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Last Team Standing: How the Steelers and the Eagles-- The ""Steagles""--Saved Pro Football During World War II
During World War II, the National Football League faced a crisis unimaginable today: a shortage of players. By 1943, so many players were in the armed forces that the league was forced to fold one team (the Cleveland Rams) and merge two others: the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles. Thus were the Steagles born. The Steagles included military draft rejects, aging stars lured out of retirement, and even a couple of active servicemen who managed to get leave for the games. The center was deaf in one ear, the wide receiver was blind in one eye (and partially blind in the other), and the halfback had bleeding ulcers. One player was so old he'd never before played football with a helmet. Yet, somehow, this motley bunch managed to post a winning record--the first in the history of the Eagles and just the second in the history of the Steelers. But Last Team Standing isn't just about football. It's also about life in the United States during World War II, a time of fear and hope, of sacrifice and momentous change. It's about rationing, racism, and Rosie the Riveter. It's about draft boards, bond drives, the A-bomb, and movie stars. Above all, it's about the men and women of the Greatest Generation who couldn't fight, but helped win the war in immeasurable ways.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published August 28, 2006
8 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Algeo
15 books118 followersWhen he's not writing his own biography in the third person, Matthew Algeo writes about unusual and interesting events in American history.
He is also a journalist who has reported from four continents.
In addition to reporting and writing, Algeo has worked as a convenience store clerk, a Halloween costume salesman, and a hot dog vendor in a traveling circus. Now he is the morning host at Kansas Public Radio.
He lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with is wife, Allyson, and daughter, Zaya.
He is also a journalist who has reported from four continents.
In addition to reporting and writing, Algeo has worked as a convenience store clerk, a Halloween costume salesman, and a hot dog vendor in a traveling circus. Now he is the morning host at Kansas Public Radio.
He lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with is wife, Allyson, and daughter, Zaya.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 17, 2023
4.5 stars
"Professional football's 4-F's didn't storm the beaches of Iwo Jima or Normandy. They couldn't. But they were, in smaller ways, heroic. In America's darkest hours, they gave the nation something to cheer about, and their accomplishments, often in the face of long odds, exemplified the spirit that won the war. They also saved professional football. Without them, today's NFL [.] might not exist. They didn't know it, but they were pioneers. This is their story and the story of their times." -- from the introduction
During America's large-scale involvement in World War II (circa 1942-1945) any able-bodied man was likely deployed overseas in the armed forces. That soon meant the depletion of the rosters for the various major league sports teams. However, it was felt that spectator athletics fulfilled a necessary function for employment and entertainment, so the two then-underdog NFL clubs in Pennsylvania - the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers - resorted to the unique idea of merging for the fall 1943 season to temporarily become the Phil-Pitt 'Steagles.' Dually coached by the Eagles' Earl 'Greasy' Neale and the Steelers' Walt 'Big Kies' Kiesling - two stout men who simply and amusingly couldn't stand each other - they assembled a team of '4-F'-classified men (meaning their health and/or physical issues excluded them from military service) such as Jack 'Honey' Hinkle and Frank 'Bucko' Kilroy to hit the gridiron. (Yes, it seems like just about EVERYONE involved here wields some sort of colorful nickname.) While these men scrimmaged on Sunday afternoons they then also usually spent Monday through Saturdays working full-time at defense plants / factories for the war effort AND to support their families. It's no wonder these folks are often referred to as 'The Greatest Generation.' Author Algeo - who is one of my new favorite authors of peculiar American history - details the personalities of the combined team and provides a striking snapshot of what life was like for them also amidst their 'new normal' of rationing, bond drives, and Victory Gardens.
"Professional football's 4-F's didn't storm the beaches of Iwo Jima or Normandy. They couldn't. But they were, in smaller ways, heroic. In America's darkest hours, they gave the nation something to cheer about, and their accomplishments, often in the face of long odds, exemplified the spirit that won the war. They also saved professional football. Without them, today's NFL [.] might not exist. They didn't know it, but they were pioneers. This is their story and the story of their times." -- from the introduction
During America's large-scale involvement in World War II (circa 1942-1945) any able-bodied man was likely deployed overseas in the armed forces. That soon meant the depletion of the rosters for the various major league sports teams. However, it was felt that spectator athletics fulfilled a necessary function for employment and entertainment, so the two then-underdog NFL clubs in Pennsylvania - the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers - resorted to the unique idea of merging for the fall 1943 season to temporarily become the Phil-Pitt 'Steagles.' Dually coached by the Eagles' Earl 'Greasy' Neale and the Steelers' Walt 'Big Kies' Kiesling - two stout men who simply and amusingly couldn't stand each other - they assembled a team of '4-F'-classified men (meaning their health and/or physical issues excluded them from military service) such as Jack 'Honey' Hinkle and Frank 'Bucko' Kilroy to hit the gridiron. (Yes, it seems like just about EVERYONE involved here wields some sort of colorful nickname.) While these men scrimmaged on Sunday afternoons they then also usually spent Monday through Saturdays working full-time at defense plants / factories for the war effort AND to support their families. It's no wonder these folks are often referred to as 'The Greatest Generation.' Author Algeo - who is one of my new favorite authors of peculiar American history - details the personalities of the combined team and provides a striking snapshot of what life was like for them also amidst their 'new normal' of rationing, bond drives, and Victory Gardens.
December 18, 2020
I think there are probably a fair amount of football fans who have heard of the “Steagles” -It’s a weird name after all-but I doubt hardly any know about their season.
Which is sort of odd, because this would make a fantastic movie. There have been plenty of “misfit” football team movies over the years, and yet I am not sure any of them beat real life.
SPOILER: it would be hard to decide the Hollywood ending. They don’t win the NFL Championship at the end. That said, they actually do turn out to be much better than expected.
I have read most of Algeo’s books and he has a knack for finding an interesting story.
The NFL during World War 2 was on the verge of collapsing- teams folded and the only way that the Steelers and Eagles were going to make it was to combine.
Sounds easy enough but the two owners - Rooney and Bell didn’t like each other- and it wasn’t easy with two coaches and two cities wanting that home revenue.
Having recently been through the pandemic, it may not be similar to a War, but I think we can understand why FDR wanted Sports Leagues to continue and the moral victory in doing so.
This being WW2, every able male joined the Armed Forces. Those who played football may have been criticized. Of course, one might not think that a muscle bound football player who is deaf might be fine on the gridiron but not a fit for the battlefield. (Or broken bones, or flat feet, etc)
So the team was a motley crew of those that were too old, those with health conditions, even a few who played while on military leave.
Algeo’s book is a great read, covering the early days of the NFL, how it’s changed over the years, and the great personalities of the time period.
It gets a little football heavy at the end, so while I think anyone would like it, it probably helps to like the game.
That said, it’s a great football book. A great story of the World War 2 homefront. Also a great story of Americans doing a patriotic duty in difficult conditions even if that duty was just to keep the Country’s spirits up.
Which is sort of odd, because this would make a fantastic movie. There have been plenty of “misfit” football team movies over the years, and yet I am not sure any of them beat real life.
SPOILER: it would be hard to decide the Hollywood ending. They don’t win the NFL Championship at the end. That said, they actually do turn out to be much better than expected.
I have read most of Algeo’s books and he has a knack for finding an interesting story.
The NFL during World War 2 was on the verge of collapsing- teams folded and the only way that the Steelers and Eagles were going to make it was to combine.
Sounds easy enough but the two owners - Rooney and Bell didn’t like each other- and it wasn’t easy with two coaches and two cities wanting that home revenue.
Having recently been through the pandemic, it may not be similar to a War, but I think we can understand why FDR wanted Sports Leagues to continue and the moral victory in doing so.
This being WW2, every able male joined the Armed Forces. Those who played football may have been criticized. Of course, one might not think that a muscle bound football player who is deaf might be fine on the gridiron but not a fit for the battlefield. (Or broken bones, or flat feet, etc)
So the team was a motley crew of those that were too old, those with health conditions, even a few who played while on military leave.
Algeo’s book is a great read, covering the early days of the NFL, how it’s changed over the years, and the great personalities of the time period.
It gets a little football heavy at the end, so while I think anyone would like it, it probably helps to like the game.
That said, it’s a great football book. A great story of the World War 2 homefront. Also a great story of Americans doing a patriotic duty in difficult conditions even if that duty was just to keep the Country’s spirits up.
August 25, 2012
In 1943 the F.D.R. administration needed to put 7.7 million men in uniform and was shaking every tree for inductees and one of the trees was the NFL. If the players were healthy enough to play football they could also serve in the military. As a result at the beginning of the year the members of the National Football League were in a world of hurt with regard to returning players. The Philadelphia Eagles had twenty eligible players under contract and the Pittsburgh Steelers had six. The two teams negotiated with the league and were allowed to field one melded team known as the Phil Pitt Steagles. This is their story and it's a good one. It may be a little dry for those who are not football fans but I loved it.
December 5, 2025
A fantastic look on the 1943 NFL season and how football was played during WW2. It seems baseball gets a lot of attention on being played through the war, but hardly anything gets told about the NFL. This book does a lot to rectify that. It does this through his look at the Steagles, a combination of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 43 season. When manpower was hard to find everywhere, getting football players was almost impossible, so the two teams combined and did fairly well with their squad of 4fs.
Highly recommended. I always wanted to read more about the NFL during WW2 and was excited to find this. Well researched and written, with an easy conversational style.
Highly recommended. I always wanted to read more about the NFL during WW2 and was excited to find this. Well researched and written, with an easy conversational style.
December 21, 2017
Highly interesting insight into football in the 1940s. It jumped around from person to person and wasn't entirely chronological, but it was entertaining to read if you're interested in the topic.
June 5, 2015
World War II called Americans to all kinds of sacrifices on the home front, and Algeo tells the story of one little known and --well lets face it, not really that important sacrifice: The story of the merger of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles for the 1943 season.
Not that important, true, in the grand scheme of things, but quite entertaining, and indeed wistfully nostalgic when viewed from the distance of six decades of prosperity and explosive growth in the technology, economics, and stature of professional football.
Facing labor shortages as able-bodied men went to war and work in war-material manufacturing, the still-fledgling NFL was left scrounging for warm bodies to fill rosters, money to pay for transportation and equipment, and paying customers to occupy seats in the stands. Heading into the 1943 season, the Cleveland team had already suspended play citing shortages of all three of those key resources, so the league was down to nine teams, playing havoc with the (pre-computer!) scheduling and travel. And the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia teams looked to be next in line at the morgue--until they introduced the plan to merge for a year. League owners reluctantly agreed, if only to save one franchise rather than lose two, and to solve the scheduling dilemmas.
Algeo tells the story of the season as it unfolds--the merging of disparate rosters, feuding coaches, and absentee owners (the Philadelphia owner an enlisted private, the Steelers inimitable owner Art Rooney at home half a state away from the Philly-based team). Neither team was any good before the merger, and the war-time roster shortages didn't make the situation any better. Amazingly, to keep the players out of the draft and enable them to make ends meet (huge salaries negating the need for year-round employment would only come after the war) while contributing to the war effort on the home front, all the Phil-Pitt players were required to keep their daytime jobs--including one prewar Steeler player who kept his job at the Westinghouse plant in Pittsburgh (building, he found out later, parts for the Manhattan project that developed the atomic bomb that ended the war) during the week and commuting to Philadelphia by train on weekends to play in the games! One wonders how today's highly-payed and over-pampered players would deal with working full time (and usually overtime) during the week in factories then practicing after work and playing on weekends.
Algeo's light National Public radio reporting style (he is an NPR reporter for his day job) keeps the story moving with plenty of human interest and hearty anecdotes, while describing the action on the field and the progress of the season with a minimum amount of football jargon and background knowledge required. Perhaps the best measure of Algeo's skill and the reason to read this book is the gentle and convincing way he shows us (rather than tells us) how important sports were as outlets of escape and normalcy during the darkest days of the War--and along the way, telling us about how this ragtag bunch of "4-F" rejects had one of the best seasons their Pennsylvania franchises had ever had.
Not that important, true, in the grand scheme of things, but quite entertaining, and indeed wistfully nostalgic when viewed from the distance of six decades of prosperity and explosive growth in the technology, economics, and stature of professional football.
Facing labor shortages as able-bodied men went to war and work in war-material manufacturing, the still-fledgling NFL was left scrounging for warm bodies to fill rosters, money to pay for transportation and equipment, and paying customers to occupy seats in the stands. Heading into the 1943 season, the Cleveland team had already suspended play citing shortages of all three of those key resources, so the league was down to nine teams, playing havoc with the (pre-computer!) scheduling and travel. And the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia teams looked to be next in line at the morgue--until they introduced the plan to merge for a year. League owners reluctantly agreed, if only to save one franchise rather than lose two, and to solve the scheduling dilemmas.
Algeo tells the story of the season as it unfolds--the merging of disparate rosters, feuding coaches, and absentee owners (the Philadelphia owner an enlisted private, the Steelers inimitable owner Art Rooney at home half a state away from the Philly-based team). Neither team was any good before the merger, and the war-time roster shortages didn't make the situation any better. Amazingly, to keep the players out of the draft and enable them to make ends meet (huge salaries negating the need for year-round employment would only come after the war) while contributing to the war effort on the home front, all the Phil-Pitt players were required to keep their daytime jobs--including one prewar Steeler player who kept his job at the Westinghouse plant in Pittsburgh (building, he found out later, parts for the Manhattan project that developed the atomic bomb that ended the war) during the week and commuting to Philadelphia by train on weekends to play in the games! One wonders how today's highly-payed and over-pampered players would deal with working full time (and usually overtime) during the week in factories then practicing after work and playing on weekends.
Algeo's light National Public radio reporting style (he is an NPR reporter for his day job) keeps the story moving with plenty of human interest and hearty anecdotes, while describing the action on the field and the progress of the season with a minimum amount of football jargon and background knowledge required. Perhaps the best measure of Algeo's skill and the reason to read this book is the gentle and convincing way he shows us (rather than tells us) how important sports were as outlets of escape and normalcy during the darkest days of the War--and along the way, telling us about how this ragtag bunch of "4-F" rejects had one of the best seasons their Pennsylvania franchises had ever had.
February 25, 2019
A fascinating look at a long-forgotten time in pro football – when it was hanging by its nails just as World War II got under way, and a move that saved two storied franchises.
All able-bodied men were shipping overseas and the ones left behind were too old, too young or too infirm to carry on a tough sport like football. Although baseball got the go-ahead to keep playing, football had a decision to make. Keep playing, or shut down for the duration.
The Cleveland Rams decided to take 1942 off, but that left the league with an odd-numbered (and difficult to schedule) nine teams. The league asked two of the weakest, the Pennsylvania pair Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers, to merge for the year. Had they not, the Eagles and Steelers might not have survived.
But they did merge, and the Phil-Pitt “Steagles” were born. They were largely the Eagles with a few Steelers thrown in, but were co-coached by the odd-couple tandem of Philadelphia’s Greasy Neale and Pittsburgh’s Walt Kiesling.
This book is filled with colorful anecdotes about the players, the cities and the realities of 4F football. And with the Steagles’ surprise run for the playoffs.
It’s an episode that impacted football forever.
See more of my reviews on Ralphsbooks.
All able-bodied men were shipping overseas and the ones left behind were too old, too young or too infirm to carry on a tough sport like football. Although baseball got the go-ahead to keep playing, football had a decision to make. Keep playing, or shut down for the duration.
The Cleveland Rams decided to take 1942 off, but that left the league with an odd-numbered (and difficult to schedule) nine teams. The league asked two of the weakest, the Pennsylvania pair Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers, to merge for the year. Had they not, the Eagles and Steelers might not have survived.
But they did merge, and the Phil-Pitt “Steagles” were born. They were largely the Eagles with a few Steelers thrown in, but were co-coached by the odd-couple tandem of Philadelphia’s Greasy Neale and Pittsburgh’s Walt Kiesling.
This book is filled with colorful anecdotes about the players, the cities and the realities of 4F football. And with the Steagles’ surprise run for the playoffs.
It’s an episode that impacted football forever.
See more of my reviews on Ralphsbooks.
October 25, 2017
This is the third book by Algeo that I have read and I am going to read his other two . He is an excellent author and researcher of out of the ordinary history. Being a Steelers fan, I was fascinated by the early history of the team. This book provides countless side stories that are interesting beyond the main topic.
February 22, 2023
This is a book that will probably be enjoyed most by either: 1) NFL History buffs; 2) Philadelphia Eagles fans; or 3) Pittsburgh Steelers fans (myself being the latter).
A fairly quick, but detailed read, "Last Team Standing" centers around the 1943 football Frankenstein that was the Philadelphia-Pittsburgh merger. Author Matthew Algeo (mostly) chronologically sets the stage leading up to the difficulties NFL teams had keeping players during the second World War, as the nation hungrily drafted young men into service to fight in one of the war's two major theatres.
The title is a little bit of an exaggeration. The Phil-Pitt merger likely didn't save the entire 1943 season, but it probably made things a little easier in terms of scheduling 8 teams instead of 7 (the Eagles probably would have had a team but the Steelers would not have).
You're introduced to most of the key members of the "Steagles'" roster, where they came from, where they played college ball (if they did), what their wartime day job was, etc. Some of the more interesting passages in the book talked about the conditions of the time - rationing, constant calls from the draft board - only to go through the examination and be deferred yet again, travelling by train between the two hosts cities...and then even to Chicago.
Algeo also paints a pretty good dynamic picture when describing the two co-head coaches who pretty much hated each other, while the team under them bonded through their adversity.
The narrative of the team's improbable 5-4-1 season (that saw them have a chance to finish in a 3-way tie for the top spot in their division) almost takes a backseat, though Algeo's play-by-play is vivid enough to build some excitement.
The post-script (dated 2003) takes us to Heinz Field in Pittsburgh for a pre-season game between the two modern franchises. Prior to the game, they honored the surviving members of the Steagles, and it was an excellent way to end the book. As the PA announcer read each name, Algeo would complete those players' biographies, almost in the style of the ending of "Animal House," only without the comedy. It put a nice "end credit" sequence on the project.
A fairly quick, but detailed read, "Last Team Standing" centers around the 1943 football Frankenstein that was the Philadelphia-Pittsburgh merger. Author Matthew Algeo (mostly) chronologically sets the stage leading up to the difficulties NFL teams had keeping players during the second World War, as the nation hungrily drafted young men into service to fight in one of the war's two major theatres.
The title is a little bit of an exaggeration. The Phil-Pitt merger likely didn't save the entire 1943 season, but it probably made things a little easier in terms of scheduling 8 teams instead of 7 (the Eagles probably would have had a team but the Steelers would not have).
You're introduced to most of the key members of the "Steagles'" roster, where they came from, where they played college ball (if they did), what their wartime day job was, etc. Some of the more interesting passages in the book talked about the conditions of the time - rationing, constant calls from the draft board - only to go through the examination and be deferred yet again, travelling by train between the two hosts cities...and then even to Chicago.
Algeo also paints a pretty good dynamic picture when describing the two co-head coaches who pretty much hated each other, while the team under them bonded through their adversity.
The narrative of the team's improbable 5-4-1 season (that saw them have a chance to finish in a 3-way tie for the top spot in their division) almost takes a backseat, though Algeo's play-by-play is vivid enough to build some excitement.
The post-script (dated 2003) takes us to Heinz Field in Pittsburgh for a pre-season game between the two modern franchises. Prior to the game, they honored the surviving members of the Steagles, and it was an excellent way to end the book. As the PA announcer read each name, Algeo would complete those players' biographies, almost in the style of the ending of "Animal House," only without the comedy. It put a nice "end credit" sequence on the project.
April 3, 2024
While I can't say that the "Steagles" saved pro football during World War II, I can say this was an entertaining and educational book. While learning about the early days of the National Football League, we also get a glimpse into the politics and home front sacrifices in the United States during WWII.
The book focuses on the Pittsburgh-Philadelphia "Steagles" and their 1943 NFL season, although there are necessary references to the NFL's earlier years. We learn that the Detroit Lions were originally the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans. We meet future NFL Hall of Famers Sammy Baugh, Sid Luckman, Bronco Nagurski and others. We see how the game itself evolved: Going from the single wing to T formation offenses; forgoing the drop kick in favor of the place kick; passing the unlimited substitution rule which paved the way later for the two-platoon system.
Perhaps best of all, we learn about life in the United States during WWII. The politics of draft boards, bond drives, and labor shortages. We learn that things we take for granted - transportation, coffee, sugar, rubber, gasoline, etc. - were rationed, and wages were frozen or capped. And patriotism ran high - "Steagles" players were required to work fulltime war jobs.
Thanks, Matthew Algeo. I enjoyed your book!
The book focuses on the Pittsburgh-Philadelphia "Steagles" and their 1943 NFL season, although there are necessary references to the NFL's earlier years. We learn that the Detroit Lions were originally the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans. We meet future NFL Hall of Famers Sammy Baugh, Sid Luckman, Bronco Nagurski and others. We see how the game itself evolved: Going from the single wing to T formation offenses; forgoing the drop kick in favor of the place kick; passing the unlimited substitution rule which paved the way later for the two-platoon system.
Perhaps best of all, we learn about life in the United States during WWII. The politics of draft boards, bond drives, and labor shortages. We learn that things we take for granted - transportation, coffee, sugar, rubber, gasoline, etc. - were rationed, and wages were frozen or capped. And patriotism ran high - "Steagles" players were required to work fulltime war jobs.
Thanks, Matthew Algeo. I enjoyed your book!
February 25, 2022
I chose to read this book since I loved reading Algeo's book about Chester Arthur. Since I'm not overly excited about football, there was only so much interest I could muster. However, true to Algeo's prior work, this book includes a great deal of WWII history on the home front. Now that I live in Pennsylvania, I could appreciate the history of both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Algeo's writing is so enjoyable!
February 9, 2023
Excellent sports history book. I really enjoyed reading this one.
I had never heard of the Steagles. I learned a lot about life on the home front and the history of football from this book. It made me want to learn more, which is a hallmark of good nonfic.
This story should be made into a movie.
I had never heard of the Steagles. I learned a lot about life on the home front and the history of football from this book. It made me want to learn more, which is a hallmark of good nonfic.
This story should be made into a movie.
January 22, 2020
I would recommend this book for anyone who loves football (particularly the NFL); fascinating "snap shot" of what was happening in the US on the home-front during WWII and how impact of the war played a role in shaping changes in the sport that resulted in football the way it is played today.
November 20, 2023
Algeo finds the most interesting, little know episode in American history and writes about them. I am sad that I only have one more of his books to read. Even if you don't like football, this book will give you an insight into life on the home front during the war years.
April 7, 2018
I thought this was an excellent read. Interesting, well researched.
I really liked it.
I really liked it.
January 3, 2020
As a lifelong Eagles fan I’m always interested in any book that covers my beloved Birds. This book didn’t disappoint - interesting and well written account of the merged Eagle-Steeler team of 1943.
March 6, 2013
This is a difficult book to review because it was at once tedious to finish reading and yet filled with interesting stories and vignettes that were fun to pick out and enjoy. It is the type of book that I could see myself writing if I ever had the patience and dedication to actually apply myself and write a book.
It is a book about a niche part of history that you really have to be interested in to fully and truly ENJOY this book. And sadly, I’m just not. I love old football, but my preferred era is 1920s college football, not 1940s pro football. My related interest was enough to sustain through the first third of the book, but after that, I’m sad to admit this book became a bit of a chore to finish.
It’s also at that point that the cute stories which gave flavor and character to the book, but added nothing to the overall advancement of the “plot,” started to wear on me and become less entertaining. By that point, I just wanted to move the book along, not read about dining and imbibing details of the player’s stay at the Willard. And ultimately the subtitle threw me for a loop because I kept waiting for an academic-like argument about how the Steagles “saved” pro football, and ultimately I didn’t find that thesis to come across at all. With different expectations, I think I may have enjoyed it even more.
However, there were lots of very interesting stories plugged into this book and it’s actually quite amazing how much I’ve referenced it in the months since I started reading it. So I’d still recommend it if you like sports history. I plan to loan it to a couple of my friends who like pro football – and Stealers pro football specifically – and I’m quite positive they’ll LOVE this book.
Ultimately I’ve rated a little lower than I’d like because I was most interested in the digressions to the main story line that had to do with where the pros played college, or other college football related insights slipped into this book. I was interested; I just wasn’t enthralled.
It is a book about a niche part of history that you really have to be interested in to fully and truly ENJOY this book. And sadly, I’m just not. I love old football, but my preferred era is 1920s college football, not 1940s pro football. My related interest was enough to sustain through the first third of the book, but after that, I’m sad to admit this book became a bit of a chore to finish.
It’s also at that point that the cute stories which gave flavor and character to the book, but added nothing to the overall advancement of the “plot,” started to wear on me and become less entertaining. By that point, I just wanted to move the book along, not read about dining and imbibing details of the player’s stay at the Willard. And ultimately the subtitle threw me for a loop because I kept waiting for an academic-like argument about how the Steagles “saved” pro football, and ultimately I didn’t find that thesis to come across at all. With different expectations, I think I may have enjoyed it even more.
However, there were lots of very interesting stories plugged into this book and it’s actually quite amazing how much I’ve referenced it in the months since I started reading it. So I’d still recommend it if you like sports history. I plan to loan it to a couple of my friends who like pro football – and Stealers pro football specifically – and I’m quite positive they’ll LOVE this book.
Ultimately I’ve rated a little lower than I’d like because I was most interested in the digressions to the main story line that had to do with where the pros played college, or other college football related insights slipped into this book. I was interested; I just wasn’t enthralled.
June 1, 2014
A must read for Pittsburgh Steeler fans. It traces the early years, including the year they merged with the Eagles and the year the they merged with the Chicago Cardinals.
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February 13, 2015You can find this book at: 796.332 A in the Tredyffrin Non-Fiction stacks.
February 4, 2018
All I can say is "WOW!" This was a well written, well researched book that truly captured the spirit of the NFL, the Steagles and the times in which they lived. I have read other sports books that include a narrative history that feels "tacked on." This one successfully integrates the narrative and connects it to the guys on the team. As the reader goes through the excitement and amusement of the season, Algeo carefully and eloquently weaves the war industry and the NFL into a great read.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews