Is "Out of Their League" by Dave Meggyesy worth a read?

[A Clockwork Orange]

I've seen where Coach Schwartzwalder claimed the book did more to undermine his final years at SU than the Syracuse 8 boycott. Does the book give a good idea of what Syracuse football was like then?

I'm interested in all parts of SU football history, so I was thinking about picking it up, but I wanted to hear the thoughts of folks on the board first.

 

[Dinkyspond]

You've peaked my interest, I read about the author and the book, did he write bad things about his time at Syracuse and Ben?

 

[SWC75]

I read it some years ago with some trepidation but gained some respect for Dave and realized that history is full of "his stories" and you need to see things from different perspectives to get the full truth of things.

The best story is the one about the drunk player who went to the wrong address for a party and was confronted by a dentist who also happened to be a completive fencer with sword in his hand.

 

[OrangeHeel]

It is a worthwhile read. It's dated in the sense that many of the things complained about seem alien to us today. Appreciate it as a product of its times and the first embryonic development of the modern player psyche - whether that's good or bad Understand, that I am somewhat to the right of Darth Vader, but I don't think we should ever cut ourselves off from alternative points of view or be upset that something seems doesn't comport with today's politically correct viewpoint. Huck Finn, Atlas Shrugged, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1984, and other "older" tomes remain classics for speaking to the human condition at the time or as a warning about the possible future human condition. (George Orwell? Prophet!)

 

[A Clockwork Orange]

It is a worthwhile read. It's dated in the sense that many of the things complained about seem alien to us today. Appreciate it as a product of its times and the first embryonic development of the modern player psyche - whether that's good or bad Understand, that I am somewhat to the right of Darth Vader, but I don't think we should ever cut ourselves off from alternative points of view or be upset that something seems doesn't comport with today's politically correct viewpoint. Huck Finn, Atlas Shrugged, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1984, and other "older" tomes remain classics for speaking to the human condition at the time or as a warning about the possible future human condition. (George Orwell? Prophet!)

Great to hear. I just wanted to make sure there was actually a decent amount in there about SU.

 

[Roger N]

I've seen where Coach Schwartzwalder claimed the book did more to undermine his final years at SU than the Syracuse 8 boycott. Does the book give a good idea of what Syracuse football was like then?

I'm interested in all parts of SU football history, so I was thinking about picking it up, but I wanted to hear the thoughts of folks on the board first.

I read it when it came out. I seem to remember cash being given to players in the locker room Minor amounts like $20. Also wasn’t there more than one Meggedyesy?

 

[Roger N]

I read it when it came out. I seem to remember cash being given to players in the locker room Minor amounts like $20. Also wasn’t there more than one Meggedyesy?

All day today they are celebrating the 80th anniversary of DDay. Coach Ben did real well at Normandy. He was a 35 yo paratrooper captain. He was quite a man

 

[SWC75]

All day today they are celebrating the 80th anniversary of DDay. Coach Ben did real well at Normandy. He was a 35 yo paratrooper captain. He was quite a man

June 6, 1944.

Few people realize how close Nazi Germany was to having the atomic bomb, and coupled with their rocketry that would have really complicated an allied victory. According to a quick search in the internet Germany was not actually close to having an atomic bomb.

syracusefan.com

Bad-ass Ben

I'm reading Larry Csonka's new book: On page 65 there is this anecdote about Ben Schwartzwalder's military career. "Ben Schwartzwalder had been a great military leader during World War II. I heard that when we invaded Germany, Schwartzwalder, who was a captain, and some of his 82nd airborne...

syracusefan.com