Added this new Bronko Nagurski

[jefferyepayne]

Incredible footage of Nags on the run. What a bull he was. It does help that for whatever reason a popular tackling tactic was to throw your body at the runner instead of arm tackling him. People just bounce off Nags!

jeff

Great Nagurski footage, cards, stories, and assorted memorabilia throughout this thread! Thank you guys

[revmoran]

According to this website Nagurski did not start wrestling until 1933 http://www.bronkonagurski.com/

The Albert Richard Coat Company used the All American footballs teams in its advertising for quite a few years and issued booklets and several groups of photo premiums. Probably the best was a set of 9" by 12" portraits of the 1929 All American team which included Chris Cagle and Bronko Nagurski - here is the Nagurski premium

[Hot Springs Bathers]

I am a huge Jim Dent fan but I have always felt the Nagurski book was his weak effort. Dent has gone through some very dark times in his personal life and I think this book comes from one of his bad periods. It may have been written while he was in prison?

[TanksAndSpartans]

Hey Mike, (Hot Springs Bathers), On Dent, that's what Dan Daly mentions in the earlier link I gave, how in 2003, Dent was sent to prison for violating probation on a drunk-driving conviction, so he definitely correlates the two events (prison/Nagurski book issues) and likely rightfully so. The part I don't get is I thought the quality of writing was great (if you read that intro - that really sounds like a person who was passionate about the subject matter) - but it was the embellishment that was a bit over the top and nagged at me from the back of my mind as I later read other books (the Bears playing barefoot at the end of the sneakers game, the mismatches with Joseph Page's book on pre SB championships, etc., etc.). For fact checking - I would have thought someone other than the author would be tasked with that. I didn't even know about Daly's post until recently - I read the book a while back, but it was on my Kindle and I went back to it and then started Googling myself to see if I could find support for a few things and ran across Daly's blog.


Thanks Mike (revmoran) - nice premium and great website - I esp. liked the "Cultural Recognition" section - of course my memory could be going since I know we've discussed Wheaties boxes a few times, but I never recall seeing that Nagurski box before.....

[jefferyepayne]

You know I love that item, Mike! Great image and set.

Bronko was a beast! Here he is running over some college boys as a pro.



jeff

[Hot Springs Bathers]

John forgive me, I had not clicked on the Daly column before I posted. The Daly piece was very well done now that I have read it.

Dent was actually arrested here in Hot Springs on the Texas warrant, he was staying with his parents. While I have not done Daly like research on his other books I feel/hope that they are more factual!

[TanksAndSpartans]

Hey Mike, glad you saw the post - sorry it wasn't the best news on a well liked author. On the plus side, I actually liked Daly's blog and stuck around to read some other posts - always glad to see someone talking about the historical aspect of the game.