Bob Roop ("Shooting with the Legends" Interview)

The Good
Scott Teal's "Shooting with the Legends" series is excellent in so many regards. While Scott himself is very knowledgeable and could intelligently interview any legend, he chooses the best. Bob Roop is one of a number of well-regarded stars from yesteryear that can tell great stories, share unique perspectives and pull no punches while doing so. Roop talks extensively about a number of topics, specifically his amateur background, time as an unwilling hired gun for promoters and his experiences in Florida. Although this is lengthy (about four hours), Roop is able to go all over the place and expound upon whatever he wants. He gives his honest thoughts on Eddie Graham, Gordon Solie, Buddy Fuller and several other legends. He seems very open about his abilities and inabilities, not coming across like the pompous bully he's been labelled as before. A definite highlight of this was Bob talking about his experiences abroad. Not in the common places like Australia and Japan, but also Europe and Iraq. This could have gone on another four hours and I think there'd be no shortage of material. Just a masterpiece that you've got to get your hands on.

The Bad
Certainly there are areas of Bob Roop's career that go uncovered, but I'll take omissions of his tenures in Mid-South, the Army of Darkness and so on for some of the depth and variety he shares. For someone who booked a few notable territories, he sure did not get into booking psychology much. I think Roop tried to be honest, but it seems like some of his stories do not jive well with others'. Regardless of those few negatives, I'd rate this as a top-notch shoot interview.

The Rating: *****