Jeff Pearlman, best-selling author of “Football For a Buck: The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL”
Jeff Pearlman, best-selling author formerly of Sports Illustrated, is the guest on this week’s episode of Just Another Sports Podcast to discuss his new book on the United States Football League, titled “Football For a Buck: The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL.” Pearlman tells sports editor Josh Smith and host Greg Swatek about his passion for the league and how a 40-page essay he wrote about it in high school provided the internal jump-start necessary for him to ultimately land the book. He shares stories about some of league’s quirks and how prominent local sports figures like Frederick’s Chuck Foreman and former Redskins coach George Allen played into its history. Plus, he recounts how Donald Trump served as the catalyst for the league’s demise after a three-year run. The author also talks about why he guaranteed his mother he would one day work for Sports Illustrated, the memorable profile he wrote for SI about former Atlanta Braves reliever John Rocker, the future of the NFL and other upstart football leagues and what it takes to be an extremely successful journalist.