(Reviewed by JD Jung)
You love spending Sunday afternoons with your friends, but they’re partying as they watch the NFL games, one after another. Or how about screaming for your team at a local bar during Monday night football? Oh wait, you can’t yell; all you can do is sit there because you know nothing about the sport. In fact, you’re embarrassed even to open your mouth, since you have no clue as to what the rules are. Yes, it’s football season—but there is hope for you. Former football anchor Mark Oristano will teach you everything you need to know and help you feel like a part of the action in A Sportscaster’s Guide to Watching Football: Decoding America’s Favorite Game.
Oristano, a former sportscaster for the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Oilers, feels for the football-challenged spectator. In this book, he starts by explaining the basics, such as the roles of offense, defense, and special teams, as well as the positions within each—and how a team gets points on the board. He also includes strategy and clock management. For instance, when does the quarterback pass—and what makes a good running game? Also, should a fan focus on the ball at the start of a play?
Oristano explains all of this through humor and anecdotes. He even includes sections entitled “Cool Thing to Say During the Game.” Yes, some are rather corny, but it’s all in good fun. He even includes a comprehensive glossary of terms with thorough explanations. It’s all accomplished in fewer than 150 pages—and it’s anything but dull.
If your goal is to find a guide to help you pick the ultimate winning fantasy team or to learn strategies for choosing which players to play each week, then this book will be of no use to you. However, if you enjoy watching football and you really want to learn more about the game, then A Sportscaster’s Guide to Watching Football is the perfect source.
In fact, if you’re an avid football fan and you want your significant other to enjoy the game with you, then wrap this book up for the holidays. He or she will have it mastered in time for Super Bowl, and you may even learn a thing or two at the same time.
(review previously published on www.nightsandweekends.com)
