Playmakers
How the NFL Really Works (and Doesn't)
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Narrated by:
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Dan Woren
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By:
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Mike Florio
About this listen
The story of a modern NFL that can’t get out of its own way—and can’t stop making money
In recent decades, the NFL has simultaneously become an athletic, financial, and cultural powerhouse—and a League that can’t seem to go more than a few weeks without a scandal. Whether it’s about domestic violence, performance-enhancing drugs, racism, or head trauma, the NFL always seems to be in some kind of trouble. Yet no matter the drama, the TV networks keep showing games, the revenue keeps rising, and the viewers keep tuning in.
How can a sports league—or any organization—operate this way? Why do the negative stories keep happening, and why don’t they ever seem to affect the bottom line? In this wide-ranging book, Mike Florio takes listeners from the boardroom to the locker room, from draft day to the Super Bowl, answering these questions and more, and showing what really goes on in the sport that America can’t seem to quit.
Known for his constant stream of new information and incisive commentary, Florio delivers again in this book. With new insights and reporting on scandals past and present, this book will be the talk of the League—whether the League likes it or not.
©2022 Mike Florio (P)2022 PublicAffairsListeners also enjoyed...
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The National Football League's current dominance has obscured how professional football got its start. In The League, John Eisenberg reveals that Art Rooney, George Halas, Tim Mara, George Preston Marshall, and Bert Bell took an immense risk by investing in the professional game. At that time, the sport barely registered on the national scene. The five owners succeeded only because at critical junctures in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, each sacrificed the short-term success of his team for the longer-term good of the League.
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what a great book. loved it completely.
- By Daniel Mosca on 11-08-18
By: John Eisenberg
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Indentured
- The Inside Story of the Rebellion Against the NCAA
- By: Joe Nocera, Ben Strauss
- Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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The National Collegiate Athletic Association has come under fire. Fans have begun to realize that the athletes involved in the two biggest college sports, men's basketball and football, are little more than indentured servants. Millions of teenagers accept scholarships to chase their dreams of fame and fortune - at the price of absolute submission to the whims of an organization that puts their interests dead last.
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An Armament agnst NCAA: Enlightening, Infuriating
- By W Perry Hall on 03-15-16
By: Joe Nocera, and others
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Scorecasting
- The Hidden Influences Behind How Sports Are Played and Games Are Won
- By: L. Jon Wertheim, Tobias Moskowitz
- Narrated by: Zach McLarty
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Drawing from Moskowitz's original research, as well as studies from fellow economists such as bestselling author Richard Thaler, the authors look at: the influence home-field advantage has on the outcomes of games in all sports and why it exists; the surprising truth about the universally accepted axiom that defense wins championships; the subtle biases that umpires exhibit in calling balls and strikes in key situations; the unintended consequences of referees' tendencies in every sport to "swallow the whistle," and more.
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Fascinating book!
- By Wayne on 10-22-16
By: L. Jon Wertheim, and others
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The Extra 2%
- How Wall Street Strategies Took a Major League Baseball Team from Worst to First
- By: Jonah Keri
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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In The Extra 2%, financial journalist and sportswriter Jonah Keri chronicles the remarkable story of one team's Cinderella journey from divisional doormat to World Series contender. By quantifying the game's intangibles, they were able to deliver to Tampa Bay an American League pennant. This is an informative and entertaining case study for any organization that wants to go from worst to first.
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No Strategies or Insight
- By Victor Luera on 10-11-12
By: Jonah Keri
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Boys Among Men
- How the Prep-to-Pro Generation Redefined the NBA and Sparked a Basketball Revolution
- By: Jonathan Abrams
- Narrated by: Mirron Willis
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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When Kevin Garnett shocked the world by announcing that he would not be attending college - as young basketball prodigies were expected to do - but instead would enter the 1995 NBA draft directly from high school, he blazed a trail for a generation of teenage basketball players to head straight for the pros. That trend would continue until the NBA instituted an age limit in 2005, requiring all players to attend college or another developmental program for at least one year.
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Bad pronunciation
- By K. Spearman on 07-03-16
By: Jonathan Abrams
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Players
- The Story of Sports and Money - and the Visionaries Who Fought to Create a Revolution
- By: Matthew Futterman
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 9 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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For fans of Michael Lewis, the astounding untold story of how professional sports transformed, in the span of a single generation, from a cottage industry into a massive global business. In the cash-soaked world of contemporary sports, where every season brings news of higher salaries, endorsement deals, and television contracts, it is mind-boggling to remember that as recently as the 1970s elite athletes earned so little money that many were forced to work second jobs in the off-season to make ends meet.
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Starts slow...
- By John on 08-09-16
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Fall from Grace
- The Truth and Tragedy of "Shoeless Joe" Jackson
- By: Tim Hornbaker
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
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Story
Considered by Ty Cobb as the "finest natural hitter in the history of the game," "Shoeless Joe" Jackson is ranked with the greatest players to ever step onto a baseball diamond. With a career .356 batting average - which is still ranked third all-time - the man from Pickens County, South Carolina, was on his way to becoming one of the greatest players in the sport's history. That is until the "Black Sox" scandal of 1919, which shook baseball to its core.
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Entertaining and Educational
- By Colorfinger on 06-14-19
By: Tim Hornbaker
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The Score Takes Care of Itself
- My Philosophy of Leadership
- By: Bill Walsh, Craig Walsh, Steve Jamison
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Drawn from a series of deeply revealing conversations with coauthor Steve Jamison, The Score Takes Care of Itself offers Walsh's best leadership principles illustrated by anecdotes from his entire career. Additional insights and perspective are provided by his son Craig Walsh. The book will delight football fans and guide the vast business audience eager to learn how Bill Walsh motivated individuals and crafted winning teams.
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Thank you Bill Walsh
- By Jason Comely on 01-31-13
By: Bill Walsh, and others
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War Room
- The Legacy of Bill Belichick and the Art of Building the Perfect Team
- By: Michael Holley
- Narrated by: Mirron Willis
- Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Bill Belichick is one of the titans of today's game of football. Now, sports commentator and best-selling author Michael Holley follows three NFL teams - the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, and Atlanta Falcons - from training camp 2010 through the Super Bowl and into the April draft, opening a new window into Belichick's influence on the game. This one-of-a-kind exploration takes football fans behind the scenes of the most popular sport in America, with unprecedented insider access to the head coaches, scouts, trainers, and players.
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Narrator choice - HUH?
- By Ryan Mullaney on 03-25-18
By: Michael Holley
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The Perfect Pass
- American Genius and the Reinvention of Football
- By: S. C. Gwynne
- Narrated by: Santino Fontana
- Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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New York Times best-selling, award-winning historian S. C. Gwynne tells the incredible story of how Hal Mumme and Mike Leach - two unknown coaches who revolutionized American football in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s - changed the way the game is played at every level, from high school to the NFL. Hal Mumme is one of a handful of authentic offensive geniuses in the history of American football. In 2015 ESPN Magazine, the nation's leading sports magazine, called him the single most influential football coach in the last quarter century.
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The Perfect Pass
- By Little Pecan on 09-29-16
By: S. C. Gwynne
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Football for a Buck
- The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL
- By: Jeff Pearlman
- Narrated by: Joel Richards
- Length: 14 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
The United States Football League was the last football league to not merely challenge the mighty NFL but also to cause it to collectively shudder. It spanned three seasons, featured as many as 18 teams, secured multiple television deals, drew millions of fans, and launched the careers of legends - but then it died beneath the weight of a particularly egotistical and bombastic owner, a New York businessman named Donald Trump. Jeff Pearlman draws on more than 400 interviews to unearth all the salty, untold stories of one of the craziest sports entities to have ever captivated America.
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Ahhh the USFL
- By Film Lover on 10-11-18
By: Jeff Pearlman
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Saban
- The Making of a Coach
- By: Monte Burke
- Narrated by: Barry Abrams
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
As the head coach of the University of Alabama's football team, Nick Saban is perhaps the most influential - and controversial - man in the sport. Unpredictable in his professional loyalties, uncompromising in his vision, and unyielding in his pursuit of perfection, the highest-paid coach in college football has changed the face of the game. His program-building vision has delivered packed stadiums, rabid fans, legions of detractors, countless NFL draft picks, and a total of four championships.
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Narrator is awful.
- By kenneth on 08-12-15
By: Monte Burke
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Best of Rivals
- Joe Montana, Steve Young, and the Inside Story Behind the NFL's Greatest Quarterback Controversy
- By: Adam Lazarus
- Narrated by: James Conlan
- Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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In this revealing, in-depth look at the NFL's greatest quarterback controversy, Adam Lazarus takes listeners into the locker room and inside the huddle to deliver the real story behind the rivalry - when Joe Montana and Steve Young battled on and off the field and forged one of the finest football dynasties of all time. From 1987 to 1994, the two future Hall of Famers spurred each other on to remarkable heights, including three Super Bowl wins and four MVP awards, setting new standards for quarterback excellence.
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Excellent backstory of Montana and Young
- By Jason on 04-28-15
By: Adam Lazarus
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what a great book. loved it completely.
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Great book, Repeats majority of themes from radio
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Overtime
- Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines at the Crossroads of College Football
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For the past year, John U. Bacon has received unprecedented access to Jim Harbaugh’s University of Michigan football team: coaches, players, and staffers, in closed-door meetings, locker rooms, meals, and classes. Overtime captures this storied program at the crossroads, as the sport’s winningest team battles to reclaim its former glory. But what if the price of success today comes at the cost of your soul? Do you pay it, or compete without compromising?
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Good story.... but
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Game of Edges
- The Analytics Revolution and the Future of Professional Sports
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In the last two decades, innovation, data analysis, and technology have driven a tectonic shift in the sports business. Game of Edges is the story of how sports franchises evolved, on and off the field, from raggedly run small businesses into some of the most systematically productive companies around.
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Lacks substance
- By Kyle Becker on 10-01-23
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Football Done Right
- Setting the Record Straight on the Coaches, Players, and History of the NFL
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- Narrated by: Dan Woren, Michael Lombardi, Jim Nantz
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From Monday Night Football to Super Bowl Sunday, the NFL is a dominating force in the lives of millions of fans who tune in and passionately cheer for their favorite teams. And when the games are over, the conversation is just getting started. Who's the greatest player of all time? Which coaches truly shaped the game we known and love today? Why is professional football such an undeniable part of our culture? Three-time Super Bowl winner Michael Lombardi has done it all—from scout to executive to coach—and now he sets the record straight on these questions and more.
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Great overview on history. Not the best top 100 list.
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The Occasionally Accurate Annals of Football
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what a great book. loved it completely.
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Great book, Repeats majority of themes from radio
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Good story.... but
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In the last two decades, innovation, data analysis, and technology have driven a tectonic shift in the sports business. Game of Edges is the story of how sports franchises evolved, on and off the field, from raggedly run small businesses into some of the most systematically productive companies around.
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What listeners say about Playmakers
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Anonymous User
- 08-03-22
Absolute must read for any NFL and PFT fan!
Will be rereading this every offseason until the next book Florio puts out! Only suggestion would be to have Florio narrate the book or a version himself. Maybe have Simms, BigCat, etc each read a chapter or section as well? $$$
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- Dennis
- 03-18-22
a great book very enjoyable reading
this book is very enjoyable loved it really insightful I recommend it highly you'll learn a lot
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1 person found this helpful
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- Alexis Rawlings
- 07-28-22
Nothing New
If you are familiar with the game of football, this book will offer little you don’t already know. Well written for people who don’t follow football, but I’m afraid the average NFL fan will be familiar with 90% of what this book has to offer.
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- Thomas C. Scarbrock
- 07-09-22
Loved it.
I’m a big fan of Florios from PFT and PFT PM. His insight into the League is on full display here in Playmakers and will be enjoyed by many.
I read where he said he did try to do the narration but was uncomfortable doing so. Though the narrator did an excellent job, I do wish Florio would give it a try again for any future editions.
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- Dyan
- 03-20-22
Worth the time and money
Cool to hear some behind the scenes stories and confirmation of rumors we’ve heard over the years. I do not like this narrator though.
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1 person found this helpful
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- J.C.
- 03-21-22
Insightful and entertaining look into the NFL
An insightful and entertaining look into current matters in the NFL. Quick-paced and engaging, Playmakers covers a variety of relevant topics: the Draft; new and old penalties and rules; the treatment and development of players and coaches; off-field behavior of players, coaches, and owners; the impact that legalized gambling could have on the League; and more. Even if you have been following Florio for years, you are going to enjoy his astute (and humorous!) analysis of the matters the NFL has recently faced or will be facing in the near future.
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1 person found this helpful
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- S Werley
- 03-22-22
Disappointed.
This book is probably best-suited for a new fan, who has only an elementary understanding of the game and recent history of it. I would not recommend this book for the serious fan. Are you really interested in hearing a six minute recap of the Donovan McNabb trade? How about twelve hours of similar dribble? I’m not sure what prompted Florio to write this book this way, but, after following his site for twenty years, I have a feeling he has a much better book in him, with in-depth behind-the-scenes essays in it. I really wanted to love this book. I don’t dislike it enough to request a credit refund; I just don’t love it.
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3 people found this helpful
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- GRL
- 06-24-22
Pretty good
Would rather have the author speak it
Good read between voluntary n non voluntary football paractice
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2 people found this helpful
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- H. D. Espinosa
- 03-16-22
The last two decades of NFL revisited (and some insights/concerns for the future)
Playmakers is an enjoyable reading/listening that helps fans - die-hard or casual - remind the most notable happenings involving the NFL - on and off the field - in the last two decades or so. The (audio)book contains facts that, depending on the topic, also have personal opinions by the author, especially by the last chapter where there are ideas about the future of the league, and which is up to the reader/listener to decide whether or not to agree with it (I happen to agree with almost every one of his personal opinions, past, present, and future). I felt this book inclined to be more of a pro-player, pro-sport, and a bit of anti-ownership, anti-business effort. However, business practices are praised and players' behaviors are criticized when praise and criticism are due. There’s a little bias on it, but not heavily biased. All in all, it is a good listen worth of anybody's time.
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- Michael Garrett
- 03-26-22
In Depth. Insightful. Informative. Interesting.
Mike Florio does a great job of telling you the rest of the story a la, Paul Harvey. I didn't agree with all of his opinions but I understand why he has them. The only drawback I have about his, all owners are greedy s.o.bs. perspective is, he doesn't really hold players to the same scrutiny despite, doing a petty masterful job of pinpointing many of the player's off-field scandals. Great book!
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