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Gridiron Genius
- Narrated by: Michael Lombardi
- Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins
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Gridiron Genius
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 60
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Drawn from a series of deeply revealing conversations with coauthor Steve Jamison, The Score Takes Care of Itself offers Walsh's best leadership principles illustrated by anecdotes from his entire career. Additional insights and perspective are provided by his son Craig Walsh. The book will delight football fans and guide the vast business audience eager to learn how Bill Walsh motivated individuals and crafted winning teams.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Decent for early career leaders or business students.
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From Monday Night Football to Super Bowl Sunday, the NFL is a dominating force in the lives of millions of fans who tune in and passionately cheer for their favorite teams. And when the games are over, the conversation is just getting started. Who's the greatest player of all time? Which coaches truly shaped the game we known and love today? Why is professional football such an undeniable part of our culture? Three-time Super Bowl winner Michael Lombardi has done it all—from scout to executive to coach—and now he sets the record straight on these questions and more.
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From a New York Times best-selling author, the definitive biography of the NFL’s most enigmatic, controversial, and yet successful coach, Bill Belichick. Veteran sports writer and award-winning author Ian O’Connor delves into the mind of the man who has earned a place among coaching legends like Lombardi, Halas, and Paul Brown, presenting sides of Belichick that have previously been unexplored. O’Connor discovers how this legendary coach shaped the people he met and worked with in ways perhaps even Belichick himself doesn’t know.
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The Score Takes Care of Itself
- My Philosophy of Leadership
- Written by: Bill Walsh, Craig Walsh, Steve Jamison
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 60
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 50
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 48
Drawn from a series of deeply revealing conversations with coauthor Steve Jamison, The Score Takes Care of Itself offers Walsh's best leadership principles illustrated by anecdotes from his entire career. Additional insights and perspective are provided by his son Craig Walsh. The book will delight football fans and guide the vast business audience eager to learn how Bill Walsh motivated individuals and crafted winning teams.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Decent for early career leaders or business students.
- By dszz on 2022-07-08
Written by: Bill Walsh, and others
-
Football Done Right
- Setting the Record Straight on the Coaches, Players, and History of the NFL
- Written by: Michael Lombardi
- Narrated by: Dan Woren, Michael Lombardi, Jim Nantz
- Length: 13 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Story0 out of 5 stars 0
From Monday Night Football to Super Bowl Sunday, the NFL is a dominating force in the lives of millions of fans who tune in and passionately cheer for their favorite teams. And when the games are over, the conversation is just getting started. Who's the greatest player of all time? Which coaches truly shaped the game we known and love today? Why is professional football such an undeniable part of our culture? Three-time Super Bowl winner Michael Lombardi has done it all—from scout to executive to coach—and now he sets the record straight on these questions and more.
Written by: Michael Lombardi
-
Wooden
- A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections on and off the Court
- Written by: John Wooden
- Narrated by: Beau Bridges, BIll Walton
- Length: 4 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 8
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 8
Evoking days gone by when coaches were respected as much for their off-court performances as for their success on the court, Wooden presents the timeless wisdom of legendary basketball coach John Wooden. In honest and telling passages about virtually every aspect of life, Coach shares his personal philosophy on family, achievement, success, and excellence. Raised on a small farm in South-Central Indiana, he offers lessons and wisdom learned throughout his career at UCLA and life as a dedicated husband, father, and teacher.
-
3 out of 5 stars
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Wholesome
- By Amazon Customer on 2023-06-17
Written by: John Wooden
-
Win Forever
- Live, Work, and Play Like a Champion
- Written by: Pete Carroll
- Narrated by: Pete Carroll
- Length: 3 hrs and 54 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 15
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 15
Pete Carroll is one of the most successful coaches in football today. As the head coach at USC, he brought the Trojans back to national prominence, amassing a 97-19 record over nine seasons. Now he shares the championship-winning philosophy that led USC to seven straight Pac-10 titles.
-
2 out of 5 stars
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Okay book, bad performance
- By G. Walker on 2020-01-05
Written by: Pete Carroll
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Belichick
- The Making of the Greatest Football Coach of All Time
- Written by: Ian O'Connor
- Narrated by: Brian Hutchison
- Length: 21 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 23
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 22
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 22
From a New York Times best-selling author, the definitive biography of the NFL’s most enigmatic, controversial, and yet successful coach, Bill Belichick. Veteran sports writer and award-winning author Ian O’Connor delves into the mind of the man who has earned a place among coaching legends like Lombardi, Halas, and Paul Brown, presenting sides of Belichick that have previously been unexplored. O’Connor discovers how this legendary coach shaped the people he met and worked with in ways perhaps even Belichick himself doesn’t know.
-
2 out of 5 stars
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Tedious 21HR+ Listen
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-07-26
Written by: Ian O'Connor
-
Above the Line
- Lessons in Leadership and Life from a Championship Season
- Written by: Urban Meyer, Wayne Coffey
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 5 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 10
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 10
Remarkable lessons in leadership and team building from one of the greatest football coaches of our time. Urban Meyer has established himself as one of the elite in the annals of his sport, having lead his players to three national championships. In Above the Line, he offers listeners his unparalleled insights into leadership, team building, and the keys to empowering people to achieve things they might never have thought possible.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A must read for all coaches/leaders!
- By Anonymous User on 2020-08-02
Written by: Urban Meyer, and others
Publisher's Summary
Former NFL general manager and three-time Super Bowl-winner Michael Lombardi reveals what makes football organizations tick at the championship level. From personnel to practice to game-day decisions that win titles, Lombardi shares what he learned working with coaching legends Bill Walsh of the 49ers, Al Davis of the Raiders, and Bill Belichick of the Patriots, among others, during his three decades in football.
Why do some NFL franchises dominate year after year while others can never crack the code of success? For 30 years, Michael Lombardi had a front-row seat and full access as three titans - Bill Walsh, Al Davis, and Bill Belichick - reinvented the game, turning it into a national obsession while piling up Super Bowl trophies. Now, in Gridiron Genius, Lombardi provides the blueprint that makes a successful organization click and win - and the mistakes unsuccessful organizations make that keep them on the losing side time and again.
In reality, very few coaches understand the philosophies, attention to detail, and massive commitment that defined NFL juggernauts like the 49ers and the Patriots. The best organizations are not just employing players, they are building something bigger. Gridiron Genius will explain how the best leaders evaluate, acquire, and utilize personnel in ways other professional minds, football and otherwise, won't even contemplate. How do you know when to trade a player? How do you create a positive atmosphere when everyone is out to maximize his own paycheck? And why is the tight end like the knight on a chessboard?
To some, game-planning consists only of designing an attack for the next opponent. But Lombardi explains how the smartest leaders script everything: from an afternoon's special-teams practice to a season's playoff run to a decade-long organizational blueprint. Listeners will delight in the Lombardi tour of an NFL weekend, including what really goes on during the game on and off the field and inside the headset. First stop: Belichick's Saturday-night staff meeting, where he announces how the game will go the next day. Spoiler alert: He always nails it.
Football dynasties are built through massive attention to detail and unwavering commitment. From how to build a team, to how to watch a game, to understanding the essential qualities of great leaders, Gridiron Genius gives football fans the knowledge to be the smartest person in the room every Sunday.
What the critics say
"Gridiron Genius is a FASCINATING read! Michael Lombardi provides a truly unique look at the inside workings and the exacting attention to detail that is paramount to succeed at the highest level. Michael has worked in concert and in lock step with some of the best teachers and administrators in the history of professional football. He shares true behind-the-scenes glimpses and anecdotes of the behind the scenes world of our industry." (Sean Payton, head coach, New Orleans Saints)
"Michael Lombardi got his masters in football from The Masters of football - Bill Walsh, Al Davis, Bill Belichick. Now he passes those memorable lessons on to his fortunate readers so they can receive an advanced education in coaching, personnel, management and strategy." (Adam Schefter, ESPN NFL insider and author of The Man I Never Met)
"My only criticism of Michael Lombardi's book is that I enjoyed it too much. The characters and stories were irresistible. But make no mistake, this is a very serious book. Lombardi extracts a meticulous and full-fledged blueprint for organizational excellence from a raft of hard evidence. This is a guidebook for excellence - and it applies way beyond the gridiron. Any thoughtful business leader, for example, could assemble a bundle of useful, integrated ideas that could transform organizational performance. Bravo!" (Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence)
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What listeners say about Gridiron Genius
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2020-02-13
Great in certain places
The chapter on how Belichick and the Patriots set up a week in preparing a game was the standout. It was a nicely written and structured chapter and you learned from by seeing what they do to win a game. Step by step.
The rest of the chapters are scant opinions and idealogies from the author. He’s trying to tell you how to feel and think, instead of telling us a story and giving a macro example of things. Too much lecturing - not enough stories about the game.
The chapter missing? How and what Belechick learned from his mistakes from the Cleveland job to the Patriot job. That’s the master class info we needed. Instead, this is really just a book on how Belichick, Bill Walsh and Al Davis are the best and everyone else in football is subpar.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tom G
- 2019-07-07
Mike Lombardi shows he’s not just a blowhard
I haven’t been a big fan of Mike Lumbardy. I find that he talks a lot it’s very opinionated and a bit obnoxious. My opinion of him has changed significantly since having read this book. He’s a great communicator, a compelling storyteller, and a surprisingly good writer for a football guy. I found it very entertaining, and I wish that Doug Pederson had let Mike wrote his biography.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Christopher J. Burden
- 2018-10-10
please please hire a reader for this amazing book
First let me start by saying I love listening to Mike Lombardi talk. Have been for years on the various Bill Simmons Podcast platforms. His story here is incredible and I learned a lot about both him AND the game of football that I hadn't known before.
the one major critique I would have is that his reading of the book is too uneven and choppy. I actually would rather they hire a pro to do this book than have a guy I listen to speak on a weekly basis.
having said that, the book was incredibly enjoyable and I would purchase it again even knowing about the less than ideal reading.
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- William G. Stuart
- 2019-11-07
Great Analysis from an NFL Insider and Lifer
This is a great listen for anyone who appreciates the recent history of the NFL. There are too few great organization architects who have fielded teams that are dominant over a period of a decade or more. Author Michael Lombardi has worked for three such me: Bill Walsh, Al Davis, and Bill Belichick.
These three men appear to have little in common in their upbringing or in their personalities. And each man's focus is entirely different: Walsh the offensive innovator and engaging personality, Belichick the defensive genius who appears brash and aloof, and Davis the rebel owner never at a loss for an outlandish word or innovation. But they are united by a handful of common characteristics:
1. They understand the importance of building a culture of accountability.
2. They play a different game from their me-too contemporaries.
3. They build a system and then find players and coaches who fit that system.
Had Lombardi worked in a few other organization, the book might have included Vince Lombardi and the Packers; Bill Parcells and the Giants; Paul Brown and the Browns; and Tom Landry, Tex Schramm, and Gil Brandt of the Cowboys.
The characteristics of these winners are present not only in great football teams, but also in business. And in both football and business, these types of leaders - bold, focused, results-oriented, architectural, system-driven - are rare. But that scarcity is more evident in sports than in business because sports leaders are measured regularly and publicly.
Should you invest in and listen to this book? Take this simple test:
1. If you want to learn more about how successful pro football franchises build teams rather than merely assemble talent, listen to the book.
2. If you enjoy a journey through the recent history of the league and learning the connections among many men whom you've seen roam the sidelines in recent years, listen to the book.
3. If you want to imagine how some superbly talented athletes who never achieve superior results might have had very different career trajectories had they been placed in a different system, listen to the book.
4. If you believe that most NFL coaches and owners are equally talented and that some achieve success merely by breaking the rules or as a result of dumb luck, don't bother listening to the book.
5. If you believe that raw talent wins and sustains NFL championships, don't bother listening to the book.
How did you do on the quiz?
Every year, I choose a sports book that I've read or listened as a gift for two friends who are as fanatic about sports as I am. This year, they'll receive a hard copy of this book for Christmas.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Michal Mendelson
- 2019-03-02
great look into what it takes to win superbowls
excellent book by an insider who learned from many great coaching minds. listen up to learn about a coach that requires accountability
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Brian Rubarts
- 2019-05-11
Great content. Okay writing. Reading--not great
Really informative and engaging content from start to finish. The writer definitely has something to say, and if you are interested in football you will enjoy learning from this book. The author shares important insights from some of football's best personalities.
His writing is, as he might himself say of a borderline starting defensive back, "replacement-level." It is close enough to professional that the reader/listener can follow along. It's a book about football, after all, so I wasn't expecting Victor Hugo.
His reading, though, is stiff and sometimes even distracting because of the stilted delivery; and that is surprising because he is literally reading his own book. Don't let this keep you from buying or listening to the book...just be prepared to fight through the narrator in a few spots...who happens to be the author, too. If Mr Lombardi asked himself what would Belichick do, the answer might be to prepare and practice so much that he could perform intuitively and without thinking in the recording studio.
I heartily recommend this book for anyone who is a fan of professional football.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Trevor M.
- 2023-11-28
Interesting, but.....
I learned a good bit about some of the most successful people in football in the last 20 years. The author gives an honest assessment of the players and coaches he came in to contact with, and always named names which was very refreshing. The way he goes off about how great Belichick is has not aged well since Tom Brady left the Patriots. I'm shocked that the publisher let this be released with the author as the narrator. The performance was distracting as he would get halfway through a sentence, pause, mispronounce a word then say some more words. Many times I had no idea what he just tried to say. Overall it was worthwhile because there was some educational value about football.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- I
- 2023-09-01
Football and Life Come Together
The weaving of the beautiful game of football and the complexity of life is eloquently written. Fun to read, applicable themes to any reader from any background.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- jeremiah
- 2023-05-10
Every Sports Fan Should Read- helps in all Forms of Competition
Phenomenal Book- packed full of insight into ‘More than Meets the Eye’ as the writer dissects
all Facets of Competing, Learning, Growing, Failing, Winning, Learning Again, Growing Pains, Understanding from all angles/views/perspectives, and Building from Bottom to Top & Top to Bottom & Wall to Wall… After this Book, a Competitor will only Grow to Hunger for More Growth & Learning !!!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mike Gongas
- 2023-04-03
Excellent listen
Excellent for anyone who enjoys strategy and planning. Relative to all sports and fields of profession.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Travis
- 2023-02-07
applications of leadership
This book has some great stories and analogies about how coaches apply various techniques to lead teams.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2023-01-29
Great listen
If you love football and want a deeper appreciation this is a great listen. I loved the stories from the past and how relevant they so are to todays game. The stories about the draft and all the intricate details that go into selecting a player was my favorite part. Definitely going to re-listen.
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