Honolulu Blues
How Loving a Losing Team Created a Winning Man
$52.99
- Hardcover
256 pages
- Release Date
15 September 2026
Summary
“Sharp, funny, and relatable, this memoir is about navigating the ups and downs of life and football fandom with skill … An ideal book for sports fans.” — Foreword Reviews
The story of the Detroit Lions is the story of being human—carving your own path out of the ruts of the past and accepting that you don’t have to win to be worth rooting for.
The city of Detroit and its football team have been a punchline since the 1960s; the Same Old Lions seem to have losing baked…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781637749043 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 163774904X |
| Author: | Joel Walkowski |
| Publisher: | BenBella Books |
| Imprint: | Matt Holt Books |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 256 |
| Release Date: | 15 September 2026 |
| Weight: | 445g |
| Dimensions: | 158mm x 235mm |
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Critics Review
“Forget Barry Sanders; forget Calvin Johnson; forget Jeff Komlo and Stephen Boyd. After reading this gem, you’ll associate Motown City gridiron with one name: Walkowski.”
—Jeff Pearlman, New York Times Bestselling Author, The Last Folk Hero, Showtime and The Bad Guys Won!
“Lucky for you, this book is so sharp, funny, and entertaining, even a Packers or Bears fan would begrudgingly love it.”
—Sam Morril, Comedian and Podcast Host, We Might Be Drunk
“Makes the losing make sense, beautiful even. I read this the morning after the Bills lost another playoff game and it helped. Joel wrote a great Rust Belt book that will make you say, ‘Screw the Super Bowl, I just want to experience some disappointing football with my loved ones.’”
—Joe Pera, Comedian and Star, Joe Pera Talks with You on Adult Swim
“Alternately heartbreaking and heartwarming, tearfully sad and laugh-out-loud funny, Honolulu Blues deserves an audience. Highly recommended.”
—John Eisenberg, Sports Writer and Author, The League
“Honolulu Blues is a poignant, endearing story about fathers and sons, love, heartbreak, resilience, redemption, and the Detroit Lions. On these pages, Joel Walkowski cuts like Sanders, charms like Fontes, and shows the grit and fight of Dan Campbell.”
—Tom Stanton, New York Times Bestselling Author, Terror in the City of Champions and The Final Season
Joel Walkowski
Joel Walkowski is a writer, nationally touring comedian, and New York City basketball legend. He runs a SMART Recovery meeting at the Phoenix House in Brooklyn, NY.
Joel is a nationally touring comedian, award-winning roast battler, and second funniest cast member on the popular NFL Fan Therapy web series. His writing has appeared in The New York Times and Comedy Central, and got him banned from Major League Baseball.
His nonprofit “Big Walkowski” raises money for organ donation with a basketball tournament (that he usually wins). He lives in Brooklyn, NY and has a sauna in his living room.
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