Total Football II: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League
At just over seven pounds, the updatedTotal Football IIhas the heft of a refrigerator (see William Perry, defensive tackle, p. 1173), and, at 1812 pages, it covers about as much ground as a scrambling quarterback (see John Elway, p. 774). It has all the requisite stats that make a sports reference necessary, but that's just the straight-ahead stuff good for three yards a carry. WhereTotal Football IIbreaks free is in the razzle-dazzle of its essays and opinions. Argue with its list of the 300 best players ever (good as he is, shouldn't Terrell Davis have a few more seasons under his belt before "all-time" is stamped on his helmet?). Study how the game's strategies evolved, and learn how to read their diagrams. Even discover how to decipher the mysteries of what the quarterback means when he calls "Red right. Eighteen. Bob odd oh. On three" in the huddle, gets up to the line of scrimmage, and barks, "Pro. Blue 32. Blue 32. Down. Hut! (Pause) Hut! Hut!"Football's blitz on the culture is covered in a series of smart essays that range from the mystique attending Super Bowl commercials to why football movies usually come up short. In a nifty examination of the game's penetration of the language, a scenario presents itself: "The average Joe woke up this morning, got into his car, found a seam in the northbound lane of the freeway, and drove to work. At his desk, he huddled with his coworkers, went over his game plan ..." and, well, you get the point. These are just some of the volume's manyextrapoints, and it's the ingenuity of the extras that earnTotal Footballthe right to celebrate in the end zone.--Jeff Silverman