Thirty-five year football broadcaster with the National Football League teams, the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Oilers, and with NFL Films, Mark Oristano, author of the insightful and engaging book on understanding the sport of football A Sportscaster's Guide to Watching Football: Decoding America's Favorite Game was kind enough to take the time to answer a few questions about his book.
Mark Oristano shares a bit of his inside knowledge of football, including a few tips on the most important thing to watch for in a game.
Thanks to Mark Oristano for his time and for his interesting and informative answers. As always, he scored a touchdown for the fans and the game of football itself.
What was the background to writing this book A Sportscaster's Guide to Watching Football: Decoding America's Favorite Game?
Mark Oristano: I found that as a former NFL sportscaster, I watched the game differently from my “civilian” friends, and when I explained something to one of them, they’d always want to know more. So, I started to write an article for an online magazine, and it blossomed into a full book.
Who was this book written to help with their understanding of football?
Mark Oristano: People who are not big fans, but want to feel more a part of the action on Sunday, or Saturday, or whenever. The ones who ask a question during the game, but are always told to hush up because it’s too complicated.
Can a long time fan of the game gain some valuable insights into the sport through your book as well?
Mark Oristano: It depends on how well he/she understands strategy. I don’t get into the subtle difference between Cover 2 and Tampa 2, but I lay down some brain work. Also, lots of great NFL stories from my days in the league.
The book is mainly about the National Football League. Is the book also helpful to people wanting to understand college and high school football as well?
Mark Oristano: Sure. Football is football. Everything just happens at a much faster pace in the NFL. A lot of this can be learned quickly by watching good high school games first, because the speed of that game is easier on the untrained eye.
Mark Oristano (photo left)
Football is a very complex sport, with many actions taking place on every play. What are some of the key events that casual fans should watch most carefully?
Mark Oristano: Basically, that the key players to watch on offense are the center and the two guards… NOT THE QUARTERBACK. Those three offensive linemen will tell you where the ball is going on almost every play. Once you learn to watch them at the snap, you’ll be much better at picking up the full intent of each play quickly.
What do you find to be the most confusing aspects of the game for casual fans to understand?
Mark Oristano: “Why are all those big guys running around like crazy and running into each other?” Really, just being able to parse the strategy from what looks like so much random mayhem.
You use examples in the book of great players, coaches and teams to help describe the game. Did you find that real life players and their play helped to illustrate your ideas for new fans of the game?
Mark Oristano: Nobody is better than the best. You won’t find many running backs who can run like Earl Campbell, or quarterbacks who can throw like Troy Aikman, so if you want to learn, they are who you watch. In today’s game, this would mean watching guys like Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Hines Ward, Troy Polamalu, etc… watch the best at each position… see why they do what they do.
You included a few fun insider phrases for the novice fan to use when watching the game with friends. Can simply learning and understanding this insider language enhance anyone’s enjoyment of the sport?
Mark Oristano: Sure… football is a matter of jargon, just like anything else, and as a wise man once said, jargon is an attempt to hide things from the outsider. Once you know what it means when the TV analyst says the QB was “looking weakside for the fade but the safety came over the top,” you know what to watch and you know what it’s all about.
Watching a game live is much different from watching the game on television. What important differences should a casual fan observe when watching a game at the stadium that they may not see on television?
Mark Oristano: When you watch a game live, you can see all 22 players at once, something you rarely get on TV. You can see how deep the safeties are playing on defense, and how the cornerbacks are covering the receivers. You get a much greater sense, basically, of what the defense is doing, since TV tends to show mostly the offense.
What is your own fondest memory of watching and broadcasting the great game of football for so many years?
Mark Oristano: So many. Hard to pick one. Monday night in November, 1978, doing the Oilers-Dolphins game. Each time one team scored, the other scored. Back and forth. 60,000 fans going nuts in the Astrodome. Earl Campbell ran for 199 yards and 4 touchdowns, the last one an 81-yarder to put the game away late in the 4th quarter.
What is next for Mark Oristano?
Mark Oristano: A shower. Then, more work on my next book, which has nothing at all to do with sports. It’s about medicine, but I can’t go into any more detail right now.
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My book review of A Sportscaster's Guide to Watching Football: Decoding America's Favorite Game by Mark Oristano.
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