With so many troubling stories in the news lately about violent acts committed by football players, Steve Almond’s new book “Against Football One Fan’s Reluctant Manifesto” might be interesting reading for those into the sport. Almond, in a recent NPR interview, said that he was a devoted fan for more than 40 years. But he has quit watching the sport because he feels that it is possible that “our addiction to football fosters a tolerance for violence, racism, greed and homophobia.”
Couple that with the recent report by the NFL about football brain injuries and Almond’s book might open up a powerful basis of discussion. “Publisher’s Weekly” called the book an important read, but it does offers more questions than answers.