NFL Century

June 15, 2019
How the NFL gridiron mayhem came to be, courtesy of far-thinking entrepreneurs a century ago. The Pro Football Hall of Fame is located in Canton, Ohio, for good reason: The city, whose team had had the good luck to hire sports legend Jim Thorpe in 1915, was one of a handful of Ohio organizations that banded together to codify not just the game of football, but also principles for governing player salaries, free agency, and other matters. Even so, writes Hall of Fame executive director Horrigan (co-editor: The Pro Football Hall of Fame 50th Anniversary Book, 2012, etc.) in this lively account, Cleveland has claim to primacy, for it was the Cleveland organization that took Ohio League rules into the world and began to recruit teams outside the state. By 1920, writes the author, Buffalo and Rochester in New York and Hammond in Indiana had signed on even as rules were evolving on college eligibility. Horrigan's opening episodes have a quaintness to them, populated by teams such as the Columbus Panhandles and the Chicago Tigers, most of which had the modern penchant for skirting the rules in order to pay and receive big money, with managers and player representatives like "Cash and Carry" Pyle doing end runs around those eligibility requirements in order to lock down players like Red Grange. Some early innovations, such as indoor football, with rules stipulating that "a forward pass could be thrown only from five or more yards behind the line of scrimmage" and the like, didn't quite catch on, but others stuck. Horrigan turns in a pleasingly anecdotal account with many highlights, such as the turmoil surrounding the decadelong uprising by the upstart American Football League, a period echoed by the arrival of big money in the modern era, as exemplified by the New England Patriots: "When [Robert] Kraft bought the team, just about everything, including its troublesome stadium, was considered second-rate." Fans of the pigskin will savor this vigorous account of pro football's evolution.

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July 8, 2019
Horrigan, curator of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, delivers an expansive and celebratory history of the NFL. He takes readers from the rough and tumble origins of professional sports beginning in the 1890s, through the founding of the first football league in 1920, and on to current issues, including players’ increasing salary demands and college eligibility, which determines when players can be considered for the NFL draft. Horrigan’s work is expansive without being dry as he considers such sports notables as Red Grange, the “Galloping Ghost” who played halfback for the Chicago Bears in the 1930s, and Johnny Unitas and his historic Colts teams of the 1960s. He also delves with exacting detail into the controversies the league has faced, including how commissioner Pete Rozelle forced the Redskins to integrate in 1962 and how current commissioner Roger Goodell handled the New England Patriots “Spygate” saga of 2007, but Horrigan notably avoids current controversies involving concussions or players kneeling during the national anthem. Even so, sports fans will find plenty to sink their teeth into, as Horrigan provides detailed and lively depictions of stars and coaches from various teams, including Joe Namath and the Jets’ legendary Super Bowl III triumph, the successes of the 1972 undefeated Dolphins, and the recent Patriots dynasty. This fast-paced history will thrill football fans of all allegiances.

August 1, 2019

Author Horrigan worked for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for 42 years, serving as the executive director before his recent retirement. As such, he is intimately acquainted with the history of the NFL and here offers something of a swan song of his accumulated knowledge, recounting the league's first 100 years by primarily concentrating on ownership and league management, with less focus on games, seasons, teams, and players. Many of the stories and figures have been oft-told, but Horrigan includes unique connections and little-known facts to make the familiar seem new. With some tales, however, he casts new light on details forgotten with the passage of time. Horrigan does not deal with player health and aging concerns but identifies three recurring themes evident in the first century of the league: player salary demands, player movement restrictions, and college football player eligibility issues. These themes reverberate throughout. VERDICT This engagingly written chronicle of the most powerful and influential sports league in American history should be of wide interest.

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2019
The NFL celebrates its 100th anniversary this season. The brainchild of George Halas, whose family still owns the Chicago Bears, the league has come a long way from modest beginnings in Canton, Ohio. It was a struggle early on competing for fans against college football, which had a firm grip on the gridiron fan base of students and alums. Pro football had no such luxury and struggled to attract fans. There was also the Depression to overcome and then WWII, which siphoned off many of the best players. Horrigan, who began his career at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977 as a researcher and recently retired as now the HOF's executive director, guides readers through the NFL's good times and bad, always with an eye on the steady growth and increasing stability of the enterprise. Of course, there are anecdotes aplenty about the great players, historic games, and landmark moments, on the field and off (television contracts, labor disputes, scandals). Horrigan provides context for every moment, and the result is the definitive history of the league to date.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)