Fred Bowen and James Ransome share GRIDIRON: STORIES FROM 100 YEARS OF THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE. GRIDIRON is a work of love and devotion and history and fandom. It tells in a collection of brief chapters a history of a sport made up in moments, from memorable plays to memorable leaders and memorable events that allowed more people into the game. And it does it with gorgeous, energetic, and often emblematic illustrations. Through it all, the sport, the figures, and the history, is an opportunity to bring people together.
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ON TODAY'S EPISODE (#633):
This accessible, informative, and beautifully illustrated book celebrates the 100th anniversary of the NFL and is the perfect keepsake for football fans of all ages.
The National Football League is the most popular sports league in the United States. Its championship game, the Super Bowl, is watched by millions of people every year. But it wasn't always like this. In the last one hundred years, football has changed from a poorly organized, often overlooked sport to America's favorite pastime. Here are the stories of that remarkable transformation. The stories of the greatest players, the most successful coaches, the most memorable games--and the amazing plays that made us gasp as we watched them in stadiums and on televisions all over America.
Discover the league's scrappy beginnings in an automobile showroom, and early players like Red Grange, the Galloping Ghost. Relive the very first championship game, played indoors after a circus had visited, and famous games like the Ice Bowl. See the NFL at war, and meet some of the remarkable athletes who helped desegregate the league. Learn how the draft came into existence, and about the teams that strove for that almost impossible goal--a perfect season.
Veteran sportswriter Fred Bowen brings his in-depth knowledge and lively prose to these fascinating stories, and award-winning artist James E. Ransome has created stunning full-page illustrations that bring the sport of football to life like never before.
SHOW NOTES:
Fred Bowen (website)
James E. Ransome (website)
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