Customer Reviews

The Fighting Irish on the Air: The History of Notre Dame Football Broadcasting

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book does a fantastic job of tracing the history of broadcasting of Irish football, both radio and television. The only criticism I have of it is that it sometimes repeats itself from chapter to chapter. It's almost as if the chapters were seperate articles, or part of a serialized presentation which naturally requires repetition to "update" the reader. This is a very minor problem, however, which is vastly overshadowed by the depth of the research. It would have been nice to see an appendix that listed the various broadcasts by medium and by announcer(s) but this may very well be impossible considering the "open" policy that Notre Dame had in the early days, where anyone could broadcast if they had the equipment. A great work that I would not hesitate getting for anyone with an interest in Notre Dame or college football in general. Some who do not like Notre Dame may not feel that the book is objective enough to be a true "history" of college football broadcasting, but if they do not like Notre Dame, they probably can't read anyway (he says with tounge planted firmly in cheek.)

This may be one of the best books on sports broadcasting ever written. Dr. Gulifor covers The Fighting Irish on air like a late afternoon fog covers South Bend in November. Great oral histories with some of the key personnel of Notre Dame broadcasts. The is a well researched book, and one that both scholars of broadcasting and football fans will appreciate.

I picked up this book as another Notre Dame book for a Notre Dame fan, however, I received both a "really enjoyable read" and an education. This book is not my typical read. This book is an excellent reference to the history NCAA Football broadcasting, even if you are not an IRISH fan, and might even adjust your thoughts about Notre Dame with respect to their history and recent actions with NBC.

Dr. Gullifor has written a book that is both scholarly and readable. As an Indiana resident, I have always had an interest in ND, but until I read this book, I had no idea how ND helped secure their national prominance in football through the contracts they were able to negotiate. Dr. Gullifor has clearly researched his subject and has presented a very credible work.

A Must Read for anyone interested in Sports Media
Dr. Gullifor gives the reader an in depth understanding of the evolution of sports broadcasting in American culture, and examines the decision making process of broadast executives in regards to Notre Dame. This should be required reading for anyone interested in sports media.