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R.K. "Bob" Speights, Literary Agent 

 

Run the other play, Coach!

By R.K. Speights

It would be far easier to categorize who would not read this book of humor than who will. Run the other play, Coach contains humorous sayings, quotes, jokes, comments and tidbits from high school and college football coaches compiled over a ten year period by the author while covering high school and college football games.

Index of Laughter


It’s going to be a long season when

I’d rather _____ than teach class

Odd names for players

Funny things coaches say

From the locker room
Out of the coach’s mouth

Tales from the trenches......

Jokes from the coaches...

Football anecdotes

Player riddles

Coach’s knowledge test

Humor - especially sports humor - spans the globe. Coaching is a stressful business. Stress begets humorous situations. Humor relieves stressful situations. Coaches can be humorous, even comical at times thus comes this book that fans, coaches and players of all sports will enjoy.

In a poll of 1500 East Texas coaches, players and fans, who a brief synopsis of the book and an opportunity in helping select the title, they choose Run the other play, Coach . Over a three week period, starting with ten possible titles, Run the other play, Coach was ultimately the choice of the people. Emails keep coming in as to the progress of the book and availability.

A computer generated book - as a test medium - was send to ten coaches, and sports journalist for their critique. One - the former managing editor of a national football magazine and author of two football books - ask to write the foreword. Another - the producer and sports personality of one of the longest radio sports talk shows - asked for the first interview when the book hits the shelves. Each gave the book a thumbs up.

In January 2004, portions from the book was used as an opening monologue by the Master of Ceremonies of a - by invitation only party - of the Who’s Who in coaching held in Florida. It was given a thumbs up by over 250 coaches and their wives.

Why will this book will be a number one seller. Two reasons: 1) Content - Sports humor, and 2) the simple fact of numbers - potential buyers.

Determining a readers market is not an easy task because of the enormous fan base for football much less all sports. Humor adds another variable to the equation, too. The humor in this book will transcend the various levels of football, it will transcend locality and it will transcend the various sports. Sports fans from all continents will enjoy the humor contained within the covers.

High school football is "King in Texas", so that will use that as a basis for marketing purposes. There are 1146 public high schools in Texas. 213 private schools. Over 65,000 athletes participate in high school football each year in Texas. There are over 13,000 high school football coaches alone. The average attendance (class 1A to class 5A) per regular season game is 2000 adult fans. That’s almost 3 million high school football enthusiasts in the state of Texas that attend games and are potential buyers.

Add to that, 40 plus college football teams, two professional football teams and the reader base will exceed 10 million. And that’s just football fans in Texas.

Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Southern Methodist University and the University of Texas average 65,000 fans per football game. That’s over 300,000 potential buyers.

Football coaches alone (in the US - all levels) number over a half a million. Nationwide there is in excess of 30 million high school football fans, players and coaches. There in excess of 100 millions football fans in the US-all levels. All of them love sports humor and are potential buyers.

 

Book support

The author is a well known high school sports journalist with media contacts throughout Texas and the nation.

Radio stations who would promote the book.

 

  • Southern Sports Tonight - syndicated in over 300 southeastern cities

    WWL Sports Talk - New Orleans-based Clear Channel station heard in 40 states

    David Smoak’s Sports Talk - the longest running sports talk radio program covering East Texas

    Mighty 1090: The Coach John Kentera Show - San Diego-based show covering high school football

  • The manuscript is complete except for the artwork.

     

     

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