Big Games: College Football's Greatest Rivalries
by Michael Bradley
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Book Summary Information
Author: Michael BradleyEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2006-10-20
ISBN: 1574889087
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Potomac Books Inc.
Book Reviews of Big Games: College Football's Greatest Rivalries
Book Review: Outstanding
Summary: 5 Stars
In Big Games, Michael Bradley profiles and historically documents 10 of college football's most famous rivalries. In this book you learn about: the respect and honor found in Harvard/Yale and Army/Navy; the culture clash in Cal/Stanford; the national legacy gathering of Notre Dame/Southern Cal; the state pride of Oklahoma/Texas and Michigan/Ohio State; the regional turf war of Lafayette/Lehigh; the conference supremacy battle of Georgia/Florida; the future NFL talent assemblies of Miami/Florida State; and the venomous hate of Alabama/Auburn.
What really stood out about this book was the amount of detail applied to the history of each program. Bradley takes you back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries and outlines the challenges the schools endured to launch their programs and highlight the key people and events in the decades that followed that made them what they are today. In fact, the Harvard/Yale chapter is actually a lesson in how the competitive football season we have today actually began.
And while Bradley is busy guiding you along the program timelines, he weaves in the evolution of each rivalry and the reasons they take place. You'll learn how the hate between Auburn and Alabama stems from decades of Auburn being viewed as "the little brother" to Alabama within the state. You'll know the reasons why Texans looked down upon Oklahomans at the turn of the 20th century and how those feelings spilled into Longhorn/Sooner rivalry. And you'll understand how Miami/Florida State is the closest thing to a sibling rivalry in football. All this and much more is spelled out for you in this book.
Furthermore, each chapter is packed with stories and quotes from personal accounts of the effects of each rivalry off the field. Ross Browner tells how he chose Notre Dame because he wanted revenge on USC for not selecting him. Patrick Nix recounts the childhood hardships of being the son of Auburn alumni attending a school filled with Tide fans. The prank wars of Lafayette/Lehigh, Harvard/Yale, and Cal/Stanford get special attention; as does the agony of defeat in Alabama/Auburn, Michigan/Ohio State, Army/Navy, and Oklahoma/Texas. These stories really bring these rivalries to life for the casual fan.
Bradley concludes each chapter with a "Great Games" and "Profiles in Greatness" section. "Great Games" allows the reader to experience five of the greatest games of each rivalry, such as: the thrilling 2005 triple-overtime clash between Harvard and Yale, "Wide Right I & II", the insane Notre Dame/Southern Cal meeting of 2005, the Lafayette/Lehigh shootout of '88, the '72 Iron Bowl, and the '82 Big Game. "Profiles in Greatness" covers is a "who's-who" of college football that, at one time, participated in the chosen rivalry. Profiles include: Walter Camp, Bobby Bowden, Deion Sanders, Barry Switzer, Darrell Royal, Knute Rockne, John McKay, Joe Montana, Steve Spurrier, Herschel Walker, Rabih Abdullah, Pop Warner, and Bear Bryant.
If you love college football history and want to understand its top rivalries, this is the book for you. You'll learn that not all rivalries are the same and how personally many people take them. You will be both educated and entertained. You'll also have a greater respect for those built these programs straight up from scratch. I can't recommend it enough, so buy your copy today.
Summary of Big Games: College Football's Greatest Rivalries
Ahhh, fall. When the air turns crisp and cool, the leaves start turning red and orange and yellow, and a person?s fancy turns to one thing-college football! And there?s not much better in college football than the Big Game, the rivalry that can make or break your season. Your rival is the school where even if you?re 1-10, if that one win is against Them, your season is a success. Big Games celebrates the biggest of the big games in college football and looks inside ten of the greatest rivalries the sport has to offer.Michael Bradley puts you in the stands to witness the history and the heroes of each rivalry. There are the in-state clashes of Auburn-Alabama, Miami-FSU, and Cal-Stanford; the border wars of Georgia-Florida, Texas-Oklahoma, and Michigan-Ohio State; lower-level but still passion-evoking scraps like Harvard-Yale and Lehigh-Lafayette; and nationwide rivalries like Notre Dame-USC or the service rivalry of Army-Navy. With fans of the schools numbering in the millions nationwide, these tilts are often given national television exposure, lending an even greater air of importance to the events.
Each rivalry gets its own chapter, and Bradley takes an in-depth look at why its participants are rivals and how the rivalry manifests itself each year. In each chapter he gives the history of the rivalry overall; takes a look at the five greatest games and their historical context; presents a feature on a player, coach, or single-season team that stands out; highlights a collection of anecdotes on pranks, family feuds, famous participants, and wild celebrations; singles out heroes from each school and superb individual performances in the rivalry game; and includes a game-by-game list of scores. Big Games brings the traditions, thrills, and passion of gridiron grudge matches to life.
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