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Playmakers: How the NFL Really Works (And Doesn't)
The story of a modern NFL that can't get out of its own way-and can't stop making money
In recent decades, the NFL has simultaneously become an athletic, financial, and cultural powerhouse-and a League that can't seem to go more than a few weeks without a scandal. Whether it's about domestic violence, performance-enhancing drugs, racism, or head trauma, the NFL always seems to be in some kind of trouble. Yet no matter the drama, the TV networks keep showing games, the revenue keeps rising, and the viewers keep tuning in.
How can a sports league-or any organization-operate this way? Why do the negative stories keep happening, and why don't they ever seem to affect the bottom line? In this wide-ranging book, Mike Florio takes readers from the boardroom to the locker room, from draft day to the Super Bowl, answering these questions and more, and showing what really goes on in the sport that America can't seem to quit.
Known for his constant stream of new information and incisive commentary, Florio delivers again in this book. With new insights and reporting on scandals past and present, this book will be the talk of the League-whether the League likes it or not.
In recent decades, the NFL has simultaneously become an athletic, financial, and cultural powerhouse-and a League that can't seem to go more than a few weeks without a scandal. Whether it's about domestic violence, performance-enhancing drugs, racism, or head trauma, the NFL always seems to be in some kind of trouble. Yet no matter the drama, the TV networks keep showing games, the revenue keeps rising, and the viewers keep tuning in.
How can a sports league-or any organization-operate this way? Why do the negative stories keep happening, and why don't they ever seem to affect the bottom line? In this wide-ranging book, Mike Florio takes readers from the boardroom to the locker room, from draft day to the Super Bowl, answering these questions and more, and showing what really goes on in the sport that America can't seem to quit.
Known for his constant stream of new information and incisive commentary, Florio delivers again in this book. With new insights and reporting on scandals past and present, this book will be the talk of the League-whether the League likes it or not.
Editorial Reviews
"Mike Florio is masterful at getting to the crux of any story. Playmakers is a grand tour of the modern-day NFL. And he pulls no punches, which makes every entry even more riveting. Front to back, this is one terrific read."―Al Michaels
"Playmakers looks at the NFL from all angles, and definitely from the player's perspective. It will help fans understand how the League works, and what it means to play pro football in today's NFL."―Dak Prescott
"I have been a fan of Pro Football Talk since Mike launched the site and was thus delighted to learn that he had written a book. I anticipated that it would be packed with fascinating insights and intriguing analysis, and it is. Anyone interested in League history, League business, and League controversy should read Playmakers."―Amy Trask, CBS Sports
"Mike Florio is one of our top three favorite writers at Pro Football Talk, and he is our favorite host of PFT Live. We thought this book was going to be about the ESPN show. It's not, but it's still good. If you have to read a book, this would be a good choice."―Big Cat and PFT Commenter, hosts of Pardon My Take
"[An] entertaining look beyond the gridiron."―Kirkus
"When it comes to the NFL, Mike Florio has long been a source of both credible information and insightful opinions. Playmakers provides both the essential background and an informed take on just about every NFL issue and controversy."
―Bob Costas
"[A] highly informative, entertaining, and provocative examination of what makes the NFL work and why at times it doesn't work… Florio explores some very well-known incidents, issues, or personalities. He revisits scandals both on and off the field, sometimes solving mysteries and correcting public misunderstanding. Owners, players, and coaches come under his microscope with praise for some and dismissal for others."―New York Journal of Books
"Playmakers looks at the NFL from all angles, and definitely from the player's perspective. It will help fans understand how the League works, and what it means to play pro football in today's NFL."―Dak Prescott
"I have been a fan of Pro Football Talk since Mike launched the site and was thus delighted to learn that he had written a book. I anticipated that it would be packed with fascinating insights and intriguing analysis, and it is. Anyone interested in League history, League business, and League controversy should read Playmakers."―Amy Trask, CBS Sports
"Mike Florio is one of our top three favorite writers at Pro Football Talk, and he is our favorite host of PFT Live. We thought this book was going to be about the ESPN show. It's not, but it's still good. If you have to read a book, this would be a good choice."―Big Cat and PFT Commenter, hosts of Pardon My Take
"[An] entertaining look beyond the gridiron."―Kirkus
"When it comes to the NFL, Mike Florio has long been a source of both credible information and insightful opinions. Playmakers provides both the essential background and an informed take on just about every NFL issue and controversy."
―Bob Costas
"[A] highly informative, entertaining, and provocative examination of what makes the NFL work and why at times it doesn't work… Florio explores some very well-known incidents, issues, or personalities. He revisits scandals both on and off the field, sometimes solving mysteries and correcting public misunderstanding. Owners, players, and coaches come under his microscope with praise for some and dismissal for others."―New York Journal of Books
Readers Top Reviews
Michael M.
As an avid fan of the daily PFT show on Sky Sports, I was so looking forward to this book. It came up to all my expectations. The individual sections are not too long just readable chunks.
paulineMichael M.
Mike Florio writes about the NFL in a way that anyone can understand. The book draws you in and leaves you fascinated with the sport, the stories and the controversies past and present. Sharp, witty and extremely entertaining.
KenwynmanpaulineM
This is a great book. It’s great because there’s nothing else like it out there. Mike Florio, and now this book, opens windows and doors into the world of the NFL THAT NO OTHER COMMENTATOR OR BOOK DOES. For those of us brought up in the 60s and 70s thousands of miles from the fields and pitches of the NFL, and fed only a distant, distorted and diluted version of NFL propaganda Playmakers, in a very readable and entertaining way, strips away the garbage. What we are left with, having read the book, and watched PFT Live, is a game we can access and enjoy all the more. I thoroughly recommend it to any lover of the truth, fan of the game, and sportsperson out there.
Danny JZach Petti
If you’re a new or casual fan, you’ll probably like this book. If you’re a diehard NFL fan— you probably won’t. It’s really all just a bunch of short stories and blurbs & with a ton of fluff info inserted to make the stories seems longer. The book is just too expensive for a diehard fan to invest in. Period. If they lower the price, you can take the risk and read it for yourself. Otherwise, my advice: pass
Christian Neff
Nothing but a series of short essays, that feel much longer as you get bogged down in details and repetition. After a while, it's mind-numbing. Give it a pass.
