football

For those of you who are looking for every NFL player - even those who never played a game - I suggest rubbing a magic genie, because that'll be the only way you'll find that information. It simply doesn't exist. While some bellyache that the statistical information isn't organized and re-printed 30 different times in every discernable way, they don't understand that this book is almost 2000 pages long. Repeating all of that information AGAIN would involve hundreds, if not thousands, of additional page. Total Football II is by far and away the most complete statistical reference there ever was. No, there are no indexes of high schools or longest punt returns or pre-season, third-stringer touchdown records, but please! This book contains every important stat available. The articles are written by people with centuries of cumulative years of experience covering and writing about the NFL. Even though your favorite game may not be listed, I can assure you that you probably haven't seen as many as the great writers who created this book did. Keep that in mind before you criticize them for not including Billie Joe Tolliver in their 300 greatest players segment.

If you're expecting the football equivalent of Total Baseball, you'll be disappointed. The text articles are superficial and unimpressive. For example, while Total Baseball has articles on Japanese baseball, Total Football does not discuss Canadian football. Total Baseball discusses the history of black baseball players, but Total Football does not do the same for black football players.

But perhaps I am being harsh in comparing Total Football to something as canonical as Total Baseball. Total Football has been an invaluable reference. It has statistics on every NFL, AFL and AAFC player (no comprehensive playoff stats, though); team statistics dating to 1920; and scores and attendence (where available) for every game played. The book even lists players' high schools, although unfortunately it does not have an index of high schools. For stats junkies like me, the book is a lot of fun.

Don't expect to find a football book you can use exclusively from the rest. This is a good supplement to books like "The Pro Football Encyclopedia" (by Maher/Gill). If you're into statistics this is one of the best to have. Whereas "Pro Football Encyclopedia" has players longest gains, which this book doesn't, this book gives you kickoff and punt return stats for all players, the encyclopedia doesn't. This book is mainly about the NFL. I bought it for the statistics. It's also a good book to use if you want to find out more about a specific player (statistically speaking). Chapters like "The 25 Most Memorable Regular Season Games" and "The 300 Greatest Players" etc.. are not what I got this book for. I would prefer a book that leaves out author's opinions. I've seen games I'll never forget that I knew wouldn't make the list and also players. Although these chapters are somewhat interesting along with others I could live without half this book easily but like I said, it's a good season by season individual stat book that has information other books don't. It mainly depends on what you're buying this book for. There are statistics here excluded from other books but there are stats left out that ARE in other books, like blocked punts for instance, which may not seem to matter to most, but it all depends on what you're buying it for. It has stats other books don't, that's what I bought it for.