Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Instant Replay: The Day That Changed Sports Forever by Tony Verna

Instant Replay: The Day That Changed Sports Forever by Tony Verna is the memoirs of the director that created instant replay. The book covers his early career in the 1950s through the 21st century when he invented a way for computers and mobile devices to track the soccer ball in matches. Verna's was responsible for directing 5 Super Bowls, 12 Kentucky Derbies, Live Aid and various other events. Verna's shares often amusing stories about some of the famous events in American sports. For instance the icebowl and "the catch". There's quite a bit of name dropping. He knows famous people and wants you to know that as well. He also has some rather evident axes to grind specifically against CBS who refused to recognize the work that he did. The writing style takes some getting used to I think it could be transcribed tape. There are occasional asides and aggressions. If you're interested in how TV sports evolved read this.

Recommended!

Note: this book was provided for review purposes.

No comments: