderkind assistant Bill Belichick, featuring future Hall of Famers and All-Pros like Phil Simms, Lawrence Taylor, Mark Bavaro, and Harry Carson. They were dominant on the field and formed a unique and lasting bond off of it. More than thirty years later, it's the friendships that have proved more important--a matter of life and death.In Once a Giant, bestselling football writer Gary Myers tells the story of that team and what became of it. Gridiron glory eventually faded; chronic pain, addiction, and in some cases crimes have followed. Many football players face these harsh realities, but the Giants have confronted and survived them together.With unprecedented access, Myers dives into such issues as Mark Bavaro's battle with injuries, the breakup and reconciliation of Parcells and Belichick, and Lawrence Taylor's struggles with sobriety. He creates a never-before-seen portrait of the team's run to the title, and their even more challenging fight to live after it ended.

The inside story of the Super Bowl champion 1986 Giants, the extraordinary friendships that resulted--and stunning revelations about the hardships they faced, based on new interviews with Bill Parcells, Phil Simms, Mark Bavaro, and Bill Belichick.The 1986 New York Giants are legendary. A championship team coached by Bill Parcells and his wunderkind assistant Bill Belichick, featuring future Hall of Famers and All-Pros like Phil Simms, Lawrence Taylor, Mark Bavaro, and Harry Carson. They were dominant on the field and formed a unique and lasting bond off of it. More than thirty years later, it's the friendships that have proved more important--a matter of life and death.In Once a Giant, bestselling football writer Gary Myers tells the story of that team and what became of it. Gridiron glory eventually faded; chronic pain, addiction, and in some cases crimes have followed. Many football players face these harsh realities, but the Giants have confronted and survived them together.With unprecedented access, Myers dives into such issues as Mark Bavaro's battle with injuries, the breakup and reconciliation of Parcells and Belichick, and Lawrence Taylor's struggles with sobriety. He creates a never-before-seen portrait of the team's run to the title, and their even more challenging fight to live after it ended.

Can you guess the most memorable sports moments to happen in the Big Apple? Collected together for the first time, The 20 Greatest Moments in New York Sports History chronicles the most memorable sporting events to be held in New York, ranking them based on importance and effect on the sport (and city). Broken down into four parts, each event will include the storyline that led up to the moment, original materials from the media coverage of the event, a column from a local journalist to lend perspective, and finally first-person accounts from the men and women that made these moments happen. Veteran journalists Todd Ehrlich and Gary Myers dive deep into each of these moments, sharing why they are so special and the reason we still talk about them today. Including original interviews and information previously unreleased, The 20 Greatest Moments in New York Sports History is not only for the New York sports fan, but anyone who appreciates the amazing effect that baseball, basketball, football, hockey, tennis, golf, boxing, and numerous other sports can have on our cities and country as a whole. So...which event will be at the top? Roger Maris breaking The Babe's Home Run record? Willis Reed hobbling onto the count before game seven against the Lakers in the 1970 NBA Finals? David Tyree's "Helmet Catch" in Super Bowl XLII? Mark Messier's guarantee before the 1994 Stanley Cup? Tiger Woods dominating on Bethpage's "Black Course" to win the 2002 US Open? Or perhaps the bout at Madison Square Garden between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier? There's only one way to find out!