What is it really like living in the shadow of the NFL? Contending with marital issues in a media spotlight? Raising kids whose father is idolized for his bone-crushing work on national TV? Trying to pursue friendships and career while constantly on the move? Reporting from the home field, Shannon O'Toole offers an intimate perspective on the culture of the NFL based on her interviews with dozens of wives and girlfriends of NFL players and coaches. Bringing to bear a background in sociology and a firsthand understanding of being married to the NFL, O'Toole is uniquely qualified to report from behind pro football's doors. Part insider tell-all, part sociological study, her book is packed with candid on-the-spot accounts of NFL life, providing a rare glimpse into the often hidden world behind the game. Women - already 43 percent of the NFL's fan base - make up the sport's fastest growing group of fans: this book is certain to appeal to them and to anyone who wonders about the hidden realities of America's favourite game. Shannon O'Toole holds a master's degree in sociology from Western Michigan University. Her husband, John Morton, has played wide receiver in the NFL, the CFL, and the NFL-sponsored World League and coached in the NFL for eight years. A member of the North American Society for the Study of Sport, O'Toole writes book reviews for newspapers and sports-related Web sites.