Review of “How to Rig the NCAA Basketball Championship for Fun and Profit”
Overview:
“How to Rig the NCAA Basketball Championship for Fun and Profit” written by James Wolfe is an exciting book that entails much more than the title implies. The book takes you inside the life of a fictional collegiate basketball referee, Stanley Osborn. It is written in both a unique and entertaining style that grips the reader’s attention and does not let go. The fast paced, easy to read nature makes reading the book all the more enjoyable. The job of being a referee is not as glamorous as it appears, and Wolfe does a great job of taking you deep inside the life of Stanley Osborn, and the game of college basketball. His problematic life is believable and exposes issues of college basketball, officials, and the trust we place in them.
Plot:
Stanley Osborne is an accountant by trade and moonlights as a college basketball referee for the love of the game. He loves being an official and takes great pride in his work and integrity. He is an honest, ethical, and hard working man. Of course this all changes in a flurry when he makes one call on a bang bang play where he whistled a charge that should have been called a block. It ended any chance the home team had of winning the game. This landed him in some hot water with the media, fans, and the Big 11 conference. Stanley moved on from his mistake; however several games later he blew his whistle on an obvious travelling call. The call was against a star guard on their home floor. The team was also coached by one of the best and highly profiled coaches in the nation. He erupted and proceeded to take his anger out on Stanley, who gave him a deserving technical. This game led to Stanley being suspended by the Big 11, and that is where he hatched his plan to come up with a scandal so big the NCAA could not ignore it and it would expose all the problems with the game he so loved – college basketball. So Stanley changed his ways and set out to rig the NCAA tournament, which is where the book gets its title. Although this may seem impossible, especially in today’s technology driven age, I assure you that it is not. However to find out how Stanley went about attempting to do this, you need to read the book. Although when you read this you will realize some problems with the game of basketball, like any other sport it has its weaknesses and flaws, you will gain some valuable insight on the challenges and integrity it takes to be an official, especially in big time college basketball. It will most certainly change how you watch March Madness, or any other college basketball game. Moreover it will give you an appreciation of referees, rekindle your love and passion for the game, and of course keep you flipping pages until you reach the end.
Bottom Line:
“How to Rig the NCAA Basketball Championship for Fun and Profit” is a must read book for anyone who has even the slightest interest in college sports. If you love college basketball you will absolutely love this book. It forces you to take a step back and examine the game you love. Although the book has a realistic and scary premise, it is thought provoking, entertaining, well-written, and a great read.
Rating:
(of 5)
