Winning's Only Part of the Game: Lessons of Life and Football

The Bowdens are indeed a gridiron dynasty: father Bobby, head coach at Florida State for 20 years, has built a powerhouse team; son Terry is the head coach at Auburn University; son Jeff is an assistant to Bobby; son Tommy and son-in-law Jack Hines are assistants to Terry. Writing with USA Today reporter Brown, they here engage in an ongoing conversation also involving mother, Ann; son Steve, a philosophy Ph.D.; and daughter Ginger, a lawyer. Most of their talk about football is cliched: winning is fun and losing is hard; football teaches discipline and teamwork and trust; if an offensive plan doesn't work, change it; aggression is good but must be channeled on the field. The only disagreement occurs when religious fundamentalist Bobby encounters Steve's view of the Bible as metaphor, but it is a genteel clash. The book should sell like sunblock in Florida, where Bobby is almost deified, but it's all rather hackneyed stuff. (Sept.)