ROBERT SMITH (NOT THE CURE'S LEAD SINGER)!

If you are one of the few who read this blog than you will know that I am a maniacal bibliophile. Books are my greatest passion in life. However I also have another passion and it is American Football, or Grid Iron. Now coming from Australia you might also think it odd that I follow Grid Iron. Well the reason I follow Grid Iron is that I am waiting for the day that my beloved Minnesota Vikings win their first Superbowl.

Anyway the reason for this post is that my brother, who is the biggest NFL fan you could ever come across, I am sure that if he lived in the States he would be a scout or a coach, his knowledge of the game is unbelievable. He alerted me to a book written by my all time favourite running back Robert Smith. He was Minnesota's first round pick in the draft and he was an amazing player and yet a player shrouded in the miasma of controversy. At 28, in the prime of his career, coming off possibly the best season he had ever had he walked away from the game. He had always been an outspoken player and his grades proved he was a gifted academic.

Well as soon as I found out about this book I grabbed a copy and it's a very entertaining read. Even if you are not a sports or football fan, it's interesting to see the inside life of an elite athlete, especially one as intelligent and well written as Robert Smith. He also takes no prisoners and tells it like it is, warts and all, just like he played the game.

A very interesting analogy with the title of the book. The fans only ever see their hero or idol, and these atheletes really are treated like that, they only see the tip of the iceberg not the players life and problems off the field.