Toss Book

First off, let me say that I have been a very big fan of Boomer Esiason since the latter years of his career, when I was in high school. I have an admiration and respect for him and his talent on the football field, as well as what he has done in the media, in football and sports commentary, and how he has served his community, what he has done for children and charities. That said, as a writer who has just self-published his first novel, I also have an admiration for his writing style (I followed Esiason's column religiously when he was a writer for the National Football league website) along with his truthful stance and his ability to be the voice of reason when it come to issues in professional football, both on and off the field.

This is why I spent years yearning to buy his first novel as a co-author, Toss, and was so overjoyed when I received it, pumping myself up for the first page. And, like his columns, this book did not disappoint.

The plot is very basic in following Esiason's own career. Rookie quarterback Derek Brody is pumped to be playing his first year for the New York Stars, but a dark and rather criminal past (he served time in prison for vehicular manslaughter) puts him on the wrong side of the media. His resolve to be all-business on the football field seems to be a way to block this out of his mind. However, when he meets with the team's owners and the team itself, he apparently has more to worry about than just the game. Issues range from a head office who is deliberately keeping the Stars from making any progress, down low enough to the point of desperation; to teammates who not only don't want to play with them, but have their own secrets and sins. A critical point in the novel happens when a disabled quarterback who was once the Stars last hope ends up murdered - and Brody was the last one to see him alive! When documents featuring players' shady activities come up, Brody must find out who is behind everything before he's next in line. Along the way, he devises ways to improve team morale. Luckily, he has his agent/attorney and a beautiful aspiring actress who once knew the murder victim, as his support system. Also worth noting is a very shocking and disturbing scene at the Plaza Hotel

There are many things one will like about this book. It's very high in suspense and action, and is a page turner from the first time the hero is introduced, and the conflict ball gets rolling. It's pretty obvious that Boomer Esiason took care of the on-field action, training camp experiences, and affairs in the locker room, while Lowell Cauffiel was responsible for the front office dealings and football politics, players engaging in vices, and descriptive scenes around New York City. (Still, it would've been nice if both writers' excerpts were in different assigned fonts, so it'd be easier to determine who contributed to what percentage of the book.) You'll also be curious to know how much of Esiason himself is in Brody and the other Stars players, since Esiason has always had a reputation as a clean, decent player, who wouldn't think of behaving the way the Stars do in this book. Nevertheless, both he and Cauffiel do a good job in keeping Derek Brody and his antagonists the centre focus of the novel, keeping readers interested in the characters, so they'll want to know how they will take their next turns in this game of cat and mouse. It's as if you're tempted to peek at the ending if you're impatient to find out. Esiason and Cauffiel also get kudos for bringing to light just some of the problems that are plaguing the non-game-related affairs of the NFL (and it serves as a very timely read, given the scandals of the 2014 season.) Last but not least, fans of that "hold the cheesy" love story will appreciate how Derek Brody and Shay Falan's working relationship eventually blooms into romance.

If it could be a mystery novel, then it serves as a refreshing depart from the ordinary, where the main and viewpoint character is a detective. Esiason obviously had a very different plot in mind here, and this fact alone should satisfy mystery readers who want a change of pace.

The only thing that concerns me about this book is the language. I feel that some of the dialogue, and even the narration, is a little rougher than necessary, especially given the frequency of the F- and S-words. It gets to the point of being unrealistic on the rare occasion. I know these are adult men (mostly) talking, and this book is not for kids and teenage readers, but I feel this is not something you'd want to read aloud in a public place, especially if you happen to take this on a public transit bus like I frequently did. As well, even though the sex scenes aren't as frequent, it tends to get a little descriptive, especially in mentioning a woman's certain body parts. I would've definitely toned it down in both these areas. Despite this, this serves as one of the few books that men will enjoy reading, and I would also recommend this to ardent sports fans of both genders, football or otherwise. The details will definitely get those interested in pro football talking about what's happening off the field, and what can be done to improve the attitudes of players, coaches and front office alike in the real world of the NFL.