One Night, Two Teams: Alabama vs. Usc and the Game That Changed a Nation

You go to a big game or a special event. It's sold out. It's fantastic. And you have a terrific time. But, do you remember it exactly as it was as well as the date and the participants, plus any historical significance, ten years later? Or 20 years later? Or 50 years later? And, do you tell your children and grandchildren about it? Well, the SC-Alabama game at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama in September, 1970 will well be remembered in another 100 years. And, this book quite intimately tells you why. In an era, in fact the past two decades, where newspapers have lost their ability to report sports events with great insight and have mostly achieved the mediocrity of many other mature industries, this book exemplifies what sports writing should be. This 1970 game was historic then, and those associated with it knew that. It was akin to a championship fight; maybe bigger. And, the players knew that. Obviously, college football is part of our DNA. And, the coaches and some of the players in this game were then, or were to become, legendary. This book elevates the late SC coach John McKay further nationally in his prominence among the most successful, most visionary college football coaches. His life and his coaching record should be appreciated by all who love college football. His teams, the way they played in prior and later years as well as in Legion Field in Birmingham on a historic Saturday night, were warriors, and of course Trojans, not just on the field but on a larger, national stage. Thus, this game should be, and will be, remembered in another 100 years.

Steve: Your chapter on Martin Luther King --- the description of the civil rights movement -- your insights, the research --- what an education I received from reading it. It should be required reading by every student in America! Every citizen. No wonder there were so many African Americans on the Mall a week ago! I am sure there are many blacks who would say it is impossible for a white man to really understand the struggle. And, in one sense they are definitely right because you are not black. But, wow --- I think you did an excellent job in bringing it together ---- telling the story and making me think! Regards, Dwight