No Ordinary “Ghost” Writer

Palisadian Gary Andrew Poole Authors First Major Biography about Red Grange

He played back in the 1920s in an era known as the “Golden Age” of sports. He was to football what Babe Ruth was to baseball, Bobby Jones was to golf, Jack Dempsey was to boxing and Bill Tilden was to tennis. His name was Red Grange but he became known as the “Galloping Ghost” and Palisadian Gary Andrew Poole has written a biography of this unexplored superstar who changed the face of his sport. “He was the king of college football,” Poole says of Grange. “Some say he was more popular than Babe Ruth, if you can imagine that.” Poole, who graduated from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, has written for the New York Times, GQ, Time, USA Today, Wired and other periodicals. He has spent the last several years, however, working on his first book, “The Galloping Ghost: Red Grange, An American Football Legend,” which he’ll talk about next Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Village Books (1049 Swarthmore Avenue). “Can you imagine the best college football player today being criticized for turning pro?” Poole asks. “Of course not. Nowadays they’re criticized for not leaving early. But back then Grange’s decision was greeted with skepticism and outrage. People thought he was selling his soul. Why would someone play pro football and risk getting injured for money? See, in those days players only made about $100 a game.” As Poole points out in his book, Grange played at a time when football was more like rugby. There were no hashmarks on the field, there were no situation substitutions and it wasn’t uncommon for teams to punt on first or second down. How does Poole think Grange would’ve fared in today’s game? “Grange was such a phenomenal athlete, I think he would’ve done just fine. You have to remember he played both ways–running back and defensive back. He was an outstanding breakaway runner and if he were around today I’m sure he would’ve just played offense.” One of the qualities Poole most admired about his subject through all of his research was Grange’s humility. “He grew up in Wheaton, Illinois and came to represent rural values,” Poole says. “He always credited his blockers, saying ‘My Aunt Matilda could run for all those touchdowns.’ But the truth is, he gained a lot of his yardage on his own.” Having started started his booksigning tour with four stops in Illinois last month, Poole is happy to be coming home. Future locales include Denver (where Poole grew up) in November and New York in December. As a kid, Poole frequently browsed at a local bookstore similar to Village Books. “Everyone knew your name when you went in,” Poole recalls. “Village Books has that same small-town feel. I take my kids there all the time. That’s why I’m really looking forward to next week.”