Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Weekly Homework Assignment


It's time once again for Mama Kat's Weekly Homework Assignment. This week, I chose the following prompt: Book review time! What winter read has you snuggled in and turning pages?

I normally don't read many books ... at least not books you'd be interested in. However, a friend and coworker of mine let me borrow a book a couple of months ago ... but, because I have a large "waiting list" of books next to my bed, I only recently started got around to reading it.

The book is called "Breaker Boys. The NFL's Greatest Team and the Stolen 1925 Championship," by Devid Fleming. Surprise, surprise! I'm reading a book about sports - who would've thunk it? Truth be told, I think many of you would really get a kick out of it.

The book is about a long forgotten NFL football team called the Pottsville Maroons - that's right, the same small Pennsylvania town known for Yuengling Lager also once sported an NFL football team ... and not just any NFL football team, but a team worthy of an NFL championship. In fact, the team technically won the NFL championship, but had to forfeit it, because it also played a college football team - not just any college football team, but the famed Notre Dame Fighting Irish (and actually won).

You see, back in the 1920's, college football teams were far superior to the rag-tag NFL football teams. The NFL was really just a renegade league that seemed to be held together on the edges by duct-tape. The book delves into the creation of this dominant team and the circumstances around it. The Maroons' victory over the Irish began to legitimize the NFL, but sadly also spelled the downfall of the Maroons as the NFL forced the Pottsville to forfeit their title (because of some sort of turf-war resulting from the game against the Irish).

If you ever get the hankering to read a good sports book, this might be the one - pretty easy read, and a fascinating story.

5 comments:

DILLIGAF said...

I freely confess I am absolutely wrecked.

Therefore in the nicest possible way Mama Kat(?)... Mama thingy can shove her thingy up which ever orifice she prefers.

hic

G'night mate

hic

Mama the Chef said...

Wow, if I had never read this I would not have known what to get my Step-Dad for Christmas! Sounds really cool, thanks!

El Padrino said...

i'll wiki it

Unknown said...

Well, if I am honest, I am not a fan of sports, but I found this post interesting! I had no idea Pottstown had a football team :) I can't even imagine it. Very fascinating stuff : ) You didn't do a post last week did you? I always look for you!

sirgeb said...

It sounds like the Maroons played for the NFL around the same era Leatherheads was based on. Your article reminded me of that movie. It was an OK movie, nothing too spectacular.