It's a Very Simple Game: The Life and Times of Charley Eckman

The Unique Charley Eckman, The Babe Ruth of Basketball Referees, NBA Coach and Sportscaster. Charley was the funniest man to make a living in sports. This book not only tells the story from Charley's viewpoint but retells the stories that have made his listeners laugh aloud.

Charley Eckman became a professional basketball referee at age 16. Top rated in the Basketball Association of America and its successor professional league, the National Basketball Association (NBA), he officiated in the first NBA All Star Game in Boston. Later, he stepped off center court to fire up players and fans alike, stirring excitement as the winning coach of one of the All Star games.

Eckman is the only one ever to go from basketball referee to professional basketball coach. As coach of the Pistons, he led his team to two Conference Championships and tied for second in his third year. He brought George Yardley off the Piston bench and made him a regular. Yardley entered the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996.

He returned to officiating in the powerful Atlantic Coast Conference and other college conferences. He was a regular at major tournaments, including the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and the National College Athletic Association (NCAA).

In the 1960s, Eckman launched a new career as an award-winning sportscaster. Starting with WCBM and then WFBR, he spent 23 years regaling sports fans with stories and insights on the world of sports competition. A popular figure wherever he appeared, his frequent speaking engagements won raves. He was also a legendary figure at thoroughbred race tracks throughout the Mid-Atlantic States.

Eckman was featured three times in Sports Illustrated, and also in the Saturday Evening Post, Sport Magazine, and Newsweek.

Charley was married 53 years to the former Wilma Howard. They had four children, three grandchildren, and one great grandchild. Charley succumbed to cancer on July 3, 1995.:

Tom Clancy, (from the Foreword by the best selling author)

"... In an area of human enterprise where reality has long since been overtaken by high-flown rhetoric pontificated out by people who've never played the game or coached a game, Charley's oral history of American sports is rather like a cold shower after a hot afternoon. And that's why I recommend it." Billy Packer, CBS Basketball Analyst

"When I read the book, I laughed and I cried. There will never be another Charley Eckman." Dean Smith, Head Basketball Coach, University of North Carolina "Eckman's book brought back memories and a lot of laughs. Charley was a truly great referee... You didn't really get to know Eckman... you experienced him and Charley is worth experiencing through his book."

Art Donovan, Professional Football Hall of Famer, Baltimore Colts

"Cholly was really `one of kind'. When they made him, he broke the mold! I thoroughly enjoyed his company. With this book, everybody can enjoy his great stories."

Frank Deford, nationally celebrated sportswriter and broadcaster, CNN/SI

"Charley Eckman was totally original. This book is a wonderful reflection of his charms."

Larry Brown, Head Coach, NBA Indiana Pacers

"As a referee, Charley kept us loose and laughing on the court. His book had me laughing again!"

Boog Powell, former Oriole All-Star First Baseman

"The book is very funny and a heart warming experience. I loved it."

Bill Brill, Basketball America

"As you read this book about one of America's great characters, understand before television, before the sports world adopted basketball, Charley Eckman understood the entertainment factor. That he was an original, never again to be duplicated and on display here in many Eckman stories, can only be considered our loss."