Out of Their League

Berkeley: Ramparts Press, Inc, 1970. Hardcover. Near fine/good +. Octavo size, 263 pp., inscribed by Dave Meggyesy. Dave Meggyesy (b. 1941), a former American football player and coach, was deeply involved in the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), a union for football players; he authored the memoir "Out of Their League", a scathing denunciation of professional football and the treatment of sports in society. As Meggyesy recounts his experiences playing professional football for the St. Louis Cardinals, he discusses racism and drug usage prevelant in the sport, as well as debilitating injuries caused to athletes during games; he writes in the foreword: ". . .I've come to see that football is one of the most dehumanizing experiences a person can face, and in this book I'm going to tell you what's really behind the video game glitter of the game -- the racism and fraud, the unbelievable brutality that affects mind as much as body."

The topics in this book are still in the forefront of football discussions today, as more information about Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in football players becomes known, and as we see more athletes speaking out or protesting about injustices in society. This an important insight into the issue that is troublesome to many who love the game, and scarce in the marketplace signed by Dave Meggyesy. This volume inscribed by him on the front free endpaper: "Brother 'B' / Much Love & / Respect. The Fates have / intertwined our lives - / this is Good. / David".

___DESCRIPTION: Full red cloth, black lettering on the spine, sixteen pages of black-and-white photographs of Meggyesy toward the centre of the book; octavo size (8.25" by 5.5"), pagination: [1-7] 8-257 [258-263], inscribed by Dave Meggyesy on the front free endpaper. In a white paper dust jacket with title in black, red and blue ruled borders, and a colour photograph of Meggyesy on the front panel, black and pink lettering on the spine, colour photograph of Meggyesy on the rear panel, a description of the book on the front flap, and cover design and photo credits on the rear flap.

___CONDITION: Volume near fine, with clean boards, perfectly straight corners without rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and (apart from the inscription set forth above) entirely free of prior owner markings; a bit of bumping to the head and tail of the spine, some sunning at the head of the spine where the jacket is chipped, and light evidence of prior erasure to the front free endpaper, else fine. Likely the first edition, but Zempel is unclear with respect to this publisher prior to 1976. The dust jacket better than good, with bright colours, clean overall and entire, price-clipped, the spine with light dustiness, and light overall edge wear, the most noticeable a chip to the rear panels at the joint.

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