Hail Mary The rise and fall of the National Women's Football League

Sportswriters De la Cretaz and D'Arcangelo present an entertaining history of the National Women's Football League, which, from 1974 to 1988, "broke the mold for what a football player was supposed to look like." Their story begins in 1967, when Cleveland entrepreneur Sid Friedman, inspired by the success of the Harlem Globetrotters, decided to establish a single women's team to compete against male squads. As De la Cretaz and D'Arcangelo exuberantly recount, that idea--initially created as a "gimmick"--morphed into a league of fierce competitors where all-female teams battled each other with the same intensity of their NFL counterparts. They illustrate how--in the face of rampant sexism (one reporter dismissed the teams as "social clubs with pads and cleats") and corny team names, such as the "Houston Herricanes"--the players garnered devoted fans. The NWFL never hit it big, in part because of a lack of respect from the media that, the authors argue, continues to this day regarding women's professional sports leagues. Without overstating the case, de la Cretaz and D'Arcangelo demonstrate how this overlooked chapter in American sports blazed a successful trail for today's women athletes. This underdog story is a delight. Agent: JL Stermer, New Leaf Literary & Media. (Nov.)

An intriguing history of the 1974--88 National Women's Football League (NWFL) by journalists de la Cretaz and D'Arcangelo, both of whom primarily write about the intersection of sports and gender. Drawing from extensive research, including interviews with former NWFL players, the authors cover the history of women's football, beginning with the first recorded instance of women playing football in 1896. The NWFL was established in 1974, with its heyday in the 1970s--its first local televised game took place in August 1975. As the authors tell, the downfall of the NWFL was the result of a lack of funds, little media and fan support, and poor organization. During its peak years, leading players emerged including Marcella Sanborn, Linda Jefferson, Susan Hoxie, Rose Low, and Jan Hines. In interviews with de la Cretaz and D'Arcangelo, some of these players recalled the major impact the NWFL had on their lives; the book also contends that the NWFL helped to pave the way for women who now work as coaches in the NFL. The book includes an extensive bibliography and listing of NWFL teams. VERDICT This is a noteworthy study of a nearly forgotten football league; especially recommended for football fans and those interested in women's studies.--Lucy Heckman, St. John's Univ. Lib., Queens Village, NY