Review: Fun As Well As Games (2016)

By Dave Perkins

When whatever self-respecting reporter retires, his initial idea is to write virtually his experiences. After all, he or she has all sorts of experiences along the way, as well as they unremarkably are interesting.

The lucky ones larn to genuinely create it. And Dave Perkins is i of the lucky ones.

Perkins is stepping away from his duties every bit a reporter as well as columnist amongst the Toronto Star, afterward virtually xl years on the business. His hold off dorsum is appropriately called "Fun as well as Games," since it's a lot of fun as well as often dealing amongst games.

Perkins' initial starting fourth dimension is pretty typical inward this business, demonstrating how much luck tin endure involved. He already had been told past times a faculty advisor that he didn't conduct keep the looks or the vocalization to reckon broadcasting - thanks, pal - as well as that impress journalism would endure a adept outlet for his talents. Perkins had been working on some background data on Watergate when he went downwards to run part-time at Toronto's Globe as well as Mail i night. It was business office of a two-week tryout the college had arranged for some journalism students. By chance, he knew to a greater extent than virtually Watergate than anyone inward the building, as well as helped the coverage of that fourth dimension menstruation inward a item night. Someone was impressed, as well as he started working his way upward the ladder.

From there, it's a instance of letting the stories begin. About smoking a Cuban cigar inward front end of President Bill Clinton. Listening to Jack Nicklaus demonstrate full yell back virtually rounds shot decade inward the past. Chasing downwards David Cone inward an odd house inward lodge to larn a quote on baseball game labor. There are stories virtually those sports along amongst everything from harness racing to cricket.

The biggest chapter is saved for the Olympics. Perkins saw a bunch of them over the years, as well as they conduct keep all sorts of thrilling moments too every bit logistical nightmares. I peculiarly liked the storey where his newspaper's squad of reporters was sitting to a greater extent than or less watching tv set - when they realized that no i was roofing a Canadian's displace at a medal. Somehow it had slipped through the cracks. This materials genuinely does happen, much to the editor's dismay.

This all has a Canadian tint to it, of course, since it's a Toronto writer, but there's non much hockey inward here. Yes, at that spot are a few shots taken at Maple Leaf administration over the years, which goes into the "shooting fish inward a barrel" subdivision of the newsroom. But most of the stories are pretty universal, which way they are enjoyable for anyone who pays attending to sports inward general. And there's merely plenty venom as well as score-settling along the way to continue it interesting. Some come upward inward the shape of quotes from past times stories as well as columns, piece other thoughts are quite fresh.

Perkins got to the complete delineate merely virtually at the correct time. The trouble organisation has changed greatly inward the past times several years, as well as it's taking a dissimilar - non necessarily meliorate or worse, but sure enough dissimilar - laid of skills to endure a journalist these days. "Fun as well as Games" is something of a hold off dorsum at a trouble organisation life that's unopen to existence gone forever, but there's plenty fun along the way to continue sports fans who read it entertained.

Four stars

Learn to a greater extent than virtually this book.

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