Football Books

The 2004 college football season has come to an end with Pete Carroll's University of Southern California Trojans having completed the most perfect season in collegiate football history. There have been many "perfect" teams; that is, teams that went undefeated and untied en route to a consensus National Championship. USC itself has enjoyed their fair share of these kinds of wire-to-wire perfect seasons. But the stars have never been aligned for any team quite like the 2004 Trojans. First of all, they are the sixth team to be ranked number one in the nation from the pre-season polls through the bowl games. USC is the only team to do it twice. The 1972 Trojans, considered by many to be the greatest team of all time, accomplished the feat. But SC was also ranked number one from the end of the 2003 regular season through the bowls, and carried that right through 2004 without interruption.

The 2004 Trojans also boast the Heisman Trophy winner, two-time junior All-American quarterback Matt Leinart. His teammate, All-American sophomore running back Reggie Bush, was a New York finalist for the award. USC won a repeat National Championship, a feat rarely done. They are in the middle of a 22-game winning streak. They beat Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, a game that was previewed as the greatest game in college football history. The 1944-45 Army Cadets featured a similar winning streak and two Heisman winners, Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis. There are other teams that compare, but nobody has done it quite the way Carroll's team is doing it.

A few came close. The 1983 Nebraska Cornhuskers featured an undefeated regular season that included winners of the Heisman and Outland Trophies. They lost to Miami in the Orange Bowl. The 2003 Oklahoma Sooners looked to be on a similar path, but their Heisman winner, Jason White, faltered in the Big 12 championship game as well as the Orange Bowl.

In light of USC's recent dominance, it is worth considering their place in history. Not just the current Trojans, but USC's football program going back to the beginning of the 20th Century. It is time to take the mantel of "greatest program in the history of college football" away from the struggling Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and lay it squarely with the deserving new champions from USC. Furthermore, USC continues to lay claim to the greatest historical athletic program in college history, as well.

The two-time defending National Champions are a dynasty. If Leinart returns for his senior year in 2005, they will be better than they were this season. Leinart will be a senior, the Heisman favorite (as he was all of this year), and a three-time All-American. He will walk away from his career with more honors than any player ever; three National Championships (?), two Heismans (?), the Johnny Unitas Award, the Walter Camp Award, the Maxwell Trophy, the Davey O'Brien Award, et al. He will probably be the number one pick in the NFL draft.

The 2003-04 Trojans are very possibly the greatest two-year dynasty ever. If they win a third title in 2005, that will be a first. They lose a couple of linebackers, but aside from Leinart, Bush will be a junior, running backs LenDale White and Herschel Dennis return, the whole offensive line returns, the tight ends and receivers are back, and the defense will be, for the most part, experienced. The 2005 Trojans have the potential to be the greatest single-season team ever assembled, better even than the 1972 Trojans. Soph-to-be Jeff Byers was the nation's best lineman coming out of high school and could win the Outland Trophy before graduating. Soph-to-be linebacker Keith Rivers was the top prep at his position and may garner a Butkus trophy some day. If Leinart leaves for the NFL, USC will re-tool at quarterback with one of two blue chip recruits.

In 2005, John David Booty will be a red-shirt sophomore. He was the top prep quarterback in America at Louisiana's Evangel Christian High School. His competition? Mark Sanchez, the top prep quarterback in the U.S. at Mission Viejo High (the nation's number two team) in Orange County, California in 2004. USC has had the number one recruiting class in the country for three years in a row. Last year's was considered the greatest of all time. The 2005 class, which will be finalized in February, promises to be just as good. The pipeline is endless. In light of the fact that they will enter next season ranked number one, favored to win their third National Championship in a row, they are worthy of continued hype. Consider that if Troy runs the table in '05, their winning streak will probably be 35. With either Booty or Sanchez living up to the challenge, maybe with senior running back Bush winning the Heisman and starring with a cast headlined by juniors Rivers and Byers, the 2006 Trojans could challenge Oklahoma's 57-game winning streak of the 1950s. Now we are looking at four National Championships in a row, but wait, there is more. Booty could quarterback the team in 2006 and 2007. Sanchez would be a red-shirt junior and senior in 2008-09. Considering that the last two SC quarterbacks (Carson Palmer in 2002 and Leinart in '04) won the Heisman, USC could conceivably come away with four more of the trophies before the end of this decade. The scenario could be:

2005: Senior quarterback Matt Leinart, USC.
2006: Senior running back Reggie Bush, USC.
2007: Senior USC quarterback John David Booty, USC (Oklahoma running back Adrian Petersen will be a pro by then).
2009: Senior quarterback Mark Sanchez, USC.

Steven Travers is the author of the Best Selling "Barry Bonds: Baseball's Superman". A graduate of the University of Southern California, he is currently working on a new book, "The Turning of the Tide", with former Trojan football stars Sam "Bam" Cunningham and John Papadakis. "The Turning of the Tide" documents how the 1970 USC-Alabama game ended segregation in the American South. In addition to the book, a film and documentary are in development. Steven can be reached at USCSTEVE1@aol.com.

having been to a couple of usc-ucla games i can tell you that springer and arkush have researched their topic well. from frank gifford to jackie robinson all the way to charles white and troy aikman this book is full of good interviews and insights into the best rivalry in college football.
they get the atmosphere right and being L.A. sportwriters they know what the fans want.
the usc-ucla game is a special game especially in person, there is nothing like it.

it is sad what has happened to the average russian as far as their living standards and the difficulties...but a select few(the oligarchs) like Abramovich have learned how to exploit the situation...although one oligarch(the richest one) did end up in a russian prison...this book details how abramovich achieved and how he has managed to keep the wealth by being apolitical and staying on good terms with Putin. A very good read.

This book is the only bio on the mysterious russian Abramovich. It gives the best glimpse you can get into the man and how he built his empire(although you never exactly get told how). Great read on an impressive figure. I strongly recommend to this read for the ambitious.

In the tradition of "Downfield" and "A Summer Up North...," Poling doesn't only let us poke our head in and take a look around, instead, he lets us tag along with him and go inside to see what's happened to some of our favorite players. While his writing makes you feel like he's sitting with you and telling you his story, his vivid descriptions will make you feel like you are at training camp and that Donald Driver just whizzed right past you. Or that you are sitting on the couch with Wayne Simmons' mother as she talks longingly about the son she misses so much. This one is a necessity for any Packer fan or anyone that wants to know what happens to the heroes after the lime-light fades.

Written by editor and columnist Jerry Poling, After They Were Packers: The Super Bowl XXXI Champs & Other Green Bay Legends is the true story of the 1997 Superbowl champions after they left the Packers. Some returned to ordinary lives; some tragically fell victim to powerful internal demons. Filled with career highlights and behind-the-scenes glimpses of the world of professional football, as well as a handful of black-and-white photographs, After They Were Packers is enthusiastically recommended for any Packers fan curious about what became of the ultimate winning team.

"All Heart" is not only the title of this book, but also an apt description of Michael Clemons. The book is written by Michael himself and he handles himself in this book with the same grace and dignity with which he plays football and lives his life. Clemons is a player who always speaks well of others and those who know him only from media interviews might expect this to be a sugar-coated book. Not so. Michael speaks honestly about the people and issues he has encountered in football. How can this man be so happy all the time? Read the book and you'll know his secret!

All Heart, the new book from Michael Clemons, gives us an insight into one of the finest athletes and human beings on the Canadian sporting scene. Pinball shows us again what a wonderful guy he really is. The antithesis of the modern pro athlete, he combines talent, humanity, humour, and class. All Heart is a journey through the professional and personal growth of an all-time Argonaut. You''ll see why this man is always smiling !!

This book is absolutely fantastic. I actually bought it as a gift for my son in law but couldn't give it until I finished it. It has fantastic football knowledge and wonderful references to the Bible. I would recommend it to anyone. I am not a big football fan but I had a hard time putting it down.

I played football from elementary school all the way into college. While I didn't know much about the Bible when I was young, I did become a student and avid reader of scripture later in life. And as God's plan for me has unfolded, I now teach people interested in joining our Church how to use, understand and appreciate the Bible.

So, when a close friend told me about Mr. Graf's book, I was intrigued about how he might combine my all-time favorite sport with the Bible. Well, just let me say that Graf has done a masterful job. In his second book (the first was on baseball and scripture), he becomes teacher, theologian, historian and story teller. He has woven and combined treasured and important parts of the Bible with some of the greatest plays, players and stories from football history. Importantly, he does in a very enjoyable, entertaining and thought provoking read.

Graf captures my interest and attention right from the beginning. He quite adroitly shows how Lambeau Field in Green Bay Wisconsin was indeed an "awesome place," just as the Bible says the home of God's chosen people was also such a place as is noted in Genesis 28:17. Honestly, when I was a quarterback in the third grade little leagues, there was no more awesome place on earth than the place (Lambeau Field) where the Green Bay Packers played.

Moreover, I believe Graf's gift with this book has been to create a marvelous teaching tool that will help with religious education for generations to come. As an example, in one of the early chapters he tells us in his words after quoting Proverbs 3:5-6, 23 that "there are two components to trusting God. One is to prayerfully discern his will for us in how we live our daily lives. . ."

Graf cleverly connects religious subject matter in a manner that is unusual and at the same time unexpected. He explains in one paragraph how God wants us to trust our instincts. Then as I am beginning to digest the power of his scriptural analysis, he turns the tables and suddenly introduces former the Detroit Lions great running back Barry Sanders into the story.

Graf seems to be a master at uncovering factoids and details about America's most famous sport, reporting that the first pro football draft was held in 1920 and that the first official transaction between teams when tackle Bob Nash was sold from the Akron Pros to the Buffalo All-Americans for $300. You won't be surprised, and nor was I, to read in several following paragraphs that Jesus also drafted his team of apostles.

The true spirit and soul of Graf's work is revealed as he is both teacher and commentator, when he says, "In football, a fumble can lose a game. In faith, a stumble can lose a soul. Through the game, we are taught to learn from our mistakes, to pick ourselves up off the turf, remove the clumps of grass from our facemasks, and play on. Through the gospels we learn that though we may stumble time and again, all we need to do is seek forgiveness."

One might think Graf is attempting to use this literary platform to force his views of religious topics and espouse his positions on important theological issues. But I don't think that is the case. Instead, Graf demonstrates that he is indeed a true fan of football, obviously the competent researcher and most important, he is a true student of scripture.

He proves with this book that he loves life, loves God, and loves his sports. And what can be more commendable than that.

Like the "Dieux du Stade" series of calendars, AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALLERS NAKED FOR A CAUSE 2008 Calendar is an oversize, brilliantly photographed, high-quality collection of poster-sized pictures of nude and semi-nude athletes. Is it something in the water? Without exception, each man (average age 22) is stunning! Australian Photographer PEDRO VIRGIL's choice for the cover, 21 year-old WILLIAM ZILLMAN, reminds us of Matt Damon. Jordan Bannister, player for the Carleton Blues, is a young Bruce Springsteen. Chris Knights, stares at us in a way that recalls Keanu circa "River's Edge". Six packs, square jaws, ample butts (all that running and kicking) abound in the provocative, ethnically-diverse collection. The calendar DRIPS WITH TESTOSTERONE! Women (and men) who appreciate the male nude, especially when they're masculine movie-star material, will love AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALLERS NAKED FOR A CAUSE. The calendar benefits the McGrath Foundation, an Australian breast health charity.

I recently bought a copy of the calendar and OMG, the guys are HOT and the images were simply stunning! What a great job done by the photographer, Pedro Virgil! Compared to other calendars I have seen or bought, this one really is a top of the range, premium quality product. The high gloss images seem to make the guys leap of my wall! (I wish!). I love the way the photographer has captured these real sportsmen in a way which is so sexy without looking contrived. Far sexier and more real than the French rugby calendar which I also bought. I hadn't heard of the photographer before but I'll be watching out for more of his work now if it's like this. The Naked for a Cause calendar just oozes sexy, sultry, straight-guy masculinity. An awesome buy!

HERE IT IS FOOTY FANS, AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF YOUR FAVORITE SPORT - AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL. WRITTEN BY JIM MAIN AND EDITED BY JOHN DUNN, THIS BOOK IS CHOCK FULL OF OVER 200 BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS FROM ACTION SHOTS TO TEAM PICTURES. IT COVERS THE SPORT'S ORIGIN IN 1858 THROUGH 1973 (THE BOOK WAS PUBLISHED IN 1974) WITH STATS AND SUMMARIES. MY ADVICE? USE AMAZON.COM'S OUT OF PRINT BOOK SEARCH AND FIND THIS BOOK FOR THE FOOTY FANATIC IN YOUR LIFE.

HERE IT IS FOOTY FANS, AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF YOUR FAVORITE SPORT - AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL. WRITTEN BY JIM MAIN AND EDITED BY JOHN DUNN, THIS BOOK IS CHOCK FULL OF OVER 200 BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS FROM ACTION SHOTS TO TEAM PICTURES. IT COVERS THE SPORT'S ORIGIN IN 1858 THROUGH 1973 (THE BOOK WAS PUBLISHED IN 1974) WITH STATS AND SUMMARIES. MY ADVICE? USE AMAZON.COM'S OUT OF PRINT BOOK SEARCH AND FIND THIS BOOK FOR THE FOOTY FANATIC IN YOUR LIFE.

Inquisitive, eye opening and informative...owned it, read it, shared it, and lost it in the process. A must read for a big picture understanding perspective.

Imagine a government monopoly in ten-pin bowling where prospective bowlers must first apply with their local government council for a permit to play on a government-sponsored team. That would certainly be a bad idea. Similarly, in most countries government is a problem for the sport of soccer football. Exacerbating the problem of government are corporations - themselves creatures of the state. It remains a story of how government and their offspring - the corporation, has been a tool for greedy elites to enrich their pockets at the expense of the powerless. Soccer football has become a victim of corporate statism, pure and simple.

John Sugden, an investigative sociologist at the University of Brighton in England and author of the award-winning "Boxing and Society", has teamed up with colleague Alan Tomlinson to apply the methodology of participant observation to the study of soccer footballs' governing body - FIFA. Sugden and Tomlinson are not only creatures of Britain's socialist society, but prisoners. Their progressive leftist views are fruitful in discerning elite behavior but ill-serves them when trying to arrive at solutions to the problem. The British duo advocates more government for a problem generated by government in the first place, which is absurd. Government and their corporations are the problem, not the solution.

Beginning with a preface on page 7, the authors' saga runs for 277 pages ending on page 284. There is no bibliography and no index. It is a story more than it is a sociological or ethnographic account of an investigation of FIFA governorship and corruption. Despite these shortcomings, the authors are great storytellers and know how to write for story. This book is well-crafted and easy to read. It's 15 chapters are : Chapter 1) Blattergate; Chapter 2) The Blazer-and-Slacks Brigade; Chapter 3) Goodbye, Colonel Blimp; Chapter 4) The Big Man; Chapter 5) The Predator and the Protégé; Chapter 6) The Bounty Hunter; Chapter 7) The Big Boss; Chapter 8) A Rumble in the Jungle; Chapter 9) From Protégé to President; Chapter 10) The Politics of the Belly; Chapter 11) Tout Heaven; Chapter 12) The Best Club in the World; Chapter 13) Bidding Wars; Chapter 14) The Terminator; and Chapter 15) Fifaland.

The problem of government is give ample treatment by the authors. They tell us that FIFA leader Joseph Blatter "reeled in the face of accusations of administrative malpractice, financial mismanagement and outright organisational [sic] deception and fraud" by the media against "the FIFA president and his network of cronies, crooks and charlatans who have made personal gains from their lofty positions" (pp12-13). When Blatter was reelected double the margin from his previous election, it revealed that most governments "were worried about what would come out if Blatter lost, for so many had done well over the years out of him"(p13).

Another example of government as the problem is "When football emerged from colonialism as one of the few institutions which captured the imagination of diverse populations, it became a target for political interference and economic exploitation by powerful political elites" (p162). The authors explain that "Football administrators are often appointed and fired at the whim of unelected political leaders who want to have control of national teams and get their hands on any money which football generates" (p162). They conclude "We would not want national governments to run football".

John Sugden and Alan Tomlinson did a nice job of setting forth the problem of government, which is yielded like a cudgel by elites against those unable to take hold of it for themselves. What do the authors think should be done? Curiously, they say "FIFA must be brought within the embrace of an accountable international organisation [sic] such as the United Nations" with the caveat that "the UN and the EC have their own problems" (pp280-281). More government is not the answer to the problem of government in sport. If government is the problem, then it cannot be the solution. The answer is to abolish government games, thereby allowing individual teams to direct their own affairs. To get there, FIFA will need to be defanged.

This story of a small college that made football history is a blockbuster. Little Washington and Jefferson College, averaging about 400 students, from 1890 through 1935 played the likes of Pitt, West Virginia, Notre Dame, Penn State, Syracuse, Army, Navy, and a host of others. And W & J won far more of these games than it lost.There are loads of interesting pictures, including a monster bonfire in 1909 at WVU as Mountaineeer enthusiasts implored their team to "incinerate W & J." (But W & J won, 18-5.)The small Pennsylvania college produced many All-Americans, including Wilbur F. Henry, all-time All-America tackle; Deacon Dan Towler, who went on to a great pro career with Los Angeles; Tackle Russ Stein, who starred on W & J's 1922 Rose Bowl team; and Johnny Spiegel, halfback who led the nation in scoring in 1913.W & J produced the first black quarterback to play in the Rose Bowl, Dr. Charles "Pruner" West. This book has the entire Pruner story -- Washington and Lee refused to play the Presidents if Pruner played. The W & J players elected not to play if Pruner did not. The game was called off. In "Battling..." you'll also read about two of the strangest plays in football history, the nasty words WVU adherents used for Pruner West, and W & J's return to grid prominence in the 1990s after decades in the doldrums.

Lee North has done a superb job of recording the early history of football... the first team to wear numbers, the first indoor game, the first college powerhouses and their now famous coaches. Nicely illustrated and laid out. A must for all football enthusiasts!

This book is an excellent depiction of a man (not a god). Underwood masterfully relays events and conversations first hand and resists the temptation to sensationalize. This is not just a book for Alabama fans but for any football fan or someone who simply wants to know how to win. Winning, for Bryant was an art of knowing your opponent and motivating your team. Underwood doesn't shield for Bryant's shortcomings and displays them almost as if Bryant himself were there to say "This is what not to do". Great read

Growing up in Tuscaloosa, and being around during the period Coach Bryant was coaching at Alabama, I can really appreciate this wonderful book. Over several years, the author spent hundreds of hours with Coach Bryant, and had the opportunity to record many hours of interviews with the Coach. These interviews cover his years of early childhood, his playing days at Alabama and his coaching stints at Maryland, Kentucky, Texas A&M and of course, Coaching at Alabama.

The book is written like Coach Bryant was dictating the whole book....you can just hear and see Coach Bryant telling the story as only he could tell a story. He talks freely and honestly about his early life growing up in Arkansas and his career as a Football Coach. He (Coach Bryant) talks about his misstates during his coaching career and his successes in coaching.

This book and a book by Kirk McNair (editor of Bama Magazine) entitled: "What It Means To Be Crimson Tide" are two of the best books on Alabama football and its rich tradition. Both are a must have for any sports fan.


Buy "Bear: My Hard Life & Good Times As Alabama's Head Coach" if you are a Alabama fan, a coach (of any sport), a businessman or if you just want to read a very good book about a true American Sports Hero.

(The CD of Coach Bryant talking is worth the price of this book.)

Great Trivia question from this book: What year did Coach Bryant first get a job offer to be the Head Coach at Alabama? (1957 or 1958 is wrong.) ......1946...page 107....this book is great!