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Bloody Confused!: A Clueless American Sportswriter Seeks Solace in English Soccer
written by Chuck Culpepper
Studio : Broadway
by Broadway
Release Date : 2008-08-05
Publisher : Broadway
Released : 2008-08-05
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9780767928083
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 18 reviews)
List Price : $13.95
Our Price : $7.94
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Product Description |
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Chuck Culpepper was a veteran sports journalist edging toward burnout . . . then he went to London and discovered the high-octane, fanatical (and bloody confusing!) world of English soccer.
After covering the American sports scene for fifteen years, Chuck Culpepper suffered from a profound case of Common Sportswriter Malaise. He was fed up with self-righteous proclamations, steroid scandals, and the deluge of in-your-face PR that saturated the NFL, the NBA, and MLB. Then in 2006, he moved to London and discovered a new and baffling world—the renowned Premiership soccer league. Culpepper pledged his loyalty to Portsmouth, a gutsy, small-market team at the bottom of the standings. As he puts it, “It was like childhood, with beer.”
Writing in the vein of perennial bestsellers such as Fever Pitch and Among the Thugs, Chuck Culpepper brings penetrating insight to the vibrant landscape of English soccer—visiting such storied franchises as Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool . . . and an equally celebrated assortment of pubs. Bloody Confused! will put a smile on the face of any sports fan who has ever questioned what makes us love sports in the first place. |
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Mildly Amusing |
The reviews for this book already have done a nice job of describing the book's strengths and limits. However, no one has given it three stars yet and I think it falls somewhere in that category. If you love reading sports books like me, this isn't the worst read you will find. Culpepper gives a brisk overview of an EPL season with Portsmouth and gives a well written account of his budding love for English football and its dedicated supporters. The book seems like it would be good for folks with a general interest in England and her sports and who aren't all too knowledgeable about soccer.
However, Culpepper's book provides little in the way of revelations for those who already follow the Premiership or are fans of the game. What galled me about the book was that this was an American sportswriter who seems to have had to travel to England to first experience the intensity of soccer supporters. He contributes to the Los Angeles Times and all he had to do was attend an LA Galaxy- Chivas USA match and spend some time with those clubs' supporters, not to mention attending some matches at the LA Coliseum involving Latin American clubs and national teams, to learn songs and experience passionate fans. Culpepper compares American sports with English football but never seems to mention the United States Major League Soccer clubs or their supporters.
Culpepper reminds me of that Jim Rome-type of shortcoming in US sports observers which overlooks or dismisses MLS even though their job is to have an understanding of American sports. Had they that understanding, they would realize you don't have to travel to Portsmouth to find a potentially enthralling game. |
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Bloody Dull |
After 2 decades of covering American sports and becoming somewhat jaded in the process, Culpepper seeks reinvigoration of his passion for sports by immersing himself in fandom for the English Premier League club Portsmouth. Following a common format for sports books, he follows the team for a season. Culpepper brings nothing novel to this subgenre. The quality of his writing, featuring fairly lame efforts at depicting himself as clueless, is pedestrian.
Individuals interested in better sports writing on English soccer would do well to read Nick Hornby's memoir Fever Pitch, or Pete Davies superior journalism. |
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screamingly funning and amazingly insightful |
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This is a brilliant piece of writing, one that I've bought for several American friends who look at me sideways when I start raving about (real) football. Not only does the author tell the story of my favorite team (Pompey), he paints a vivid picture of insane fandom. I laughed so hard at some sections of this book that my wife banned me from reading it in bed because I was shaking the bed so much. As the story progresses, the author is drawn in from feeling like a detached observer to being as crazy as the people he is observing. A tremendous read for anyone wanting to understand English culture, or any sportsfan who doesn't get why (real) football is the most popular sport in the world. |
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Good one Chuck! |
Great interesting take on the best sport in the world! "Play up Pompey, play up!!" Yeah, whatever....C'mon Arsenal!!! Written with passion and humor, if you're not a soccer...errr..football(futbol) fan, you must, must pick up this book! Also, check out World Soccer Daily dot com everyday!!
Cheers! |
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Couldn't Put It Down |
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I have recently become a fan of European soccer and heard Chuck Culpepper promoting his book on World Soccer Daily. It peaked my interest and I decided to check it out. The book was amazingly funny! I could not put it down. When I finally finished I was actually depressed because I knew I would miss vicariously living through Chuck's stories. I have already passed it onto a friend to spread the joy. |
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