Charlie Sanders's Tales from the Detroit Lions

Often when friends get together at home or perhaps at a sports bar on a Sunday afternoon during football season they'll trade interesting short stories about the game, acquired from memory or from reading. It's not necessarily a competition, but rather a way to impress others with what they believe is their wealth of knowledge. When it comes to swapping anecdotes about the Detroit Lions, even today's generation is going to know about some of the tales that have been handed down over the years about fabled quarterback Bobby Lane, or defensive tackle Alex Karras, or other legends who have worn the Honolulu blue and silver of that National Football League team that's been around for more than 70 years. To be sure, there are interesting anecdotes about some of the familiar faces from generations ago, and some from more recent stars, but what of the more obscure Lions? Many players, as well as coaches and officials, long lost to memory were rife with off-the-wall experiences worthy of any barroom or recreation room chips and beer party. Charlie Sanders's Tales from the Lions Sidelines records some of those anecdotes for posterity before they evaporate into the abyss of history. Many of the tales told here are first-hand from the memory of the great former Lions tight end. Some, also, are from the memory and records of coauthor Larry Paladino, a veteran sports writer who covered the Lions for a dozen years for the Associated Press and then for numerous sports publications. But perhaps the most interesting anecdotes--some funny, some serious, some sad--are the ones discovered through research in the old, crumbling pages of Lions' yearly newspaper scrapbooks. Regardless of what tales peak theinterests of readers, we're certain there is a lot to fascinate--and to pass on--for those who read Sanders's tales.