Seeing that Joe Posnanski wrote a book about football in a similar manner as he did about baseball, I had to get a copy. And like his baseball book, I chose to listen to the audio version. Also like the baseball book, it turned out to be the right thing to do. Here is my review of “Why We Love Football.”
Title/Author:
“Why We Love Football: A History in 100 Moments” written and narrated by Joe Posnanski
Rating:
5 of 5 stars (excellent)
Review: Joe Posnanski has won several awards in his career, including the Casey Award in 2022 for the best baseball book, “Why We Love Baseball.” It was so successful that he decided to follow the same format and title for America’s most popular sport and like the baseball one, this book is excellent whether in print or on audio.
The latter is how I chose to consume this book and it turned out to be a good choice. Posnanski is a very good narrator and his enthusiasm for the game shows when he is describing these 100 moments that describe people’s love for the game. He includes all levels of football- mostly college and professional, of course, but covering them all gives a more complete picture.
There are many moments that even casual fans will remember if they were around when they occurred - the Immaculate Reception by Pittsburgh’s Franco Harris in 1972, the costly interception thrown at the end of Super Bowl XLIX by Russel Wilson of the Seahawks, and the return of a missed field goal by Alabama for a touchdown by Auburn in the 2013 Iron Bowl rivalry game. These and many other moments will bring back memories, both good and bad, for any fan.
It was also nice to see lesser known accomplishments make their way into this book. The best one for me (and there are several) is about the best female football player to ever strap on shoulder pads, Linda Jefferson. Having read about her amazing accomplishments earlier, I loved it when I heard the chapter on her and that Posnanski included her in the book.
No matter how much interest a reader has in the game of football and whatever level of football is their favorite, they are sure to be able to find at least a few of these stories they will enjoy. It’s what makes a book like this great - one can skim or skip some parts, devour others and come away feeling like they have learned something new about America’s favorite sport.
No comments:
Post a Comment