sports illustratedLooking for the perfect gift for the sport’s fan in your family? Check out Football’s Greatest,  written by the editors of Sports Illustrated, this is the ideal present for any football fan. Philly Happening recently had the opportunity to speak with Bill Syken, a Philadelphia based Sports Illustrated editor, to answer a few questions about this new book and his love of football.

PH: Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get involved with Sports Illustrated?

BS: I worked for Sports Illustrated as a reporter and editor for the magazine for eight years, and now I’ve worked as an editor on several SI book projects. Football’s Greatest is my sixth SI Book.

 

PH: Are you a Philly sports fan? If so, do you think that contributed towards your decision to follow this career path?

BS: I grew up in Dresher, which is a Philadelphia suburb, and I’ve followed Philly sports my whole life. But my career path was driven by interests in reporting and writing.

 

PH: Your new book, Football’s Greatest, sets out to end all football debates. How did you go about tackling such huge, highly-debated topic?

BS: For Football’s Greatest we polled SI’s NFL writers and editors, asking them to name their Top 10 in a bunch of categories, from quarterbacks to stadiums to games. Once we developed an authoritative list, we then used it as a framework for this coffee table book, illustrating our experts’ choices with classic photos and stories from the SI archive. So the book not only features the best of the NFL, but the best of SI’s NFL coverage through the years.

 

PH: The rankings in Football’s Greatest are no doubt starting heated debates around coffee tables across the country! About how much time did you spend debating the final list decisions with your publishing panel? Any particularly memorable debates?

BS: Our writers and editors submitted their Top 10 lists and arguments via email, so the process was more AP poll than star chamber. But we did have many close votes. The tightest contest for a number one spot was the vote for the greatest single-season team of all-time. Some argued for the undefeated 1972 Dolphins, while others preferred the dominating 1985 Bears. The ’85 Bears won out.

 

PH: If you could publish another “Greatest” book, which sport would you tackle next?

BS: If we were to do another book, Baseball’s Greatest would be next on the list. But I’d love to see Basketball’s Greatest, Golf’s Greatest, and on down the line.

 

PH: Where your favorite place in Philly to watch football?

BS:My favorite Philly place to watch football is my sofa, and ideally I am eating roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds from Nuts to You.

 

footballWhat is Football’s Greatest about?

This is the book to end all arguments-and to start many others. Who’s the greatest quarterback of all time, Joe Montana or Tom Brady? Brett Favre? Who was the most dominate linebacker, Lawrence Taylor or Dick Butkus? Was Deion Sanders better than Ronnie Lott? Are the Packers of Steelers the greatest franchise ever? Sports Illustrated has polled its pro football experts to determine the Top 10 in more than 20 categories. The rankings appear alongside stirring photography and classic stories from SI’s archives.

This is the best of the NFL’s best, or more simply, FOOTBALL’S GREATEST.

(description provided by Amazon.com)

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