Sports and Society
Page Turners: Football season
Are you ready for some football? Here’s some reading — and viewing — material to look for as a new season kicks off
Rocket Men: The Black Quarterbacks Who Revolutionized Pro Football
By John Eisenberg
Basic Books, Sept. 5
Eisenberg offers a detailed accounting of the trailblazers — early pioneers and modern stars — who charted paths through not just football, but also broader society by dismantling prejudiced notions of what Black QBs can do and changing the game.
Once a Giant: A Story of Victory, Tragedy, and Life After Football
By Gary Myers
PublicAffairs, Sept. 12
Former columnist Myers dives into the legendary 1986 New York Giants squad, chronicling both the team’s rise to the top and what later became of its coaches and stars, featuring interviews with Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, and others.
Lady Ref: Making Calls in a Man’s World
By Shannon Eastin with Kate St. Vincent
Vogl
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Sept. 13
Meet the first woman to officiate an NFL game. In this memoir, Eastin traces her journey to the league, from being the first female NCAA football official to tackling the sexism, harassment, and other obstacles on her way to making pro football history.
Tomlin: The Soul of a Football Coach
By John Harris
Sports Publishing, Oct. 13
Harris pulls back the curtain on the notoriously quiet Steelers head coach, detailing his hall of fame-worthy ascension from a wide receiver at William & Mary to the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl — and one who continues to carry the standard for an iconic franchise.
The 19 of Greene: Football, Friendship, and Change in the Fall of 1970
By Tony Barnhart
University of Georgia Press, Oct. 15
“Mr. College Football” reflects on his small-town Georgia high school football team, which was the first integrated squad in its county and served as an important, formative experience for Barnhart in reckoning with racism.
Football Done Right: Setting the Record Straight on the Coaches, Players, and History of the NFL
By Michael Lombardi
Running Press Adult, Sept. 5
The three-time Super Bowl-winning executive makes his case for the best of the best in league history, ranging from players to sportscasters, blending stats with the insight earned after more than 35 years in the NFL.
The Occasionally Accurate Annals of Football: The NFL’s Greatest Players, Plays, Scandals, and Screw-Ups (Plus Stuff We Totally Made Up)
By Dan Patrick and Joel H. Cohen
BenBella Books, Sept. 5
Longtime sportscaster Patrick and comedy writer Cohen come together with other entertaining voices for this light-hearted take on the league, dishing out trivia and other “facts” while leaning into a different, irreverent perspective.
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SMAC Productions and Fubo Studios are co-producing an eight-part docuseries on the evolution of the Black quarterback in America. The series, whose official title has not yet been revealed, will feature Michael Vick leading conversations with celebrities, journalists and key figures in football, including Patrick Mahomes, Cam Newton, Tony Dungy and Andy Reid. The series is set to premiere in early February. — Erik Bacharach
