The Why Is Everything

A Story of Football, Rivalry, and Revolution

By: Michael Silver

Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain

When Kyle Shanahan became the NFL's youngest offensive coordinator in 2008, he had one prevailing rule: Tell me the why. If a colleague couldn't justify his position by providing the unassailable reasoning behind it, he was told to get the hell out of Shanahan's office. Shanahan and the members of his coaching tree—including Sean McVay, Mike McDaniel, Raheem Morris, and Matt LaFleur—came up in a sport where innovation was the exception, not the rule. There had been brilliant football minds before, from Paul Brown to Bill Walsh to Bill Belichick. But for the most part, coaches learned a particular system and stuck to it no matter what—no matter the players on their team, no matter what the opponent might do.

This group of young coaches would change all that. The Why Is Everything is the story of old dogmas falling before astonishingly creative new strategies and game plans. Drawing on unmatched access across the league, longtime NFL reporter Mike Silver takes us into the key moments in this still-unfolding revolution. Less than a decade after their emergence, these men are the stars of their profession and have helped propel the NFL to new heights of viewership and drama. With The Why Is Everything, Silver reveals how it all happened, and in the process gives us a timeless account of friendship, rivalry, and the never-ending pursuit of perfection.

©2024 Michael Silver (P)2024 Ascent Audio

Great listen!

Really enjoyed the stories. Learned a lot about how important relationships can be in the NFL.

Great read

In depth coverage of some of todays brightest young football minds. Without a doubt a instant favorite and definitely gonna have a 3rd 4th and 5th listen

Great if you love the nfl

Good mix of profiling and building stories around each coach, the insider view, NFL gossip, what makes coaches succeed, and how the leagues innovation happened

the sheer football knowledge

if you are football a football you will love this book merry Christmas football fans

A Brilliant Deep Dive into Modern Football Strategy and Innovation

This masterful analysis had me completely engrossed from start to finish. Silver expertly weaves together football's rich history with contemporary strategic innovations, offering unique insights into how today's elite coaches think. The book transforms how you watch the game - every play call now carries deeper meaning as you understand the chess-like intelligence and historical evolution behind each decision. It's rare to find a book that makes an already fascinating sport even more compelling, but this one achieves exactly that through its detailed exploration of football's tactical evolution and the brilliant minds shaping the modern game.