Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Driftwood by Ray Bentley Ray Bentley, Wegmans Pair Up to Offer a Great Father’s Day Gift | Events. Current ESPN college football analyst and former Buffalo Bills linebacker and member of Super Bowl XXV and XXVI teams, Ray Bentley, is partnering with Wegmans to promote his novel, Driftwood, as the perfect Father’s Day gift. Ray will be on hand this weekend to sign autographs at two Wegmans locations. On Friday, June 10, from 4 to 6 p.m., he will be at Wegmans’ McKinley Parkway store located at 3740 McKinley Parkway, Blasdell. Then on Saturday, June 11, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., he will be signing copies of Driftwood at the 675 Alberta Drive location in East Amherst. In addition to Driftwood, copies of Ray’s children’s book classic, Darby’s Christmas Adventure, will be available for purchase. “Driftwood is the perfect Father’s Day gift for all those football dads out there. I can’t wait to come to Buffalo and visit with all the great people. It’s always a blast talking football with the NFL’s best fans!” Bentley commented. Bentley played with the Bills from 1986 through 1991 and was the Bills leading tackler in 1988, 1989 and 1990. He was known for his physical style of play and wearing Alice Cooper makeup during the games. He was one of the most loved and underrated Bills from that era. About Driftwood. Driftwood is the story of Buffalo Blizzard linebacker Jack Driftwood and his last chance at pro football glory. The narrative follows the grizzled, old linebacker from training camp through Mega Bowl 50 played in Buffalo and gives an inside look at the machinations of professional football on the field and in the locker room. Off the field Driftwood’s eclectic collection of friends help him escape and bring the truth to light when the Blizzard’s general manager plays rough in his efforts to steal the team and send Jack packing. Driftwood by Ray Bentley ISBN 13: 9781943706006. Try adding this search to your want list. Millions of books are added to our site everyday and when we find one that matches your search, we'll send you an e-mail. Best of all, it's free. Are you a frequent reader or book collector? Join the Bibliophile's Club and save 10% on every purchase, every day — up to $25 savings per order! Social Responsibility. Did you know that since 2004, Biblio has used its profits to build 16 public libraries in rural villages of South America? Driftwood. A veteran football player seeks to overcome the odds and lead his team to a championship. In his first novel for adults, Bentley ( No More Hiccups! , 1995, etc.) takes readers through a season with the Buffalo Blizzard, a pro football team down on its luck. The protagonist, Jack Driftwood, a 17-year veteran linebacker, hopes to end his career in glory by propelling the team to the Mega Bowl. Play-by-play accounts of regular and postseason games alternate with chapters delving into Driftwood’s personal and business affairs. He meets Gerry Wainscott, gorgeous daughter of the team’s elderly owner, Gerald Wainscott III, and becomes her lover. But the Blizzard’s general manager, Donald Fegel, desires her too, and hates Driftwood anyway. Scheming to kick this “renegade linebacker” off the team, Fegel bribes a male nurse, aka the Pissman, to doctor results of a random urine test. Enraged at the skullduggery, Driftwood attacks Fegel but is subdued by security guards and sent to a mental hospital for observation. But it turns out Fegel has been skimming money from the construction funds for the Blizzard’s new stadium and an adjoining Native American casino. Driftwood’s wacky friends, including an overweight Buffalo cop, a Seneca tribe member, a restaurant owner from Mexico, and a few shady local underworld types, unite, seeking to expose Fegel, do in his associates, and break Driftwood out of the hospital. Bentley, a former NFL player, shows an insider’s knowledge and love of the game, and gives vivid descriptions of brutal play on and off the field and the quirky, foulmouthed characters in Driftwood’s life. The dialogue is sharp and the wit often acute, but Bentley makes some rookie mistakes. Spell-check hasn’t fixed all his missteps with spelling and word use, such as “teaming” for “teeming.” And the clichés come fast and furious, but seldom with the sharpness that’s needed: “She smoked like a chimney, cussed like a sailor, and drank like a fish but was as healthy as a horse.” Despite all of its humor and big doses of testosterone, violence, and physical and emotional pain, the tale can occasionally become strangely mawkish, as in a Gipper-esque appearance in the locker room by the Blizzard’s sickly owner. Although not Super Bowl material, this novel is nevertheless a winner: a fun, breezy read that even lukewarm football fans might cheer. Ray Bentley Releases Football Novel, Plans Four WNY Book-signing Events | Events. Ray Bentley, the former Buffalo Bills linebacker (1986 to ’91) and preseason TV play-by-play announcer now in his 13th season with ESPN as a college football game analyst, is releasing the hardcover edition of his debut fiction novel, “Driftwood,” in late August. Bentley has scheduled several appearances in Western New York Aug. 27-29 to sign copies of his book and meet with fans. Bentley will kick off his appearance schedule from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, at Bases Loaded Sports Collectibles, 794 French Road, Cheektowaga. On Friday, Aug. 28, Bentley will visit Larkin Square, 745 Seneca St., Buffalo, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and Dog Ears Bookstore & Café, 688 Abbott Road, Buffalo, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, Aug. 29, Bentley will visit Ilio DiPaolo’s Restaurant, 3785 South Park Ave., Blasdell, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bentley will sign copies of his book as well as other football items, and will also pose for photos during these events. Bentley is also remembered for the children’s books he authored and published — featuring Darby the Dinosaur — while playing with the Bills. He has seven children’s books to his credit, and four will be available at the signing events in Buffalo. Darby's Christmas Adventure, The Great Gator Princess, No More Hiccups and Nobody Said Happy Birthday are the available titles. Bentley was part of the Bills’ 1990 and 1991 AFC Championship teams. He was also the head coach and general manager of the Buffalo Destroyers of the Arena Football League from 2000 through 2002. Drawing from his vast football experience and love for the city of Buffalo, Bentley transitions from children’s books to fiction with his debut novel, Driftwood. “I’m hoping the kids who had my Darby the Dinosaur books back in the day are all grown up and ready for Driftwood,” said Bentley. “They will get an inside look at what it’s really like to play pro football in the great city of Buffalo.” The hardcover Driftwood is 448 pages long, carries a retail price of $25 and is also available at www.Fivecountpub.com. The Darby the Dinosaur and Bubba Gator books can be purchased for $3 each or all four available titles for just $10. The e-book version of Driftwood is currently available for $6.99 and is available for purchase on all e-book platforms, including Kindle, Nook, iBooks, Smashwords, Kobo and RedShelf. In the world of sports, football is still king. From Pop Warner up through the pros, people just can’t seem to get enough of their gridiron gods. Nowhere is this truer than in Buffalo, N.Y., where fans are desperate for a winner. The Buffalo Blizzard of the North American Football Association (NAFA) have teased and tortured their fan base for well beyond a decade. Long past was the franchise’s heyday back in the mid-to- late-’90s when they lost four consecutive Mega Bowls. However, things are looking up for Buffalo, and this may be their year! Jack Driftwood, a 17-year NAFA veteran (all with the Blizzard), is back for number 18 and one last shot at Mega Bowl glory. But the Blizzard haven’t been to the playoffs since Driftwood’s rookie year when they lost in a blowout in Mega Bowl 33. Blizzard General Manager Donald Allen Fegel Jr., through a series of shrewd moves and back room dealings, has brought the franchise back from the dead and into contention. Team owner Gerald Wainscott III is no spring chicken, and he has recruited his daughter Gerry to take over the franchise after he is gone. Gerry’s arrival throws a wrench into the lives of both Driftwood and Fegel, but for entirely different reasons. These titans clash both on and off the field and it truly is a no-holds-barred fight to the finish. Yet they all desire one thing above all: A Mega Bowl victory for the city of Buffalo. Ray Bentley's New Book Driftwood. Join us for a special sports fan treat as we welcome Ray Bentley for a talk and signing of his debut novel Driftwood! Currently in his 13th year as an ESPN College Football TV Game Analyst, Bentley was born and raised in the Grand Rapids area, played college ball at Central Michigan University, and played 10 years of professional football, including seven in the NFL. His career has seen him inducted into the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame, but he is also the author of seven children's books featuring "Darby the Dinosaur" and "Bubba Gator." Drawing on his NFL experience and that as head coach and General Manager of Buffalo's Arena Football team, the Destroyers, Bentley has made his initial foray into fiction with his debut novel Driftwood.