Professional football today is an $8 billion sports entertainment
industry--and the most popular spectator sport in America, with
designs on expansion across the globe. In this astute field-level
view of the National Football League since 1960, Michael Oriard
looks closely at the development of the sport and at the image of
the NFL and its unique place in American life. New to the paperback
edition is Oriard's analysis of the offseason labor negotiations
and their potential effects on the future of the sport, and his
account of how the NFL is dealing with the latest research on
concussions and head injuries.