Why is a football field sometimes called a gridiron? Who are some of the best left-handed quarterbacks ever? Who was the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl? Why do players form a huddle when plays are called? When did quarterback sacks become an official statistic? What is the record for the most passes thrown by a quarterback in a game? This book provides a slew of questions and in-depth answers concerning the traditions, rules, records, and history of pro football (and more). From the early days of football to the hugely popular game seen today, Wayne Stewart answers questions even the most knowledgeable fan may have pondered. Whether the topic is quarterbacks or coaches, famous “firsts” or memorable moments, if a Who, What, When, Where, Why, or How? question is on your mind, this is the book for you.

How was basketball born? Why is the area in the paint and around the free throw circle known as the key? When did the NBA begin play? What team was arguably the worst NBA squad ever? Who was the highest drafted college player who never played a single game in the NBA? This book provides over 100 questions and detailed answers concerning the traditions, rules, and history of basketball. Organized by the sport’s three eras—its birth through 1945, the NBA from 1946 through 1999, and the game today—it answers questions about the sport at all levels, from college games to the Olympics. A bonus chapter provides a who, what, when, where, why, and how of basketball—the perfect resource to settle arguments or to answer challenging trivia questions.

The 466 men who have held the increasingly demanding and prestigious position of Head Coach in the National Football League and the two leagues that merged into it (the All America Football Conference of the 1940s and the American Football League of the 1960s) form an exclusive club. This book essentially answers three questions about every professional head coach since 1920: Who was he? What were his coaching approach and style, in terms of both leadership and gridiron tactics? How successful was he? Every entry begins with standard background information, followed by each coach's yearly regular season and postseason coaching record, and then his statistical tendencies toward scoring, defense and play calling. The entry then addresses the three questions noted above.

In this second edition that takes into consideration the perpetually evolving NFL rules, How to Beat the Pro Football Pointspread continues to set bettors on a confidence-building path lined with high-priority realities that for decades have flown under the typical football bettor’s radar. Smith emphasizes that pure football knowledge must be absorbed and then applied to the world of point spreads. He teaches his readers to look at the game with the bettor’s eye instead of the fan’s, and explains his theories about reasonable statistical expectations and ways to challenge the oddsmakers. He also discusses the implications of coaching styles, stadium locations, and even the weather on each bet made throughout the season. With years of football betting under his belt, Smith has written a key resource for anyone wagering on America’s most popular sport. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Football may be sport, but the National Football League is at heart a business--how else to account for the stratospheric salaries of the players and coaches? Yet most people are unaware of how that business developed. This book details the growth of an industry that generates billions of dollars in revenue and explains the intricacies of the league's expansions and mergers, territories and relocations; the operation of franchises; the role of stadiums and markets; and the effect of the NFL on domestic and foreign affairs.

Big television contracts in the 1960s created the Super Bowl, as well as the 1970 merger of the National Football League with the pass-oriented American Football League. Since then, professional football has been America's most popular televised team sport, developing into a wide-open passing game by the 21st century. Handling the completion side of the aerial game, receivers are not often as celebrated as quarterbacks or coaches, even in the era of San Francisco 49er Jerry Rice's supremacy. This book provides a history of pro pass receiving and its influence on the game prior to the televised era. The author studies pro football's formative and mid-20th century years, highlighting the players who pulled pigskins from flight, like the legendary Don Hutson, Gibby Welch, Johnny Blood, Ray Flaherty, Crazy Legs Hirsch, Mac Speedie, Choo Choo Roberts and many others.

With a blend of statistical analysis, opinion, love for the game, and a healthy dash of humor, authors Michael Kun and Adam Hoff challenge the myths and beliefs that have long afflicted football. No subject is off limits. The greatness of the 1972 Miami Dolphins? Skewered. America's Team? Put in its place. Pittsburgh's Berkowitz Fish Sandwich? Praised, obviously. Joe Namath? Well, he gets a little bit of everything. The Football Uncyclopedia gives equal time to owners and champions, stadiums and cities. It rushes to the defense of everyone from Shaun Alexander to Kurt Warner and of everything from the Heisman Trophy to Randall Cunningham's marble business. It focuses on player legacies, NFL history, and hot-button issues, but it also delves into topics like celebrity misbehavior, on-air kisses, and the film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. The Football Uncyclopedia covers the names, the nuances, and everything in between that make football an enduring American phenomenon.