Title/Author:
“Against
Football: One Fan’s Reluctant Manifesto” by Steve Almond
Tags:
Football,
(American), Professional, college, high school
Published:
August 26,
2014
Length:
194 pages
Rating:
5 of 5
stars (Outstanding)
Review:
There is no
question that football is the most popular sport in the United States. Whether
it is professional football with record television ratings for its championship
game, college football with all the pomp and circumstance or high school football
in which entire towns shut down on Friday nights for home games, Americans love
their football.
However,
Steve Almond, who is one of these fans who follows the game passionately, has
written a thought provoking book in which he questions many aspects of the
sport and what it says about society as a whole. He addresses many issues from both the aspect
of the game itself and the effects that the game has on other aspects of life.
This
latter statement comes from the topics that Almond addresses and asks hard
questions about what football does to address or ignore the problem. He writes
about the bullying of Miami Dolphins lineman Jonathan Martin – but goes beyond
calling out Richie Incognito. He
addresses racism and the thoughts of Martin’s fellow African-American lineman
who also taunted Martin by saying he wasn’t “black enough.” There are the calls that Martin wasn’t strong
enough to confront his distracters. With bullying being a hot topic today, this
was a very interesting commentary.
Of course,
the topic of concussions is addressed in the book. While Almond does not offer a lot of new or
different aspects toward this issue, I felt that he used some powerful examples
to show the dangers players face from multiple concussions or the condition
that has been brought forward because of players suffering from it, chronic
traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. How a
player suffered from concussions at a small college in Maryland during practice
because his coach was driving him to hit harder by leading with his head is one
of the most powerful pieces I have read on this topic.
As was all of Almond’s comments on topics like corporate welfare when NFL owners obtain taxpayer-funded stadiums, designation as a non-profit organization (yes, seriously!) and a very shrewd observation at the annual NFL combine. When some of the players who are being brought out for work outs to the combine, they huddle up, place their hands together in the circle and broke it with a yell “On three…one, two, three, Get Money.” That is an excellent illustration of what the NFL has become – these players put themselves through what some people consider either a slave auction or a meat market for one thing – to get money.
College
and high school football always is addressed in the book, the former for many
of its own tales of corruption and greed.
The most shameful has to do with the investigation or lack thereof, into
an allegation of sexual assault in 2013 by Florida State quarterback Jameis
Winston. There was compelling evidence
plus a statement from the victim to warrant a full fledged investigation but it
never was completed. It makes the reader again wonder just how much importance
football has over a school. I thought this particular incident was also a good
tie-in with the current scrutiny colleges are facing over their internal
policies concerning sexual assaults as a whole.
These are
just a few examples of the hard questions Almond raises. He does talk
frequently of his own football fandom, and he does state in the book that he is
not out to criticize or demonize fans who enjoy the game. He is simply asking
these hard questions and I believe this is a challenge to all fans to ask
themselves if they are aware of all these matters and if they are, then how do
they feel about being a part of this? It
certainly made me question why I follow this sport. That is what I believe the
message is to be taken from this book, and Almond writes a very powerful
manifesto in order to be that messenger.
Did I skim?
No.
Pace of the book:
Excellent –
this is a very fast read, even when the questions that Almond asks make the
reader stop and think.
Do I recommend?
Yes – this
should be required reading for anyone who enjoys the game of football at any
level. This book will make fans,
coaches, administrators and players at least stop and think about what the game
in its current state does to everyone.
Book Format Read:
Hardcover
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