Football Book of Wisdom

I often hear fans refer to football games as a war. As a career soldier, I used to take offense to that, but I have softened my stance on this type of hyperbole. I found this simple little book of quotes from football coaches and found that the Introduction makes a good point concerning this oft overused reference:

"Art imitates life, and football imitates war. In football, as in battle, victory depends upon sufficient training, careful planning, adequate resources, superior manpower and proper motivation. At the line of scrimmage, foot soldiers engage in hand-to-hand combat. Behind center, a commanding officer takes the snap. From the sidelines, a general and his staff devise strategy and inspire troops. In the press box, owners and administrators provide civilian oversight. And the whole spectacle is carefully watched by millions of excited partisans.

Thankfully, football is a battle without permanent casualties. With few exceptions, player injuries are fleeting and soon forgotten. But lessons learned on the field of play may last a lifetime.

This book (Football Book of Wisdom by Simon & Schuster) details the insights and humor of the gridiron's greatest warriors. Their collective wisdom sheds illumination on the game of football and the game of life.

In his memoirs, William Tecumseh Sherman wrote, "War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it." But before his death in 1891, Sherman witnessed the birth of a refined form of combat: American football. At the Battle of Fredricksburg, Sherman's nemesis, Robert E. Lee, observed, "It is well that war is so terrible, lest we should grow too fond of it." Americans still hate the tragedy of war, but we've come to love dearly the warrior sport that imitates it."

I like this narrative on the comparisons of football and war. As a result, I am proud to be a civilian observer each and every Sunday that our Rams "go to war" with that week's nemesis.

:l

It's a good comparison and that sounds like a great book. I'll have to put it on my Christmas list. :)

I am guilty of making comparisons and using references to battles and war. I know it is not the same as real war. Real war is not fun and the consequences are extreme.

Sounds like you found a good book SFCRamfan.

While I am not, nor have I ever been, a soldier, I too disapprove of calling football war. Certainly there are comparisons to be made about the similarties between the two, but football is fun. War is tragic.

That sounds like a good book, though. :)

Seriously, I was not making this into a reference on how I dislike the reference of games to war. I just thought that this little book made a good point on how they can be used together. That being said, I think that next week against the Hawks will be a war. I just hope that our Generals (Linehan and Haslett) come up with a good plan of action and inspire the troops (the team) to victory!!!

"We compete, not so much against an opponent, but against ourselves. The real test is this: Did I make my best effort on every play?" - Bud Wilkinson