The Outsider

A Memoir

By: Jimmy Connors

Narrated by: Rich Orlow

Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

Jimmy Connors is a working-man's hero, a people's champion who could tear the cover off a tennis ball, just as he tore the cover off the country-club gentility of his sport. A renegade from the wrong side of the tracks, Connors broke the rules with a radically aggressive style of play and bad-boy antics that turned his matches into prizefights. In 1974 alone, he won 95 out of 99 matches, all of them while wearing the same white shorts he washed in the sink of his hotel bathrooms. Though he lived the rock star life away from tennis, his enduring dedication to his craft earned him eight Grand Slam singles titles and kept him among the top ten best players in the world for sixteen straight years - five at number one.

In The Outsider, Connors tells the complete, uncensored story of his life and career, setting the record straight about his formidable mother, Gloria; his very public romance with America's sweetheart Chris Evert; his famous opponents, including Björn Borg, John McEnroe, Arthur Ashe, Ivan Lendl, and Rod Laver; his irrepressible co-conspirators Ilie Nastase and Vitas Gerulaitis; and his young nemesis Andre Agassi. Connors reveals how his issues with obsessive-compulsive disorder, dyslexia, gambling, and women at various times threatened to derail his career and his long-lasting marriage to Playboy Playmate Patti McGuire.

Presiding over an era that saw tennis attract a new breed of passionate fans - from cops to tycoons - Connors transformed the game forever with his two-handed backhand, his two-fisted lifestyle, and his epic rivalries.

The Outsider is a grand slam of a memoir written by a man once again at the top of his game - as feisty, unvarnished, and defiant as ever.

©2013 Jimmy Connors (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers

Another good one

Where does The Outsider rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This was a good audiobook. I am glad I purchased it, I never really had the chance to watch Connors, but I was really curious to listen about that era.

What other book might you compare The Outsider to and why?

It is a sparring partner to Open, he definitely takes some shots at that book and I admire that he says what he feels honestly.

What does Rich Orlow bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He has the attitude to fit the words and capture what Jimmy was going for.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, some funny parts. Hearing about his mother being attacked was definitely alarming. I like Jimmy Connors after listening to this book.

Any additional comments?

If you like sports bios check this one out.

Well written and narrated story of a living legend

I highly recommend this audible autobiography, which takes an indepth look and one of tennis' greatest players. I grew up seeing Jimmy Connors play at the US Open, and it helps knowing most of the cast of characters referenced in the book. Triumph and tragedy blend in a poignant portrait, from his childhood in East St. Louis when his mother and grandfather were attacked on a tennis court by thugs to his rise to #1 throughout much of the '70s and '80s. His romance with Chris Evert to his marriage, family issues, OCD, the death of his friend Gerulaitis, it goes into it all. And of course his magic US Open run of '91 at age 39. His story is entertaining and moving, his passion for tennis shining through it all. Unlike Agassi who "hated" tennis, Connors is the opposite, as he loves it, and the US Open was always his true home!

Better than I expected

Where does The Outsider rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Not being a big tennis fan, I was surprised that the book held my attention and made me want to see what would happen next. It's probably as good as any of the biographies I've listened to (with the exception of Rob Lowe's).

What other book might you compare The Outsider to and why?

It reminded me alot of Joe Namath's biography as it chronologically told about the events professionally and personally and how each coincided and affected the other. Professional successes and failures influenced personal behavior and personel events affected professional performance levels, etc. Also told about physical injuries and how they affected life long after the career was ended.

Have you listened to any of Rich Orlow’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but he was fantastic. I often forgot I wasn't listening to Jimmy Connors telling his life story. There was humor and self-deprecation, there was sincerity when dealing with personal conflicts and losses, there was anger when injustices were inflicted. He told the story as if it were his own. Very impressive!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Well, I didn't cry but I did laugh a little. Connors has a good sense of humor and his antidotes about other famous tennis players, family members and even his own problems were told with self-deprecating humor. I found myself liking Connors and wishing I had watched him play more.

Any additional comments?

A few "choice" words but fairly clean all-in-all.

Connors: Blows Up Tennis!

Just what I was looking for; an inside view of the man, his opponents, and his take on life.

Connors -The King of A -Holes

Jimmy’s most important values: sense of worth, money, women. See a pattern here? Professional tennis was merely a vehicle Connors used to fulfill these values. Entertaining to hear the various stories of how he and cohorts (Nastase, Gueralatis, etc) went about achieving this. Such great personalities in the pro game back then! Tennis needs more entertainers like these guys
!

Brutally honest

Mr. Connors shared the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of his life and tennis.
I followed his tennis career through all the years.
After reading this book I have learned things I never knew.
He is deeply in love with his family and his devotion to his real friends is obvious.
I would recommend this book to everyone even if you aren’t a tennis fan.
It is a study of how hard work and determination can lead to a successful life, with a few stumbles along the way.

THE Competitor

Would you listen to The Outsider again? Why?

Yes, I would. Jimmy is an interesting person and for me as a sports fan his love of tennis shows.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Outsider?

His harsh childhood !

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If possible I would have enjoyed doing so.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed his lack of commentary regarding Andre Agassi since he made a big point in his book we all understand he believes Connors is a big jerk.

I was moved by his frankness regarding his close friendships with Vitas Gerulaitis and Ilie Nastase.

He does love tennis.

Great book if you enjoy tennis, gambling, or partying:)

I am 43 so missed the early carrier of Jimmy Connors so wanted to learn more. Amazing life story takes you inside of Jimmy’s life. A must read for tennis fans.

authentic and refreshing

Great listen. The only thing that could have made it better is if Connors narrated it. You'll hear the whole story, from East St. Louis to #1. Particularly interesting to me was how Connors told of the influence of his mother and grandmother. Most entertaining were his tales of mischief with "Nasty."

More humility than bravado

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Anyone who is familiar with the persona of Jimmy Connors on the court will likely be curious to know whether that was the real him or simply a PR stunt. By the end of the book, I concluded that (like most things in life) the answer is somewhere in-between. Connors readily admits to much of the hijinks that many of us witnessed in the 1970s and 80s, but provides some fairly raw admissions of poor decisions and actions. However, peppered in-between are several endearing accounts of the relationships that launched his career and/or accompanied him along the way. Truth is, I wasn't sure of the sincerity part until later in the book, when Mr. Connors spent a considerable amount of time acknowledging all those folks who'd supported him during his heyday: his fellow players, his family, even his dogs. I don't think an ego-maniac would devote so much attention to praising others (and admitting to his own failures) if there wasn't a healthy dose of sincerity and humility in there somewhere. Color me impressed.