Brooks on Books: "More Than a Game" by Brian Billick

Why in blazes would a Steeler guy like myself read a book by former Ravens coach Brian Billick? I'll get to that in a minute, but let me say that while "More than a Game: The Glorious Present and Uncertain Future of the NFL" is an engaging read that might enlighten the casual football fan, there might not be enough new info and insight to make this worth a purchase for a more serious NFL follower. I'd recommend this as a library read or a "wait for a paperback" kind of book, except maybe for...[shudder]...Ravens fans.

Even hardcore fans might come away disappointed if they are expecting a lot of dirt and detail about Billick's reign as Baltimore's head honcho. Rather than write a career-spanning memoir or diary of a specific season, Billick took a novel approach: As a TV commentator and student of the game, he sought out former colleagues, coaches, executives, and others involved with the NFL to develop a picture of where the league is today and where it might be going in the future.

You know, I disliked the guy as the Ravens coach, but toward the end of his tenure, possibly because the team was down a bit, I kind of saw him a little differently. For some reason, I kind of wasn 't annoyed by him as a Fox analyst and wanted him to do well. So I thought this book sounded intriguing and wanted to read his views on the game's evolution.

Billick and co-author Michael MacCambridge (who wrote possibly the best book about the NFL I ever read) do a great job of organizing the material and presenting it in a concise fashion. Each chapter covers a different aspect of the pro game, such as coaching, offense, defense, general managing, etc. The ex-coach peppers explanations of how those aspects function with personal anecdotes and insights. He has some funny stories and sharp observations, but I wish there were more. He alludes to All-Pro linebacker Ray Lewis being a diva, but he doesn't follow up on it, and you just kind of get the impression he's holding back somewhat because he wants to stay close to the game and get another coaching job in the near future. What you wind up reading are well-written but ultimately unsurprising analyses of how, say, the salary cap is incredibly complex. I would prefer a little more X's and O's, a little more specific detail.

That said, Billick offers interesting glimpses of how a coach works with his general manager and even his owner to run a pro football franchise. He's a smart guy with some things to say, and he is no doubt aided by his talented co-author in crafting a good read here. A common thread throughout this volume is Billick's concern that the league and the players will wreck the great thing they have going by failing to reach a new labor agreement (hence the "Uncertain Future"). There is often as much economic talk as on-field strategy talk, and that reflects the nature of today's NFL.

My favorite part of the book, though, comes at its conclusion and feels too short. Billick talks about where he sees the game going and how it'll change. I would love to read more of this kind of thing. He talks about the inevitable 18-game schedule, spread offenses, and--most intriguing to me--the possibility of giving fans access to the fabled coaches' game film used by teams and guys like Ron Jaworski to break down the action. Billick thinks this is certain to come eventually; I'm sure a lot of hardcore types will eat it up.

Those hardcore fans will enjoy this book, too, but they might not find a lot of new or surprising material. They will get some distinctive insights from Billick, who shares solid perceptions despite seeming to hold back somewhat on personal details. "More Than a Game" is a great choice for a fan seeking to know more about the basics of the NFL, but those who already obsess over the league might want to sample it before buying.