The “deeply researched, surprise-on-every-page, and altogether marvelous” (Weekly Standard) tale of the five owners who shepherded the NFL through its tumultuous early decades and built the most popular sport in America
The National Football League is a towering, distinctly American colossus spewing out $14 billion in annual revenue. But it was not always a success. In The League, John Eisenberg focuses on the pioneering sportsmen who kept the league alive in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, when its challenges were many and its survival was not guaranteed. At the time, college football, baseball, boxing, and horseracing dominated America’s sports scene. Art Rooney, George Halas, Tim Mara, George Preston Marshall, and Bert Bell believed in pro football when few others did and ultimately succeeded only because at critical junctures each sacrificed the short-term success of his team for the longer-term good of the league.
At once a history of a sport and a remarkable story of business ingenuity, The League is an essential read for any fan of our true national pastime.
From the Publisher
Publisher : Basic Books
Publication date : October 1, 2019
Edition : Reprint
Language : English
Print length : 416 pages
ISBN-10 : 1541618645
ISBN-13 : 978-1541618640
Item Weight : 14.4 ounces
Dimensions : 5.6 x 1.3 x 8.25 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #9,966 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #5 in Football Biographies (Books) #8 in Sports History (Books) #16 in Football (Books)
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