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  The Why is Everything. Michael Silver. A Story of Football, Rivalry and Revolution.  When we read about the game of football, the novel usually entails stories about people.  Football players and football coaches are people, interesting, driven and perhaps a touch crazy people as well.  There are a lot of moving parts in the game of football.   Coaches spend many long, arduous hours, days and years developing game/teaching theories and philosophies about the game.   Traditionally, historically players do as they are coached…. until they don’t.    The same can be said about young assistants in the new generation.   Players want to know the reasons and the assistants need to be able to explain it.   Author Michael Silver, in his latest book, attempts to address how “The Why is Everything”.    Inside the reader will be introduced to many characters but mostly NFL assistant coaches.   In es...

    The Black Fives.    Claude Johnson.    The Epic Story of Basketball’s Forgotten Era.     Not all books live up to their cover or billing.    However, there is a lot to like about this “groundbreaking” effort and with that much to glean, process and unpack throughout the journey of reading this “trove” of information.   The stories, characters, the events telling the emergence of basketball as a legitimate and popular sport in the northeast and ultimately national landscape while taking shape and form in the late 19 th and early 20 th century.     While the main topic of this opus is the game of basketball, hence the title The Black Fives , this is every bit as much a tale of black history or American history likely left behind in most school history curriculums.   Author Claude Johnson, a historian, a foundation founder and successful business executive, dives deep into the rich history of how and...

  The Ancient Eight. College Football’s Ivy League and the Game They Play Today.    John Feinstein.   It is not often when we are in the middle of reading a book when the author unexpectedly passes away.     This unfortunately is what occurred when reading John Feinstein’s last book, The Ancient Eight .   Feinstein tragically passed away on March 13, 2025, at the age of 69, leaving behind a trail of at least fifty published books, many critically acclaimed  including Season on the Brink.    Although, I have read many of his publications over the years this is the first and only that has been reviewed for this blog.     Feinstein grew up in Manhattan and became an avid sports fan, long before becoming a well-known sportswriter.     He noted in the book that he would venture north to attend Columbia games, who happened to be a member of the Ivy League.     Feinstein admits that while the Lio...

  The End of College Football. On the Human Cost of an All-American Game. Nathan Kalman-Lamb and Derek Silva. The end of college football is not likely to come any time soon.   However, authors Nathan Kalman-Lamb and Derek Silva argue that the sport should come to an abrupt closure unless certain and several changes are made for the betterment of student-athletes.     There is no doubt the title of this book is a likely eye-catching and potentially engaging attraction for many college football fans, players and coaches around the world.    While the request is unlikely, the rational inside is an opportunity for growth in a sport that is changing rapidly in recent years.   The book is only 205 pages long but is not best described as an easy read.     The authors, both Canadian born, American professors, use a heavy academic writing prose to convey their messages and firmly, if not boldly, assert their many findings.   ...

  Why We Love Football.    A history in 100 Moments.       Joe Posnanski.   There is no question American’s love their lists from best movies, songs, gadgets and even football plays.     Esteemed author Joe Posnanski, who has tried his luck at putting together a list of “greatest” moments in American football history, writes in his latest book Why We Love Football.   This is a much anticipated follow up to his popular book Why We Love Baseball    but only a history of 50 moments .   However, unlike the baseball themed manuscript which selected moments based on a semi-complicated formula consisting of importance, distinctiveness, emotion and awesomeness, the author explains early on that the football edition of historical moments was based just on emotion .   One of the most gripping sections of the book appears near the end.   In fact, this play happened in a 1972 NFL playoff game between the R...