Brand NFL: Making and Selling America's Favorite Sport

by Michael Oriard, Nick Williams (Reading)

The evolution of how the NFL is marketed as entertainment rather than sport is detailed in a study that looks closely at the development of the sport and its unique place in American life.

Genres: Football, Sports, Business, Nonfiction, History

336 pages, Hardcover

First published September 3, 2007

Reviews

[Greg Strandberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does a great job giving you information on what players have made in the NFL from the 1960s to the mid-2000s. You get info on the various player strikes, how owners have profited (especially off of larger stadiums) and a lot of stuff on drug use and player disabilities. I like football, and this book gave me a lot more insight into the sport.

[Rodrigo Quintanar · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the beginning, the author warns NFL fans about changing their perception of the league. Although it is a fair consideration, I believe that this well-researched portrait ends up emphasizing that, above all, the nature of the sport is the most important component and will always be greater than its entertainment potential.

I would recommend this one to any marketing and business person.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s definitely interesting. There are some slow parts. Take for example the first big lockout in 1974. So much information is repeated. A good example is “three days after Nixon”. I had to check several times to make sure there wasn’t an error in my digital copy. A good editor would have made this book great.

[Emily]

From one of the leading historians of football who played in the NFL himself, a fascinating exploration of the NFL as it transformed from "just" a sports league into a vast and exceedingly profitable multimedia entertainment brand.

[Katherine Lavelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written by a former NFL player who became an academic. It's really interesting to read an academic study from a former football player (I enjoyed the perspective).

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little clunky when talking about the racial and gender politics of the league, but as fascinating overview of the history of the Modern NFL, particularly its labor history.

[Oliver Bateman · Rating 5 out of 5]

solid work from Oriard, moving from the close readings of his earlier football works to a more mixed and impressionistic approach, drawing on the economics of the league (he borrows liberally from/recommends David Harris' incredible, Lords of the Realm-esque economic history of football up to the 1980s, The League), his own experiences as a player, and so on. His argument is sound - football is a big business, so there's simply no other way to do this - and his recollections, when they appear, add flavor, but this isn't as good as Reading Football/King Football/The Art of Football. How could it be? Those were the projects of a lifetime, genuinely great works. This was merely very good.

[Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, yet unbalanced presentation of the vast gains of the NFL from the early 1960s to the present. I wish the author had focused more on the strikes and labor issues (especially since he experienced it firsthand) and less on race and team economics, but overall it was a eye-opening read.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5

[Lizette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really help me understand some of what goes on when I watch the games and such with my husband.