Saturday Rules: A Season with Trojans and Domers (and Gators and Buckeyes and Wolverines)
If you had to pit Saturday college games against Sunday NFL games, Saturdays win hands-down, according to Murphy, who spent many years covering the NFL for Sports Illustrated and even more years covering the college beat. Sure, the NFL boasts more skilled players, big-time salaries, and celebrity fans, but Saturdays, he argues, feature the essence of sport—young athletes playing their hearts out on every down. Mix that with rivalries that are deeper than any in the NFL, plus such wacky college traditions as real mascots, and nothing can beat a Saturday in a college-football stadium. To prove his position, Murphy traveled from L.A. to Michigan and back again multiple times "researching" the college-football experience from the fan's point of view. The result not only delivers exciting accounts of what happened on the field but it also provides a beguiling glimpse of party-crazy fans doing what they do best. Pair this with Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer (2004), and you'll be ready to do some serious tailgating. Wilkens, Mary Frances