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January 2015 Vol. 52 No. 5


Temple University Press


The following review appeared in the January 2015 issue of CHOICE. The review is for your internal use only. Please review our Permission and Reprints Guidelines or email permissions@ala-choice.org.

Science & Technology
Sports & Recreation

52-2603
GV955
2014-4742 CIP
The NFL: critical and cultural perspectives, ed. by Thomas P. Oates and Zack Furness. Temple, 2014. 257p index afp ISBN 9781439909577, $69.50; ISBN 9781439909591 ebook, $69.50.

The National Football League continues to have a significant cultural impact on American life.  But how and why has this occurred?  This interesting and informative collection of critical essays does an admirable job of answering this question.  Oates (Iowa State Univ.) and Furness (Penn State) group the essays in three broad categories.  The essays in the first address how the NFL vaulted into the forefront of American professional sport beginning with the iconic overtime 1958 NFL championship game, solidified its prominence through the managerial authority of instant replay, and has profited from the impact of social media, including that surrounding star player Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson.  Section 2 highlights issues of sex, race, ethnic identity, injuries, and violence; the final section explores the militarization of professional football, beginning with initial NFL Films productions during the Vietnam War era (late 1960s and early 1970s) and continuing through the aftermath of the death of former player Pat Tillman in Afghanistan in 2004.  Including citations and notes at the conclusion of each essay, this worthwhile volume is enhanced by a comprehensive index.

--J. R. Bailey, Arkansas State University

Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers.