Presidents Can't Punt by George Lynn Cross - 1977

Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1977 University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK. 1977. Hardcover. Stated First Edition. Book is tight, square, and unmarked but for gift inscription on the front pastedown. Book Condition: Very Good +; slight wear to tail; light shelfwear to board bottoms. DJ: Very Good +; NOT Price Clipped ($9.95); edge bumps; light wear to head, tail, and tips. Red boards and spine with white and black lettering on spine. 384 pp 8vo. As Cross states it, there is strong evidence within his book that college presidents have much less control over intercollegiate athletics, especially football, than Cross or critics have implied or claimed. President Cross is a recent example of a century-long phenomenon in which an educational leader never strayed far from the will of his boss, the Board of Regents, when athletic policy or decisions were being discussed. While the educational historian or sport historian would most likely be interested in various influences on the development of sport in the college, this book is designed to capture a wider reading audience than those interested in institutional history. Cross has striven to tell a story with which Oklahomans and football fans can relate. Wins and losses, mostly wins, dominate the pages, and coaches, especially Bud Wilkinson (145 wins, 29 losses, 4 ties), dominate those wins. Yet, the volume is significant for the insight which can be gained into the political machinations of a university involved in big-time athletics. Cross has written a valuable book for better understanding the administration of college football. A clean very presentable copy in a Brodart mylar jacket.