SKU: 74796656875

Bull in the Ring: Football and Faith, Refuge in a Troubled Time

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Bull in the Ring: Football and Faith, Refuge in a Troubled TimeThe thread of the book is an account of the 1970 Missouri large schools high school state football championship my St. Louis University High team won. We were unlikely champions: undersized, not very fast, no home field, high academic standards for admission, half our games against Top 10 teams in the state. We barely qualified for the four team state playoff, we faced the heavily favored title game opponent having won our previous four games by an

The thread of the book is an account of the 1970 Missouri large schools high school state football championship my St. Louis University High team won. We were unlikely champions: undersized, not very fast, no home field, high academic standards for admission, half our games against Top 10 teams in the state. We barely qualified for the four-team state playoff, we faced the heavily favored title game opponent having won our previous four games by an average of just 4.5 points, including a 14-13 victory over our archrival in front of 18,000 people at Busch Stadium. I was a center and linebacker, and one of the team captains.

The story of the book, though, is how football and that championship season became a refuge for my classmates and me, young Baby Boomers whose great but na ve ambition was tempered by the frightening, threatening social turmoil of the late 1960s. The Vietnam War was escalating, the Civil Rights Movement was exploding, college campuses were erupting in protest, and many of us were at war with our parents' generation.

Adding to our drama, our beloved Student Council vice president and classmate was wounded in a robbery attempt on August 1 of 1970, and died two weeks later, the day before our football season workouts began. We devoted our season to him.

I tell this true story from the first person, and through the reminiscences of a handful of the key characters who were central to it, including our legendary head coach Paul Martel, who died in January 2016 at age 91. I conclude the book with reflections of what that season and accomplishment meant to us, particularly as we now face the final quarter of our lives. Educated by Jesuit priests, who challenged us to question, to commit to something, and to act, we pulled together in common purpose, at least for that season. Most of us were buoyed by our belief in each other, and by our faith in God. And, at least for me, I experienced life lessons that proved invaluable for what I was to become: a daily newspaper sportswriter and columnist, then a business executive, husband and father.

  1. true sports stories such as Remember the Titans, Hoosiers, Friday Night Lights, and One Shot at Forever (the story of the small-school Macon, Illinois baseball team that finished second in the 1971 Illinois baseball tournament), offer drama beyond the tension of high school competition on the fields and courts. This story provides plenty for an avid sports fan. But it, too, offers much more. I suspect Baby Boomers around the country, and readers of all ages, can relate to the way dreams evolve, become compromised or rationalized, and come to rest. And how hard-earned accomplishments, especially those boosted by the kind hand of an unseen power, provide meaning and comfort as we reflect on the impact we have made on the world.

Among the characters: our best player, an earnest and unselfish athlete who had his best game in the state championship; our only African-American teammate, whose parents moved him to St. Louis to distance him from the racial turmoil in central Alabama in the mid-1960s; our biggest player, a character seemingly straight from Clair Bee's Chip Hilton stories; our quarterback, a free-spirited genius who exasperated the coaches but pulled off heroic plays; an under-sized defensive end seemingly possessed by the spirit of his cherished older brother killed in Vietnam; and our Student Council secretary, an African-American who challenged us to confront society's racial issues and later revealed he is gay.



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Jala Publishing
Published: 08/15/2017
ISBN: 9780999247709
Pages: 288
Weight: 0.94lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.65d
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SKU: 74796656875

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C
Computer
Grantham, US
★★★★★ 4
Easy to assemble, does the job, material is shiny nylon and shows creases, minor defects, sloppy
Size: 3 Panel 12FT W, Size: 3 Panel 12FT W
The Siebwin room divider is a good idea, and for the price, it mostly delivers on the intended functionality. I ordered the 12 foot, 3-panel version mainly to hide an unfinished basement storage area that had become an eyesore. It works well for that purpose and gives the space a cleaner appearance without spending the kind of money that more decorative dividers or custom partitions cost. If you need something temporary, portable, or mainly functional, this is a viable option. There are a few limitations that became obvious during setup and use. The first thing I noticed was that the weld quality on some of the metal poles is fairly sloppy. Once the cover is installed, you do not really see it, but up close, it does not look especially refined or professional. The blackout material also is not a matte canvas style fabric as I expected. It has more of a shiny nylon appearance, and the creases are fairly visible. Being that it’s more of a nylon, I’d be hesitant to try steaming it to remove the creases. However, the creases do not matter if you are using it in a basement, dorm, or shared room, but for photography, video work, or a professional office setting, the appearance could be disappointing. The fabric is thick enough, though. It blocks visibility well enough, but strong light behind it still shows through to some extent, nothing deal-breaking. Also, my fabric appeared to be slightly defective. The hook and loop strip on one of the bottom sections was off-center and couldn't be totally attached because it was lined up with one of the legs. I originally hoped to use this as a video backdrop, but I will probably end up replacing the fabric with a proper green screen or canvas material while continuing to use the frame itself. For now, it does a good job of covering my basement junk. Assembly was actually easier than I expected and took roughly 15 to 20 minutes. The longer vertical poles are tethered together similarly to tent poles, which made setup straightforward and fairly intuitive. The shorter horizontal pieces slide and snap together to the top and bottom of the vertical assembly. After each section is assembled, the divider panels connect together with metal plates and two knurled screws (at the top and bottom), so no tools are really required. A few screws were difficult to start because paint had gotten into the threads, but once they caught, they tightened down normally. The feet install with similar knurled fasteners and help keep the divider reasonably stable. One thing to watch for during setup is the fabric orientation. There is one arrow indicator in the middle of the fabric to indicate up. However, if you need another indicator, the smaller hook and loop strip goes on the bottom while the longer strip goes on top. I realized mine was upside down right before finishing and had to redo it. I wasn't difficult to redo, despite the defect in mine. The overall design is practical and easy to move around. I do like that the panels can fold and bend into different shapes depending on the space. The widened feet help stability, although when trying to stretch the fabric tight, I noticed the poles sometimes wanted to overlap slightly at the joints. Tightening everything helped somewhat, but it still happened occasionally. The divider feels adequate for normal indoor use, though I would not expect premium durability or luxury-level fit and finish at this price point. The entire device can also be easily disabled and stored in a tote if you need it completely out of the way. It comes with assembly instructions, but even if you didn’t have them, it’s easy to build without them (save a mistake or two). In terms of value, I think the Siebwin divider mostly matches its price. Around $100 gets you a large freestanding partition with decent usability and easy assembly, but there are compromises in materials, appearance, and refinement. The defects are also off-putting, but hopefully you won't have them. Higher-end room dividers can easily cost two or three times more, so some of the tradeoffs are expected. I also noticed cheaper alternatives online, but based on the quality here, I suspect those would probably have even more issues. For practical home use, temporary privacy, hiding storage areas, or separating shared spaces, this is a good option as long as expectations stay realistic.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2026
T
Trendy Tales
New York, US
★★★★★ 3
Works well but takes up more space than expected
Size: 2 Panel 8FT W, Size: 2 Panel 8FT W
This room divider does the job for creating a little extra privacy and was easy enough to set up. The panels feel decent quality and the wider feet help keep it more stable than some cheaper screens I’ve tried. My only issue is that it takes up a bit more room than I expected, especially with the feet sticking out. It’s still portable and folds away nicely, but definitely measure your space first. Overall it works well for separating a room or blocking off an area temporarily. i wish it came in other colors
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Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2026
K
Katrina Rhodes
Houston, US
★★★★★ 5
Nice divider, serves it's purpose well!
Size: 3 Panel 12FT W
This room divider worked out very well for what I needed. I wanted a simple way to create a little more privacy and separation in a larger room without doing anything permanent, and this divider was an easy solution. The panels provide good coverage, and the black color gives it a clean, modern appearance that blends in nicely with different décor styles. Assembly was fairly straightforward, and once set up, the wider feet helped keep the divider stable on the floor. I was especially happy with how flexible the panels are to arrange. You can keep it mostly straight, angle it around furniture, or create a more enclosed private space depending on the layout you need. The material allows light to filter through slightly while still offering a noticeable sense of privacy. I’ve used it for separating a workspace area, but it would also work well in bedrooms, apartments, dorms, studios, or shared living spaces. Another plus is that it can be folded and moved without too much effort when you want to change the setup. Overall, this divider delivers a good balance of functionality, portability, and appearance. It’s a practical option for anyone needing temporary room separation without installing permanent walls or curtains.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2026
J
Jamie K.
Grantham, US
★★★★★ 5
Perfect for Adding Privacy to a Piano Studio
Size: 2 Panel 8FT W, Size: 2 Panel 8FT W
I Ordered the 2 Panel version which is way too big for my needs... that's on me. So keep in mind that the picture shows a fabric made for two panels only being used on one and hence it is not pulled tight; it would pull tight and not be so wrinkly if it was set up properly as two panels. The metal pools that make up the panels seem to be well made, stable, and of good quality. They were very easy to put together and they stand up tall with plenty of height. The appearance of it with the fabric on it isn't as elegant as it could be, but it still looks good enough. The material is plenty solid, not allowing light through it, and thereby making a solid barrier. I am using it to block the view out the studio door when a student is sitting at the piano to avoid distractions from the hallway. It will allow a student to enter the studio with our distracting the student who is at the piano.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2026
J
Just Me
Grantham, US
★★★★★ 5
Room Divider That Gives Instant “This Is a Separate Space Now” Energy
Size: 3 Panel 12FT W
The Siebwin 3 Panel Folding Privacy Screen is surprisingly effective at changing the feel of a room without requiring construction, commitment, or somebody yelling about load bearing walls. The 12 foot width gives a substantial amount of coverage, making it useful for creating privacy, dividing open areas, blocking visual clutter, or setting up temporary sections within larger rooms. This saved us a ton of time and money in our new studio and enabled us to create a kitchen and office in one room. The wider feet make a huge difference because flimsy room dividers that collapse every time someone exhales too aggressively are deeply annoying. This one feels more stable and grounded once positioned. The folding design makes it easy to move around or adjust depending on the space, and it folds down relatively compactly when not in use. It is basically the introvert curtain wall of dreams. The material has a clean, neutral look that blends well into different room styles without screaming “temporary office cubicle panic.” It works well for apartments, studios, shared spaces, dressing areas, or simply hiding the mountain of chaos you swear you are going to organize tomorrow. Practical, portable, and refreshingly easy to use without turning setup into a three hour emotional event.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2026

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