Sweetness at last brings fans a detailed, scrupulously researched, allencompassing account of the legends rise to greatness. The burden of loneliness and his marriage werent paytons only problems. The enigmatic life of walter payton by jeff pearlman 2012, paperback at the best online prices at. Of course, the multiple layers of paytons life had pearlman detailing the controversy he endured in light of an. Sep 30, 2011 a new book on football star walter payton claims that the hall of fame inductee running back abused drugs, had affairs, and threatened to commit suicide sports author jeff pearlmans book. Jeff pearlman comes home to discusses his book and the life. While i am not a big football fan i do enjoy reading biographies of sports standouts, and walter payton certainly fits that category. The enigmatic life of walter payton, was published in sports illustrated wednesday, the author has come under fire for writing details.
Jeff pearlman comes home to discusses his book and the. Payton as perhaps the greatest allaround football player ever, a generous teammate and a loving father. Reading pearlmans account of paytons career, bears fans will rejoice in recalling the great and notsogreat games of the 1970s and 80s, culminating in the 1986 super bowl victory. I found the walter of your book to be more of a hero than the one people refer to. The enigmatic life of walter payton, by jeff pearlman, appeared in sports illustrated, bears fans were apoplectic. Jeff pearlman adds kobe bryant prologue to new lakers book. With sweetness, jeff pearlman joins that small group of men who can claim to have caught up with walter payton, with historys most elusive football player.
The enigmatic life of walter payton ebook written by jeff pearlman. Book reveals new details on life of hall of famer walter. Jeff pearlmans biography of chicago bears legend walter payton is a very evenly written book. Walter paytons brother to release a book about their lives. In october 2011 he released his fifth book, a biography of walter payton titled. The first definitive biography of chicago bears superstar walter payton. Sep 30, 2011 since an excerpt of jeff pearlman s new book, sweetness. He, unlike so many bears who killed my reputation, took the time to read it. This book is by far the most detailed of his life and career. Author jeff pearlman recently came back to his hometown of mahopac, new york to discuss his most recent book sweetness. The book is written by jeff pearlman and is appropriately titled sweetness. His fifth book, sweetness, is a biography of walter payton, the late chicago bears running back. Sep 26, 2018 pearlman, whos written about the dallas cowboys, the new york mets and brett favre, among others, calls this his best book, his dream book.
Mike ditka told nbc chicago on thursday that he would spit on jeff pearlman, the author of an upcoming walter payton biography that has created quite a stir since sports illustrated released an. Eddie payton, walters brother and one of my alltime least favorite people, continues to talk nonsense about me and the book. Brett favre biography takes a look at life on and off the. Sep 29, 2011 jeff pearlman is an american sports writer. Pearlmans book portrays payton, who died in 1999, as a human beinga legendary player and great spirit but a tormented, sometimes. Aug 28, 2012 jeff pearlman s biography of chicago bears legend walter payton is a very evenly written book. This is just one of the windows on the inner payton that jeff pearlman offers in his nearly 500page biography of the hall of famer, sweetness. Jeff pearlmans book, which includes allegations of payton, who died in 1999, being suicidal, abusing pain medication and being unfaithful to his wife, is. Crafted from interviews with more than 700 sources, acclaimed sportswriter jeff pearlman has produced the first definitive biography of payton.
The enigmatic life of walter payton returns to his niche. Pearlman delved into the complex life this american sports giant. Sweetness and the apologies that never came jeff pearlman. He has written two books about baseball and was the author of the infamous john rocker interview in sports illustrated. The enigmatic life of walter payton, which depicts mr. Author jeff pearlman discusses the motivation behind his new book, sweetness. Pearlman did not set out to expose payton but to understand him, to identify and define the qualities that made him so appealing. Sep 30, 2011 author jeff pearlman, whose new biography says walter payton abused drugs and cheated on his wife, says he greatly admires payton and is taken aback by the harsh reaction his book has received. Mike ditka is skeptical of new book on walter payton. The enigmatic life of walter payton, online now at sports illustrated. Walter payton s life was thrilling, complicated, triumphant, and turbulent, and it takes an artful storyteller to present it all properly.
But if you like texture, if you want to get the sense of a real life lived by a real person with real beauty within and real warts. Pearlman portrays the story of paytons life in great detail, spending years, while compiling many different sources to make this book a success. I entered this project with a love of walter payton. Jan 08, 2015 in case you dont know the name emery moorehead, he was the starting tight end for the bears during much of walter paytons career. Walter paytons life was thrilling, complicated, triumphant, and turbulent, and it takes an artful storyteller to present it all properly. At the mahopac library, before an audience of about 30, mr. Pearlmans book provides much to enhance that image, and a bit to tarnish it as well. Started listening to this book after getting a tip from a football life episode on walter payton. Wilbon never acknowledged his piece was biased and uninformed. Pearlman ran into some interesting and challenging interviews along the way researching the payton book.
As a player he had numbed his maladies with pills and liquids, usually supplied by the bears. Walter payton is back in the public consciousness following the release of the controversial biography, sweetness. A few of payton s former teammates and colleagues have. This week i had the opportunity to interview author jeff pearlman about his writing career and his newly released book, sweetness. Mike ditka never explained how he hadnt read the book. Sep 29, 2011 former chicago bears coach mike ditka dismissed the author of a controversial new book on walter payton as totally gutless. Oct 07, 2011 pearlman did not set out to expose payton but to understand him, to identify and define the qualities that made him so appealing. Thankfully for payton and for us, the readers of this splendid book there is jeff pearlman to provide precisely the perfect touch. Standing in the shadow of sweetness, along with the foreword written by mike ditka. But jeffs the first to make that chase with love in his heart. Pearlman worked on the book for over two years and interview hundreds of people.
The burden of loneliness and his marriage werent payton s only problems. He was the author of the infamous john rocker interview in sports illustrated. But to those who knew him, even close friends and family, he was an enigma. Back in the 1980s, playing football in brian cennamos backyard, i was either billy sims, ricky bell, freeman mcneil or walter payton. A blanket condemnation of the book based on one salacious. Walter payton abused painkillers, had affairs, claims new. Pearlmans critics see themselves as paytons defenders, the. Nov, 2012 eddie payton chronicles the life of sweetness and challenges another highprofile biography of his brother walter. Walter payton book angers mike ditka, former bears players. Sep 28, 2011 walter payton is without a doubt one of the best running backs to ever play in the nfl, but a new book set to hit stores soon reveals disturbing details about the late chicago bears hall of famer.
The book shows another side of the chicago bears great, detailing personal battles that included family struggles, pill abuse and depression. The enigmatic life of walter payton, the author assesses payton was addicted to prescription drugs, abused laughing gas, and had a mistress. The definitive biography of chicago bears superstar walter payton. Sarah palins lawyer threatens suit over mcginniss book. Author jeff pearlman, whose new biography says walter payton abused drugs and cheated on his wife, says he greatly admires payton and is. The passages highlighted in the magazine focused on paytons use of drugs. Jeff pearlman s book, which includes allegations of payton, who died. Author jeff pearlman has written an allencompassing biography of chicago bears superstar walter payton. The enigmatic life of walter payton by jeff pearlman 2012, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. Jeff pearlman born 1972 is an american sports writer. Rick hogan, wgn sunday papers jeff pearlman has written sweetness. The passages published dealt with paytons numerous off the field problems including contemplating suicide numerous times.
That book drew the ire of bears fans and paytons old teammates because pearlman reported in detail about some unflattering aspects of the running backs life. Pearlman has stated that he loves payton more than ever after writing this book. Evidently, some of the more salacious parts were leaked to a national magazine and the book was derided as a slashburn expose of payton. Since an excerpt of jeff pearlmans new book, sweetness. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read sweetness. Pearlman stands by his portrayal of payton in polarizing book. Payton as perhaps the greatest allaround football player ever.
A new book on football star walter payton claims that the hall of fame inductee running back abused drugs, had affairs, and threatened to commit suicide sports author jeff pearlmans book. It says something about how beloved payton is that when pearlman dared to include those flaws in a largely favorable book, he was. Oct 08, 2011 doug miles radio interview with jeff pearlman author sweetness, the enigmatic life of walter payton. Pearlmans book portrays payton, who died in 1999, as a human beinga legendary player and great spirit but a tormented, sometimes selfish, and entirely imperfect man. Sep 28, 2011 jeff pearlman s latest book, sweetness. Oct 12, 2011 pearlman has stated that he loves payton more than ever after writing this book. Predictably, pearlman has received a good deal of criticism for his wartsandall portrayal of payton, who died from a rare form of cancer in 1999. Payton popped darvon robotically during his playing days.
Yet even that 4610 bears win over the new england patriots, still the most onesided super bowl game in history, represents the riddle that was walter payton. Sweetness captures paytons life in both its greatness and its flaws, and should be read by all sports fans. Pearlman, who grew up in mahopac, has written for sports illustrated, newsday and has already published books on the 1986 new york mets, the dallas cowboys, barry bonds and roger clemens. I asked pearlman whether he had any control on what sports illustrated published. The entire point of mdss post seems to be that while paytons family and many bears fans were upset to find out that their hero was not perfect, the claims in pearlmans book are factually. The book closes any gap you may have had on what happened during any part of his life. The indianapolis star pearlman did not set out to expose payton but to understand him, to identify and define the qualities that made him so appealing. If you are a payton fan, great book i grew up as as a bear fan and of course a walter payton fan. An extraordinarily gifted athlete known for his ferocious stiffarm, his refusal to run out of bounds and his unparalleled work ethic, payton was, and is, beloved by football fans. Plus, hes wickedly smart and great company, said pearlman. Mike ditka on walter payton book author jeff pearlman. Oct, 2011 walter payton is back in the public consciousness following the release of the controversial biography, sweetness.
Darrelle reviss interview with mike francesa of wfan turned into a long argument, and the argument over jeff pearlmans book on walter payton is still. Sep 12, 2011 author jeff pearlman discusses the motivation behind his new book, sweetness. Thankfully for paytonand for us, the readers of this splendid bookthere is jeff pearlman to provide precisely the perfect touch. Bud is 80something, lives in mississippi, doesnt take any st and can talk for hours. Read the bookbut if you like texture, if you want to get the sense of a real life lived by a real person with real beauty within and real warts, start reading and do so with an open mind. Thought that there had to be more to the man than the sparkly clean image put forth by the media and the family and this book does a very thorough job of giving the details of a. Walter paytons brother to release a book about their. The enigmatic life of walter payton, is sure to draw plenty of attention. Book reveals new details on life of hall of famer walter payton. Pearlman talks about walter payton and sportswriting.
Rick hogan, wgn sunday papers i have read the book and i can tell you your appreciation of walter will be heightened if you read the whole book and not just the excerpt rick kogan jeff pearlman has written sweetness. The enigmatic life of walter payton by jeff pearlman. It paints the greatest runner in chicago bears, possibly nfl history as a. The point isnt to question pearlmans accuracy, but to question his purpose in writing the book. Oct 14, 2011 his book on payton got lots of press by sports illustrated who decided to publish excerpts of the book before it was released to the public. Author and sports illustrated columnist jeff pearlman decided to take matters into his own hands and write a book about the great walter payton, titled sweetness. Jeff pearlman is the author of four previous books, including two new york times. I was going to give pearlman s book 4 stars rather than 5 stars because i found at least three errors in the text, which shows either sloppiness or lack of competent editing. Pearlman said he interviewed 678 people for the book, which he worked on for 2. A few of paytons former teammates and colleagues have. The walter payton as drawn by jeff pearlman is a much more complicated one than we have seen before but at the same time, much more human.
Sep 28, 2012 walter paytons brother to release a book about their lives. Pearlman spent two years doing research for his book. Doug miles radio interview with jeff pearlman author sweetness, the enigmatic life of walter payton. I actually first engaged with him during an espn piece about sweetness, and afterward i told him id send him the book. In october 2011 he released his fifth book, a biography of walter payton titled, sweetness. He has written three books about baseball, three about football and one on basketball.
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