Larry Bird's NBA career is legendary. Much less is known about his humble upbringing in a small southern Indiana town and his college journey which, after a few bumps in the road, led him to Indiana State, and the 1979 NCAA title game matchup against Magic Johnson's Michigan State Spartans. Keith O'Brien, bestselling author of "Charlie Hustle," a biography of Pete Rose, unearths this fascinating early look at the early Bird years and discusses his book in this installment of "Books On Sports."

The era of Name, Image, and Likeness celebrated its fifth birthday on July 1, 2026. So it's appropriate our guest on this episode of Books On Sports is one of the leading NIL authorities. Kristi Dosh is an attorney and a faculty member at the University of Florida. She is an in-demand speaker on the subject and has written the most complete book on NIL from the athlete's perspective, "The Athlete's NIL Playbook." The book is also a great resource for anyone wanting to enter the rapidly growing NIL industry.

Christine Brennan is on the short list of most accomplished sports journalists in the U.S. She is a sports columnist for USA Today, as well as a commentator for ABC News, CNN, PBS NewsHour, and NPR. She is also an author, having written eight books on sports.
Chistine has been a trailblazer for women in sports and her recent NY Times bestseller "On Her Game," published by Scribner, reflects that passion. "On Her Game" is an unauthorized biography of WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark covering her Iowa upbringing, incredible collegiate career at the University of Iowa, her terrific rookie WNBA season with the Indiana Fever, and in the paperback version released in May 2026, new material on her injury-riddled 2026 season.

In this episode of Books On Sports, I interview Ken Belson, the author of the fascinating 2025 book, "Every Day Is Sunday." Ken is a New York Times reporter who has covered the business of the NFL and other sports leagues for more than 15 years. The book's sub-title is: "How Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft, and Roger Goodell Turned the NFL Into a Cultural & Economic Juggernaut."
This interview was taped in spring 2026.