Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin
I came across some interesting books during my recent travels across the Big 12 that deserve some mention, particularly for conference fans who might have settled outside of the conference's immediate area.
Maple Street Press has come out with a couple of team-specific guides to Big 12 schools that hit the spot as far as football information goes.
"The Eyes of Texas 2008," edited by BurntOrangeNation.com's Peter Bean, has all kinds of good Longhorns information. Three full chapters are devoted to the arrival of new assistant coaches Major Applewhite and Will Muschamp. And the 112-page guide also features an interesting story by Rivals.com and former Dallas Morning News beat writer Chip Brown about an All-Mack Brown team composed of players who have played for Texas' current coach.
And the guys at Maple Press didn't stop there. They looked at the excitement coursing through Nebraska with the arrival of Bo Pelini and developed "Sea of Red" developed specifically for Cornhuskers fans. The 112-page magazine is edited by Jon Johnson and features such thought-provoking articles as "Nebraska's walk-on program - fantasy, reality, practicality," and "Why Callahan Failed: Arrogance, NFL Methods & Cultural Misunderstanding led to Demise at NU." It also features an intriguing study of the Cornhusker offense penned by veteran Lincoln Journal-Star columnist Steve Sipple, who has as good a handle on the Nebraska program as anybody around.
Both books are great, but I wonder why Maple Press didn't consider a few others for Big 12 teams. Because I've got to think that supporters of Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas A&M would be excited about team-specific editions for their programs as well.
As long as I'm playing publisher and not having to worry about start-up costs, how about one detailing the Big 12 Conference in specifics?
Tim Griffin joined ESPN.com in February 2008. He has covered the Big 12 since its inception, among a variety of beats during a 24-year career at the San Antonio Express-News. Griffin, a Memphis State University graduate, lives in San Antonio with his wife and son.
