Bowerman and the Men of Oregon Book Review

Picking up this over 400 page book, I did not know what to really expect. My only exposure to Coach Bowerman is from the movie Without Limits so Donald Sutherland shaped my opinion of him prematurely. The father of Jack Bauer did not do the real Coach Bowerman justice.

The book is so much more than a prolific coach of a mythical track team. I did not expect such a rich (and filled with SAT laden vocabulary) history to start the first quarter; American pioneers, University of Oregon history, the Great Depression, and World War II, and the lesser known six degrees of Bill Bowerman.

It seems that Bowerman coined every phrase in running and that this book is in actuality a history on running. It seemed strange to read about New Zealand's greatest import other than the kiwi was something foreign called "jogging" in the 60s and that before that, runners on the roads would be swerved in to by cars (well, that hasn't changed).

Much like any man's life, there is more than reputation. The book was not a quick jaunt through Pre (appearing more than half way through the book), Nike, and Oregon.

Quotes and notes:
"For when the One Great Scorer comes To write against your name, He writes-not that you won or lost-But how you played the game." (plaque)
p.84

Emil Zatopek's 5000, 10,000 m, 26.2 mile trifectah at the Olympics came from forty hard 400-meter laps with 200-meter recovery jogs every day. :bows down: p.89

Jack Hutchins and the Hayward track set up is responsible for the idea of the finishing kick p.92

I have always wondered what the BRS on the bottom of my Frees meant. The company that turned in to Nike was named 'BRS', for Blue Ribbon Sports, after Mr. Knight (the guinea pig for Coach Bowerman), made the name up on the spot to the Onitsuka company after reading the label of a Suntory Blue Ribbon bottle, the same Suntory Times that Bill Murray was pitching in 'Lost in Translation'.

I will be honest with you guys, I did not finish the book (stopped at p. 273 before Munich) but do not let that be an indication that an in-depth look at a man's life was boring but more an indication that I have lost my ability to focus for more than 400 pages.

Maybe one day I will pick up where I left off at p. 273.