The Draft

By Wil Mara

Book Overview

"Wil Mara goes inside the NFL draft like never before. He details the personalities and complications that go into every draft decision, making for good reading and good drama."---John Clayton, NFL analyst and ESPN senior writer It's draft time in the National Football League. For high-ranking team executives, this means long days and sleepless nights, endless negotiations, and determining which young men deserve to become millionaires and which do not. Careers will be made with the stroke of a pen, but mistakes are costly. Baltimore Ravens General Manager Jon Sabino has turned a weary, ragtag organization into a gridiron dynamo, culminating in two consecutive Super Bowl victories, and now they're poised to make NFL history with a third consecutive championship. New talent is the last thing on Sabino's mind, so this year's draft will be little more than a formality. Or will it? With less than two weeks until draft day, Sabino receives crushing news---Michael Bell, the team's starting quarterback, has been involved in a season-ending auto accident. Baltimore's two backups cannot possibly fill Bell's cleats, no other available free agents reach Bell's skill level, and the Ravens' volatile owner insists that he wants the third Lombardi Trophy above all else--even if it costs the team down the road. So Sabino is forced to pursue Christian McKinley, the best quarterback prospect to come along in a generation, who will assuredly be taken with the first pick. But that's a task easier said than done, especially when the other general managers will stop at nothing to keep him from winning yet another Super Bowl ring. The San Diego Chargers, who own that pick, are not interested in McKinley but are willing to offer it to the highest bidder. Other teams want it; need it. Now Jon Sabino has to jump into the fray, which the media has dubbed the "McKinley Sweepstakes," and he may find the competition tougher than even he can imagine. It could very well be the make-or-break moment of his career, the fork in the road that leads him and his team either into the history books or back to the tepid hell of mediocrity. And then there's a young man in the Philadelphia projects whose arm is just as good as McKinley's--except that he wants nothing to do with the NFL. He'll have to face an old family secret and bitter legacies if he ever goes pro. But he just might be the salvation Sabino needs. NFL fans will delight in this insider's entry into the general manager's head office, sweat through draft negotiations, strategic alliances, and gamesmanship, and revel in pure NFL glory. "The Draft" is sports fiction at its best, combining solid insider information and an unmistakable passion for the game with the awesome power of storytelling; a potent mixture that will keep football fans riveted to every page. ""The Draft" is an entertaining and realistic look inside the NFL. Any football fan will find it 'must' reading.'---Bill Polian, president of the Indianapolis Colts"Wil Mara's foray into the sometimes unfriendly confines of the NFL draft room provides an intriguing insight into a process that can be as competitive as those that occur on the gridiron itself."---Marv Levy, Hall of Fame head coach and general manager of the Buffalo Bills""The Draft" is a fascinating novel about what can go on behind the scenes in an NFL front office--the intrigue and maneuvering. It is terrific reading for the fan who wonders how these trades and deals are made." ---Ernie Accorsi, general manager of the New York Giants ""The Draft" is a smartly crafted and highly engrossing novel about deals, decisions, and desperation in the world of pro football. The characters are marvelously drawn, and the writing is razor's-edge sharp. If you are a fan of this game, then "The Draft" is one book you absolutely must read." ---Peter Golenbock, author of "Landry's Boys" "There couldn't be a better time for a book like Wil Mara'

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312359292
• ISBN13: 9780312359294
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.26 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.6" x 1.0" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Great insights into the NFL

This book was great if you want to see what its like behind the scenes in the NFL. I read this is just 2 sittings. It was impossiable to put down. It is very well written. It brings you into the book from the start. It starts with a General Manager who just won back to back Super Bowls and takes you thru the off season and his desire to win a third straight, but his QB is injured in a car accident. Well I won't give the rest of it away but it is a great book.

Great book for football fans (and their wives)!

I read all the time. To me I'll read anything from Clive Cussler to Salmon Rushdie (granted there are a lot of in-betweens there). My point is, I'll read pretty much anything someone puts in front of me. Since Brian's Song (which I know was non-fiction), I can't remember the last time I was able to read a sports-related book and actually enjoy the plotline as well as the real-life parallels. Luckily for me, Wil Mara's The Draft skillfully combines both. To be honest, I'll have to admit that I didn't know many details about the draft, besides what I saw in Jerry Maguire. However, in this book, you really get a behind-the-scenes look. Also, as a plus, these details don't bore you to death or distract from the story-line. There are several plotlines going on here, and Mara seems to be able to switch between them easily, while not losing the reader. Jon Sabino's rivalry with Brendan Cavanaugh (the Bronco's GM) is interesting and full of twists and turns. Even when you think you know how it's going to end, you're wrong. Mara is just one more twist ahead of you. The Pressner family angle is full of surprises too! I don't want to give anything away here, but suffice to say, you will not want to put the book down. On the minus side, I'm a life-long Jets fan (we've all got our burdens to bear). So, I've got to say I wish the Jets were in here more, but then again, I'll remember that this is fiction and that the Jets are always the underdogs. Maybe in one of Mara's future NFL books, he'll bring them in. I know, I know: A long shot. Summed up: A fresh look on the NFL (especially its less-publicized side). I really enjoyed it and I think both men and women (yes, women) all over will too! Better get your copy while you can!

fine sports tale

Baltimore Ravens General Manager Jon Sabino has been toasted as the latest genius as his team has won the last two Superbowls. He plans to make history with a trifecta and many professional football pundits make the Ravens the favorite the three-peat. During the off season, the star quarterback Michael Bell is injured in an accident that leaves him out for the season and the team without a strong player at the key position as neither the back up nor free agency provides the leadership needed to go all the way. Jon knows the best chance lies with the upcoming college draft by taking a chance on a rookie adapting to the NFL right away, which he believes Wolverine Quarterback Christian McKinley can; as he has the talent and played well in the major bowls and Big Ten games. However, without him the Ravens go nowhere. To get him means working a deal with San Diego who has the first draft pick and is willing to sell the rights to the highest bidder of the McKinley Sweepstakes. Sabino plans that to be him at all costs. Though the intrigue elements (industrial espionage and a quarterback thinking of passing on the pros) seems more like a forced throw into coverage, NFL fans will enjoy the look behind the scenes of a successful professional football franchise. When the plot focuses on Sabino's efforts to insure an opportunity for the historical third ring, the tale is fast-paced and fascinating; when the story line focuses on other characters like a rival General Manager, it becomes time to punt. Still since much of the tale centers on Sabino trying to keep from being sacked, football fans will enjoy THE DRAFT especially with its parallels to Brady (Michigan QB) and Roethlisberger (bike accident). Harriet Klausner