The Canadian Football League: The Phoenix of Professional Sports Leagues, Revised Edition [Paperback]

Steve O'Brien (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 13, 2005

North American football was born in Canada in the 1860s. For decades, though,the growth of Canadian football was slow to change from its rugby traditions. In recent decades, it has been in the shadow of its largest competitor, the National Football League. Although hockey is held up as Canada's number one sport, the CFL has enjoyed as rich and storied a tradition in Canadian sports history. This book is not the usual general history detailing on-field accomplishments, Grey Cup winners etc. Instead, it combines an historical look through 2003 with discussion of continuous themes which have shaped the League. These include the role of the Canadian player, competition from other pro sports, the media's role in creating an image of the CFL, Canadians' attitudes towards pro sports, and how the CFL continually struggles to survive - often in spite of itself.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Extremely well researched. Mr. O'Brien's book takes the passionate CFL fan to school for a fascinating history lesson. -- Dave Randorf, Host of TSN's Friday Night Football

Great research, excellent insights, all captured by good writing make for a wonderful read about a national asset. -- Frank Cosentino, author of A PASSING GAME, ex-CFL quarterback

If you love the CFL, you'll love Steve O'Brien's fashion to bring you closer to the game. -- Rick Moffat, Voice of the Montreal Alouettes, CJAD 800 Radio, Montreal

Mr. O'Brien has hit the mark on what makes the CFL so special. ... A definite must for the CFL fan. -- Rod Pedersen, Voice of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, CKRM 620 Radio, Regina

There have not been enough books published about the CFL - but this one is easily one of the best. -- John Valentine, Chair, Physical Education Department, Grant MacEwan College, Edmonton, AB

From the Publisher

This edition will be included in SEARCH INSIDE THE BOOK at a later date. That feature still exists with the old edition as long as it is still listed by Amazon.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 364 pages
• Publisher: Lulu.com; Revised edition (November 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1411658604
• ISBN-13: 978-1411658608
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,813,046 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative, Entertaining Study of the CFL, May 12, 2006

By 

Jack B. Bedell "LaLit Press" (Hammond, LA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Canadian Football League: The Phoenix of Professional Sports Leagues, Revised Edition (Paperback)

Mr. O'Brien's book is an excellent analysis of how the CFL has been able to sustain itself over the years. Ultimately, though, this is a book about how the league has been able to define itself as an indelible piece of Canadian culture.

I was already a fan of the CFL when I picked this book up, but I came away from my reading of it with a new depth of respect for and awareness of the league's complexities.

I definitely commend Mr. O'Brien for his painstaking research and can't wait for his next installment on the league's history.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't take it personally ... It's just business., July 13, 2009

By 

Avery Copeland - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Canadian Football League: The Phoenix of Professional Sports Leagues, Revised Edition (Paperback)

The book is designed to present a behind-the-scenes account
of the various peculiar business decisions made by the modern-era CFL ...
with particular attention given to the expansion experiment into the USA.

The CFL exists today
because of -- or in spite of --
these decisions.

If you're interested in delving into that sort of thing,
then this book is a very interesting read.

If you're looking for player stats and/or game highlights,
then this is probably not for you.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not That Good, August 26, 2007

By 

C. Garland - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Canadian Football League: The Phoenix of Professional Sports Leagues, Revised Edition (Paperback)

The reading of this book was incredibly hard, I purchased it wanting a good history of the CFL (being interested as an American) but I did not want to read a "thesis" about the CFL. It is obvious the author has done his research on the subject but I would not recommed it to a casual fan wanting to know about this League. I also do not like its' cover with the grave markers beind that two of the leagues represented are technically still around (the AFL and AAFC).