Instant Replay Review

I was first exposed to Jerry Kramer's book "Instant Replay" when I was in high school. I didn't read the entire book at that time, but I did read his account of one of pro football's most famous games. That game was the "Ice Bowl," which was played between Kramer's Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys on December 31, 1967, in temperatures that hovered around -13 degrees. I enjoyed his approach - simple and proud, without being arrogant. First, Kramer makes readers feel the chill in the air. Then, he highlights the scoring and the tension of the contest. Late in the game, the Packers desperately needed a touchdown to win. It was Kramer's block that paved the way for his quarterback, Bart Starr, to get into the end zone. The touchdown gave the Packers their third straight NFL championship and a chance to meet the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl II. After the game, Kramer stayed in the locker room and answered all questions that the media had about his part in a play that has become famous.

Years later, I caught up with the rest of Kramer's account, which chronicles this season with the Packers. It begins in the weeks following their victory in the first Super Bowl. Kramer takes readers through the off-season, training camp, regular season, and post-season. In 1967, Kramer was preparing for his tenth NFL season, wondering at times why he put himself through so much hard work year after year for such a small salary. In fact, he had to negotiate with his head coach and general manager, Vince Lombardi, to get an annual salary of $27,500. It soon becomes obvious that Kramer enjoys the camaraderie of his teammates and greatly admires Lombardi, who motivates the men in green and gold to success.

Then there's the matter of the third title defense, unprecedented in the years that the NFL had had championship games. While certain key players had left, most returned for one more run. When he arrived in Green Bay in 1959, Lombardi declared he wanted players who wanted to win. In each of the nine seasons he was there as a head coach, Lombardi's Packers did not have a losing season. Kramer, Lombardi, and the rest of the team are very much aware that the rest of the NFL wants to dethrone them - especially the Cowboys, who had lost the NFL title game to the Packers the previous year.

"Instant Replay" takes readers, game by game, through the Packers' 1967 season. Kramer also adds insight from his perspective, a 31-year-old guard whose body now needs more time to prepare for the rigors of an NFL season than his younger teammates. Once he starts to practice, he will sustain cuts and abrasions that won't heal until the season is done. He gives a look at a group of draft picks and free agents who are looking to fill the few vacancies on the squad. He catches up with veteran teammates who, like Kramer, have jobs and business interests that supplement their incomes between campaigns. With the mix of old and new faces, he realizes another round of hellos and goodbyes are in order during training camp. The Kramer of "Instant Replay" works hard with the Packers six days per week, yet enjoys his off-days just as much because he has the opportunity to hunt.

Kramer also offers his insight into Lombardi, who knows how to tear down any player. He's especially hard on the veterans, yet he knows how to praise a player when it is warranted. The book includes a famous Lombardi line - "Winning isn't everything - it's the only thing." It also includes the Lombardi philosophy on race relations - the only color on his team is Green Bay Packers. That's an attitude about equal treatment that's too often missing in life. Loyalty mattered a great deal to Lombardi, for that loyalty was one of the reasons victory came year after year.

Yet, Kramer's narrative is just as full with winds of change. Not only do Kramer and other veterans feel their bodies aging, but he also hints at the possible retirement of Lombardi. In fact, Kramer begins his account with the departure of two players who were with the Packers in each of Kramer's first nine seasons. Halfback Paul Hornung had been taken in that year's expansion draft by the New Orleans Saints (though Hornung ultimately decided to retire instead of play). Fullback Jim Taylor, having played out his option, simply sought out another team, and eventually spent the year with the Saints, where Hornung stayed and became an assistant coach. Kramer had thought about relocating, but some of his business interests, including his own weekly TV show, made him decide to stay.

Kramer debunks the "dumb jock" myth in "Instant Replay." The prose is simple, but insightful. Lombardi, like Kramer, was a guard, and believes that the coach is especially hard on him for that reason. He also admits that it's not always easy to make the time to write or record his thoughts. When he describes specific plays, he makes sure each is explained in such a way that the reader can understand. Kramer knows his job on the team is not glamorous, but he's glad to be a part of the action. There's even a bit of humor, such as the times when Kramer gets together with his teammates during the down times and uses a football to play a game of volleyball. The only help Kramer gets with the book is in the editing, courtesy of Dick Schaap, who spent his career as a noted sports writer, commentator, and host. "Instant Replay" was the first of four books Kramer wrote about his Packers years. All but one of them involved Schaap in some capacity.

After the season is through and Kramer has earned his fifth Pro Bowl trip, he talks about playing for five more years (though he wrote "Farewell To Football" the year after "Instant Replay"). "Instant Replay" is a compelling chapter in the history of a storied football franchise whose history is older than the NFL itself. It's the tale of a dynasty aware of its own mortality, yet they remain strong and committed to team achievement and the man who's often regarded as the NFL's greatest all-time coach. It's often been said that Kramer deserves enshrinement in Canton for his career accomplishments, just like Lombardi and seven of his "Instant Replay" teammates have earned. However, he hasn't been a finalist for enshrinement since 1997, when he was recommended by the Pro Football Hall Of Fame Seniors Committee. At some point, Jerry Kramer deserves to be there, for he was a member of the NFL's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1969. It's unfortunate that Jerry Kramer can't write his way into Canton, or else he'd already be a Hall Of Fame member. "Instant Replay" recalls a glorious time in Packers history where their nickname, "Titletown USA," could be taken literally.

This review first appeared in slightly altered form on Epinions in 2001. This update also appears on Associated Content.