Field of Play

Zagaris Michael Zagaris

Description

A striking celebration of decades of unparalleled access to the NFL by a critically acclaimed sports photojournalistFor the past 60 years, Michael Zagaris has taken his camera behind the scenes of the NFL, capturing the moments that define America's game. With unparalleled access-42 Super Bowls, 49 seasons as team photographer for the San Francisco 49ers, and a behind-the-scenes passport to the rest of the NFL-Zagaris takes his aim beyond the field and to the locker room, the bench, the practices, and the training camps. His intimate portraits convey the nerves, the tension, the pain, and the elation with emotional depth and the clarity of a longtime insider. With contributions from celebrated Hall of Famers Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, and Fred Biletnikoff, as well as text from renowned sportswriter Steve Cassady and sociologist Dr. Harry Edwards, Field of Play highlights Zagaris's storied career as a photographer, showcasing the irresistible force of football and celebrates its enduring presence.

Sujets

• Fútbol americano
• American football

Informations

• Publié par: ABRAMS BOOKS
• Date de parution: 04 octobre 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781647007997
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 7 Mo

Extrait

49ers vs. Buccaneers, Tampa Stadium (the Big Sombrero), Florida, 1987

Jack Tatum hammering Ricky Young, Raiders vs. Chargers, Oakland Coliseum, 1977

Walter Payton scoring a touchdown, 49ers vs. Bears, Candlestick Park, San Francisco, 1976
To Kristin, Ari, Alexis, Elias, and the men of the National Football League: Sunday gladiators all!

CONTENTS
Preface by Michael Zagaris
Foreword by Joe Montana
Introduction
The Early Years by Michael Zagaris
THE RAIDERS
The Raiders Mystique by Fred Biletnikoff
THE 49ERS
Capturing History by Ronnie Lott
Afterword by Dr. Harry Edwards
Acknowledgments
Colophon

Michael Zagaris, 49ers vs. Rams, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, 2019
PREFACE
BY M ICHAEL Z AGARIS
Football has defined America from the late 1950s to the present day in much the same way the bullfight has defined Spain for the last four hundred or so years. Professional football weaves action, pageantry, speed, violence, celebrity, spectacle, and tribalism into a uniquely American obsession. It is many things to many people, having transcended from a mere spectator sport to something that thoroughly captivates the country from preseason games in late summer to the Super Bowl in early February. When scholars look back at the United States at this point in our history, I think football will be viewed as one of the things that defined us as a nation . . . in much the same way baseball reflected who we were as a people and culture from the late-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century.
This book is the culmination of a journey that began for me in the mid-1950s. It reflects my own journey in the game- my vision and its evolution . . . and the game as seen through the prism of the players who play the game.
I have always been a romantic about life, a seeker. While this book is a collection of images and related stories, it is not just about standard football action. I am not a sports photographer. I ve always approached anything that is of interest to me from the point of view of a photojournalist-a storyteller . . . with a point of view. These photos document an ongoing search for the essence of the game, as primarily seen through the eyes of the men who play it . . . and occasionally through the eyes of the fans.
The goal from the very beginning was to be authentic . . . to be real and to stay real. These images will afford you a fly-on-the-wall perspective, a perspective that reflects truth-of the moment -with the presupposed knowledge that the reflection is always a complex truth.
While my loyalty is always to the men who play the game, the coaches who coach them, and to the game itself, this work is not intended to be the standard portrayal one often sees in the media. If your only touchstone is the Internet, sports radio, or television, you often miss the bigger picture. Football has always been a game of emotion . . . of passion . Regardless of the teams playing, the matchups, the game plans, or even the execution, it often comes down to how badly you want it. Everyone should see the game with open eyes . . . and the field is just one of the places I ll focus on. I want to take you into the locker room as if you are a player, as if you are about to go into battle. This is about the anticipation, the nerves, the tension . . . that feeling in the pit of your stomach right before you walk into the tunnel leading to the field before kickoff.
It s been said that the best art is often the product of intense suffering . . . the same could be said about preparing for and playing a game, both physically and mentally. Focus; trust-in the plan, your teammates, yourself-sometimes playing through pain. It s all here. I have always pushed myself to understand the game and those who play it-and, in turn, better understand myself. So strip away what you thought . . . what you hoped for; go to the edge and push through the dejection, the pain, the elation . . . the redemption .
I have tried over the years to see, to record, to live the game . . . with empathy, with gratitude, with respect for those who play and have played. So strap in, and get ready to not only take the ride, but to totally immerse yourself in the experience.
FOREWORD
BY J OE M ONTANA
When I was just trying to find my way around during my rookie season of 1979, Michael Zagaris became a familiar face and one of the people who helped me get comfortable in my new surroundings.
When you are in the same room with Michael, you know it. The best place to be is within listening distance to hear his endless stream of wild tales from his firsthand experiences in sports and rock n roll.
You always knew Michael was around, except-and here s the crazy part-when he was working as the 49ers team photographer. In those settings, he was able to blend in, and you never knew he was there until later, when you saw his photos.
He has a tough job. Taking pictures in sports is not easy. You have to position yourself in the right place at the exact right time, or you miss the shot.
Michael had a knack for always being in the mix. It never failed that he was routinely in the best spot at the exact right time to capture the moment. I don t know how he knew where to go, but he did. I don t know how he got there, but he did. Again and again.
Most of all, though, he was just part of the team. He found a way to relate to people, entertain, and keep everyone loose.
He convinced us during the 1984 season that a small figurine of Bemular, a monster from the Japanese kiddie show Ultraman , was our good-luck charm. We all bought into it. He snapped a lot of photos, and we had fun with it all the way to our second Super Bowl.
Michael had a sense of when to insert himself into the middle of situations to get his photo without being intrusive.
He always understood that if there was some situation that might have been crossing the line, with your family or some sensitive situation, he d always ask for permission to photograph it. Everybody appreciated how he handled himself in those situations, and he won our trust.
Sometimes, he was there for private moments-and I m glad he was. He caught images of me and my father that will forever hold a special place in my heart.
My dad used to teach me a lot like Bill Walsh later did. They both believed that you learned not from what you did well, but from your mistakes. With my dad, it was always, You could have done this, You could ve done that.
After Super Bowl XVI, I didn t think it had been one of my greatest games. When my dad walked in after the game, he congratulated me. I was not too excited with how I played, even though we had just defeated the Cincinnati Bengals. All I said to him was, Thanks.
He asked me what was wrong, and I said, I don t know-it just wasn t a great game.
He said, Would you shut up! You just won the Super Bowl, and you were the MVP. Now, eat your burger, and get out there and have some fun.
Michael just happened to catch the photo that takes me back to that meaningful moment.
I felt as if that was the first time my dad did not tell me about something I did wrong. Before that moment, there were always places to go that were higher. And at that point, we reached the pinnacle. It was almost like that was when I finally won him over.
The other photo that has special significance is one that I m sure everyone has seen. It s the one of me and Bill Walsh.
It was late in the NFC Championship Game against the Chicago Bears, and Bill and I were talking near our sideline. I was just worn out. That is why I was on a knee. Bill wanted to talk, and I said, Just give me a second.
And he said, Just stay down there-I ll come down and talk to you. He was playing with the grass and talking to me about whatever he wanted to talk about. I don t remember.
I did not know that Michael was there, just a few feet away, taking that picture at Candlestick Park. Looking back on it, there was no doubt he was around us somewhere. I should have known, because he was always in the best position to get the shot.

Joe Montana and his dad after the 49ers soundly defeated the Broncos, 55-10, Super Bowl XXIV, Superdome, New Orleans, 1990

Montana and Bill Walsh, Raiders vs. Bears, NFC Championship Game, Candlestick Park, San Francisco, January 1985

Joe Montana holding the good-luck charm Bemular, 49ers vs. Rams, NFC Championship Game, Candlestick Park, San Francisco, 1990

Joe Montana, the day before Super Bowl XVI, Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan, January 23, 1982

Montana during the final drive to victory over the Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII, Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami, 1989

We were all the way down on the other side of the field, and that is where you would have thought Michael would be, too. He had to come back to the bench area to join us. Again, he was in the right place at the exact right time.
It is difficult for me to describe that photo. There is just a feel to it-the look on Bill s face, the look on my face. There was an understanding of a give-and-take that is important for a head coach and a quarterback to experience success together. You can see those elements in that photo.
Bill took a knee to meet me on my level in that moment, and in many ways, that was symbolic of his leadership style. Bill told everyone with the 49ers from Day 1 that nobody is a rookie in here. Everyone gets the same respect within the organization, from the person in the office to those cleaning the locker rooms and all the staff. We were in it together, and it had to be that way in order to create a championship culture in the building.
Every now and then, Bill showed he was the head coach. But in most cases, he tried to demonstrate that he was on the same level with everybody else. He didn t mind getting down on one knee, because he knew I was exhausted, and he wanted us to be able to relate to each other eye to eye.
The photos Michael captured of me with my dad and Coach Walsh have special meaning to me