Wedded to the Game: the Real Lives of NFL Women

New Orleans Saints

As we settle into Cajun-country, John and I are amazed by the resilient and positive attitude of the people of southern Louisiana. Despite enduring their recent hurricane experiences (and everyone has a story), they continue to be hospitable and welcoming to their neighbors. They proudly display their fleur de lis and they are behind their Saints!
"Recover, Rebuild and Rebirth"

2nd Annual NFL Wives Getaway

The Second Annual Women's Getaway was held at the beautiful Barton Creek Spa & Resort in Austin, TX. From the www.wivesgetaway.com website:
“There are a group of women who share in an experience that is exceptionally unique. They are constantly away from home, family, and friends. Sometimes these women and their families are forced to relocate to previously unknown and seemingly foreign cities across the United States. We are the women of the National Football League(TM) (NFL). Due to the nature of this lifestyle, there is a need for a support system that allows us to assist each other by sharing our valuable experiences. Furthermore, we can be a more effective voice in our representative communities with the platform afforded to us by our husbands and significant others.”

Wow, this event was so much fun! Enisha Williams did an excellent job organizing a fantastic weekend. Attending this event were many amazing and exceptional women from throughout the league. Sherice Brown spoke about supporting other wives and becoming a “virtuous woman.” Romonda Jordan gave a reading on “Jealousy.” Kimberly Alexander sold her gorgeous Sparkle Tees. Shelley Barrows offered insights about her forthcoming children’s book, “When You Look at Me, There’s More To See.” And Pilar Sanders gave a brief presentation about her work with www.beshalom.com.

Book Review, Only a Game - Bill Littlefield

"Wedded to the Game"Date: 2/2/2006

What can be said of NFL women in general? According to Shannon O'Toole, who surveyed lots of the women married to or otherwise involved with players and coaches, a good deal. She found that most of the women had learned to deal with, if not necessarily embrace, the insecurity built into their husbands' work. The wives of the players acknowledged that they were less successful at getting used to the strong probability that their husbands would be seriously injured. She found less dismay with groupies than the reader might have expected. Most of the women responding to O'Toole's questions claimed they felt secure in their own marriages, though they felt the groupies might well be imperiling the marriages of other NFL couples.

To read the rest of this review please go to: http://www.onlyagame.org/features/2006/02/wedded.asp

USA Today Article - Sex and Superbowl

Pricey celebrity events mix sex, big game

By Michael McCarthy, USA TODAY

DETROIT — Leave it to the sex merchants to exploit the spotlight surrounding Super Bowl XL. The days leading up to the big game saw a profusion of promotions ranging from the cheesy to the sleazy.
The Lingerie Bowl pushed its pay-per-view event featuring skimpily dressed female footballers engaged in the "Ultimate Catfight" — as well one-time Super Bowl hero William "The Refrigerator" Perry lumbering onto the field in women's uniform. Porn queen Jenna Jameson threw her first Super Bowl party Friday night. Men's magazines Playboy, Penthouse, Maxim and FHM cashed in by throwing celebrity parties.
But author Shannon O'Toole said these events "demeaned" female football fans, who now make up 43% of the NFL fan base. "Women football fans watch football for the game. They respect the players," said O'Toole, author of the new book Wedded to the Game: The Real Lives of NFL Women.
Woe to the guys who fire up the Lingerie Bowl next to some of the real female football fans O'Toole interviewed for her book. "They would not sit there and watch that," noted O'Toole, who's married to former NFL player turned coach John Morton.

Book Review & Interview - Femmefan.com

I have known Shannon O’Toole for approximately 6 years. I met Shannon as I was cruising the Oakland Raiders parking lot in September of 2000 gathering material for a story on the Raiders fans and their image. Shannon was manning a table on behalf of the Biletnikoff Foundation and I stopped to talk to her about my website and the story I was working on. Shannon took my card and I continued on my merry way. I was both surprised and delighted to get an email from Shannon and we soon discovered we shared some of the same ideas and goals.

Shannon O’Toole has written for http://www.femmefan.com/ and her articles have always been written with honesty and integrity. Shannon’s book, Wedded To The Game, The Real Lives of NFL Women, is further evidence of that honesty and integrity.

To read more of this interview, please go to: www.femmefan.com

Book launch cocktail party

Wedded to the Game: the Real Lives of NFL Women will have a book launch cocktail party held and hosted by the Sigma Financial Group and the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester, Michigan, Thurs. Feb. 2nd. It is a private party for NFL couples and members of the media. It will be a night to recognize NFL women for who they are and for the unique contributions they make in their partner's career.

UPDATE: Book Available Now (Jan. 22, 2006)

Wedded to the Game: the Real Lives of NFL Women is now available!
The book is available wherever books are sold or on the web at www.amazon.com.
You may also call the University of Nebraska Press at: 800-755-1105, or 402-472-3584.

Another Book Review

"I have always been a football fan, and even as a young girl I wondered what it would be like to be married to a football player. Shannon O'Toole has given the reader great insight as to what life is really like for us. Our years in football were an incredible blessing. Sadly, not all athletes' wives can say the same. This is a candid look inside the sometimes non-glamorous world of professional football."
- Kim Singletary, SF 49'ers

Book Review

Wedded to the Game: the Real Lives of NFL Women
Shannon O’Toole did an amazing job portraying the real lives of NFL women in her book. I can’t think of an aspect of life in the NFL, from my perspective, that wasn’t touched upon. In this easy to read book, you will learn about the struggles many couples face getting into the NFL, the reality of what life is like once they get there, and what happens when the game is over. She is extremely candid. Shannon’s research, along with being an NFL insider, allowed her to represent life in the NFL as well as I have ever seen. Being the wife of an NFL player, I did not realize how many couples struggled and achieved success as a team. It was comforting to know that while the stories may vary many of our experiences are the same. I am proud to be a part of this book and I will be proud to share it with my family and friends.
- Julianne Player, Arizona Cardinals