Inside The Pylon works to deliver quality football content to our readers. Football’s finest writing & tweeting collects some of our favorite pieces from friends and colleagues last week and shares them with you.
Order Mark Schofield’s
17 Drives: College Football’s 2015 Season One Game At A Time
In Paperback, E-Book, & Signed Editions
The Weekly Reading List
I Interviewed to Rebuild the Titans, and Here’s What I Would Have Done
Ted Sundquist was a candidate to be the General Manager of the Tennessee Titans, and he reveals all – from interview prep to team culture – in this exhaustive recap of the process.
Hollywood Moment Caps Silas Nacita’s Wild Journey of Homelessness, Ineligibility
Adam Kramer chronicles the journey of Nacita, who was deemed ineligible by the NCAA last season because he accepted shelter while homeless.
Man Coverage: How Loss-Of-Value Policies Work And Why They’re Becoming More Common
Andy Staples explains how college football players are using insurance policies to protect themselves from injury while waiting to become eligible for the NFL.
Al Davis: The Open-Minded Maverick
Michael Silver opens-and-closes this piece with anecdotes about what it was like to try and deal with notoriously cantankerous Raiders legend Al Davis. In between is the undertold story of a ground-breaking, status-quo-shattering iconoclast who paved the way for equality and refused to take credit for it.
TV Pioneer Lesley Visser Combines Grace, Style and Humor
John Ourand profiles the original sideline reporter, Lesley Visser, whose four-decade career in sports journalism is both an inspiration and testament to what one can achieve through professionalism and consistent, quiet quality.
Life After Football: The Art of Watching Game Film
Alex Kirby pulls back the curtain on the process that has led the ex-coach-turned-author from breaking down film to a film analyst.
The Senior Bowl Weigh-In
Matt Waldman takes us inside the absurdity of the process, kicking off with this gem of an opening sentence:
“Ask me 15 years ago if I thought I’d ever be critiquing the butts of men and I would have laughed you out of the room. Looking back, I can say that time makes asses of us all.”
Don’t Believe Us, Just Watch: The Video/Vine/GIF Corner
Says David R. McCullough: “The NFL’s domestic violence issues are neither over, or forgotten. As the leading entertainment business in America, football remains the best platform to bring awareness to this issue.”
Says Ted Nguyen: “Some of the cuts he makes, makes my knees feel like they are going to explode.”
Says Philip Kibbey: “This is my favorite thing on the internet in quite a while. His panther growls are pretty good.”
The Must Follow List: @ITPylon’s Favorite Twits
On Cam Newton, stupid tweets and learning from my misses. https://t.co/Yt9ZRiroNU
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) January 25, 2016
Less than half of 100 players we surveyed say NFL has their best health interests in mind. https://t.co/bgVVt7mdUU pic.twitter.com/QwzQ0MRjOD
— AP NFL (@AP_NFL) January 31, 2016
Reggie Ragland weighed in at 259 because he "ate too much" after CFP title game. Told me he'll be under 255 for combine, maybe under 250.
— Chase Goodbread (@ChaseGoodbread) January 28, 2016
16 years ago today, the Patriots hired Bill Belichick. The other 31 NFL teams have had 160 head coaches combined since then.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 27, 2016
Thank you I really do appreciate it…but that's not me. 😱😂 @B_Wegher https://t.co/1WnNgpGQe5
— Graham Gano (@GrahamGano) January 30, 2016
https://twitter.com/zjwhitman/status/692847272246145024
The Book Corner
Mike Freeman’s book, Two Minute Warning: How Concussions, Crime, and Controversy Could Kill the NFL (And What the League Can Do to Survive) is a tremendous read for football fans who care about the future of the game.
Fantasy football players who want to invest in next year’s success will find Matt Waldman’s Rookie Scouting Portfolio invaluable before they draft next season.
Alex Kirby’s 2014 book Speed Kills: Breaking Down The Chip Kelly Offense should be one of the better selling tomes in the Bay Area this offseason.