"Football: The Ivy League Origins of an American Obsession"

[HearKyleTait]

Hey guys,

I'm a voiceover artist and audiobook narrator, and I thought this might be an appropriate place to post my latest work: "Football: The Ivy League Origins of an American Obsession" by Mark F. Bernstein.

http://www.audible.com/pd/History/Football-Audiobook/B01MYPNUSL/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1481652367&sr=1-1

It's a wonderfully thorough look into the earliest days of the game, and how modern football still bears the Ivy imprint.

I hope you'll check it out, and if you'd like to help me promote the audio version on social media and with fellow football fans, I'll gladly provide a free download code in exchange.

Find me on Twitter: @HearKyleTait (http://www.twitter.com/hearkyletait)

[ursus arctos horribilis]

I have looked into this feller a bit before approving this post. Seems on the level and not a narmal spammer so I asked him what he is looking for here.

He has 5 links to give away. He wants a review and some tweets in return for it though. If you are interested in one of the links to a free copy AND you are willing to do what is asked of you in the revies and tweet on the product then reply to the thread here saying "interest".

This does not mean you will get one, it means you will be in the pool.xthumbsupx

[ursus arctos horribilis]

I also work in sports radio for 92.9 the Game in Atlanta, covering Georgia, Georgia Tech, the Atlanta Hawks and Falcons. I also call play-by-play for the Braves double-A affiliate in Mississippi. My sports work can be found at www.HearKyleTait.com

A bit of background on his creds as well.

[Go Green]

I own the hardcover. Highly recommended for anyone interested in football history.

Every bit as good as the Burt Reynolds documentary.

[Bucs2016]

Thanks. Kinda cool. But modern football is, and has been defined, by several revolutions that have roots in the South.

Moving big DBs and LBs down to the box for speed.
Breaking the myth of the 300 pounder being too big to run effectively.
The Fun and Gun.
The spread option.

The South took "3 yards and a cloud of dust" and turned it on its head.

[HearKyleTait]

I'll give away five free download codes on Audible in exchange for a review. Just reply that you're interested and I'll choose five random names on Monday the 21st.

[Franks Tanks]

Thanks. Kinda cool. But modern football is, and has been defined, by several revolutions that have roots in the South.

Moving big DBs and LBs down to the box for speed.
Breaking the myth of the 300 pounder being too big to run effectively.
The Fun and Gun.
The spread option.

The South took "3 yards and a cloud of dust" and turned it on its head.

Uh, what? Football innovation doesn't come from one region, and if it did the south doesn't come to mind as leading the way.

[HearKyleTait]

Thanks. Kinda cool. But modern football is, and has been defined, by several revolutions that have roots in the South.

Moving big DBs and LBs down to the box for speed.
Breaking the myth of the 300 pounder being too big to run effectively.
The Fun and Gun.
The spread option.

The South took "3 yards and a cloud of dust" and turned it on its head.


Uh, what? Football innovation doesn't come from one region, and if it did the south doesn't come to mind as leading the way.

And frankly, this book goes back long before the South even knew what football was. Atlanta was in ashes after Sherman marched through it. Football was an infant and largely limited to the northeast. The Ivy League was the first powerhouse conference and set all the game's earliest rules.

If you think football started when they moved big DBs and LBs down to the box, you're missing a lot of the game's fantastic early history.

[Bogus Megapardus]

Just think - the first non-Ivy national champion didn't come until 1896. :D

[Go Green]

The South took "3 yards and a cloud of dust" and turned it on its head.

YMMV, but I'd say that the old WAC did that first.

[Franks Tanks]

And frankly, this book goes back long before the South even knew what football was. Atlanta was in ashes after Sherman marched through it. Football was an infant and largely limited to the northeast. The Ivy League was the first powerhouse conference and set all the game's earliest rules.

If you think football started when they moved big DBs and LBs down to the box, you're missing a lot of the game's fantastic early history.

Ya, I love this stuff.

Rutgers/Princeton played the 1st game.

Walter Camp at Yale invented most of the modern rules and techniques.

Glenn "Pop" Warner pioneered the use of ball fakes and misdirection as part of his single wing at Carlisle. Doesn't sound like much, but he was pretty much the 1st guy to use deception and finesse as a large part of his offense.

Knute Rockne was a very early proponent of the forward pass.

The dimensions of the field still used today were settled upon because Harvard Stadium was already built.

Boyd Epley at Nebraska pretty much invented weight training and off season sport specific conditioning.

The wishbone triple option and veer were invented (allegedly) in TX high schools and perfected in Austin and Norman and Houston.

Mouse Davis invented the run & shoot at Portland State in the mid 70's with guys like June Jones and Neil Lomax.

The 82 Nittany Lions were the 1st team to win a national title gaining more yards in the air than the ground.

Lavell Edwards and BYU pretty much perfected the wide open passing offense by the early 80's.

Rich Rod at West Virginia and Chip Kelly at UNH and Oregon pioneered the read/ride temp offense we see so many utilize in part 10 years or so ago,

This is by far from an exhaustive list, but yes the south certainly doesn't have a stranglehold on football innovation and were in fact often sort of behind in some ways.

[Bogus Megapardus]

I believe this book refers to the PL (and LC in particular) as "cannon fodder" for the IL (or some such thing). Is that a microaggression or a macroaggression? I never can remember. Either way I'll need a safe space with coloring books and stuffed leopards before my tender ears can endure such violence through the spoken word.

[Go Green]

Ya, I love this stuff.

Rutgers/Princeton played the 1st game.

Walter Camp at Yale invented most of the modern rules and techniques.

Glenn "Pop" Warner pioneered the use of ball fakes and misdirection as part of his single wing at Carlisle. Doesn't sound like much, but he was pretty much the 1st guy to use deception and finesse as a large part of his offense.

Knute Rockne was a very early proponent of the forward pass.

The dimensions of the field still used today were settled upon because Harvard Stadium was already built.

Boyd Epley at Nebraska pretty much invented weight training and off season sport specific conditioning.

The wishbone triple option and veer were invented (allegedly) in TX high schools and perfected in Austin and Norman and Houston.

Mouse Davis invented the run & shoot at Portland State in the mid 70's with guys like June Jones and Neil Lomax.

The 82 Nittany Lions were the 1st team to win a national title gaining more yards in the air than the ground.

Lavell Edwards and BYU pretty much perfected the wide open passing offense by the early 80's.

Rich Rod at West Virginia and Chip Kelly at UNH and Oregon pioneered the read/ride temp offense we see so many utilize in part 10 years or so ago,

This is by far from an exhaustive list, but yes the south certainly doesn't have a stranglehold on football innovation and were in fact often sort of behind in some ways.

Tulsa deserves a mention in there, too.

http://www.espn.com/college-football/preview05/columns/story?id=2130764&columnist=forde_pat

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Just think - the first non-Ivy national champion didn't come until 1896. :D

Because their former head coach decided retroactively that his team was the greatest ever in 1896. :D

[Lehigh Football Nation]

I believe this book refers to the PL (and LC in particular) as "cannon fodder" for the IL (or some such thing). Is that a microaggression or a macroaggression? I never can remember. Either way I'll need a safe space with coloring books and stuffed leopards before my tender ears can endure such violence through the spoken word.

It's pretty much a fact that Lehigh and Lafayette were cannon fodder for Princeton in particular, and to a lesser extent Penn, in those early years. One of those epic 1896 wins of Lafayette's were against Penn, who was basically fielding a semipro team at the time of "students" that were married and had kids.

[Go...gate]

Great thread!

[HearKyleTait]

Again, giving away five free download codes exclusively for Any Given Saturday, so reply here with "I'm interested" and I'll pick five names on Monday.

Kyle

[Bogus Megapardus]

Again, giving away five free download codes exclusively for Any Given Saturday, so reply here with "I'm interested" and I'll pick five names on Monday.

Kyle

I'm interested, Kyle - maybe. It depends . . . it depends on whether your vocal inflection, while presenting an Ivy-centric historical view, seems to cast a pro-PL or an anti-PL bias. You have stepped into an arena where these things make a substantial difference, Kyle, so you mustn't accept your charge lightly. If, for instance, those Holy Cross guys sense a note of derision in your voice, we cannot be responsible for the consequences. They coulda been in the Big East, you know. And if we play your recording backwards and hear, "safety school . . . safety school . . . safety school . . . " when we're referenced, well, you can just imagine.

[HearKyleTait]

I'm interested, Kyle - maybe. It depends . . . it depends on whether your vocal inflection, while presenting an Ivy-centric historical view, seems to cast a pro-PL or an anti-PL bias. You have stepped into an arena where these things make a substantial difference, Kyle, so you mustn't accept your charge lightly. If, for instance, those Holy Cross guys sense a note of derision in your voice, we cannot be responsible for the consequences. They coulda been in the Big East, you know. And if we play your recording backwards and hear, "safety school . . . safety school . . . safety school . . . " when we're referenced, well, you can just imagine.

Disclaimer: I didn't write the book, I just read it out loud xthumbsupx. Yell at Mark Bernstein for any anti-PL bias you sniff out.

[Bogus Megapardus]

But modern football is, and has been defined, by several revolutions that have roots in the South.
The South hadn't even been invented yet when football was being played in the northeast. It didn't appear on maps (the useful ones, anyhow). And it didn't have enough snow to produce the requisite "football weather" so essential to the game.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

Disclaimer: I didn't write the book, I just read it out loud xthumbsupx. Yell at Mark Bernstein for any anti-PL bias you sniff out.

This is an inside joke sort of...

Just trying to help the new fella traverse the landscape here.:)

[Ivytalk]

I'm interested. Count me in.

[bulldog10jw]

I own the hardcover.

As do I. Excellent book.

[bonarae]

I'm interested. Trying to convince myself to buy second-hand copies of this and other similar books...

[HearKyleTait]

Hey guys,

I decided since I only got a few "I'm interested"s on here, I'd start handing out the promo codes early. I still have a few left, so if you want one just let me know.

Kyle

[kdinva]

The South hadn't even been invented yet when football was being played in the northeast. It didn't appear on maps (the useful ones, anyhow).

paging Cit Dog in 3---------2---------1-----

[Bogus Megapardus]

Hey guys,

I decided since I only got a few "I'm interested"s on here, I'd start handing out the promo codes early. I still have a few left, so if you want one just let me know.

Kyle

We're a tough crowd. xcoffeex

[HearKyleTait]

We're a tough crowd. xcoffeex

That's alright, I'm just glad to have the help with a few reviews. Appreciate all the help and the great discussion.

By the way, should you guys ever need any voiceover work done for whatever reason... TV/radio commercials, website or social media vids, podcasts, training vids, whatever... I do a lot of different VO projects from my home studio. I'd love to help out, and packages start at just $5 (https://t.co/6rzmesdMdN).

[NDSUtk]

I'm interested. Be my first book on audible and now that Alexa will do as I say...

[HearKyleTait]

Code sent in your PMs! Enjoy


I'm interested. Be my first book on audible and now that Alexa will do as I say...