The book every football fan should have! Every fall weekend, millions of Americans sit down to watch NFL football games. And many of these fans end up shouting at the TV set, yelling questions like, "Why did the coach call that play on third down?" and "Why'd the ref call that penalty?" Now there's a guide to answer these frustrating questions and many others. The Pro Football Fan's Companion details offense and defense, special teams, strategies, rules and more and even offers a sneak peek into the life of a pro player in a special feature, "A Week in the Life". So whether you're compelled to dispute a call by the referee, or just need to brush up on the rules, The Pro Football Fan's Companion will provide the necessary coverage.

A Companion to American Sport History presents a collection of original essays that represent the first comprehensive analysis of scholarship relating to the growing field of American sport history. Presents the first complete analysis of the scholarship relating to the academic history of American sport Features contributions from many of the finest scholars working in the field of American sport history Includes coverage of the chronology of sports from colonial times to the present day, including major sports such as baseball, football, basketball, boxing, golf, motor racing, tennis, and track and field Addresses the relationship of sports to urbanization, technology, gender, race, social class, and genres such as sports biography Awarded 2015 Best Anthology from the North American Society for Sport History (NASSH)

One Nation Under God? is a remarkable consideration of how religion manifests itself in America today.

For fans of professional football who thought they had read everything about the history of the game, Mark L. Ford breaks new ground with this account of the NFL preseason. Described as “test labs” by Ford, the preseason games are a time for trying out new strategies, considering future rule changes, and implementing television coverage innovations. For thousands of players who vie for a spot in the league every summer, the preseason is also the defining moment where careers can be made or broken. A History of NFL Preseason and Exhibition Games: 1960 to 1985 is one of two books by Ford on professional football’s preseason. Along with its companion volume—which covers 1986 to 2013—this resource provides information on every NFL and AFL preseason game played since the AFL was launched in 1960. All the interesting events and people that were part of these summer battles are detailed, as well as the first outings for new teams, new rules, and new stars. In addition, Ford includes amusing anecdotes and mishaps, such as a 1972 game that was lost because the players wore the wrong shoes. Throughout the book, Ford recounts key off-season developments that would transform professional football from a modest enterprise into a global monopoly with annual revenues and assets worth billions. A History of NFL Preseason and Exhibition Games is a unique and important reference for pro football fans and cultural historians alike.

A must-have for any true football fan, The Evolution of Professional Football is a one-of-a-kind source for the evolution of the National Football League since its inception in 1920. Unlike others, this almanac offers an accessible, easy-to-read format setting out the history of the league, its teams, and its champions. Learn about all the original NFL teams, such as the Dayton Triangles and the Minneapolis Mariners, along with yearly champions, key facts from each year, awards, and other "must-know" information for the true football fan.Additionally, this book offers a trove of stats and facts including Hall of Fame inductions, Super Bowl and playoff appearances, important changes in the rules of the game, and even an explanation of how the salary cap works. The Evolution of Professional Football is an essential addition to the library of any true fan.

Richard Dent, a cornerstone of the Bears overwhelming defense during their Super Bowl run, and a 2011 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was an 8th-round draft pick out of tiny Tennessee State in 1983. The tall and skinny rookie would become a 4-time Pro Bowl selection who also played for the San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts, and Philadelphia Eagles. Dent wound up his brilliant 15-year career with 137.5 sacks, eight interceptions, 13 fumble recoveries, and two touchdowns. But Dents fascinating story told for the first time in Blood, Sweat, & Bears is more about a young man beating the odds than about a football player racking up statistics.

The modern game of football is filled with plays and formations with names like the Counter Trey, the Wildcat, the Zone Blitz and the Cover Two. They have become part of the sport's vernacular, and yet for many fans they remain just names, often confusing ones. To rectify that, Tim Layden has drilled deep into the core of the game to reveal not only how these chalkboard X's and O's really work on the field, but also where they came from and who dreamed them up. These playbook schemes, many of them illuminated by diagrams, bear the insignia of some of the game's great innovators, men like Vince Lombardi, Don Coryell, Tom Osborne, Bill Walsh, Tony Dungy and Buddy Ryan. But football has also been radically altered by the ingenious work of men with more obscure names, like Tiger Ellison, Emory Bellard and Mouse Davis. In Blood, Sweat and Chalk, Layden takes readers into the meeting rooms-and in some cases the living rooms-where the game's most significant ideas were hatched. He goes to the coaches and to the players who inspired them, and lets them tell their stories. In candid conversations with some of football's most intriguing characters, Layden provides a fascinating guide to the game, helping fans to better see the subtleties of America's favorite sport.