Book Review: Season of Saturdays

This is only the second book review ever published on Banshee Sports.  Once again, it is a book by Michael Weinreb that pushed me out of my comfort zone.  Season of Saturdays is a must-read for those who love college football.  More importantly, Season of Saturdays is a must-read for those who love someone who loves college football.

The full title of the book is Season of Saturdays: A History of College Football in 14 Games.  The structure of the book remains true to that title.  Weinreb is informative and entertaining as he tells tales of football games of the past and connects them to the current state of the game.  But, the soul of the book is captured in the prologue when Weinreb writes:

I grew up with college football in my blood.  I am not so blinded as to fail to recognize its inherent hypocrisies, and yet I still enjoy it more purely and completely than I enjoy almost anything in my life.  I don't want it to die.  I don't want it to fall victim to corruption and violence.  I don't want it to whither in a courtroom due to the failures of bureaucrats.  I want it to find a rational path beyond this point of crisis.  I want people to understand. 

What follows is my attempt to explain.

I read this paragraph many times, and tears came to my eyes each time that I did.  This was not the only paragraph in the book that had that affect on me.

To be clear, Season of Saturdays is not a maudlin or preachy text.  It is actually a fast-paced and oftentimes funny read.  But, at the same time, I found it poignant in many places because Weinreb captures the spirit of a college football fan in a perfect and vulnerable way.  Until I read this book, I thought that I was alone in these feelings.  Since reading Season of Saturdays, I have recommended it, loaned it, and given it to many others.

If you love college football or love someone who does, I cannot recommend Season of Saturdays highly enough.


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