Fourth and Long

The Fight for the Soul of College Football

Nonfiction, Sports, Football, History, Biography & Memoir
Cover of the book Fourth and Long by John U. Bacon, Simon & Schuster
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: John U. Bacon ISBN: 9781476706443
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Publication: September 3, 2013
Imprint: Simon & Schuster Language: English
Author: John U. Bacon
ISBN: 9781476706443
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication: September 3, 2013
Imprint: Simon & Schuster
Language: English

The New York Times bestseller about the state of college football: Why we love the game, what is at risk, and the fight to save it—“A fascinating saga” (Booklist).

In search of the sport’s old ideals amid the roaring flood of hypocrisy and greed, bestselling author John U. Bacon embedded himself in four college football programs—Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, and Northwestern—and captured the oldest, biggest, most storied league, the Big Ten, at its tipping point. He sat in as coaches dissected game film, he ate dinner at training tables, and he listened in locker rooms. He talked with tailgating fans and college presidents, and he spent months in the company of the gifted young athletes who play the game.

Fourth and Long reveals intimate scenes behind closed doors, from a team’s angry face-off with their athletic director to a defensive lineman acing his master’s exams in theoretical math. It captures the private moment when coach Urban Meyer earned the devotion of Ohio State’s Buckeyes on their way to a perfect season. It shows Michigan’s athletic department endangering the very traditions that distinguish the college game from all others. And it re-creates the euphoria of the Northwestern Wildcats winning their first bowl game in decades. Most unforgettably, Fourth and Long finds what the national media missed in the ugly aftermath of Penn State’s tragic scandal: the unheralded story of players who joined forces with Coach Bill O’Brien to save the university’s treasured program—and with it, a piece of the game’s soul.

This is the work of a writer in love with an old game—a game he sees at the precipice. Bacon’s deep knowledge of sports history and his sensitivity to the tribal subcultures of the college game power this elegy to a beloved and endangered American institution.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The New York Times bestseller about the state of college football: Why we love the game, what is at risk, and the fight to save it—“A fascinating saga” (Booklist).

In search of the sport’s old ideals amid the roaring flood of hypocrisy and greed, bestselling author John U. Bacon embedded himself in four college football programs—Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, and Northwestern—and captured the oldest, biggest, most storied league, the Big Ten, at its tipping point. He sat in as coaches dissected game film, he ate dinner at training tables, and he listened in locker rooms. He talked with tailgating fans and college presidents, and he spent months in the company of the gifted young athletes who play the game.

Fourth and Long reveals intimate scenes behind closed doors, from a team’s angry face-off with their athletic director to a defensive lineman acing his master’s exams in theoretical math. It captures the private moment when coach Urban Meyer earned the devotion of Ohio State’s Buckeyes on their way to a perfect season. It shows Michigan’s athletic department endangering the very traditions that distinguish the college game from all others. And it re-creates the euphoria of the Northwestern Wildcats winning their first bowl game in decades. Most unforgettably, Fourth and Long finds what the national media missed in the ugly aftermath of Penn State’s tragic scandal: the unheralded story of players who joined forces with Coach Bill O’Brien to save the university’s treasured program—and with it, a piece of the game’s soul.

This is the work of a writer in love with an old game—a game he sees at the precipice. Bacon’s deep knowledge of sports history and his sensitivity to the tribal subcultures of the college game power this elegy to a beloved and endangered American institution.

More books from Simon & Schuster

Cover of the book The Late Hector Kipling by John U. Bacon
Cover of the book Getting Life by John U. Bacon
Cover of the book Storm by John U. Bacon
Cover of the book Willa by Heart by John U. Bacon
Cover of the book Circle of Quilters by John U. Bacon
Cover of the book Fire in the Heart by John U. Bacon
Cover of the book The Cowboy with the Tiffany Gun by John U. Bacon
Cover of the book Cock-a-Doodle-Doo-Bop! by John U. Bacon
Cover of the book The Last Battle by John U. Bacon
Cover of the book Engines Of Tomorrow by John U. Bacon
Cover of the book Pillar of Fire by John U. Bacon
Cover of the book Who Wrote Shakespeare? by John U. Bacon
Cover of the book The Diabolical Mr Tiddles by John U. Bacon
Cover of the book Proof of Collusion by John U. Bacon
Cover of the book Lyle's Golden Syrup Cookbook by John U. Bacon
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy