Wicked Good Year: How the Red Sox, Patriots, and Celtics Turned the Hub of the Universe Into the Capital of Sports

by Steve Buckley

Book Overview

From award-winning Boston Herald sports columnist Steve Buckley comes Wicked Good Year , an insightful, celebratory look at Boston's mega-successful 2007-2008 sports season, during which the Red Sox... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061787388
• ISBN13: 9780061787386
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: It Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Decent overview of a great time to be a Boston sports fan

I liked the book, and it covered a period of time when I was in Iraq and getting a release from the day-to-day grind of war by finding out that all of my favorite sports teams from my beloved Boston were doing so well really helped my morale. Buckley does a pretty good job capturing the runs of the Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots. The Bruins are briefly mentioned as well, although they didn't enjoy the same level of success, and don't have a dedicated focus. I wasn't crazy about the segue into the different fans of the Sox, Patriots and Celtics in the context of the events of the time but to each his own. Wasn't a fan of Donnie Wahlberg at all when he was with the New Kids on the Block back in the 80's but he's a good actor who's grown on me over time. Still, the Nantucket ladies and Andrew Urban the autograph collector didn't do much for me. But, I credit Buckley for trying a slightly different approach beyond the simple re-hash of the sports teams and events. I've not always agreed with Buckley's comments, but this isn't a bad book for someone like me who couldn't be there to experience the events in person and in Boston where they occurred. Enjoyable light read.

Wicked Good Book!!

I picked this up at the recommendation of a friend. I was a little hesitant since I'm a complete sports-dummy. Despite the awkwardly long sub-title Wicked Good Year is far more than a sports book! Buckley takes the 2007 season and follows it through three very uniqe fans: an obsessive autograph collector who survived a deadly car crash as a child, a trio of little old ladies from Nantucket and a boy-band celebrity obsessed with basketball (you couldnt make this up!). Anybody can spit back dry stats, but through these characters Buckley provides the sort of context that makes sports personal and interesting for the layperson. In the end Buckely explores the cultural identity of a city through the lens of sporting history and personal narratives. He leads the reader through time to some of the greatest, the worst, and the most fascinating moments of Boston sports. He does so with a voice that is technical enough for seasoned fans, but easy enough for the sports dummy (like me)to follow. A great read for sports fans in general. An absolute must-read for Bostonians - especially the non sports-fans - I finally understand just why the city went crazy in 2007.