CALLING ALL NFL JUNKIES!

I’m not a fan of football. I suppose I can see the fascination looking at it through the perspective of NFL adoring eyes…the stadium, the fans, the uniforms, the complexity of the plays, the fact that the game can change in a split second reversing the outcome. I get it. But when I watch the game, I cringe at the collisions and hits. I loved the movie Concussion but can’t understand why CTE is such an epiphany for everyone. Doesn’t common sense tell us that if you hit your head over and over again for years that there will be some kind of damage? I’m sure you can tell that I am a mother of a son. A sports fanatic son. He’s been asking to play tackle ball for two years. He’s eight. Hence the need to express my fearful attitude. I will forever fight for my son’s non-participation in tackle football. But enough mom talk. I know that the NFL is America’s most popular sport. And, hey, if it gets kids reading, so be it.

I was looking in the library for a book to read with a reluctant, fifth grade reader. Knowing he liked sports, I perused the sports section and stumbled upon this book. It’s thick, almost 300 pages, so I was apprehensive to share it with him. But I gave it a chance and glad I did.

The book is broken up into the most legendary Super Bowls and gives a minute by minute detailed account of the most exciting plays of each. He loved it! I hate to admit it, but I loved it too. The unveiling destiny of the games kept us on the edge of our seat. To add to the excitement, there are iconic photos, top ten lists to deliberate and debate for hours on end, and a Top 40-Style timeline of key moments. The index lists coaches like Vince Lombardi, John Madden, and defensive coordinator, Buddy Ryan. There are too many players to mention them all but a few are Mike Irvin, Joe Montana, Troy Aikman, Kevin Dyson, Brett Favre, John Elway, David Tyree, Larry Csonka, Joe “Mean” Green, Walter Payton (Sweetness), and Ben Rothlisberger (Ben is married to my colleague’s cousin so it's like knowing a famous person-not really). If you’re looking for something specific to read, it is easily found. Or if you want to read the games' highlights, you can do so in short bursts. Frankly, it’s a book you can visit again and again. I also learned it is part of a series. There’s one for baseball and basketball too!

I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves football. Surely it will satisfy the most ravenous NFL junkies!