Heading into this novel, I wasn’t fully expecting the sheer level of detail, lengthy backgrounds, and convoluted politics which made up early collegiate football. However, what truly took me off guard was the strange dynamic which took place between the universities and the sport, as if these organizations understood and took the calculated risk of a potentially creating a new “leisure activity” (which they desired above all else not to do) yet did so out of the desire for potentially appealing to more people, and bolstering the name of the university as a whole. Even the early big-time versus small-time ordeal was quite foreign as it was previously believed that these smaller universities would die off in some Darwinian fashion so that only the strong could survive (which obviously never happened). Looking at it now though, I guess I could say the same for soccer, baseball, basketball, and so many other sports whose early history isn’t readily known to the public. However surprising this information is though, I still found the text, though long, quite informative and overall, quite enjoyable.
By far the most interesting part of the introduction and first two chapters of The Rise of the Gridiron University has to be this constant issue universities faced regarding the merit of Football. Early in the second chapter, a quote stands out and perfectly represents the core of this issue, stating, “Progressive Era universities had to decide of football was a manly pedagogical tool or a dangerous spectacle that threatened higher learning.” This goes back to the whole “leisure activity” idea that these universities feared as the employment of such tarnished the universities academic reputation. Football also brought it’s own host of issues to the universities doorsteps, such as gambling, yet another unfavorable activity that went hand and hand with the sport, further polarizing it. Besides these factors, the fledgling sport did have some notable safety related problems as well, with some critics going as far to say that it was more violent than prizefighting (boxing). Regardless of the sport’s issues and the potential it had to deteriorate a universities reputation if improperly implemented and managed, collegiate football was here to stay due to the overwhelming crowds the sport even early in its days could garner. This single feat was enough to keep the sport alive and off the chopping block long enough for it to finally come into it’s own.
One thing I can really appreciate is the level of detail the author goes into, even for the most small talking points. Other than this, the author’s dedication to giving the full picture allows for the reader to fully understand the development of the sport, the opinions held regarding it, and the public’s interaction with it.
