The Bootlegger's Boy

This book is something to be revered by Sooner fans. Barry's recounts of the great games and great people around OU's glorious runs in the 70s and 80s bears reading. I just re-read the book after keeping it down for a few years, and it just gets better with time. If any of you out there need ammo for those Barry bashers, you need this book. Barry Switzer is a great man, and every Sooner fan should remember that. Barry covers his childhood, personal struggles, and his years at Arkansas. He then talks about those great 70s teams that we know get to see on ESPN Classic. Probably the most interesting part is his line item by line item response to every NCAA violation that OU was found guilty of. Barry pulls no punches and is not afraid to admit guilt where he saw it. His candidness is something special.You might find this book hard to find, but try your hardest and hit the auction sites, etc, you should be able to turn it up, and you won't be sorry.

As a Sooner alumnus and rabidly devoted Dallas Cowboys fan, I have seen many good and bad sides of "Uncle Barry" (as he is known affectionately in these parts) for a couple of decades. Granted, it was written before he coached in Dallas. But it is because I had already read this book -- and as a result, felt a strong understanding of him -- that I was able to hold Switzer largely blameless for many of the problems which befell the Cowboys during their late-90s fade. [Perhaps most other Cowboys fans should read this before they mindlessly ridicule him, too. It is enlightening!] Switzer is funny, smart and refreshingly devoted to his kids, as he shows here; but as an animated and sometimes overbearingly profane public person, he makes a much easier target for media ridicule than he deserves. Read this book and understand why he astutely asserts that the NCAA is an archaic clique of aging Great White Fathers (my term, hot his) who are clueless about the realities of today's athletes' lives. Read and understand why Switzer can make some of the dumb mistakes he has, but nonetheless possesses a keen intellect and sense of fairness. And finally, read it for its shocking tales of the wild life of this surprisingly complex man.

This book was great. It tells a lot about being a coach in a big time college football. Its the truth from Barry, one of the few coaches from Div I college football who wasnt born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Very inspirational, and tells about the terrors of administration. BOOMER SOONER!

This may be one of the most interesting and provocative autobiographies of all time. Barry speaks his mind on college football, the NCAA, and on of the most hated rivalries of college football history( OU vs texas). The chapter on recruiting may be the most entertaining chapters in sports history. Barry, although far from an Angel, deserves his place as one of the top 5 coaches of all time. It is intersting to note that the great Dr. Tom Osborne did not enjoy the same success as Switzer until after " The King " left college football and Dr. Tom started running an inmate camp himself.

This book tells the truth about one of Oklahoma's favorite characters. After reading this book, it's hard not to respect Barry Switzer. From the tough environment he was raised in, to the teams he put on the football field, this guy is a winner. It's a shame he's not in the college football hall of fame.