Review of "Bill Stern’s Favorite Football Stories," by Bill Stern

 

Review of

Bill Stern’s Favorite Football Stories, by Bill Stern

Four out of five stars

 Bill Stern was a radio broadcaster that covered many of the most memorable sporting events. Literally present at the beginning of the profession, he announced the first remote sports broadcast and the first telecasts of baseball and football games.  He was in the broadcast business covering many different sports for over 30 years, he was active until the early 1960’s. Therefore, it is not surprising that he would have many football stories to tell. However, it must be said that he sometimes took a bit of liberty with the factual accuracy of his stories. As he would say as an opening to some of his stories, “. . . might be actual, may be mythical, but definitely interesting.”

 The stories in this collection are largely focused on the early years of football, when the only real public following was for college football. They are interesting and entertaining in both the historical and personality areas. Many of the names of the players are known only in passing to the modern reader, legends they may have been in their time. Yet, they still keep you reading, for these were the men that built the foundation for the modern multi-billion dollar industries of college and professional football.