Preface

Introduction

Pursuing Accomplishment

Constraints on Accomplishment

Challenges Ahead

Laying the Groundwork

The Summer Game

A Fall College Game

An Inner-City Game

A Winter Game

On the Eve of Major Leagues

Getting Established

The First Major League

Building a Viable League

Early Challenges

The Early Prototype

A Successful Challenge

The Landis Years

Overview of a Successful Prototype

Attachment Failures

Out of Canton

Into the Midwest

Across the Border

Failure Reconsidered

The Modern Prototype

Television and the NFL

Problems Facing Rival Leagues

Organizational Innovations

Persisting Performance Inequality

Modernization

Reluctant Modernization

Late Modernization

Persisting Localism

Where They Stand

Changing Ways

Deal Making in the Past

The Meaning of Deals

Structures of Deal Making

The Impact of Deal Making on Performance

Pursuing Opportunities

Publics and Performance

No Place Like Home

Game Outcomes

Publics and Performance Inequality

Publics in Perspective

The Accomplishment

Facing the Future

A Strange New World

Appendix: The Major Leagues

Appendix: Statistics Brief

Appendix: League Statistics

Notes

References

Index

Eric Leifer has taught sociology at the University of North Carolina and at Columbia University. He is now an independent scholar and businessperson.