Bloody Sundays: Inside the Rough-and-Tumble World of the NFL

As a budding NFL fan I really enjoyed Freeman's take on the game. Granted, the book does read a little like a combination of articles thrown together and there chapters that feel too short for the topic, but those topics, such as gay players in the NFL and the physical and mental toll of the game, are ones that could easily fill a separate book. For someone newly into the game of football, Freeman offers a view of some key issues without going so deep as to confuse newbies or casual viewers. I got a good chuckle out of the last two chapters in the book regarding 99 reasons why football is better than baseball and what Freeman would do if he ruled the football world. Is it a little bit of a fluffy way to end an otherwise serious book? Sure it is, but I liked that. After reading about the fear and mistreatment gay players suffer, and the tragic lives of some football legends whose physical injuries left them vegetables, I needed something light. Is it a book for the fan who has watched football for 20+ years? Probably not. But I would recommend it to a newcomer of the game, as a simple, straightforward read.

Now that ESPN has bowed to the pressure of the NFL and cancelled the show "Playmakers," it's left to Freeman's book to look inside the NFL and show it warts and all. A lot of attention has been given to the author's chapters on 'Steven Thompson' the pseudonym for a closeted gay football player. That chapter simply confirms what everyone already knows - that gay men are in football but they are not out nor are they likely to come out in the near future. The rest of the time Freeman draws upon his contacts and years as a reporter to analyze the people he spotlights both in an historical sense, as well as through direct access to the people and those around them. He paints pictures of people who may get the shaft in their professional lives, but who came to the game and keep going despite hardships because they truly love football. You can debate his picks for the best of all time in various positions, but you have to give Freeman the slack to express his opinions after spending time reporting on his topic, and he tries to reason out his choices. The person who does not know the NFL won't really be served by using this as an introduction, but readers familiar with the game and the players (not necessarily fanatics) will find the peek behind closed doors interesting.

This is one of those books that gives you a "wow" feeling afterward, you can hardly believe what you just read. The author knows a lot of people and goes behind the scenes and undercover, he shows how the teams actually spy on their players! And how a player is actually drafted.It's tough reading because you see how mean and unforgiving the game and the team is to a player. You see how ruthless a game football can be. You respect the football players a lot more, because you see how much pain they always have to suffer in their job, and how much they damage their bodies. The author talks a lot about history and individual stories here, which makes his book familiar and very interesting.

this Book doesn't back down or shy away from various topics & Covers Players,Coaches,etc.. really well.the NFL is the Pasttime Sport of now.

Enjoyed the book from start to finish. Any fan of football will love it. Favorite chapters: Gruden and Emmitt Smith.