On the Clock

March 23, 2015
Sportswriters Wilner and Rappoport chronicle the fascinating history of the National Football League (NFL) draft day, created in 1936 to allow all NFL teams an equal chance to pick the country’s top college players, and which by 2014 has become “more popular than many other sporting events,” including the playoff games of the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League. Although the authors give an excellent account of how the draft works through an in-depth look at the 2014 draft, they never lose sight of the players and professionals who have given the draft its drama over the years. Jay Berwanger, the first Heisman Trophy winner and the #1 overall pick of the initial 1936 NFL draft, turned down playing with the Chicago Bears because “they weren’t paying any money, something like $100 a game.” Bo Jackson, another Heisman Trophy winner, in 1986 turned down a “reported five-year deal of $7.6 million” with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to instead play professional baseball with the Kansas City Royals. But football fans will be most delighted by the heart of the book, lists of “the bold and beautiful, the fantastics and the flops, in NFL draft history,” including a look at the best and worst picks of each franchise, and separate best and worst lists for quarterbacks, running backs, linebackers, and safeties.

April 15, 2015
Veteran sports reporters Wilner and Rappoport chronicle the evolution of the NFL draft from its humble roots in a Philadelphia hotel room to prime-time TV. They begin the story with a recap of the 2014 draft from one team's perspective and then backtrack to the first NFL draft organized by Philadelphia Eagles owner Bert Bell in 1936. The authors examine the first draft class, great draft coaches, and some of the more memorable draftees throughout history. They also chronicle the draft in the age of TV and ESPN's influence in creating a spectacle that garners more viewers than competing NHL and NBA playoff games. Also included are entertaining chapters documenting the historic best and worst draft picks, by team; the last players selected in each draft; and a look at the 2014 mock draft. Fun and informative, this title will appeal to the hordes of football fans who want an inside look at a hugely popular sporting event in which there is no game but lots of actionand even more hope.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)