Titles by Sal Paolantonio

Sal Paolantonio of ESPN takes readers inside the improbable 2017 championship season of the Philadelphia Eagles—from training camp to the first Super Bowl title in franchise history. This is the inside story you will get nowhere else—from the team's storybook start to the nail-biting victory over the New England Patriots in Minneapolis, featuring the "Philly Special," perhaps the most memorable play in Super Bowl history. Through exclusive interviews, readers will learn how the Eagles overcame Carson Wentz's season-ending injury, how the team defied the odds and the critics and how they beat the greatest dynasty in modern pro football. With exclusive inside access, Paolantonio reveals a rare look into the dynamic between head coach Doug Pederson, back-up quarterback and eventual Super Bowl LII MVP Nick Foles, and the many individuals who stepped up and answered the call at the right times. Paolantonio captures the mood of the team week by week, every step of the way, profiling numerous key players, coaches, and much, much more.

Sal Paolantonio of ESPN takes readers inside the improbable 2017 championship season of the Philadelphia Eagles—from training camp to the first Super Bowl title in franchise history. This is the inside story you will get nowhere else—from the team's storybook start to the nail-biting victory over the New England Patriots in Minneapolis, featuring the "Philly Special," perhaps the most memorable play in Super Bowl history. Through exclusive interviews, readers will learn how the Eagles overcame Carson Wentz's season-ending injury, how the team defied the odds and the critics and how they beat the greatest dynasty in modern pro football. With exclusive inside access, Paolantonio reveals a rare look into the dynamic between head coach Doug Pederson, back-up quarterback and eventual Super Bowl LII MVP Nick Foles, and the many individuals who stepped up and answered the call at the right times. Paolantonio captures the mood of the team week by week, every step of the way, profiling numerous key players, coaches, and much, much more.

<div><strong>ESPN&rsquo;s Sal Paolantonio explores just how crucial football is to understanding the American psyche</strong><br />&nbsp;<br />Using some of the most prominent voices in pro sports and cultural and media criticism, <em>How Football Explains America</em> is a fascinating, first-of-its-kind journey through the making of America&#39;s most complex, intriguing, and popular game. It tackles varying American themes&mdash;from Manifest Destiny to &ldquo;fourth and one&rdquo;&mdash;as it answers the age-old question Why does America love football so much? An unabashedly celebratory explanation of America&rsquo;s love affair with the game and the men who make it possible, this work sheds light on how the pioneers and cowboys helped create a game that resembled their march across the continent. It explores why rugby and soccer don&rsquo;t excite the American male like football does and how the game&rsquo;s rules are continually changing to enhance the dramatic action and create a better narrative. It also investigates the eternal appeal of the heroic quarterback position, the sport&rsquo;s rich military lineage, and how the burgeoning medium of television identified and exploited the NFL&rsquo;s great characters. It is a must read for anyone interested in more fully understanding not only the game but also the nation in which it thrives. Updated throughout and with a new introduction, this edition brings <em>How Football Explains America</em> to paperback for the first time.</div>

Using some of the most prominent voices in pro sports and cultural and media criticism, How Football Explains America is a fascinating, first-of-its-kind journey through the making of America's most complex, intriguing, and popular game. ESPN's Sal Paolantonio's explores just how crucial football is to understanding the American psyche. Interspersed with memorable images from the climax of Super Bowl XLII, Paolantonio tackles varying American themes from Manifest Destiny to "fourth and one" as he goes deep in order to answer the age-old question Why does America love football so much? An unabashedly celebratory explanation of America's love affair with the game and the men who make it possible, this work sheds light on topics such as how the pioneers and cowboys helped create a game that resembled their march across the continent, why rugby and soccer don't excite the American male like football does, how rule changes are continually made to enhance the dramatic action and create a better narrative, the eternal appeal of the heroic quarterback position, the military lineage from General Douglas MacArthur to the New York Jets' head coach Eric Mangini, and how the burgeoning medium of television identified and exploited the NFL's great characters. It is a must read for anyone interested in more fully understanding not only the game but also the nation in which it thrives.

Examining the legends, the myths, and the overhyped moments of America’s most popular game, Sal Paolantonio goes behind the highlights, the drama, and the numbers to set some things straight—once and for all—about the game played on Sundays. The Paolantonio Report includes chapters analyzing the most underrated and overrated quarterbacks, receivers, running backs, defensive backs, defensive linemen, offensive linemen, linebackers and specialists. For example: The Catch—Joe Montana to Dwight Clark—overrated. Not even in the top ten moments in NFL history. And Chuck Bednarik, the Eagles linebacker who knocked out Frank Gifford? He wasn't that fearsome, and was considered slow and not a very good tackler. Also look for chapters on the most underrated and overrated coaches, teams, offensive and defensive units, Hall of Famers, Super Bowls, and some of the most underrated and overrated moments in the sport's storied history—with plenty of fun sidebars peppered throughout the book. Using an analytical approach that considers decades of stats, trends, and historical data, The Paolantonio Report is certain to settle many arguments—and probably just as certain to start many more.