Ever since I was a kid I've loved baseball. I watch games all the time, But football never really grabbed my interest. I'll watch The Super Ball and an occasional playoff game, but that's about it. And after reading Steve Almond's "Against Football: A Reluctant Manifesto" I have to say, I feel pretty good about myself. Because let's face it football is an inherently violent, extremely brutal game. Life time football, and Oakland Raiders fan, Steve Almond feels it finally time to exam this troubling aspect to our nation's most popular sport and has written this deeply, deeply disturbing manifesto stating it is time to make some major upheavals to the game, on all levels, be they Pro, College, High School, or Pee Wee leagues. From my point of view his arguments are dead on. There can be no denying the game needs to change. Far, far too many men are being maimed for life. this has to be stopped. The book is not for sale till September. When it comes out it will undoubtedly cause an up roar, but I ask all you rabid hard core football fans out their to read it with as an open minded and impartial manner as you can. Because if the game is to change, it won't come from The NFL because they continue to rake in billions of dollars while countless football players suffer. the change will have to be demanded by the fans. Be a part of the change ! ( )

It’s football season in the United States which means the majority of Americans collectively lose their minds over their favorite players and teams. Football is such a big deal that it always seems to worm it’s way into nearly every aspect of daily life. Can you tell I’m not a fan? This book pretty much reaffirmed my long held position of how professional football (and pro sports in general, for that matter) are just wildly corrupt, for-profit, modern-day gladiator games governed by a disproportionate amount of wealthy, white male owners with zero moral backbones. Obviously, I enjoyed this book. I think it raises important ethical questions for players, fans and critics alike – plus it made me feel incredibly smug and superior by validating all my major complaints. (Sidenote: To be fair, I do intend on reading books in defense of football like: Why Football Matters: My Education in the Game) ( )

Though it pained him, lifelong, self-admitted football superfan Steve Almond reluctantly came to acknowledge how destructive and damaging (in more ways than one) his favorite sport is. Though he focuses in this slim volume primarily on the quite shocking permanent physical, psychological and mental damage players experience over years playing the game, he also calls out the ways in which the NFL organization (which has an astoundingly non-profit tax status) takes advantage of its host cities and, especially, their taxpayers. It isn't entirely doom and gloom, though -- he provides in the final chapter some suggestions which, if adopted, would provide some measure of improvement to both the game itself and the NFL without abandoning the sport completely. It wasn't difficult for Almond to sway me, as I'm an apathetic football fan at best. However, I would challenge real fans to read through this book and then ask themselves if their conscience still allows them to watch other human beings damage themselves and each other for our entertainment, while the team owners laugh themselves all the way to the bank. ( )

I didn't need much convincing, so this book mostly just confirmed my pre-existing worldview. At most, I went from casual indifference toward football to active dislike. If Almond's goal is to convince fans to stop supporting a corrupt industry, I don't think I'm really the target audience, since I rarely watch or follow the game anyway. I would encourage my football fan friends to read this, particularly those who are on the fence about their feelings toward the sport.

A tough read as it calls us out on our collective hypocrisy and delusional love for football/sports where people's lives/health is at risk for our viewing pleasure. The arguments about high school football were new. The arguments against the NFL and NCAA were tried and true. ( )