People who read the New York Times ought to read this Sunday's sports magazine's profile of Bill Parcells by Michael Lewis. It's about what you expect from Lewis, presenting a well-written and intriguing portrait of Parcells while always keeping the economic side of the game close at hand. He discusses, for instance, the proliferation of "non-uniformed" personnel (coaches, assistant coaches, associate coaches, trainers, assistant trainers, etc. etc.) and the evolving understanding of which positions are most important on the field (noting the vastly increased salaries of left tackles (to which subject Lewis devoted an entire book) and cornerbacks).

These observations will probably seem more like insights to casual fans than the hardcore (I'm closer to the former), but a clear exposition of the interesting implications of economic changes in the game is worthwhile nonetheless.