Offering a view of National Football League since 1960, this book looks at the development of the sport and at the image of NFL and its place in American life. It traces the evolution of Super Bowl, development of NFL Films and ESPN, rise of the commissioner as corporate CEO, the management of player demands, and changing attitudes toward race.
Professional football today is an $8 billion sports entertainment industry--and the most popular spectator sport in America, with designs on expansion across the globe. In this astute field-level view of the National Football League since 1960, Michael Oriard looks closely at the development of the sport and at the image of the NFL and its unique place in American life. New to the paperback edition is Oriard's analysis of the offseason labor negotiations and their potential effects on the future of the sport, and his account of how the NFL is dealing with the latest research on concussions and head injuries.
