Pete Rozelle is often considered the greatest commissioner in sports history. Under his nearly 30-year regime as commissioner of the National Football League, Rozelle essentially turned the NFL from a well-organized recreation league into a business empire. Most sports fans would relish a well-reported look at a man who changed the American sporting landscape, but they won't find it here. Davis (Papa Bear: The Life and Legacy of George Halas
) inexplicably devotes entire chapters to events that Rozelle had little involvement in—the controversial death of Eugene “Big Daddy” Lipscomb, the Heidi
game—and goes on numerous tangents about other people while Rozelle makes only cameo appearances in his own biography. Failing to condense rambling quotes from many of his sources, Davis even inserts his own reminiscences into the narrative, crippling the momentum. There are some revelations (especially on Rozelle's rocky first marriage and his abilities as a father), but they are not enough to make this either a clear picture of a monumental sports figure or an entertaining read. Photos not seen by PW
. (Sept.)
