Book Review-Eagle Blue

Reading Eagle Blue by Michael D’Orso was the equivalent for me of George Mason’s amazing run to the Final Four this past season. With both, my expectations were low before beginning and I found myself swept up in the fervor as time (and pages) progressed. Mirroring Mason’s run, Eagle Blue ascended to lofty heights for me, but fell just shy of championship status. Enough with this silly analogy and onto the book. . .

Fort Yukon, Alaska is located in what is termed the “bush” of Alaska. The conditions of living there are severe-both from the weather and the economic/social hardships in remote, northern Alaska. In this small outpost, Dave Bridges has been coach of the Fort Yukon Eagles boy’s basketball team for the past seven years, building the team into a consistent power in the class 1A division of Alaska basketball. The challenges that Bridges face are familiar to anyone with a rudimentary background in education-dissatisfied parents, students on the precipice of eligibility, school board politics, community members feeling too much emphasis is placed on basketball. Yet in a community where only 37% of students graduate, Bridges has seen 37 of 39 of his boy’s basketball players leave with a diploma. In a community ravaged by alcohol and drug abuse, with few economic opportunities, basketball has been the saving grace for many of these boys.

Bridges also faces challenges foreign to any coach in the lower 48. Cancellation of seasons by opponents at the very last moment because not enough players have gained eligibility. Road trips which must include plane travel because of the remoteness and distance of Fort Yukon from their oppponents. Road trips in peril because the tempertures are so low that airline travel is prohibited. His starting point guard trying to balance basketball games against sled dog racing. Staying overnight in the opponent’s school, crammed into an available classroom, twelve boys plus Bridges passing the night in their sleeping bags.

D’Orso takes us through the Eagles season in a masterful way, evidenced by how I tensed up about halfway through the book as he described the team’s showdown in a midseason tournament. When I finished the book, I was surprised to find how the author had totally removed himself from the proceedings and just reported the account of his months in Fort Yukon. In addition to the riveting accounts on the basketball team and Bridges, D’Orso gives eye-opening insights into other issues in Fort Yukon and Alaska.

If I have one criticism about the book (and the only thing keeping it from my highest rating), it was that many of the basketball players did not come to life outside of the game action. Deep into the book, I was still trying to sort out the players in my mind when D’Orso was describing the games. I believe his limited insights into the basketball players was probably due to the fact that the players’ parents gave limited access to their son’s lives; I make this assumption because with the two seniors on the team, D’Orso does paint a descriptive picture of them, which makes it easier to put them in context during the descriptions of the game.

Nonetheless, I strongly recommend this book to any basketball fan and also anyone who wants to see how important sports can be in young people’s lives, if done the right way. The book is recently released and will probably be in hardcover for some time; amazon has the book brand new at $15.57; used at $9.95, ebay has the book in the $10-12 range, and I’m guessing your local library might have a copy or two available too.

Eagle Blue=Willie Burton ranking

Bobby Jackson-An incredible book. One of my all-time favorites.
Willie Burton-Just shy of legendary status. Top notch.
Townsend Orr-Enjoyable book, but erratic.
Dave Holmgren-Not very memorable.
Mitch Lee-An unmitigated disaster. Run away from this book!