For readers who are outside of the United States, the pinnacle weekend for American football fans is upon us: The Super Bowl Weekend.

In the lead-up to Sunday, February 1st, millions of people across North America will be absorbed by the show-down between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. Television pundits will offer endless hours of commentary; employees around water coolers everywhere will discuss just why they hate the Patriots; and bloggers will opine on every Super Bowl detail. In the USA, football is the topic of the hour.

At NPL we think that the Super Bowl– a true cultural phenomenon– deserves more attention than the mainstream literary world delivers. We’d like to break the ice by doing something we’ve never done before: offer two excerpts from NPL editor Karl Wenclas’ book The Tower, which explores the American Cult of Football.

Frustrated Mascots, Unite! Aim pens at the Arena of Common Experience! Deck the Monday Night Halls! Enjoy excerpt one, The Press Conference!

“Bobo!” Rick Romeo barked. “The press conference begins in twelve minutes. You have to be there.”

The bizarre looking mascot, who’d been skulking around the facility, raised a costume hand in acknowledgement while running off. Not necessarily in the right direction. The stadium was so huge, had so many levels, turns, and byways, corridors of blue, orange, or green, Rick wasn’t sure the mascot knew where he was going. But if anyone knew the facility better than Rick did it was Bobo.