As American Football grows around the globe, there is in many parts of the world a desire by international students to improve their EngIish language skills. As such, gridiron historian and author, John Kowalski has teamed up with teamed up with Sports English Media (www.sportsenglish.org) to write and publish a book that can serve as a learning and skills resource for international fans, coaches, players and the media.

Gridiron Japan livestreams over at Gridiron Japan Television on YouTube at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.gridironjapantv.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, on Facebook at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/GridironJapan.jp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and on Twitch at www.twitch.tv/gridironjapan.

During 2020, as the pandemic raged around the world, a new kind of podcast appeared on the scene, one that covered football history like never before- The Football Odyssey, with Aron Harris on Spotify. A ground breaking sports history podcast that Sports Illustrated gridiron guru Paul Zimmerman would have loved, and in which covered the game like few podcasters have.

One of his earliest episodes was on the history of the gridiron game in Japan, which aired on September 20, 2020. As noted in the show liner notes:

"American Football in Japan may sound like a novelty, but in reality, the gridiron game has been played in the Land of the Rising Sun since the 1930s. Against the backdrop of World War II, and through many international games against American opponents, the sport developed and created a niche following for itself, entering another chapter in The Football Odyssey."

For this edition of Gridiron Japan, Aron, who has retired his show, has graciously given us permission to air this old episode of The Football Odyssey podcast. Hopefully someday Aron will return to the internet airwaves and continue his football odyssey. In addition to his audio work, Aron also has a companion YouTube page- https://www.youtube.com/@thefootballodyssey6849, as well as an archived website at The Internet Archive- https://web.archive.org/web/20241226010441/https://www.thefootballodyssey.com/

You can find Aron's written essays on Japanese football at our website at https://gridironjapan.jp/japans-football-history.

If you'd like to watch any Japanese games mentioned in this episode of The Football Odyssey, click this link to Aron's YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz830_gAqRZSw7ceRT_l42G3o27JNswic

Gridiron Japan livestreams over at Gridiron Japan Television on YouTube at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.gridironjapantv.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, on Facebook at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/GridironJapan.jp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X at Gridiron Japan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of Gridiron Japan, Greg and Mike talk about their love of gridiron gaming, including playing X League and Japanese college games on their favorite gaming platforms. Specifically, they talk Japanese team mods for EA's Madden and College Football and also reminisce about their favorite past football games, including Tecmo Bowl.

You can find all of Mike's X League and Japanese college mods, all of which have been approved by EA, over at https://www.ea.com/games/madden-nfl/team-builder and search for "miketackett54" where you can download them for free.

Gridiron Japan livestreams over at Gridiron Japan Television on YouTube at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.gridironjapantv.net⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, on Facebook at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.facebook.com/GridironJapan.jp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X at Gridiron Japan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.