Present at the Creation
My Life in the NFL and the Rise of America's Game
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Narrated by:
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James Killavey
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By:
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Upton Bell
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Ron Borges
About this listen
Upton Bell grew up at the knee of the NFL's first great commissioner, his father, the legendary Bert Bell, who not only saved the game from financial ruin after World War II but was one of its greatest innovators. Present at the Creation details Bell’s firsthand experiences, which started as he watched his father draw up the league schedule each year at the kitchen table using dominoes. Over the past 53 years, Bell has been an owner, a general manager, a personnel executive, a scouting director for two Super Bowl teams, a television commentator and analyst, and a talk-radio host. He has seen the NFL from the inside and has experienced many of the most important moments in NFL history.
Bell was player personnel director for the Baltimore Colts when the team played in three championship games and appeared in two Super Bowls (1968 and 1970). At thirty-three, he became the youngest general manager in NFL history when he joined the Patriots in that role in 1971. He left the NFL in 1974 to compete against it, joining the upstart World Football League as owner of the Charlotte Hornets, which lasted just two years. In 1976 Bell began his 40-year career as a radio and TV talk-show host, yet he remains a football guy who was in the middle of the game’s most significant moments and knows that half the story has never been told, until now.
The book is published by University of Nebraska Press.
“A must-read for any fan of pro football.” (Ernie Accorsi, former general manager of the New York Giants)
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- A Love Story
- By: Jackie MacMullan, Rafe Bartholomew, Dan Klores
- Narrated by: James Fouhey, Jim Frangione, Sullivan Jones, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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A sweeping and revelatory history of basketball, drawing upon hundreds of hours of interviews with the greatest players, coaches, executives, and journalists in the history of the game. In an effort to tell the complete story of basketball in all its fascinating dimensions, acclaimed authors Jackie MacMullan, Rafe Bartholomew, and Dan Klores have compiled nearly a thousand hours' worth of interviews with a staggering number of basketball greats. The audiobook that grew out of those interviews is an extraordinary project and quite possibly the most ambitious basketball work ever made.
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Underwhelming
- By Adam Kosberg on 12-02-18
By: Jackie MacMullan, and others
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Madden
- A Biography
- By: Bryan Burwell
- Narrated by: Mark Moseley
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Several years after his playing career was cut short by injury before it had a chance to really begin, John Madden was hired as an assistant coach by the Oakland Raiders, one of professional football's most iconoclastic franchises. Two years later he was named the team's head coach and proceeded to lead the Raiders to five championship games in his first seven seasons. Following years of heartbreaking losses in some of history's most memorable games.
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Essential For Raider And Madden Fans
- By MovieGuy on 03-08-16
By: Bryan Burwell
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Scribe
- My Life in Sports
- By: Bob Ryan
- Narrated by: Bob Ryan
- Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Ever since he joined the sports department of the Boston Globe in 1968, sports enthusiasts have been blessed with the writing and reporting of Bob Ryan. Tony Kornheiser calls him the "quintessential American sportswriter". For the past 25 years, he has also been a regular on various ESPN shows, especially The Sports Reporters, spreading his knowledge and enthusiasm for sports of all kinds.
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No my idea of a memoir
- By Michael Friedman on 12-19-14
By: Bob Ryan
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Paterno
- By: Joe Posnanski
- Narrated by: Joe Mantegna
- Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Joe Posnanski's biography of the late Penn State football coach Joe Paterno follows in the tradition of works by Richard Ben Cramer on Joe DiMaggio and David Maraniss on Vince Lombardi. Having gained unprecedented access to Paterno, as well as the coach's personal notes and files, Posnanski spent the last two years of Paterno's life covering the coach, on (and off) the field and through the scandal that ended Paterno's legendary career.
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WoWoWoWoW
- By JA Hartman on 08-27-12
By: Joe Posnanski
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From the Outside
- My Journey Through Life and the Game I Love
- By: Ray Allen, Michael Arkush
- Narrated by: J.D. Jackson
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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The record-holding two-time National Basketball Association champion reflects on his work ethic, his on-the-court friendships and rivalries, the great teams he's played for, and what it takes to have a long and successful career in this thoughtful, in-depth memoir. Playing in the NBA for 18 years, Ray Allen won championships with the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat and entered the record books as the original king of the three-point shot. Known as one of the hardest-working and highest-achieving players in NBA history, he was legendary for his sharp shooting.
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It wasn't bad, but I thought it would be better
- By Amazon Customer on 07-30-18
By: Ray Allen, and others
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The Legends Club
- Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Valvano, and an Epic College Basketball Rivalry
- By: John Feinstein
- Narrated by: John Feinstein
- Length: 15 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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The riveting inside story of college basketball's fiercest rivalry among three coaching legends - University of North Carolina's Dean Smith, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, and North Carolina State's Jim Valvano - by the king of college basketball writers, number-one New York Times best seller John Feinstein.
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Must read for any college basketball fan,
- By Rick on 07-02-24
By: John Feinstein
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Boys Among Men
- How the Prep-to-Pro Generation Redefined the NBA and Sparked a Basketball Revolution
- By: Jonathan Abrams
- Narrated by: Mirron Willis
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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When Kevin Garnett shocked the world by announcing that he would not be attending college - as young basketball prodigies were expected to do - but instead would enter the 1995 NBA draft directly from high school, he blazed a trail for a generation of teenage basketball players to head straight for the pros. That trend would continue until the NBA instituted an age limit in 2005, requiring all players to attend college or another developmental program for at least one year.
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Bad pronunciation
- By K. Spearman on 07-03-16
By: Jonathan Abrams
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The League
- How Five Rivals Created the NFL and Launched a Sports Empire
- By: John Eisenberg
- Narrated by: Daniel Thomas May
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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The National Football League's current dominance has obscured how professional football got its start. In The League, John Eisenberg reveals that Art Rooney, George Halas, Tim Mara, George Preston Marshall, and Bert Bell took an immense risk by investing in the professional game. At that time, the sport barely registered on the national scene. The five owners succeeded only because at critical junctures in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, each sacrificed the short-term success of his team for the longer-term good of the League.
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what a great book. loved it completely.
- By Daniel Mosca on 11-08-18
By: John Eisenberg
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You Can't Make This Up
- Miracles, Memories, and the Perfect Marriage of Sports and Television
- By: Al Michaels, L. Jon Wertheim
- Narrated by: Al Michaels, Ray Porter
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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In this highly entertaining and insightful memoir, one of television’s most respected broadcasters interweaves the story of his life and career with lively firsthand tales of some of the most thrilling events and fascinating figures in modern sports.
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Great, everything I hoped for, but...
- By Shortfellow on 11-30-14
By: Al Michaels, and others
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Wins, Losses, and Lessons
- An Autobiography
- By: Lou Holtz
- Narrated by: Lou Holtz
- Length: 5 hrs and 42 mins
- Abridged
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Few people in the history of college sports have been more influential or had a bigger impact than Lou Holtz. Winner of the three national Coach of the Year honors, the only coach ever to lead six different schools to season-ending bowl games, and the ninth-winningest coach in college football history, Holtz is still teaching and coaching, although he is no longer on the gridiron.
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great story about an incredibly successful coach
- By James on 04-30-12
By: Lou Holtz
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Furious George
- My Forty Years Surviving NBA Divas, Clueless GMs, and Poor Shot Selection
- By: George Karl, Curt Sampson
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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A man of deep passion and intensity, George Karl earned his bad boy reputation while playing at the University of North Carolina, a rap that continued through the five years he spent with the San Antonio Spurs - and long after he stopped playing. Karl's beery nights, fistfights, and barking followed him into a 35-year coaching career. In a game defined by big stakes and bigger egos, rabid fans and an unforgiving media, Karl was hired and fired a dozen times.
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Pathetic little black book.
- By Brad Howard on 04-20-20
By: George Karl, and others
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Junior Seau
- The Life and Death of a Football Icon
- By: Jim Trotter
- Narrated by: JD Jackson
- Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau is widely considered one of the best linebackers ever to play the game. A 10-time All-Pro and 12-time Pro Bowl selection, Seau was picked for the NFL's All-Decade Team in the 1990s. His incredible career spanned two decades, during which time he played for the Chargers, Dolphins, and Patriots. In 2012, at the age of 43, Seau committed suicide with a gunshot wound to the chest. News of his death sent shockwaves through the NFL.
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Outstanding Book!!!
- By Sherry Jones on 01-08-16
By: Jim Trotter
What listeners say about Present at the Creation
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Steven Gerweck
- 05-18-23
A trip down memory lane
The release of the annual NFL schedule has become must see TV for football fans, but believe it or not, former commissioner Bert Bell used to create the schedule simply by using dominoes. In "Present at the Creation," Bell's son Upton discusses the early struggles the NFL endured. The league, which was commonly viewed as being inferior to college football, created parody and became a fixture on Sundays. Upton Bell shares his NFL journey from working in the Baltimore Colts ticket office, to becoming the general manager of the Boston Patriots, which he dubbed the New England Patriots. Bell describes his ascension in the league, becoming a scout and later the Colts director of player personal, capped off by winning Super Bowl V. Later in the book, Bell ranks the greatest NFL quarterbacks and head coaches. "Present at the Creation" is a joyful trip down memory lane.
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- Glenn
- 02-08-18
Very good
Where does Present at the Creation rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
In top 5
What did you like best about this story?
Inside info by an insider.
Have you listened to any of James Killavey’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Yes. Did his job.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No..too long.
Any additional comments?
Well done. Never lost interest.
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10 people found this helpful
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- Empowerment
- 04-15-18
For both football and history buffs.
If you could sum up Present at the Creation in three words, what would they be?
Interesting, historical, he-was-there
What was one of the most memorable moments of Present at the Creation?
Very first chapter...just pulls you in.
Have you listened to any of James Killavey’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Yup..One of my favorite narrators. Good job, as usual.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Both actually...a number of times.
Any additional comments?
Fascinating look at the NFL from the beginning from someone who lived through it.
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9 people found this helpful
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- Manti
- 02-06-18
Great book
Would you listen to Present at the Creation again? Why?
Might do it again next year. It was a good lead up to Super Bowl Sunday.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Present at the Creation?
The whole chapter on Jet vs. Colts in Super Bowl III. Lots of inside info I never knew about.
What about James Killavey’s performance did you like?
Interesting that the narrator ( or someone with the same name ) rated his own reading in a review as "Good." That's confidence, I guess and why not? He is good.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
The first chapter is a bit of a tear-jerker but it certainly grabs your attention.
Any additional comments?
For anyone looking to get insight from an insider about Football from the early days to the present, this is the book. I suspect Borges did most of the writing and Bell just told him info. Again, that's fine. Borges is an excellent writer and Bell a good talk show host in his last career move. To each his own.
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12 people found this helpful
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- Kindle Guy
- 02-04-18
For more than Football fans.
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes. I have a lot of friends who are football fans.
What other book might you compare Present at the Creation to and why?
Can't think of any book that compares.
This is a riveting story, even if you are not a big football fan. My wife listened with me on a long car trip and enjoyed it just for the human interest stories and the “what it was like” back then narratives. Bell relates the story of a man who grew up with the NFL. His father was the very first Commissioner of the NFL and he became a part of a number of teams as a box office person, a scout and finally General Manager of the Patriots.
What about James Killavey’s performance did you like?
Reading was good...slight New England accent, but that fit and it was not overdone
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
First chapter.
Any additional comments?
Overall I give it five stars all around. Oh...and I was very interested to see who Bell picked as the best quarterback ever. Hint – it was not Brady!
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16 people found this helpful
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- Avid Listener
- 02-06-18
Riveting stuff
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Because it's much more than just a sports book.
What about James Killavey’s performance did you like?
Good reading.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Both in various sections.
Any additional comments?
I decided to get this after reading the quote from Bob Ryan, one of my favorite sportswriters."This is an extraordinary life story of a unique individual. The epilogue alone is worth the price of the book.” He was right. It is an extraordinary book. Not sure if the epilogue alone was worth the price of the book but it certainly was different..and fascinating.
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- J
- 02-06-18
Nothing beats first hand
If you could sum up Present at the Creation in three words, what would they be?
Enthralling, amusing, insightful
What does James Killavey bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
He was fine.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Present at the Creation.
Any additional comments?
I finished this 15 hr book in three days, which is a record for me. I just hated to stop listening. Bell was intimately involved with the NFL and a number of teams from his earliest days. He even had his bedroom next to the of some Eagles players at the training camp one year when he was 12. His father let the team sleep in his house! Anyhow, if you care about NFL football at all, you will enjoy this. Even if you don't, it's a very good human interest story. Five stars all around.,
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14 people found this helpful
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- Empowerment
- 02-07-18
This Man Knows Football
Would you listen to Present at the Creation again? Why?
Yes, but not for a while. The Epilogue maybe sooner. Lots of interesting tidbits there.
Have you listened to any of James Killavey’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Yes. One of my favorite narrators.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The description of his Father's death while watching his favorite team, the Eagles, in the same stadium where he was a star college quarterback Powerful stuff.
Any additional comments?
Got to see Football from a whole different angle. Not just on the field, but in the locker room, in their houses and in the meeting rooms.
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14 people found this helpful
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- Jerry
- 02-07-18
Must read
If you could sum up Present at the Creation in three words, what would they be?
High Interest insightful
What was one of the most memorable moments of Present at the Creation?
More than just one
What does James Killavey bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Did a good job, esp with pronouncing some difficult names.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Both
Any additional comments?
Great book.
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12 people found this helpful