The Thin Thirty

By Shannon P. Ragland

Book Overview

Kentucky's new football coach in 1962, Charlie Bradshaw, a Bear Bryant acolyte, put his team through a brutal conditioning and practice regiment, thinning the squad from eighty-eight players to just... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 097912221X
• ISBN13: 9780979122217
• Release Date: August 2007
• Publisher: Set Shot Press
• Length: 372 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Thin Thirty

I played for Bradshaw 65'-69'. The book was accurate but the indoor conditioning and tough style of coaching continued through till his departure in 69'.

Not What Bear And Vince Intended

Who among the male sports fans reading this has not at some time subscribed to the Bear Bryant/Vince Lombardi school of coaching, or thinking? We have all done it. It goes something like this: Part One - Be tough on the kids, break em down physically and mentally. Part Two - Build them back up as a team, encourage them, reward them. Ever wondered what would happen if Part One was overdone, and Part Two was ignored? Well, that's exactly what occurred at Kentucky University in 1962, and that is what The Thin Thirty is about. The book gets its name from the fact that in the winter of 1961 KU had 88 men out for football, but after the brutality of the "conditioning program," spring practice, and finally fall practice, when the first game rolled around in 1962 only 30 players were left on the team. The "thin" part of the title refers to the fact that among the 30 survivors most had gone from hefty guys down to scrawny, thin, weakened young men. And the abuse did not stop there. Scholarship players who quit because of the insanity and physical abuse (wait till you read about the coach that slugged a player, knocked a tooth out and then demanded he continue with no interruption) were badgered into signing a waiver giving up their scholarships - a clear violation of the scholarship contract. This is about a coaching staff and supportive administration that ran amok. And more importantly it is about dozens of young men who were forced to choose to endure the label of quitter for finally throwing in the towel on the KU version of the Bataan Death March. Richly researched and told in a vivid style of writing, this is a book about what was nothing less than a concentration camp masquerading as a football program. And the stories of how the survivors eventually built solid lives for themselves in spite of the experience will bring tears to your eyes. Bryant and Lombardi were masters. But they remembered Part Two of their formula. The "Bryant wannabees" at KU in 1962 forgot Part Two and became sadists in classic Lord Of The Flies fashion. There is a message there for all of us. PS This book deserved to be printed and distributed by a large publisher. Instead it seems to have been printed by a vanity press - so be prepared for some typos and errors in grammar - but don't let that put you off - this is a great book and we hope to hear more from this author.

The Canadian Shares His Thoughts

I enjoyed reading Shannon Ragland's The Thin Thirty. I was one of the UK players who experienced a great deal of what Shannon chronicles, Reading the book, it feels as if he must have been there at the time. His attention to detail, in his interviews, puts the reader in the exact situation we were in, in 1962. The biggest question, that can never be answered, is what would have happened if Blanton Collier had remained the head coach at UK? Or if Coach Bradshaw had chosen to use a different set of tactics, instead of "Total Football?" So many careers were ruined, as well as relations with the University--not to mention those who chose never to play again. Alas, we are left to wonder why it took so long for these times and events to come to the public's attention. All of us were traumatized, some more than others. Nevertheless, I think the reader will receive a total and truly accurate account of those times.......Bob Kosid (a.k.a. The Canadian)

"The Thin Thirty" Review

The Thin Thirty is one of the top five sports books I have ever read. After being buried in the minds of so many people for 45 years, this story has finally been told. The research Shannon did for this book was truly outstanding! Every football (or sports) fan in America needs to read this book, not only for the remarkable story of the 1962 University of Kentucky football team but also for the historical connotations he describes. It is a fascinating yet disturbing step back in time. Shannon's book takes one back to when the team members were in high school being recruited, to the fateful 1962 season and on to where each player is now. It is a hard book to put down once one starts to read it. Buy it today...you will forever have a new perspective on college football. It is an amazing story that you will not soon forget. -- Jack D. Powers, Lexington, KY

The Thin Thirty

This is a story that needed to be told after 45 years on the shelf, so to speak, and Shannon you did a wonderful job telling it. I met and married my husband, a Thin Thirty man, shortly after he graduated from UK and I sort of feel like I went through it with him. I've met and spent time with several of the guy's and so many of the people, places and events aren't new to me. Vince said Shannon painted a great verbal picture of the events leading up to and including that unbelivable year, 1962. It was a bittersweet read for me, one fraught with intense emotion on all levels! Shannon, I wish you great success with your book and hope that it is taken in the vain you meant it to be taken in! It was a courageous undertaking and you met the challenge like a hero !! Susan Semary