Sanctioned Savagery

“Even readers uninterested in the concussion crisis or ethical debates will come away with a deeper understanding of how football has developed, how it has been portrayed, and how it has portrayed itself. . . . [A] thoughtful, important book that rewards close attention.”—Pigskin Dispatch

“Oriard explores the sport’s violence core and how generations of Americans have learned to accept and defend it.. . . . As the hits were getting bigger, the toll on players became greater. But until recently, nobody knew the awful price that they were paying to entertain the masses.”—Irish Times

“From Oklahoma drills to coaches and spectators encouraging players to 'dish out' punishment on the field, the history of football has been steeped in the celebration of pain and injury. Michael Oriard explores fundamental questions about Americans' changing comfort levels with violence, which has very real and debilitating health consequences.”—Kathleen Bachynski, author of No Game for Boys to Play

“Michael Oriard is one of the leading voices in the critical analysis of American football. His work combines a deep knowledge of the game gleaned from his years as an athlete with his assiduous research and close reading of the culture and industry of the sport, both amateur and professional. Sanctioned Savagery continues this signature approach, giving readers a timely look at how we’ve become numbed to the breathtaking violence in football and what that means.”—Theresa Runstedtler, author of Black Ball