Author of "The Last Amateurs"

December 14, 2000

In "The Last Amateurs: Playing for Glory and Honor in Division I College Basketball," John Feinstein captures the passion of basketball players for whom the game is neither pastime nor profession, but something more. For anyone who enjoys college basketball, this is an unforgettably moving and enlightening look inside the game at its purest and most intense. Read what the author had to say about his latest book and why he wrote it.

Page 1 of 3

TWBookmark: Welcome to Time Warner Bookmark! Warner Books is proud to introduce our special guest, John Feinstein, author of "The Last Amateurs- Playing for Glory and Honor in Division 1 College Basketball." In this book, he captures the passion of basketball players for whom the game is neither pastime nor profession, but something more. For anyone who enjoys college basketball, this is an unforgettably moving and enlightening look inside the game at its purest and most intense. Welcome to Talk City, John!

John Feinstein: Thank you! I love that introduction. This book, along with “A Civil War,” was by far the ones I enjoyed doing the most, because of the kind of person that I was working with, doing my reporting.

TWBookmark: What inspired you to write "The Last Amateurs"? Is there one major point about the Patriot League that you think readers should understand the most?

John Feinstein: What led me to write the book was a feeling that big time college athletics are spinning out of control. I feel a great disconnect with the big-time programs because I think that 95% of the players are pros in training, and the term ‘student athlete’ has become an oxymoron. I wanted to write about athletes who care greatly about their sport, but understand that it's not a be-all and an end-all, and that playing it well does not entitle them to act above the law throughout their daily lives.

Hunter: How long did it take you to put together "The Last Amateurs"? Which of your books has been the most intensive to turn out, or are you just a natural like I think you are?

John Feinstein: The entire process took a little less than a year, and I first came up with the idea in August 1999. I researched the book through the end of August 2000 basketball season and completed the writing in mid-June. The most difficult to write was probably "A Civil War," because I was so emotionally involved with the athletes in the book. At the same time, “A Civil War” and “The Last Amateurs” were the most fun to write for the same reason.

Robb: What got you interested in college basketball?

John Feinstein: I grew up in New York City. I played ball myself in the schoolyard like everyone else, and loved going to Madison Square Garden for the old 8-team holiday festival and the NIT, which was back then played entirely in New York. I was a huge fan of Columbia, Fordham, Saint John’s, Manhattan, and NYU.

T Gary C: A few years ago I heard an announcer say that the difference between college basketball and the NBA is that college players play for the name on the front of the jersey, while NBA players play for the name on the back of the jersey. Do you believe this is true still?

John Feinstein: I think it is true in the Patriot League and the Ivy League on the Division II and III levels. I think more and more at the big time level that's changing, which is while we are seeing so many players leave early to turn pro.

Page 1 of 3