What's the meaning of football in American life? Over the years, TNR has not been silent on the subject. Read our best archived pieces on the game:
"The Moral Equivalent to Football" by Wilcomb E. Washburn. July 23, 1977. Why football reflects the true--not the ideal--nature of the American character.
"Goodbye to the Bear" by Howell Raines. January 24, 1983. The football coach who was segregationist George Wallace's alter ego.
"Football Morals" by T.S. Matthews. November 26, 1930. College football is not a game. It is war, and every college its own barbarian state.
"Linebacker Labor" by Nicholas von Hoffman. November 1, 1982. Football strikes, capitalism, and American life.
"Becoming a Pro" by James Cramer. November 12, 1977. At the Eagles' training camp, meritocracy really works.