Playmakers arrives (at my house, finally)

PFT

It took a while, but it finally happened.

Two copies of the final, hardcover edition of Playmakers recently arrived at my house. We opened the box last night; Macy didn’t seem to be impressed.

The book officially lands in 16 days. It’s a close look at the past two decades in the NFL, with a deep dive into more than 100 specific incidents or trends or developments that, taken together, show how the NFL really works — and how it doesn’t.

What the league is doing right, what the league is doing wrong, how it needs to improve in a future that, based on recent history, has suddenly become much more fraught.

Or maybe not. The league continues to thrive despite its warts, its flaws, its controversies.

Still, there’s a limit. If the league’s misadventures catch the attention of enough legislators, or just one prosecutor, there could be major problems. Problems that could result in a new era of external oversight and regulation.

To get the whole story, buy the book. If you do, you get exclusive access to the Playmakers podcast. (Given that the book won’t be available for our friends in the UK and Ireland until April 12, I may be extending the podcast’s run until then. Primarily because our friend Pauline in the UK has asked nicely, and persistently.)

Our ever-strengthening connection to England and the rest of Europe means a lot to me personally. Attached to this blurb is a photo of the book, taken this morning in my home office. It’s standing in front of one of our most important family artifacts: the original naturalization document issued to my grandfather, on October 21, 1915. His name appears on the certificate not as Michael and not with a middle name or initial. Just “Mike Florio.”

More than 106 years later, here we are, Mike. Two generations removed from four Italians who left the country at different times, for different reasons, and under different circumstances. They did what they had to do to secure the futures of their families. I’m very glad they did.