Why We Love American Football: A History in 100 Moments

by Joe Posnanski

A legendary sportswriter picks the 100 moments that have defined the game.

Hidden gems jostle with classic tales given a fresh twist as Posnanski takes readers on an irresistible journey through the archives of the game right up to the present day.
Why We Love American Football is an expert, hilarious and sometimes poignant take on one of the world's most avidly watched sports.

499 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 2, 2025

About the author

Joe Posnanski is a No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of eight books, a Writer at Large at Esquire, and the co-host of The PosCast with Michael Schur. He writes a newsletter called JoeBlogs. He has been named national sportswriter of the year by five different organizations including the Associated Press Sports Editors and the National Sports Media Association. He also won two sports Emmys as part of NBC's digital Olympic coverage.

His newest book is Why We Love Baseball, which will be published by Dutton on Sept. 5, 2023. His last book, The Baseball 100, won the Casey Award as the best baseball book of 2020.

Reviews

[Simon White · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Bears fan from the age of the Fridge, new Monsters of Midway, Sweetness, etc it is easy to empathise with Joe Posnanski's fandom of the Browns. This eminently readable panorama of American Football in 100 Moments caught my eye when I was looking for something light to read on the train. Yes it met the bill, yes it added to my knowledge of the sport, particularly college football, and yes, I'd recommend it to anyone with a remote interest in the sport.
Each moment is a worthwhile read, adds colour and perspective to the lore of the sport. And while we may all quibble about some of the choices on the basis of a preference for own 'own' team, I am sure each of us will agree on so many of the moments he has chosen.