Book details

Big Blue Wrecking Crew

Smashmouth Football, a Little Bit of Crazy, and the '86 Super Bowl Champion New York Giants

Author: Jerry Barca

Big Blue Wrecking Crew

Big Blue Wrecking Crew

$11.99

e-Book

About This Book

Big Blue Wrecking Crew presents the first in-depth examination of the team that rebuilt the New York Giants franchise, a revealing look at football in the 1980s, and how a larger...

Page Count
320
On Sale
08/23/2016

Book Details

Big Blue Wrecking Crew presents the first in-depth examination of the team that rebuilt the New York Giants franchise, a revealing look at football in the 1980s, and how a larger than life cast of characters made something from nothing.

A marauding linebacker who changed the game of football, a tough-as-nails quarterback, and a fiery head coach helped the 1986 New York Giants leave an indelible mark on the NFL. Big Blue Wrecking Crew is the no-holds-barred story of the team that created Giant Football, the pound-you-into-submission, quarterback-crushing defense, coupled with a powerful ball control offense that resulted in a 1986 Super Bowl Championship—the first in team history. In a gripping narrative of the season that changed the course of a franchise, author Jerry Barca takes readers on a wild journey filled with improbable characters. Linebacker Lawrence Taylor partied with the same level of recklessness and violence he put forth when he donned his jersey. Bill Parcells motivated his team in an unrelenting Jersey Guy way, and quiet defensive genius Bill Belichick would go on to greatness.

Based on years of research and hundreds of interviews, Barca chronicles the Giants’ rise out of rock bottom to their status as a premiere NFL franchise. From behind-the-scenes personnel discussions of general manager George Young to the meeting rooms with Parcells and defensive coordinator Bill Belichick, Big Blue Wrecking Crew is filled with the riveting exploits of unforgettable players. It is an unfiltered look at how enormous egos came together to win a championship, playing hard and partying equally as hard along the way.

Imprint Publisher

St. Martin's Press

ISBN

9781466882676

In The News

"[Barca] pulls no punches, looking into the darker side of the franchise, including players’ issues with cocaine use, and Parcells’ mind games with players. You don’t have to be a Giants fan to be entranced by Barca’s engrossing book." —Associated Press

"Big Blue Wrecking Crew is the football book that has everything -- drugs, death and the decisions that lifted a flagship organization back to prominence, behind guys like LT, Parcells and Simms. It's a literary 30-for-30 and a must-read for any football fan.” —Greg Bishop, Sports Illustrated

"Fans under 40 who do not remember the dark days might learn something here. And fans of all ages might want something to keep themselves warm at night late this autumn." —Newsday

"An entertaining look back at a popular team from three decades ago. Any football fan will enjoy this book." —Library Journal

"[Barca] does a masterful job of highlighting the franchise’s beginnings, middle and all that lead to the birth of the 1986 Giant Super Bowl Team. . . . This is a book you don’t want to end." —Fansided

"[I] was blown away. Quite simply, the man busted his ass. He didn’t merely trek down tons upon tons of interviews; he looked through tapes, combed through old articles, sought out anyone with even the slightest connection to the 1986 Giants. The resulting product is a wonderful book about a wonderful collection of characters; one I can’t possibly recommend enough." —Jeff Pearlman, New York Times bestselling author of Boys Will Be Boys: The Glory Days and Party Nights of the Dallas Cowboys Dynasty

"Big Blue Wrecking Crew taught me a lot about that team . . . . [It has] the kind of detail work that marks this book, and makes it worth reading." —Peter King, MMQB Editor in Chief, Sports Illustrated Senior Writer

“From the days when the Giants were a wreck to becoming a wrecking ball, Jerry Barca adroitly chronicles the evolution of an iconic NFL franchise under the stern command of future Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Bill Parcells and his brilliant general manager George Young. Giants heroes like Lawrence Taylor, Phil Simms, and other players and coaches who became known as 'Parcells guys' receive their due as well. Combine that with all the other factors that contributed to making the 1986 Giants an unforgettable squad and Barca has written a book that football fans won’t forget any time soon.” – Alex Marvez, former Pro Football Writers of America president, Sirius XM NFL Radio host and Sporting News Senior NFL Writer

"I presumed there was little left to know about the making of the 1986 New York Giants and their road to that storied franchise's first Super Bowl championship, but I was entirely wrong. Jerry Barca's Big Blue Wrecking Crew is a wildly entertaining and enlightening dive into the origins of that team and its unforgettable season of ultimate triumph. Even if you're not a die-hard Giants fan, the book uncovers rich details and a surprising look at how Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Phil Simms and so many others won their way to NFL glory in the Meadowlands." —Don Banks, Sports Illustrated

"A compelling piece of work that hustles with no shortage of behind-the-scenes back stories to connect the dots. Years after the fact, it is still has freshness adding layers of appreciation for how Parcells and Co. went about building a Super Bowl champion." —Jarrett Bell, NFL columnist, USA Today, and NFL Insider, ESPN

"All journeys worth taking -- and all tales worth telling -- give you everything: highs, lows, laughter, tears. And memories. Memories most of all. Whether you lived through that glorious season or are just now being introduced to the '86 Giants, Big Blue Wrecking Crew will take you back to a time and a team that overcame so much and achieved so much more. The time has come for this team to be properly acknowledged, and Jerry Barca is the perfect master of ceremonies.” —Mike Vaccaro, Sports Columnist, New York Post

About the Creators

Big Blue Wrecking Crew

Big Blue Wrecking Crew

$11.99

e-Book