Football is a game of lines; on and off the gridiron. America's great game brings together individuals of all ages, from all walks of life. And these literal and figurative lines are the connective tissue that weaves the bonds between coaches and players, fans and star players, and fathers and sons. For ESPN's Ryan McGee, football is a lifelong passion formed from growing up as the son of Dr. Jerry McGee, a man who wore stripes for decades as one of the most highly-decorated officials in college football history. For the McGees; Jerry and sons Ryan and Sam; the lines of the game have provided a lifelong series of adventures, education, and even given them a needed emotional anchor to cope with the loss of their wife and mother, Hannah.
In Sidelines and Bloodlines, Ryan McGee; co-host of the popular Marty & McGee show on ESPN Radio and SEC Network; teams up with his father and brother to share lessons learned between the white lines, featuring a cast of characters that runs from no-name small college athletes and coaches to one-name legends such as Holtz, Paterno, Tebow, and Bo. The McGees provide a rare and often hilarious glimpse inside the lives of college officials, detailing how a love for the game convinces accomplished professionals from all walks of life to voluntarily endure ceaseless insults, public criticism, and the expressed goal of doing one's job on a very public stage in a way that will hopefully NOT draw any attention to how that job is done.
From hilarious stories of brawling high school referees and making awkward small talk with George Lucas and Darth Vader at the Rose Bowl to the heart-tugging story of young sons in the stands on a Saturday as a stream profanity-laden insults directed at their father drowns out the marching band, Sidelines and Bloodlines delivers laughs, tears, and a deeper understanding of a life in stripes.
"I came for the hilarious stories about the strange place referees occupy in our sporting world and found myself pulled deep into a tale of family, fathers and sons, and how we never forget the way back home."
