In January 2014, President Barack Obama made headlines when he confided to New Yorker reporter Davis Remnick that, if he had a son, he would discourage him from playing in the NFL. "I would not let my son play pro football," he told the writer. Obama's words came on the heels of a year of heightened awareness of the life-long consequences of a professional football career. In August 2013, the NFL agreed to a $765 million settlement with over 4,500 retired players seeking damages for head injuries sustained during play. Thousands of others are seeking disability benefits in the Sate of California for on-field injuries. But the possibility of lifelong disability is not the only problem facing professional football players after their playing careers--often brief to begin with--come to an end. Many players, having spent years focusing on football, find themselves at sea when they either leave or are forced out of the NFL, without any alternate life plans or even the resources to make them. Is There Life After Football? draws upon the experiences of hundreds of former players as they describe their lives after their football days are over. It also incorporates stories about their playing careers, even before entering the NFL, to provide context for understanding their current situations.The authors begin with an analysis of the "bubble"-like conditions of privilege that NFL players experience while playing, conditions that often leave players unprepared for the real world once they retire and must manage their own lives. The book also examines the key issues affecting former NFL players in retirement: social isolation, financial concerns, inadequate career planning, psychological challenges, and physical injuries. From players who make reckless and unsustainable financial investments during their very few high-earning years, to players who struggle to form personal and professional relationships outside of football, the stories in the book put a very human face on the realities of the world of professional football. George Koonce Jr., a former NFL player himself, weaves in his own story throughout, explaining the challenges and setbacks he encountered and decisions that helped him succeed as an NFL Director of Player Development, PhD student, and university administrator after leaving the sport. Ultimately, Is There Life After Football? concludes that, despite the challenges players face, it is possible for players to find success after leaving the NFL if they have the right support, education, and awareness of what might await them. But players themselves must also resist being totally engulfed by the NFL culture in which they live. A fascinating study with unprecedented insider access, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in the world of professional football.

Following 150 Bars, 150 Restaurants, 150 Hotels, 150 Houses and 150 Gardens, 150 Golf Courses You Need to Visit Before You Die is the newest addition to the successful 150 series. Here are the most beautiful golf courses in the world presented in a handy and handsomely illustrated guide. The golf courses bundled in this book are located all over the world and can be found along coastlines, in the mountains, in deserts, and along lakes, and they are all accessible to the public. "When great golf courses meet the world's most stunning land forms, it makes for the most epic experience in the game." - GolfPass

This collection of rugby humour is perfect for anyone who lives and breathes the glorious game. Packed with the very best quips and quotes for lovers of the oval-shaped ball, it guarantees laughs and lots of celebratory fist pumps. Scrum down and prepare yourself for a full-on tour of the game through the eyes of iconic players, pithy commentators and dumbfounded celebrities. It'll reveal whether rugby really is a game that requires all brawn and little brain, explore the divisive history between the Union and League and celebrate the legends of the sport. Up until the final whistle, the quotes in this book will have you on the edge of your seat. Offering an amusing look at the lives of rugby stars on and off the pitch, it'll have you cheering for more and make you even more nuts for the honourable and always beautiful game than you already are.

Football effects the lives of many in substantial ways. This book first addresses the notion that this is "merely entertainment." The significance of why football emerged atypically in Texas is discussed as well as what this portends for American society. Unsurprisingly, Texan disparities in income and racial segregation dissolved in the mirage that all people are equal at game time as spectators. Major institutions such as the military additionally mesh with the ethos of pro football in various ways. The marked regional rivalries of the Dallas Cowboys are emblematic in a society of other polarizations, including political, racial, and gender conflicts. What is needed are substantive and constructive approaches to societal problems instead of ongoing destructive palliatives.