Paul Zimmerman has an advantage over other profootball writers because of two facts. First he was a player, in college and in semipro ball; where he played on the line of scrimmage no less. And second his devotion to covering the game. There is no writer that covers football that has his historical insight into the game, and meticulous analysis of the strategy underlining it. Zimmerman, also known as Dr. Z to Sports Illustrated readers demonstrates this knowledge in his 1984 book The New Thinking Man's Guide to Pro Football. While football is often seen as a game of brutal force, and violence, beneath this are strategies and planning that make it seem more like organized chaos. Every running play to gain a few yards is planned carefully in blocking schemes, the reading of a defense by a quarterback if further appreciated when realizing the pressure put upon the man. Each position of a team is divided, and then broken down by Zimmerman. From the offensive line to the scouting department, he gives the reader a careful understanding of each section that makes up a team. While this book will appeal to the die-hards, it will also appeal to the casual fan; not only in what may be learned, but in the human element as well. There are characters throughout the book, from Conrad Dobler's maniacal play to Joe Don Looney's loony lifestyle. Zimmerman does not forget that while football is a carefully planned sport, it is also a game, and there are many characters over the years that are just that, characters. Also established is the dynamic nature of the sport to show how football is reactionary; where a style of play is established and then acted upon by opposing defenses and offenses, to create a sport that is in constant change. Unlike baseball, basketball, or hockey football is a kinetic sport that is prone to new directions and changes over time, changing in style of play due to minor details and this makes it wholly unique. No other writer has captured this than Paul Zimmerman in writing about football.

There is just no way this title should ever be out of print. In "Thinking Man's Guide to Pro Football," Paul Zimmerman creates a category: the literate analysis of professional fotball. We have plenty of this stuff in baseball -- from Angell to James, Boswell, and the whole team. But football has always been overlooked as a place for intelligent analysis delivered with wit and graceful prose. What do we have instead? It's either: "Bullets, broads and bullies: My story," or "Coaching the Interior Line." If you're a fan who appreciates "inside the game" insights, and who plain likes football, Zimmerman's first book, written in 1970, is a vital link to understanding the evolution of football from dock workers to the glory days of the 70's. His second book, published in 1984, decodes how the game has changed as a result of the passing rules changes in 1977 and the West Coast offense, which has in turn begat the specialist packages and situation schemes of today's game. If you're a pro football fan, get these!