Bill Walsh's out-of-print NFL Bible

[Bob's your Information Minister]

This is basically Sun Tzu's Art of War for the NFL.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/88...-espn-magazine

THE MOST INFLUENTIAL football coach of the past 30 years hated his legacy. He hated it from the moment he retired at age 57, in January 1989, days after winning his third Super Bowl as head coach of the 49ers. Bill Walsh had felt fried for years, and during that last season he was in "a claustrophobic panic," as a friend later described it. Or "just eking by," as his son Craig recalls. That 1988 season had been the most wrenching of his career, because the 49ers were not a great team. They were a 10-6 team that happened to win it all, and the grind swallowed Walsh to the point that he was, as his son says, "like a zombie." So he secretly decided to retire during the season, and in the whooping and wet locker room after the Super Bowl, Walsh wept alone, head in his hands. He wasn't happy. He was relieved. It was over.

That image, of course, doesn't square with the Walsh in old footage: elegant and confident, handsome and professorial, walking a damp Candlestick Park sideline in a sweater and khakis, fog-white hair neatly combed, holding a pencil to his lips as he plotted his next move, which always seemed to be two ahead of his opponent. But that's how he was. He always coached through existential torture, with alternating bouts of believing that he was brilliant and that he was incapable of fulfilling his own idea of greatness.

So it was no surprise that Walsh instantly regretted retiring. Believing that he left at least one Super Bowl on the table, Walsh was "melancholy and terrible," according to Craig. That the 1989 49ers were more dominant in the playoffs under new coach George Seifert than they ever were under Walsh made it worse. Walsh hated that Seifert won a championship that year with his team, his West Coast offense, his philosophy; he so hated the ring that the team awarded him that he gave it away. "He didn't want them to win," Craig says. "He couldn't hand over the team he had created to someone else, because he wasn't capable of it."

He tried broadcasting but quit in 1991. "I'm not going to sit for three hours and let some 27-year-old f-- in my ear tell me about the game," he told Brian Billick, former Ravens coach and one of his many protégés. In 1992 Walsh returned to Stanford, where he had coached in the '70s, but left after two losing seasons in three years, his magic gone. "He needed to be Bill Walsh," Billick says. "He needed to be a genius."

So he decided to write a book.

It costs $900 on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/157...pf_rd_i=507846

Or you can get it from most libraries. I got it via ebook from my library.

I have a PDF torrent, but dunno if you guys want that link around here.

[SoCalBronco]

It's a good book. Bought a copy many years ago.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

Originally Posted by SoCalBronco

It's a good book. Bought a copy many years ago.

Where did you get it and how much did it cost?

An Eagles fan informed us that Reid's philosophy is basically the same so I'm 50 pages into it. It's really interesting.

[SoCalBronco]

Amazon a long time ago.....don't remember the cost...maybe 30 or so. This was back around 02.

It's not a X and O primer although there are some basic stuff way in the back of the book. It's more of how to run an organization although there is a section on game plans (Billick has written an entire book on game planning) and in the back there are appendices on sample scouting criteria speeches job descriptions practice outlines etc.

[Swedish Extrovert]

I just positive repped Bob for the first time in history.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

Walsh listed the Shanny Donks as one of his examples of a well run organization from the mid-late 90s.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

Walsh listed the Shanny Donks as one of his examples of a well run organization from the mid-late 90s.

[broncosteven]

Originally Posted by SoCalBronco

Amazon a long time ago.....don't remember the cost...maybe 30 or so. This was back around 02.

It's not a X and O primer although there are some basic stuff way in the back of the book. It's more of how to run an organization although there is a section on game plans (Billick has written an entire book on game planning) and in the back there are appendices on sample scouting criteria speeches job descriptions practice outlines etc.

I got mine off Amazon too back around 2002. I remember repping you Socal that I was so mad at Plummer back in 2006 that I wanted to send him a copy of this to read.

Glad I didn't.

I do wish I didn't highlight my copy. It is hardback and there is no printing or edition info like there usually are in most books.

I also found it hard to read from page to page. Belly is right it is meant to digest in chunks and more as a reference than as a novel.

Great book though, I adapted a lot of the info in the back about Job Descriptions and staff lectures when I became a manager.

Funny how out of all the books I have collected over the years, this is the one that is worth the big bucks. I have a printing of Les Miserables from the late 1800's and a hard bound 1944 McCall printing of Maugham's Razors Edge and a couple other books my dad gave me from the late 1800's that are all about $50 or less on Ebay, and that is the high side.

I bought Belly's book used for $2.00 off Amazon also, I never finished it, typical Bio but "Finding the Winning Edge" is a masterpiece.

Great Find and rep for you Bob.

[Durango]

Originally Posted by Bob's your Information Minister

Walsh listed the Shanny Donks as one of his examples of a well run organization from the mid-late 90s.

What does that mean? A well run organization is a Shanny Donk? The Walsh content is very interesting, but the Shanny Donk thing just throws it out to orbit. Don't understand.

[socalorado]

Originally Posted by Durango

What does that mean? A well run organization is a Shanny Donk? The Walsh content is very interesting, but the Shanny Donk thing just throws it out to orbit. Don't understand.

You dont understand? Its a Bobo post.
Thats all you need to understand.

[TheReverend]

Originally Posted by Durango

What does that mean? A well run organization is a Shanny Donk? The Walsh content is very interesting, but the Shanny Donk thing just throws it out to orbit. Don't understand.

He's saying Walsh specifically pointed out the Shanahan run Broncos as a well run organization.

[Ray Finkle]

If you have access to your local library, this should be available via ebook or electronic download....

[broncosteven]

Originally Posted by Bob's your Information Minister

Where did you get it and how much did it cost?

An Eagles fan informed us that Reid's philosophy is basically the same so I'm 50 pages into it. It's really interesting.

If this is true then your going to be seeing a lot of what we did when Shanny was here at least in the passing game.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

Here's the mentions of Shanny.

At some point, an organization must have a single source of authority who can collect information and then make a decision. Organizations must take care, however, that they do not place a person in this position who does not have the capacity to fill that role. If the person in this role is overmatched by the position, he will often make incorrect decisions.

Vince Lombardi, George Allen, Don Shula, Bill Parcells, Tom Coughlin and Jimmy Johnson are outstanding examples of single source authority This individual does not necessarily have to be the head coach, Al Davis, Bobby Beathard, Bill Polian and Don Klosterman are examples of single source authority besides the head coach who have built an organization to championship levels.

Examples also exist of teams who formed successful relationships between the head coach and administration: Tex Schramm and Tom Landry; George Young and Bill Parcells; Bobby Beathard and Joe Gibbs; Bill Polian and Marv Levy; and Pat Bowlen and Mike Shanahan. The key is to have a talented personnel man who can do business with other teams, as well as a strong football person (not just a good businessman).

A majority of the NFL teams employ a combination of the head coach working in close concert with a very competent administrator to get the job done properly.

Historically, four of the tandem duos that best illustrate this particular approach to wielding authority have been Tom Landry-Tex
Schramm (Dallas Cowboys), Bill Parcells-George
Young (New York Giants), Joe Gibbs-Bobby
Beathard (Washington Redskins), and Marv Levy-Bill Polian (Buffalo Bills).

Among the current groups of individuals who have successfully combined to lead their teams are Mike Holmgren-Ron
Wolf (Green Bay Packers), Mike Shanahan-Pat
Bowlen (Denver Broncos), Tony Dungy-Richard
McKay (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Bruce Coslet-Mike
Brown (Cincinnati Bengals), and Dennis Green-Roger
Headrick (Minnesota Vikings).

However authority is exercised, it is essential that a team has a talented individual in charge of personnel so that business can be conducted with other teams in a productive and professional manner. Every team must also have a strong football person who can lend his expertise and insights to the decision making process.

Making the Most of the Situation

The relationship you have with the media will depend upon several factors, some of which will be beyond your control. Optimistically, a majority of your dealings with the media will be reasonably positive. As a general rule, most members of the media are men and women who experience disappointments, triumphs, and frustrations, not unlike you.

Keep in mind, however, that the nature of their job is somewhat in conflict with yours. Their priorities will not always be the same as your priorities.
As such, at times, you may have an adversarial relationship with them. Hopefully, you won't have to work with reporters who harbor an attitude of "the bigger the coaches are, the harder they fall, and the more rewarding it is to topple them."

The point to remember is that you must learn to coexist with the media.

Over the years, a number of NFL coaches have learned this lesson and learned it well. Extremely intelligent and self confident individuals such as Marv Levy, Mike Shanahan, and Joe Gibbs have forged an excellent working relationship with the media based on honest, straight to the point
dealings.

The key is to be prepared to deal with the media—whatever relationships or circumstances exist. Louis Pasteur once wrote, "Chance favors the prepared man." As such, don't leave anything to chance when interacting with the media.

He also listed Steve Atwater as one of his ideal free safeties.

[19Morton77]

Originally Posted by Bob's your Information Minister

Where did you get it and how much did it cost?

An Eagles fan informed us that Reid's philosophy is basically the same so I'm 50 pages into it. It's really interesting.

Only difference is that Walsh won championships and didn't get **** canned like Reid amazingly did in Philly with the talent that should have been winning division titles at the minimum.

[broncosteven]

BTW Bob your link is old, it is no longer going for $900, it is up to $2,000 on Amazon with used copies going for $1435.

I might have to sell my copy if I can get $1500 for it. Sadly the most recent Ebay auctions only have it going for $200 at the high end.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

It was $900 for a used copy a few days ago on Amazon.

I'm pretty sure ESPN's article made the prices go up. LMAO

[Durango]

Originally Posted by TheReverend

He's saying Walsh specifically pointed out the Shanahan run Broncos as a well run organization.

Yeah, I got it after reading a few of his posts. Thanks though.

I guess derision requires it's own language, especially for a consistent idiot like the Information Minister.

The 'bible' sounds like a hell of a read. Walsh took the Don Coreyell (sp) system to the next level. Hell, he won bunches of trophies with it, something the Chargers could never accomplish.

[Bob's your Information Minister]

Oh, **** off. I'll call the Broncos the Donks if I want to.