OT: Know any good books on college football?
My sister will be going into the hospital no later than Friday to give birth to her first child, which will also be the first kid between all of my sibliings. Finally I will be Uncle Adamantium, and Uncle Adamantium comes bearing gifts:
She lives in central Ohio near her in-laws, who are all Buckeyes to the bone, so that should go over well.
Anyway, I'm making the trip from Chicago to Canton so I can witness all of the hubbub, and I need some reading material to pass what may turn out to be many hours of waiting. Seeing how I tend to break out in violent tremors and generally just go all Mr. Hyde on everyone when I don't get my daily college football fix, I'm looking for some literature on our nation's greatest sport.
I'm opening the floor to any college football books, on any team, any period, any coach, whatever. As long as you liked it, I wanna hear about it. Let's do this.
August 12th, 2010 at 3:55 AM ^
i don't read books, but searching Amazon books for college football, michigan college football and football army navy all brought up books that look like someone who likes reading may enjoy.
Back to video games and ADD fueled internet browsing.
Ooh, a penny.
August 12th, 2010 at 11:03 AM ^
always make me laugh, thanks....+1 to you.
August 12th, 2010 at 4:23 AM ^
I've read Bo's Lasting Lessons and it was a good book. They had it in the library close to my house and it was a fast read.
I also recently ordered If These Walls Could Talk, I'm guessing that it should be a great read as well.
August 12th, 2010 at 5:30 PM ^
I tended to skip past the lessons, and just get to the stories. Does that make me a bad person?
August 12th, 2010 at 6:27 AM ^
Stay away from anything written by Michael Rosenberg
August 12th, 2010 at 7:05 AM ^
As mentioned Bo's Lasting Lessons, and one that is a little harder to find:
Natural Enemies: The story of College Footballs oldest, fiercest rivalry Notre Dame vs Michigan by John Kyrk. This was one of the best books I have ever read a little hard to find but if you are in Chicago you may have a chance, I found it at a Borders near Grant Park.
August 12th, 2010 at 7:15 PM ^
+1 for Natural Enemies.
August 12th, 2010 at 7:11 AM ^
Besides Bo's Lasting Lessons, Bo by Mitch Albom is great.
August 12th, 2010 at 8:01 AM ^
Concurred... an excellent read, regardless of your opinion of Mitch Albom
August 12th, 2010 at 7:42 AM ^
carlisle vs army . unbelievable story of football blended with u.s. history in the early 1900's. a must read. http://www.amazon.com/Carlisle-vs-Army-Eisenhower-Forgotten/dp/08129773…
also, the passing game. facinating story of michigan football is another must read for any avid football fan with an interest in history. this guy came out of glenville h.s. in cleveland. the same h.s. that ted ginn, sr. now coaches and doesn't let his kids come to a2 to play.
http://www.amazon.com/Passing-Game-Friedman-Transformation-Football/dp/…
recommend them both.
August 12th, 2010 at 10:15 AM ^
"Passing Game". Agreed it really is a great read and a glimpse into Michigan history.
+1
August 12th, 2010 at 3:16 PM ^
interesting as well. Note Friedman had his foot on the train out of town to head to Carnegie after his freshman year when George Little was able to pull him back in (sound familiar - this is a constant in every era and team setting.) Good thing for Michigan. Friedman deserved more playing time early on but was held back. Epic games against Illinois and Minnesota. Big let down vs. Navy in DC. Some insight to Friedman's suicide. This book has a lot to offer.
August 12th, 2010 at 7:54 AM ^
David Maraniss' book on Vince Lombardi (When Pride Still Mattered), although an autobiography, has some really good information on the mid-early days of college football around West Point, Fordham and the NorthEast when Lombardi coached there prior to coaching the New York football Giants.
Furthermore, John Feinstein's book on the Army-Navy game/year in 1995 is also a good read:
August 12th, 2010 at 7:58 AM ^
Oh, and this book is also good.
August 12th, 2010 at 8:25 AM ^
the storyline originates in college football, the movie with Dennis Quaid and Jessica Lange does not do justice to Deford's writing.
If you have not read any Frank Deford, he is one of the great wordsmiths you will come across. Not as funny as Jenkins, but a great, evocative writer.
August 12th, 2010 at 8:33 AM ^
Not football but still interesting. I recommend reading up on our schools mascot
August 12th, 2010 at 10:02 AM ^
I've read a few Feinstein books and I'm not a huge fan, but A Civil War is quite good, detailing a year in inside the Army/Navy rivalary.
August 12th, 2010 at 10:03 AM ^
"Horns, Hogs, and Nixon's Coming" by Terry Frei is the story of "The Big Showdown" from 1969, which deftly weaves cultural context into what was one of the biggest college football games ever.
"The Big House" by Dr. Robert Soderstrom is the history of Michigan Stadium's construction and is well worth it for the insights into Fielding Yost.
"Passing Game" is a biography of Bennie Friedman, and while it does spend more time on his career in the early NFL, there's some great 1920s Michigan stuff in there.
"ESPN College Football Encyclopedia", impractical to read easily in traditional form, but if they ever eBook that sucker, there's some great material in there.
August 12th, 2010 at 10:05 AM ^
Those Who Stay by Curt Stephenson is a great read IMO.
http://www.amazon.com/Those-Who-Stay-Curt-Stephenson/dp/1438900309
August 12th, 2010 at 10:10 AM ^
But Falk's new book is surely gold.
August 12th, 2010 at 10:12 AM ^
1. "War As They Knew It" - don't be put off by the author. Captures the Bo and Woody war, as as part of that era and what was happening in Ann Arbor and Columbus.
2. "Meat Market - Inside the Smash-Mouth World of College Football Recruiting" - follows the coaching staff at Ole Miss as they recruit high school players.
There are several excellent books already listed - have read them all. You can't go wrong with any of them.
Enjoy - and congrats!
August 12th, 2010 at 10:18 AM ^
I enjoyed both of them too. For someone born in 1980, "War As They Knew It" is an interesting glimpse at my parent's time in college.
FYI, Woody is portrayed really well. He was a really interesting person and was a calming influence on OSU's counter-culture--the OSU coach was, and is, the most important person in the state.
Bo is portrayed as being largely disinterested in the issues of the day, except as they relate to his team.
August 12th, 2010 at 10:21 AM ^
This is a book about Austin Murphy's (SI Football Writer) experience following the football team at St. Johns (DIII power) and their legendary coach, John Gagliardi. There is a lot to like about the book, and it is a pretty quick read. Gagliardi is one of the finest college football coaches the game has ever seen, and he is a pretty quirky character.
Congrats on Uncledom!
Go Blue.
August 12th, 2010 at 10:47 AM ^
Great read. Lots of great side stories about tearing up the best little whorehouse in Texas or Elvis' clash with the corps of cadets. You'll probably never complain about any modern day program being "dirty" ever again (the U-M workout stuff is even more laughable when compared to what went on at Junction and Bryant passing the hat at a donor meeting to get the money to pay recruits makes every current coach look like a saint).
Also, some interesting parralels to U-M going through a dramatic transition and struggling early on. The number of games the team lost solely because of Bryant blunders is also pretty mind-boggling for a hall of fame coach who had so much success there and at Bama.
August 12th, 2010 at 10:59 AM ^
....since it's set on U-M's campus, but a former U-M lineman, Elwood Reid, wrote a novel called "If I Don't Six" It's been a few years since I read it, but IIRC I found it to be an interesting (if unflattering) glimpse at the life of a college football player on campus.
Congrats on unclehood! I'm a mom and it means a lot to me that my son's uncles care about him and play a role in his life.
August 12th, 2010 at 11:02 AM ^
100-yard war: The History of Michigan vs Ohio State isn't bad. But if your really committed you can get my favorite book in my house: College Football Encyclopedia, 1629 pages of CFB goodness.
August 12th, 2010 at 11:04 AM ^
Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer by Warren St. John is excellent and fairly light. Basically, St. John buys an RV and follows Alabama around for an entire season to chronicle extreme fans and the RV culture.
I really enjoyed Blind Side by Michael Lewis, although I never saw the movie because it looked sort of sappy. The book was pretty good, although it is as much about pro football as college football.
Finally, not a college football book, but Blue Ice by John U. Bacon covering the history of the Michigan Hockey program remains one of my all-time favorite college sports books.
August 12th, 2010 at 11:13 AM ^
It's obviously Alabama and SEC focused, but a hilarious read. My only regret about it is that he really doesn't go into any detail about the end of the '99 season for Bama (a heartbreaking loss (for them) to Michigan in the Orange Bowl).
August 12th, 2010 at 11:27 AM ^
'Dixieland Delight' by Clay Travis is outstanding and pretty funny. Travis also wrote another one called 'On Rocky Top' that follows the Vols for a season.
I would also recommend 'Cane Mutiny' by Bruce Feldman, good look at Miami's rise to prominence.
August 12th, 2010 at 1:24 PM ^
But "War As They Knew It" is absolutely the best college football book I've ever read. I hate the author (obviously) but I absolutely love the book.
Also "Saturday Rules" is pretty good, "Junction Boys" is great, and "Football Feuds" is really good too.