Customer Reviews

Football For Dummies®

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a good book for people who's understanding and following of football ranges from totally clueless to moderate interest. The second edition picks up some key things that were absent from the first edition like overtime and how it functions on the college and pro levels.

Pretty easy read that isn't patronizing, and even people who understand football will find the facts and personal stories in the book exciting...if you're comfortable reading a book that says "Dummies" on the cover, that is.

This was a good book, but too focused on NFL. If you are a big-time NFL fan, it might be nicer, but I prefer college football. This is only important because of the final sections of the book where there are the top-10 lists (which are really top-10-NFL lists). Otherwise, it does an adequate job. The for-dummies part was adequate, but not extensive. The personal experience was good and kept my attention.

And that something is any mention of OT. I know that NFL (and even college) OT changes over the years, but Howie doesn't even mention it. It's almost amusing because for the "dummies" - well, we might as well assume after reading the book that there is no such thing as OT. It would not hurt to revise this book to at least state that at the end of regulation play, if the score is tied, the game goes into OT. No need to get specific (although what harm would that do?). An oversight on the publisher's behalf.

I used to HATE football, mostly because I just didn't understand what was so exciting about watching a bunch of guys chase an oblong-shaped ball and pile on top of each other every time the whistle blew. But, after a life of sitting through high school football games as a marching band member, after attending a Division I college where football was a big deal, and after having a boyfriend who lived and breathed the sport, I finally decided to learn about football and understand what the all hype was about.

I'd like to say that, after reading "Football for Dummies," I finally get it.

Football is one of those sports you have to understand in order to appreciate. This book is a great starting point for those who know absolutely nothing about the sport. Howie Long (the cute guy from the Radio Shack commercials) explains every aspect of the game clearly and with great enthusiasm. His passion for the sport comes right off the page, and you can't help but feeling the same. Howie touches ALL the bases...from the rules to terms, positions, plays, penalties, referee hand signals, the history of football, uniforms, coaches, even fantasy football. He leaves no stone unturned.

The book opened my eyes to America's most popular sport. Now when I watch a game, I actually ENJOY it. It managed to erase my prejudices against the sport and instill a new love for it. And believe me, that was no small task. This book demystifies a complex, yet fascinating, sport.

I've been a football fan for over 25 years and enjoy the game a great deal. So picking up a Dummies book seems a little embarrasing considering that I should know everything about the game. However I learned awhile ago that the only dummies are the ones who assume they know it all. I've read a few on different subjects and learned quite a bit to even impress so called experts on many subjects, so I though what the heck I might pick up a little more knowledge right? In this book Howie has something for everyone. As an avid fan I enjoyed covering the basics and learning a lot more about the finer points of the game. It is put in a simple and informative way and Howie shows little biased in his opinion even though he was a defensive star. Now I truly understand the game from a whole new perspective. Of course this book won't make you a head coach but I'm positive it will enhance your viewing experience. Now when I pick up an NFL preview magazine or watch the upcoming reports on TV I get even more pumped for the season. This book was definetly a great buy and it will sure come in handy when the girlfriend asks what a 'nickleback' is. It sure is easier to pass along the book than to have to explain. Even though thanks to Howie I finally undersatnd what it is myself. Great book!

This book is simple and yet it describes complex matters and delivers a valuable understanding of all need-to-know facets of the game. If you are a football fan you will easily increase your understanding of not only the rules and the game, but of all positions on the field, what it takes to play, defensive and offensive tactics and strategies, coaching roles etc. All this is coming with entertaining stories of Howie Long and a very user friendly illustration of the play books. IF YOU READ THIS BOOK THEN I PROMISE YOU WILL ENJOY YOUR NEXT FOOTBALL GAME EVEN MORE due to your increased understanding. This is a book not only for beginners, but also for us couch-coaches who think's we know it all. Top rating - value for money.

OK, a few details: I swore I'd never buy a "dummies" or "idiots" book because -- well, I don't consider myself either of these. I know a lot about football already (played some in high school, watched more than any person should be allowed to). And I really, really like Howie Long, so I'm a bit biased.

Having said that, I'm getting into officiating high school football, and I wanted a book that covered everything I might need to brush up on, but not in such agonizing detail that I would never find what I wanted. There are a very few books available about officiating, rules, and penalties, but most of these are simply lists of rules -- no background or explanation. Then there are the "fan" books, on how to watch & appreciate the game -- fine, but I needed more detail than that.

Long's book does just fine in giving me the level of detail I want (and that would be "not much"), but covering just about everything I could think of. This is not to say that he glosses over anything; he promises to keep it short and sweet, and he does just that. I also enjoyed Long's stories throughout the book; kind of helps tie things together and make them more understandable.

I also thought there were two nice touches to the book: first, the list of "top ten" players, teams, and coaches will give old-timer football fans a little trip down memory lane, while educating newer fans about the history of the game. Second, the "football speak" appendix is a quick way to get a short definition of a word or phrase; very helpful not to have to look it up in the text of the book, when all you want is a definition.

I recommend this one for fans who want a more thorough knowledge of the game, as well as for the poor spouses/girlfriends/boyfriends of those who are fans. Maybe, with this book, they can understand (at least a little bit more) why their loved one acts so goofy for half the year!

This is a good, comprehensive book about all aspects of football. Howie Long goes into a HUGE amount of detail, especially on the defensive side of the ball. (Well, who can blame him? He's sticking to his expertise.) This avalanche of detail might be too much for someone who is looking for a brief overview. Great book for the casual-to-moderately-obsessed fan who wants to dig deeper, however.

I've been a fan of football for years, but there are a lot of ins and outs you simply cannot learn from television and radio.

Howie Long (assuming he did in fact write this book) sets it up as a book for women wanting to understand why their husbands, boyfriends, etc. are so tied up in the game of football. Whatever. Its still a thorough read on the game, from the basics to the coaching strategy. Long is very detailed about each player's responsibilities, and the varied setups used most often on offense and defense (he also explains what the offense and defense are, in case you don't know that much yet). He has chapters devoted exclusively to college football and the NFL, and talks a little about high school football as well. There's also a chapter on conditioning and fitness for the game, and a chapter on fantasy football for the seriously hardcore.

Truly, Howie Long leaves no stone unturned here. Once you've read this book, you will understand this complex sport through and through. The only part of football he left out was the cheerleaders, but hopefully the XFL will take care of that.

I'm English, my girlfriend is American and mad about football. I know absolutely nothing about the football so I thought I better find out about it. The book started off very promisingly outlining the basics, what football is, what the field looks like and what the players wear. I found all this very helpful. Then it went onto rules and positions and I got a little lost. There was just too much information to take on and the layout of the book wasn't consistent in my mind, the information seemed to jump around a bit and you would read something then a little later you would read something else that made it make sense. Then there were the diagrams! Now I'm not stupid but I couldn't make out what they were trying to tell me, all these lines, circles, triangles and letters just confused me! The "Football Speak" section was very good though, just what you need if you want to understand what commentators are going on about. Overall a good book, I know more than I did, but it can get quite complicated