Brand NFL: Making and Selling America's Favorite Sport Michael Oriard. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 2007. Although there have been many books written about National Football League, this study is unique in that author not only played for Kansas City Chiefs from 1970 through 1973 but currently is Distinguished Professor of American Literature and Culture at Oregon State University. Thus, he can view professional football as an insider and student of American culture. The study is composed of six chapters, an introduction, and conclusion. In chapter one Oriard devotes most of chapter to 1960s NFL Commissioner Alvin Pete Rozelle and his successful efforts to popularize game and expand its audience. Under Rozelle's leadership first national television contract was signed, NFL Properties were acquired, and a merger agreement with rival American Football League was negotiated. Two leagues were created, American and National Leagues, and championship game between two leagues evolved into a national cultural phenomenon, the Super Bowl. Rozelle, as a former director of public relations and then general manager for Los Angeles Rams, saw professional football as entertainment. Players and coaches became media stars, particularly icons such as old-school, successful coach Vince Lombardi of Green Bay Packers and 1960s' free spirit Joe Namath, successful quarterback of New York Jets. Oriard also details Rozelle's great public relations coup to team up with Roone Arledge of ABC to create popular television show for over a decade, Monday Night Football. Oriard's personal insights really are helpful in chapters two and three where he provides a balanced account of strife between NFL Players Association and management including strikes or work stoppages in 1974,1982, and 1987. Although strikes were unsuccessful, and alienated most of media and public, they started process of contract negotiations which led to a series of union and player victories against League in courts. Labor strife was Rozelle's weakness Oriard maintains and led to his resignation in 1989. His replacement, Paul Tagliabue benefited from labor conflicts, as he had been NFL's chief outside attorney. In Chapter Four author details 1993 labor contract modeled on player-management NBA contract which provided players with possibility of free agency after three or four years among a number of benefits. In same chapter he discusses Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' successful efforts to obtain more revenues for his club by selling stadium seat licenses and luxury boxes, by expanding stadium and by signing separate licensing agreements with such corporations as Pepsi, Nike and American Express. The NFL sued Cowboys charging breach of contract with NFL Properties, but they soon realized they could not win in court and dropped suit after Cowboys countersued. …