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Boys Will Be Boys: The Glory Days and Party Nights of the Dallas Cowboys Dynasty Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,641 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
They were America's Team—the high-priced, high-glamour, high-flying Dallas Cowboys of the 1990s, who won three Super Bowls and made as many headlines off the field as on it. Led by Emmitt Smith, the charismatic Deion "Prime Time" Sanders, and Hall of Famers Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin, the Cowboys rank among the greatest of all NFL dynasties.
In similar fashion to his New York Times bestseller The Bad Guys Won! about the 1986 New York Mets, in Boys Will Be Boys, award-winning writer Jeff Pearlman chronicles the outrageous antics and dazzling talent of a team fueled by ego, sex, drugs—and unrivaled greatness. Rising from the ashes of a 1–15 season in 1989 to capture three Super Bowl trophies in four years, the Dallas Cowboys were guided by a swashbuckling, skirt-chasing, power-hungry owner, Jerry Jones, and his two eccentric, hard-living coaches, Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer. Together the three built a juggernaut that America loved and loathed.
But for a team that was so dominant on Sundays, the Cowboys were often a dysfunctional circus the rest of the week. Irvin, nicknamed "The Playmaker," battled dual addictions to drugs and women. Charles Haley, the defensive colossus, presided over the team's infamous "White House," where the parties lasted late into the night and a steady stream of long-legged groupies came and went. And then there were Smith and Sanders, whose Texas-sized egos were eclipsed only by their record-breaking on-field performances.
With an unforgettable cast of characters and a narrative as hard-hitting and fast-paced as the team itself, Boys Will Be Boys immortalizes the most beloved—and despised—dynasty in NFL history.
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"Jeff Pearlman's summary of the scandals and triumphs of the 1990s Dallas Cowboys dynasty is easily one of the best things I've read thus far in 2011. It was just as enjoyable to read about the game of football actually being played (granted, I'm a huge football fan) as it was to read about all the insanity that took place behind closed doors. Hookers. Weed. More hookers. Cocaine. More cocaine. Drunk driving. Dramatically tense business relationships. Even more cocaine hookers. Most fascinating were the tense moments throughout owner Jerry Jones' and former coach Jimmy Johnson's partnership, defensive end Charles Haley's obsession with his penis and just being an overall jerk, and the fact that Michael Irvin once stabbed a teammate in the neck with a pair of scissors (amidst all of his other ridiculous and disturbing antics). I already had a good idea about all of the sex and drug scandals, but it certainly was entertaining to divulge in all the juicy details. Fortunately, the game details were just as interesting as well as nostalgic for me, as this all took place during the time I was first getting into football, and I remember watching all of these Super Bowls. Irvin, Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith and co. had quite a run in so many ways throughout the 90s, and I loved all the insight and scandalous tales the Pearlman brings to life in this brilliant if not perfect book. I hope he writes more books like this in the future."
— Aaron (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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Jeff Pearlman has written a rip-roaring book filled with terrific reporting and vibrant prose.... It's a flat-out winner.
— Jonathan Eig, New York Times bestselling author of Opening Day -
“Jeff Pearlman has written a rip-roaring book filled with terrific reporting and vibrant prose…It’s a flat-out winner.”
— Jonathan Eig, New York Times bestselling author of Opening Day -
“A narrative that is as entertaining as it is insightful.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Pearlman, who seems to revel in the seamy side of sports—his The Bad Guys Won! was an account of the equally lecherous 1986 New York Mets—interviewed players, coaches, and others while also plumbing print sources. Yes, he dishes the dirt, but he also catches the team dynamic that fostered success as well as the infighting that led to disaster. Informative as well as titillating.”
— Booklist
Boys Will Be Boys Listener Reviews
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" The content is very entertaining and eye opening. My Dad's a big Cowboys fan so I followed this team in my early teens. I remember thinking of the on-field edition of Charles Haley being a "stabilizing veteran influence". Wow. Youth memories destroyed. Still, I try not to judge and I like the Cowboys. It seems the best way to really enjoy this book is if you're a Giants, Redskins, 49ers or Eagles fan and need fuel for some anti Cowboy tirades. I like these kind of trashy wild behind the scenes books but the writer is a bit of a hack. He'll describe a 10 point victory as a blowout in one chapter and a narrow victory in another. He uses a lot of snarky references (some football related, some not) and tries to shoehorn a redemption for Michael Irvin in at the end vis-a-vis his Hall of Fame induction. I'm not sure sometimes if he's trying to vilify or exonerate many of the Cowboys. "
— Slayerscott, 2/17/2014 -
" Disappointing lack of dirt. Some good Charles Haley stories, but way too easy on Jimmy Johnson and Michael Irvin. Appallingly awful 70's-80's pop culture metaphors ("as likely to win an Oscar as Mindy Cohn" - I had to look her up!) for a book written in 2008 = very lazy sports "writing." I'm almost tempted to recommend Skip Bayless. "
— David, 2/15/2014 -
" An ok read. The subject matter is interesting enough to get past the ham-fisted writing. "
— Rob, 2/14/2014 -
" Read as a talented football team collapses under the weight of ego, violence, coke and sleaze. "
— Cliff, 2/7/2014 -
" A good read about the best football team of the 1990's. "
— Nate, 2/2/2014 -
" Outstanding read on one of the great dynasties in NFL history. "
— Denis, 1/27/2014 -
" Heard an interview with the author and ordered it right away. Some stories that I had heard and many that I had not provide both a great behind-the-scenes look at the early '90s glory days of America's Team and a pretty clear explanation of why the dynasty didn't last as long as it could (or should) have. "
— Darren, 1/27/2014 -
" Just the right amount of game and gossip. "
— Beth, 1/19/2014 -
" Exactly what I thought it would be - nice, light reading. "
— Tim, 1/6/2014 -
" I really don't like (can't stand) the Cowboys, but Pearlman has written a great book here. "
— Joaquin, 12/24/2013 -
" Good, entertaining read for the sports fan. Charles Haley masturbating during team meetings and other things you never knew about the Cowboys dynasty. "
— Scott, 12/22/2013 -
" Amazing what these guys actually got away with. Orgies, stabbings, cocaine on team buses. I don't even care if these stories are true or not, Pearlman lays it on. "
— Josh, 12/6/2013 -
" Well worth a read if you've got an interest in football and/or the Dallas Cowboys. Makes some of the behaviour we complain about with Premiership soccer players seem very very tame. "
— David, 12/5/2013 -
" Pearlman writes well and gets good inside but has an annoying writing style. "
— Chris, 11/23/2013 -
" This was a very good sports book. If you dont like sports, but like partying and women, it is also a good book. The Cowboys in the 1990s were a party machine with no rules. Some of the stuff made me laugh out loud. I am going to let my buddies borrow this book, as some of the stuff is classic. "
— Dan, 2/27/2013 -
" Now I thoroughly understand why so many people hate the Dallas Cowboys. "
— Smith, 4/12/2012 -
" Sometimes it is hard to be a fan of sports. "
— Grant, 2/25/2011 -
" A fascinating look at the 1990's Dallas Cowboys dynasty. It was definitely a case of finding out so much more about people I thought I'd heard everything about. I recommend it to any football fans, especially those that remember the Jimmy Johnson/Barry Switzer years. "
— Jesse, 1/29/2010 -
" I hate the Dallas Cowboys, so I loved this book! Jeff Pearlman manages to string together a bunch of hilarious anecdotes about "America's Team" that makes them look as bad as possible. "
— Jennifer, 9/14/2009 -
" Kind of like "The Dirt" for the Dallas Cowboys in the '90s. A pretty fascinating read, with very few people coming out looking all right. "
— Chi, 3/18/2009
About Jeff Pearlman
Jeff Pearlman is the New York Times bestselling author of eight books, including Football for a Buck, The Bad Guys Won!, Boys Will Be Boys, Showtime, Sweetness, and Gunslinger. He is the host of the Two Writers Slinging Yang podcast and blogs regularly at jeffpearlman.com.
About Arthur Morey
Arthur Morey has won three AudioFile Magazine “Best Of” Awards, and his work has garnered numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and placed him as a finalist for two Audie Awards. He has acted in a number of productions, both off Broadway in New York and off Loop in Chicago. He graduated from Harvard and did graduate work at the University of Chicago. He has won awards for his fiction and drama, worked as an editor with several book publishers, and taught literature and writing at Northwestern University. His plays and songs have been produced in New York, Chicago, and Milan, where he has also performed.