Written by Shelia Gaines, Circulation Coordinator:

Friday night lights. Season Openers. Homecoming. Saturday tailgating. Yes. You guessed it. It’s football season. That time of the year when team loyalties test family ties and some spouses suffer through their annual season as living “sports widows”. 

If you are wondering this year (and every year) what all the fuss is about, why not visit The Ned and check out the literary side of the game?  If you need to start from scratch, Football: The First 100 Years: The Untold Story may be the perfect book for you. But, be warned that football on the other side of the pond is a little different than the grid iron.

If you are a more seasoned sports fan and think you would enjoy the players’ stories that have been told on the big screen, we have something for you, too. Did you know that former NFL Tackle, Michael Oher, began his road to fame at our regional rival, Ole Miss? If not you can read all about it in The Blind Side by Michael Lewis. Better yet, read the story in his own words in How I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness, to the Blind Side, and Beyond. Find out how he felt when he went to see the movie incognito and saw the fan’s reaction. If your loyalties divide anytime you don’t see a Memphis connection, don’t forget that Michael Oher’s adoptive father was a broadcaster for the Memphis Grizzlies for many years. 

Find these and other sports-related tomes in the library. Take some time to peruse the stacks or find an interesting article or research idea from one of our databases. But, be sure you take care of all of your library business during the weekdays, because you may have better things to do with your weekends.