Perfection: The Inside Story of the 1972 Miami Dolphins' Perfect Season

"Perfection" is an interesting, but disappointing read. Bob Griese, quarterback of the undefeated "72 Dolphins provides lots of behind the scenes information of that amazing season. Where the book fails, is connecting it better to the season. Griese and co author Dave Hyde tell you about the players, coaches and even the owner. But just as they approach how a particular player or incident relates to a game or games....they switch gears. The writing is not bad but meanders a bit. The book is divided up into chapters with each game of that season. But most chapters have very little to do with the game itself. The authors do a good job of setting you up for that particular game with insights and little known information, but then completely ignore the game itself and how what they have written relates to that game -- or the season. You could excuse Griese a bit, but not his co-author, a sports writer and columnist, or the publisher. The best chapter is on the Super Bowl itself, giving the reader inside thoughts and how the game progressed, even adding a whimsical note when a fan attempted to make off with Coach Don Shula's watch during the post game celebration. Had they expanded what they actually wrote and tied it with each game it would have been much more interesting -- and relevant. The Super Bowl chapter was by far the best and if each chapter had been approached like that one, the book would have been absolutely sensational. As it is, it sets you up and ... lets you down, constantly.

Some will nitpick that Earl Morrall and not Griese won more games for the 1972 Dolphins. But the brilliance and depth of Dave Hyde’s work is that it accomplishes not one but three goals: It’s a Griese biography; a brief history of the pre-1972 Dolphins and the culture change that made them champions; and finally a 1972 in-depth analysis.Some of these stories are obviously familiar but Hyde and Griese interweave new layers of information on pro football’s first (and so far only) unbeaten team. It’s quick, fun, easy to read and one of the better football books in recent years. Highly recommended.

Bob Griese is undefeated as an author. In the early 1970's, he co-wrote Offensive Football, Bob Griese & Gale Sayers Offensive Football  which described in an easy step-by-step manner how to play quarterback. Thanks to him I knew to put my fingers on the laces, not to palm the ball, use my index finger as my control finger, and to turn my wrist counter-clockwise as I threw. I ended up getting a pretty decent spiral out of that book as an eight-year-old. Then a few years ago he released Undefeated,  Undefeated: How Father and Son Triumphed Over Unbelievable Odds Both On and Off the Field  and I was moved by the thought of my childhood hero battling loneliness, but ultimately strengthened by those closest to him. Now, with the release of Perfection, he gives an insight into the Dolphins that comes straight from inside the huddle and the locker room. In each case, I read these books while walking the dog, brushing my teeth, and eating my hamburgers. They are impossible to put down.I am glad that he wrote this with Dave Hyde, as I also loved his book, Still Perfect. I really liked the format that they chose, similar to Hyde's book, focusing on a different player's story for each game. I know all these players from my childhood, but it's especially gratifying to get my favorite Dolphin's opinion of everything going on around him.Griese gives ample credit to unsung heroes of the Dolphins legacy like Joe Thomas, who built this amazing team, and Monte Clark and Bill Arnsparger, two amazing assistant coaches in the Shula regime. Anyone who knows Griese knows this isn't going to be an egotistical exercise, but a chance to shine the light on those who were as important to the Dolphins' accomplishments as the sung heroes like himself, Csonka, and Shula.Griese is surprisingly forthright with the language used on a football field. Not a cusser himself, he does quote some players and coaches directly, which include words that seem odd coming from Griese's mouth. He also occasionally makes mistakes in the writing. He mentions that as a rookie he was so nervous facing Dick Butkus that he mistakenly lined up behind Larry Little, his guard. It's a funny story, but Little didn't join the Dolphins until Griese's third year. He also mentioned something about his three kids during the 1972 season, but his 3rd kid (the famous one) wasn't born until 1975. But these are minor errors that reflect a merging of years that any of us would do if our years weren't so well documented as his. When Griese describes the two touchdown passes that he threw in Super Bowl VII, and the preparation behind each of those passes with Howard Twilley and Paul Warfield, that is priceless. (One of those passes was called back because of a neutral zone violation, but the play was a thing of beauty otherwise.)With Dave Hyde, the text is lively and witty and skillfully written. I look forward to Griese's next book, whatever it may be. Maybe it will be something about 50 shades of vampires. Even if it is, I'll buy it.

Bob Griese offers a terrific autobiographical summary of the Miami Dolphins perfect season of 1972. That team finished 17-0, and this book includes 17 chapters, one describing each victory throughout the year. A must-have for true Miami Dolphins fans.

This book has lots of detailed background related to various people. It also covers the cultural issues in both the country and football. It has great insights related to coaches and players.

Griese was the All-Pro and Hall of Fame quarterback of this team of free spirits. Due to injury, he wasn't able to quarterback the whole season, but he was with the team every step of the way throughout that year. He was the true leader of this team and had then and still has a unique perspective on those players. These guys may have been free spirits but each player had a story and Griese knows them all and tells them with an intimacy that demonstrates the close relationship that developed between the players and their incredible coach. Amid the fascinating stories of the men of this team is one trait everyone associated with these men shared: They were driven to win, and they had an unshakable confidence in their ability to do just that. Griese takes us game-by-game through that magical year, introducing us to the men of the team and the stories created during the only perfect season any football team has ever had. An excellent read.

Well written with great insight into a special time in the NFL..and my Miami Dolphins

The book has an inscription written in the inside cover - therefore, used!

A must read for any Dolphins fan! I found this book to be insightful, full of tidbits and background info on the players and how they became part of the '72 dolphins and their perfect season!