"To begin with, the book isn't really complete. Lots of sports aren't mentioned at all...in additionto not being complete, the book is not completely accurate. If this were a history book, then Ken Burns would have been involved and it would have taken four of five years to produce. I wrote this thing in four or five hours, and that time would have been reduced a great deal had my daughters not kept interrupting me to play indoor tackle football."--Kenny Mayne introducing the book in the Foreword 

 Kenny Mayne, An Incomplete & Inaccurate History of Sport (New York: Crown Publishing Group, 2008)

              An Incomplete & Inaccurate History of Sport is an absolute perpetuation of the unique style and sense of humor that its author, Kenny Mayne, is widely known for. The reader can hear his voice as if watching him recite the words on his famous "Mayne Event" segment on ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown. True to form, Mayne keeps the reader on their toes, not knowing what to expect from one page to the next. The book can be appropriately considered Mayne's personal version of a "Controlled Scramble."

            The "Controlled Scramble" is a chapter within the book (on pg 61-63), in which Mayne describes an old Seattle Seahawks play from the days of Steve Largent and Jim Zorn. The play was designed to give "the illusion of chaos." All the while the players knew what the purpose of the play was; similarly, An Incomplete & Inaccurate History of Sport may appear to be a random, chaotic collection of thoughts from the author, however the purpose is clear to the reader. The book reveals intricate details, some light-hearted, and some deep and personal, about television's beloved funny man. "With random thoughts from childhood. And random thoughts from times other than childhood." -The asterisk on the front cover sums it up best.

            With all of the personal memoirs that Mayne shares with the reader, the book does not completely stray from sports. At the end of each chapter, each named for some kind of sport, the author includes a solid, informative fact about the particular sport being discussed (or not being discussed). The educational value of the book should not be discounted; an example of one of Mayne's nuggets of knowledge (one that readers may find intriguing), came at the end of the chapter on "Track and Field"-"Nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis didn't play basketball or football in college but he was a tenth-round draft pick of the Chicago Bulls and a twelfth-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 1984. He played for neither."

            Anyone who knows and appreciates the work and humor of Kenny Mayne will thoroughly enjoy this book. In addition to the typical funny side that is well publicized, the reader will see Mayne as father, husband, and brother-see the softer side, the angry side, the athletic side, as well as fan in him. The book can appeal to readers of all ages, all interests, all creeds, and all sexes; any reader is guaranteed to relate to this book in some way. An Incomplete & Inaccurate History of Sport is an abstract masterpiece, and will be admired by many, and fully understood by few (and Mayne is probably among the many who do not).

            I had the great honor of getting to know Kenny Mayne even further; in the midst of his busy schedule, loaded with appearances promoting his new book, Mr. Mayne set aside a few moments to grant me a one on one telephone interview. Candid as ever, he answered my questions on everything from starting our own wiffle ball league, to his opinion on the possible move of his hometown Seattle Supersonics, to his early Kentucky Derby pick! This was my most fun interview yet, check it out below: 

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