Football Culture

A hilarious but nonetheless groundbreaking contribution to the argument about which force shapes American life the most. For two kinds of readers—those who know it’s football and those who are about to find out. Chuck Klosterman—New York Times bestselling critic, journalist, and, yes...

How Football Became Football traces football's evolution from a version of rugby played before a handful of friends to a spectacle played in packed stadiums before television audiences of 100 million or more. Organized by era, How Football Became Football shows how football’s rules, tactics, and equipment shifted over time, as did its coaching, officiating, and fan behavior. Richly illustrated and written in a fun, engaging manner, readers learn why maul-ins, puntouts and quarterback kicks disappeared from the game, as well as how helmets, end zones, hash marks, and penalty flags became ...

This is a coming of rage story: best-selling author of Fed Up deconstructs the Evangelical teachings of her youth and argues for freer American culture. Whether or not you’ve ever set foot in a church, Christian patriarchal norms have shaped American culture in ways that are far-reaching and...

A hard-hitting and powerful look at hockey's moment of reckoning in Canada, and the ways in which a game that is so universally loved has been rocked in recent years by court cases involving sexual assault and startling incidents of hazing and abuse throughout junior hockey. The allegations read...

In the spring of 2013, a study showed that despite huge economic problems, 27 states were awarding their highest salaries to college football coaches. College football has doubled in size in the last decade thanks to generous tax breaks, lavish TV deals, and corporate sponsors eager to slap their logos on everything from scoreboards to footballs and uniforms. In one recent year, the 10 biggest programs took in $800 million from football, with profit margins far surpassing those of Fortune 500 companies.

When the star players on a high school football team are accused of violence by another student, their secrets—and the secrets of their parents—threaten to shatter their entire community in a gripping novel of race, class, and privilege from the author of Members Only. “Timely and timeless...

*** Master the Mindset of the Greatest Manager in Football History *** For 26 years, Sir Alex Ferguson dominated English football, turning Manchester United into a perpetual winning machine. His success wasn't built on luck; it was built on a relentless, non-negotiable philosophy of Leadership, Discipline, and Relentless Regeneration. If you need to motivate a team, manage high-performing egos, or build a company culture that refuses to quit, the answer lies in the fierce wisdom of the Old Trafford legend. Football Bloody Hell: 100 Alex Ferguson Quotes - 100 Lessons on Success takes you ...

🏈 The Commissioner’s Playbook A Guide to Creating the Fantasy Football League of Your Dreams—and a Legacy That Lasts Foreword by Field Yates The ultimate fantasy football commissioner guide—100% built to elevate your league experience and help you create something bigger than the game itself: a legacy of connection, creativity, and unforgettable fun that lasts for years to come. Whether you're launching your first league or revitalizing a league that has been around for over 20 years, The Commissioner’s Playbook is your all-in-one blueprint to build something unforgettable. ...

"Sullivan has found the transcendent in the horse."--Sports Illustrated Winner of a 2004 Whiting Writers' Award One evening late in his life, veteran sportswriter Mike Sullivan was asked by his son what he remembered best from his three decades in the press box. The answer came as a surprise. "I...

A captivating chronicle of the pivotal decade in American sports, when the games invaded prime time, and sports moved from the margins to the mainstream of American culture. Every decade brings change, but as Michael MacCambridge chronicles in THE BIG TIME, no decade in American sports history...

🎉 Step Up to the Plate, Hit a Slam Dunk, and Score Big Laughs with the Ultimate Sports Flashback! Do you remember when sports heroes were larger than life, and the halftime show was a bathroom break—not a concert? When the crack of a wooden bat or the roar of a vintage muscle car was the soundtrack of summer? If you grew up anywhere near the golden age of sports—or just love a good stroll down memory lane—this is the trivia book you’ve been waiting for! Introducing THE ULTIMATE BABY BOOMERS’ SPORTS TRIVIA QUIZ BOOK—a nostalgic, side-splitting, and brain-boosting ride through ...

The Indian subcontinent was the scene of dramatic upheavals a few thousand years ago. The Northwest region entered an arid phase, and erosion coupled with tectonic events played havoc with river courses. One of them disappeared. Celebrated as -Sarasvati' in the Rig Veda and the Mahabharata, this...

In an increasingly secular, fragmented, and distracted culture, nothing brings Americans together quite like sports. On Sundays in September, more families worship at the altar of the NFL than at any church. This appeal, which cuts across all demographic and ideological lines, makes sports perhaps the last unifying mass ritual of our era, with huge numbers of people all focused on the same thing at the same moment. That timeless, live quality makes sports very powerful, and very lucrative. And the media spectacle around them is only getting bigger, brighter, and noisier.

An incisive narrative about a teen rape case that divided a Rust Belt town, exposing the hostile and systemic undercurrents that enable sexual violence, and spotlighting ways to make change. In football-obsessed Steubenville, Ohio, on a summer night in 2012, an incapacitated sixteen-year-old...

If you’re a man of a certain age you’ll know there comes a point in life when getting a sports car and over-analysing your contribution to society sounds like a really good idea. With a good job in sales and marketing and a nice house in Manchester that he shared with his wife and kids, John...

Perfect is the inspiring tale of this football team, whose remarkable journey unfolded in a single, unforgettable season. The team, who were barely mentioned in the preseason, found their salvation in Coach Jerry Sharp and his staff, who molded and shaped these young men to give them one shot at greatness. As the season kicked off, doubts and skepticism loomed large, but the Tiger’s unwavering faith and unconventional training methods slowly began to transform the ragtag group into a well-oiled machine. With every win, their confidence grew, and the once-quiet town came alive with the ...

In From Sandlots to the Super Bowl, Craig R. Coenen recounts the NFL's ascension from a cash-strapped laughingstock to a perennial autumn obsession for millions of sports fans. It offers an in-depth summary of the NFL's early years and its struggles to build an identity. This book approaches the history of the National Football League not only with stats and scores but with what happened beyond the gridiron.

SHORTLISTED FOR FOOTBALL BOOK OF THE YEAR AT THE SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2025 LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD A New Statesman Book of the Year A Sunday Times Sports Book of the Year "A hilarious examination of the football commentary language we all understand but don't...

How Football Explains America is a fascinating, first-of-its-kind journey through the making of America's most complex, intriguing, and popular game. ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio explores just how crucial football is to understanding the American psyche. Paolantonio tackles varying American themes from Manifest Destiny to “fourth and one” as he goes deep in order to answer the age-old question: Why does America love football so much?

“This masterpiece of dogged and loving reporting will astonish you and touch your heart. The struggles and quest for redemption of football star Jackie Wallace make for a fall-from-grace tale that’s both unsettling and uplifting.”—Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs and Leonardo da...