Fumbled Call: The Bear Bryant-Wally Butts Football Scandal That Split the Supreme Court and Changed American Libel Law

by David E. Sumner

Aweek before the 1962 Georgia-Alabama game, Atlanta insurance salesman GeorgeBurnett unintentionally overheard a telephone conversation and became thecenter of an SEC scandal that captured national headlines. He thought heoverheard Wally Butts, the athletic director and ex-football coach of theUniversity of Georgia, give his friend Paul "Bear" Bryant, the legendary Alabamacoach, play formations and details that helped Alabama romp over Georgia 35-0in the season opener. After Burnett told his story to the Saturday Evening Post, it published "The Story of a CollegeFootball Fix" in March 1963, which led to libel lawsuits by bothcoaches. Butts' case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which made ahistoric decision in Curtis Publishing v. Buttsthat changed American libel law. This book reveals startling new information about whistleblower George Burnett, Alabama Coach Bear Bryant and Georgia Coach Wally Butts.

396 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 7, 2018