The enigmatic life of walter payton, online now at sports illustrated. Jeff pearlman comes home to discusses his book and the life. The first definitive biography of chicago bears superstar walter payton. 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. Author jeff pearlman recently came back to his hometown of mahopac, new york to discuss his most recent book sweetness. Sweetness at last brings fans a detailed, scrupulously researched, allencompassing account of the legends rise to greatness.
Brett favre biography takes a look at life on and off the. 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. Jeff pearlman adds kobe bryant prologue to new lakers book. Eddie payton chronicles the life of sweetness and challenges another highprofile biography of his brother walter. Pearlmans book portrays payton, who died in 1999, as a human beinga legendary player and great spirit but a tormented, sometimes. It paints the greatest runner in chicago bears, possibly nfl history as a. The passages highlighted in the magazine focused on paytons use of drugs. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read sweetness. Sarah palins lawyer threatens suit over mcginniss book. Sep 30, 2011 since an excerpt of jeff pearlman s new book, sweetness. The passages published dealt with paytons numerous off the field problems including contemplating suicide numerous times. In october 2011 he released his fifth book, a biography of walter payton titled, sweetness. The book shows another side of the chicago bears great, detailing personal battles that included family struggles, pill abuse and depression.
I entered this project with a love of walter payton. Jeff pearlmans book, which includes allegations of payton, who died in 1999, being suicidal, abusing pain medication and being unfaithful to his wife, is. Aug 28, 2012 jeff pearlman s biography of chicago bears legend walter payton is a very evenly written book. 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. The burden of loneliness and his marriage werent payton s only problems.
Walter payton is back in the public consciousness following the release of the controversial biography, sweetness. The point isnt to question pearlmans accuracy, but to question his purpose in writing the book. Pearlman said he interviewed 678 people for the book, which he worked on for 2. He has written three books about baseball, three about football and one on basketball. 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. Walter paytons brother to release a book about their. Payton popped darvon robotically during his playing days.
But jeffs the first to make that chase with love in his heart. Book reveals new details on life of hall of famer walter payton. Author jeff pearlman discusses the motivation behind his new book, sweetness. The book is written by jeff pearlman and is appropriately titled sweetness. 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. A few of paytons former teammates and colleagues have. Pearlman stands by his portrayal of payton in polarizing 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 burden of loneliness and his marriage werent paytons only problems. Sep 12, 2011 author jeff pearlman discusses the motivation behind his new book, sweetness. Walter paytons life was thrilling, complicated, triumphant, and turbulent, and it takes an artful storyteller to present it all properly.
A few of payton s former teammates and colleagues have. Bud is 80something, lives in mississippi, doesnt take any st and can talk for hours. Started listening to this book after getting a tip from a football life episode on walter payton. So was his anger over a book he hadnt read not even the excerpt. 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. 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. Rick hogan, wgn sunday papers jeff pearlman has written sweetness. Sep 28, 2011 jeff pearlman s latest book, sweetness. Payton as perhaps the greatest allaround football player ever, a generous teammate and a loving father. Pearlman talks about walter payton and sportswriting. The enigmatic life of walter payton, which depicts mr. 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. 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. 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, the author assesses payton was addicted to prescription drugs, abused laughing gas, and had a mistress. 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. At the mahopac library, before an audience of about 30, mr. Remembering payton, with eyes open the new york times. 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.
Since an excerpt of jeff pearlmans new book, sweetness. 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. I was going to give pearlmans 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. 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. Standing in the shadow of sweetness, along with the foreword written by mike ditka. The enigmatic life of walter payton by jeff pearlman. 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. Sep 28, 2012 walter paytons brother to release a book about their lives.
The enigmatic life of walter payton by jeff pearlman 2012, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. 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. 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. Jeff pearlman born 1972 is an american sports writer. Book reveals new details on life of hall of famer walter. Jeff pearlman comes home to discusses his book and the. Thankfully for paytonand for us, the readers of this splendid bookthere is jeff pearlman to provide precisely the perfect touch. 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. This week i had the opportunity to interview author jeff pearlman about his writing career and his newly released book, sweetness.
I asked pearlman whether he had any control on what sports illustrated published. 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. The enigmatic life of walter payton, alleges that payton abused painkillers and nitrous oxide, considered suicide and for years kept a mistress. In october 2011 he released his fifth book, a biography of walter payton titled. Walter payton book angers mike ditka, former bears players. While i am not a big football fan i do enjoy reading biographies of sports standouts, and walter payton certainly fits that category. Payton as perhaps the greatest allaround football player ever. 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. Mike ditka is skeptical of new book on walter payton.
He, unlike so many bears who killed my reputation, took the time to read it. Pearlman ran into some interesting and challenging interviews along the way researching the payton book. Doug miles radio interview with jeff pearlman author sweetness, the enigmatic life of walter payton. Pearlman did not set out to expose payton but to understand him, to identify and define the qualities that made him so appealing. 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. 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. Sweetness captures paytons life in both its greatness and its flaws, and should be read by all sports fans. 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. Wilbon never acknowledged his piece was biased and uninformed.
Walter payton s life was thrilling, complicated, triumphant, and turbulent, and it takes an artful storyteller to present it all properly. Eddie payton, walters brother and one of my alltime least favorite people, continues to talk nonsense about me and the book. His fifth book, sweetness, is a biography of walter payton, the late chicago bears running back. The definitive biography of chicago bears superstar walter payton. The enigmatic life of walter payton, was published in sports illustrated wednesday, the author has come under fire for writing details.
Nov, 2012 eddie payton chronicles the life of sweetness and challenges another highprofile biography of his brother walter. The enigmatic life of walter payton returns to his niche. Jeff pearlman is the author of four previous books, including two new york times. The enigmatic life of walter payton, by jeff pearlman, appeared in sports illustrated, bears fans were apoplectic. Back in the 1980s, playing football in brian cennamos backyard, i was either billy sims, ricky bell, freeman mcneil or walter payton. Jeff pearlman s book, which includes allegations of payton, who died. Oct 08, 2011 doug miles radio interview with jeff pearlman author sweetness, the enigmatic life of walter payton. Oct, 2011 walter payton is back in the public consciousness following the release of the controversial biography, sweetness. This book is by far the most detailed of his life and career. The enigmatic life of walter payton ebook written by jeff pearlman. Plus, hes wickedly smart and great company, said pearlman. 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. Sweetness and the apologies that never came jeff pearlman. 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.
Sep 29, 2011 former chicago bears coach mike ditka dismissed the author of a controversial new book on walter payton as totally gutless. Pearlman delved into the complex life this american sports giant. The enigmatic life of walter payton, is sure to draw plenty of attention. Pearlmans book provides much to enhance that image, and a bit to tarnish it as well. Thankfully for payton and for us, the readers of this splendid book there is jeff pearlman to provide precisely the perfect touch. The enigmatic life of walter payton by jeff pearlman 2012, paperback at the best online prices at. Jeff pearlmans biography of chicago bears legend walter payton is a very evenly written book. The enigmatic life of walter payton, by jeff pearlman. 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 payton abused painkillers, had affairs, claims new. Pearlman portrays the story of paytons life in great detail, spending years, while compiling many different sources to make this book a success. Pearlman spent two years doing research for his book. 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. I actually first engaged with him during an espn piece about sweetness, and afterward i told him id send him the book. Of course, the multiple layers of paytons life had pearlman detailing the controversy he endured in light of an. It says something about how beloved payton is that when pearlman dared to include those flaws in a largely favorable book, he was. A blanket condemnation of the book based on one salacious. Crafted from interviews with more than 700 sources, acclaimed sportswriter jeff pearlman has produced the first definitive biography of payton. 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. 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. I found the walter of your book to be more of a hero than the one people refer to. He was the author of the infamous john rocker interview in sports illustrated.
Pearlman worked on the book for over two years and interview hundreds of people. As a player he had numbed his maladies with pills and liquids, usually supplied by the bears. If you are a payton fan, great book i grew up as as a bear fan and of course a walter payton fan. Pearlman has stated that he loves payton more than ever after writing this book. Author jeff pearlman has written an allencompassing biography of chicago bears superstar walter payton. Mike ditka on walter payton book author jeff pearlman. Pearlmans critics see themselves as paytons defenders, the. Mike ditka never explained how he hadnt read the book. Sep 29, 2011 jeff pearlman is an american sports writer. The book closes any gap you may have had on what happened during any part of his life. Evidently, some of the more salacious parts were leaked to a national magazine and the book was derided as a slashburn expose of payton. Walter paytons brother to release a book about their lives.
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