Author: Shannon O'Toole
ISBN: 0803286252 First time author and wife of John Morton, an ex- NFL player and now coach, Shannon OToole candidly exposes her thoughts and perceptions of what it is like to be married to a professional football player or coach. OToole, who holds a master's degree in sociology, bases much of her assessments on a questionnaire that she anonymously sent to one hundred and fifty wives of NFL players and coaches. She received seventy five responses and of these she chose thirty to interview more in depth. These women range in age from their early twenties to their mid-sixties and come from diverse educational and ethnic backgrounds. Wedded to the Game: The Real Lives Of NFL Women is a broad overview as well as a recording and synthesis of OTooles findings that make for some very interesting and sometimes surprising data. Divided into ten chapters, OToole addresses such concerns as the insecurity of being a wife of a player or coach whose career can be over in a flash, or the endless number of relocations that most of the players have to endure during their career. A full chapter is devoted to domestic violence and the ineffectiveness of the NFL in dealing with the problem. Included in this same chapter is the temptation to indulge in extra-marital affairs and a questioning if it is more prevalent than in any other profession or occupation. The misconception that everyone employed by the sport is ultra-rich is thoroughly examined with some surprising revelations. Much ink is given to exploring family relationships, particularly where couples live a schizophrenic existence in that once the season begins some wives hardly see their spouses. As the author states, some women, particularly coaches' wives, never get over the difficulties and loneliness the football season brings, and they become increasingly bitter and hostile." Moreover, wives have to take on the role of supermoms or single moms, wherein she becomes one hundred percent responsible for their physical, educational, and emotional well-being of the couple's children. Readers also receive a realistic expos of how difficult it is to break into the NFL and the daily routines of NFL players and coaches that are not as glamorous as the media would like to have us believe. Another misconception that the author candidly talks about is the matter of free tickets to the games. As mentioned, players and coaches for the most part are required to pay for their tickets, and the tickets that they do receive for their immediate family are not exactly in the best sections of the stadium. O'Toole is not afraid to touch on some very sensitive issues and what emerges is a poignant and gripping sketch of a better understanding of the complex lives of spouses of NFL players and coaches that are very often ignored by the media. |
