The League

Let’s just get right to it. If you don’t like football, this will come off as boring and textbook like to you. Lots of names, finances, and rule agreements by committee going on here. But the NFL is pretty popular, and if you have an interest in it, this book does a great job of explaining how rag-tag and touch and go it was at the beginning, but also how the inner circle of owners really put the league first, even above their own teams. You’ll have an even greater interest if you’re a Bears, Giants, or Steelers fan. Sure, the Eagles and Washington are mention, but mostly as a way to set up Bert Bell as the commissioner, and that the founder of the Washington Football Team was a massive racist. So those three are probably best off.

Still, if you’re a football fan, there’s a lot of good stuff here. If you ever wanted to know why things are the way they are, this book goes into a ton of things. Teams, divisions, Super Bowls, rule changes. How the NFL of today was shaped, basically. Plus you get a look at the Big 5, for better or worse.

George Halas, Tim Mara, Bert Bell, George Preston Marshall, and Art Rooney effectively shaped the biggest league in the United States one tightrope at a time, to great effect. And while Eisenberg is sure to note their successes, he also examines their failures, as he should. Eisenberg focusses on race most specifically, with good reason. Marshall was a noted racist, and no one stopped him from essentially strong armed the rest of the league into going all white even after technically integrating. No one comes out clean, no matter the legacies each have.

Going to give this the recommended badge because I think football fans can definitely get something out of this, and so can everyone else, unless you don’t like football, in which case, no harm no foul.

Also, for those in the know - my grandfather says this is the best book he’s read on the founding of the league and the early years, so, there ya go.