936: Honoring John Feinstein Part 3
I mentioned how important John Feinstein was to me as a sports lover, so I am republishing my 2019 reviews of his Sports Beat Series that influenced me so much growing up.
Before we get there, here are my updated thoughts on book 3: Cover Up
Not to make everything about me as the reader, but Cover-Up: Mystery at the Super-Bowl was the book in this series that made most clear my evolution as a reader. Instead of falling completely down the rabbit hole of emotions that was Stevie’s POV in this book, I was able to look at the plot from a slightly detached perspective.
Even though I still empathized with Stevie being replaced by the TV network, I was much more invested in the larger Super-Bowl mystery as well. Three books in so far, the writing and the relationships between the characters has stood out the most to me. It is particularly interesting to see the differences in sports media, sports ethics, and even the nature of sports itself from the mid 2000s to today.
In this episode, I felt empathy...
Friends, friends, friends.
Welcome back to Teatime Reading where there are books in progress. When I last left you all, I’d just revisited an old favorite featuring the teen sports reporters and new couple Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson.
My narration journey continues in 2025, so before we get to the review,
I’d appreciate if you check out my works on A03
First of all, I forgot how much fun this third book in the series actually was until I got to the very first page. What author John Feinstein achieved was remarkable because as a more cynical and skeptical reader, I really felt for Stevie in the first couple of chapters. Not only did he lose his job on a teen-centric sports talk-show and not only did Susan Carol keep her spot, but he was also replaced in favor of a teen heartthrob musician slash celebrity.
If we just set aside sports for a minute, this book was a masterclass in the perils of celebrity, fame, and loss. I really liked the dynamic that was set up in the very first few chapters. Then, as we got into the bigger, more tense moments involving the doping cover-up at the Super Bowl, I found myself back in the sports aspect of it all.
Sometimes, the magic of a story happens around the edges of the main plot. When it came to Cover-Up, I really connected with the relationship between Stevie and Susan Carol. Sure, there was drama and it was worth it. Sure, there was dramatic tension and it was worth it. However, this book made this series an increasingly personal one and that was a remarkable achievement.
Next time, we shift gears towards a different sport and I was infuriated as much as I was entertained.
See you soon everyone.
Peace, Love, Pages.
Note: As Always, Affiliate Links are here for your convenience at no cost to you. All reading was at my own expense.