Introduction. PART ONE: Debunking Myths. 1. What Is the True Value of the Left Tackle? 2. How Can I Miss You If You Won't Go Away? Why the End of the NFL Dynasty Is Not Here. 3. Is It Like Winning the Lottery, or Is It More Like Winning at a Bingo Hall? PART TWO: Statistical Reviews. 4. Does the Creampuff Diet Work for NFL Teams? 5. Does It Take an Elite Running Back to Win a Super Bowl? PART THREE: A Look at the Coaching Profession. 6. The Darwinism of the Coaching Forest. 7. Do Coaches Have a Ten-Year Shelf Life? 8. Marty Schottenheimer: Hall of Famer? 9. It Takes a Coaching Acorn to Build a Coaching Tree. PART FOUR: Historical Iconoclasm. 10. Who Are the Best Hall of Fame Candidates? 11. Art Rooney Wasn't a Victim of Circumstance During His Team's Forty-Two-Year Championship Drought. 12. Bert Bell's Gold Watch, or Can Someone Tell Me Why This Man Is in the Hall of Fame? 13. The Greatest Defense of All Time. Period. 14. The Greatest Wide Receiver of All Time. Period. PART FIVE: An NFL Business Review. 15. NFL Socialism versus NFL Meritocracy: A Cautionary Tale. 16. Why the NFL's Blackout Rules Make No Financial Sense. Prescription for Change. A Call for a Historical Statistical Revolution. Index.
KC Joyner is a regular contributor to ESPN.com's NFL Insider section, a football columnist for ESPN The Magazine, author of the annual Scientific Football, and Webmaster of the associated site TheFootballScientist.com. His works have been touted by many of the biggest names in football, ranging from Dr. Z to Steve Sabol, and featured in numerous national periodicals, including Slate.com and Playboy .
Statistical analysis has become a popular sports category. Joyner cites pioneering baseball statistical guru Bill James as the muse for his own gridiron research. Known as the "Football Scientist" for his self-published statistical annuals and his work on the subscriber-side of ESPN's web site, Joyner here makes a play for a broader audience. His iconoclastic essays address questions such as the true value of the left tackle position, whether coaches have a ten-year shelf life, and who the best Hall of Fame candidates are. The results are a vigorous and novel look at the game and its history. While his arguments here are supported by data, he offers fewer hard-core figures than in his annuals. Recommended for all libraries. ( Library Journal , September 1, 2008) Joyner, a columnist for ESPN the Magazine , uses statistics, game footage and his own formulas to settle pro-football arguments ranging from whether it takes an elite running back to win the Super Bowl to whether the storied 1985 Chicago Bears defense is the best ever. Zealous football fans will appreciate the theories and extensively researched, sometimes surprising, conclusions. Joyner peppers his analysis and opinions with football history and a sense of humor. The league-owned NFL Films, Joyner writes, is "the propaganda arm of an effective socialist regime." Though he clearly loves the game, Joyner isn't awed by the macho, myth-making empire that is the NFL, taking the league to task over its blackout system and shabby customer treatment. In the end, this is a rich mix of statistical insight and thoughtful, clear-headed criticism. (Aug.) ( Publishers Weekly , June 2008)
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