Spanning the World: The Crazy Universe of Big-Time Sports, All-Star Egos, and Hall of Fame Bloopers

by Len Berman

Book Overview

Go Spanning the World with Len Berman in this wildly entertaining, insightful, and often hilarious book that takes sports fans behind the scenes and inside locker rooms.

One of the most popular television sports personalities--known for his "Spanning the World" segments on NBC's Today show--Len Berman delivers his unique view of the world of sports, from the bizarre to the historic, all with his characteristic wit.

Over the years sports...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060757531
• ISBN13: 9780060757533
• Release Date: May 2006
• Publisher: It Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

An insightful book that's both funny and serious!

I'll admit to not being a huge sports fan. But the broadcasting side can be fascinating. Len Berman's not exactly a household name in my area. I can see why some might mistake him for Marv Albert. Still, this book might lead to some checking out his work. Who knows, maybe one day I'll join that group. There are quite a lot of big names mentioned. Others may not be familar to most people. But Mr. Berman shares the human side of sports. Players, managers, and journalists get praised and criticized. There are many photos. Scattered through these pages are various not-so great moments. Many were featured on his Spanning The World segment. His day as commish of sports would involve a lot of changes.At times he gets serious. How do you talk about sports scores after a President resigns? What about games cancelled after 9/11? Don't forget the issue of race. I wanted to give this book 4 1/2 stars. There are some occasional bad words. I caught one definite goof. Mr. Berman got criticized when he suggested having America The Beautiful at sporting events. The flak occured due to the author, Irving Berlin. Both are Jewish. However, Mr. Berlin wrote God Bless America! Who got what wrong here? Still, I highly recommend this book. Have fun.

Spanning the World is a Joy

Len Berman has been the epitome of a professional sports broadcaster in Boston and New York for many years. This is exactly the kind of book you would expect from him. Great stories about many of the personalities that he has encountered over the years including Dwight Gooden, Pete Rose, Wilt Chamberlain, Joe Torre, Don Imus and many others. Berman also writes about sports role in society and its relation to the more important and sometimes tragic events of our time like 9-11. Book ends with a bang as Berman tells us what he would do if he was commissioner of sports for the day. A great read.

Please read this book!

I grew up watching Len Berman in the Boston area. He is my favorite sportscaster. His book will make you laugh and is suited for any sports fan. Enjoy!

A Great Read

This is the first sports book that I have read that really held my interest. I found the insight into Len Berman's life as a sportscaster fascinating and the sports stories very interesting. I passed the book on to my 86 year old mother and she loved it as well. A great book for all age groups.