Sports Illustrated: The Football Book Expanded Edition
by the editors of ‘Sports Illustrated’Sports Illustrated, 320 pp., $29.95
This almost 5-pound tome glorifying all things American professional football is a surefire winner when looking to buy a holiday gift for that picky pigskin-loving father/brother/boyfriend/husband on your shopping list. I tell my male friends in search of garnering brownie points with their lady friends that a flower arrangement is a 100% hands-down no-brainer: It’s the gift that keeps giving throughout the week as she gazes lovingly into the flowers bestowed upon her by her suddenly romantic mate and shares with her friends and co-workers what a loving and thoughtful man she has taken off the market. Well, Sports Illustrated: The Football Book Expanded Edition is the male equivalent of fresh flowers.
There is not a single National Football League fanatic alive who will not be instantly smitten with this treasure trove of gorgeous photos and short but insightful essays by some of the best sportswriters in the field (George Plimpton, Peter King, and Dan Jenkins, to name a few). What initially catches the eye and dominates the book are the stunning photos. The sports world is a visual one, and the SI photographs collected here are extraordinary, even more so due to the large coffetable format. Particularly interesting are the pics chronicling the development in helmets and other equipment used throughout the decades. Fans will marvel at the flimsy nature of shoulder pads from years past and the evolution of the sport’s uniquely shaped ball.
While sportswriting can often read like disposable wrap-ups of meaningless games or uninteresting columns on local teams, the SI writers gathered here take the short form to new heights. Of regional interest is Paul Zimmerman’s remembrance of Dallas Cowboys head coach and man-among-men Tom Landry, he of the ever-present fedora. Other one-page wonders of note focus on the careers of Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, T.O., Gene Upshaw, Joe Montana, Dick “Night Train” Lane, and John Elway, as well as players younger fans will be unfamiliar with such as Conrad Dobler, Don Hutson, and Alan Page. There are also combat stories relayed from the mouths of the league pioneers and short pieces on Lambeau Field, linebackers, and offensive linemen. Greats such as Johnny Unitas and Vince Lombardi merit additional space. And there are (of course) lists. Sports fans can debate for hours on end the top passers, rushers, receivers, pass rushers, etc. of any given era and never lose enthusiasm. The SI writers share their top position players to help get the debate going. Covering the last 55 years of Sports Illustrated football writing and photography with 85 pages of new material, 64 new photos, and an introduction from Austin Murphy missing from the previous edition, this book has surely earned a spot under your holiday tree.
This article appears in November 27 • 2009.