My Conference Can Beat Your Conference

September 1, 2014

Longtime radio personality and current ESPN college football analyst Finebaum, with the help of veteran sportswriter and fellow ESPN contributor Wojciechowski, offers an entertaining mix of autobiography, analysis, and history of Southeastern Eastern Conference (SEC) football--as well as silly braggadocio about his beloved SEC. The book is organized around the 2013 season, with each week's matchups and results serving as a springboard for Finebaum to veer off in a variety of directions, some humorous and others serious, not unlike his former radio program. Over the course of this breezy, fast-paced book, Finebaum shares his thoughts on all 14 SEC programs and comments on the biggest stories of the 2013 season, including Johnny Manziel's attempt at a second Heisman Trophy and the unforgettable ending to that year's Alabama-Auburn rivalry game. The fiery Finebaum is at his best when he tones down the humor and tells touching stories of his early days in sports broadcasting, shares behind-the-scenes stories of the ESPN set, and pays tribute to a colorful cast of radio show callers who helped him rise from small-market anonymity to celebrity status. VERDICT This blatant tie-in with the launch of ESPN's SEC Network is recommended as light reading for college football fans.--Douglas King, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.