How Football Programs Have Changed—and What It Means

My first story for The Boston Globe Ideas section is about pro football game day programs, and how their design has changed over the years…and what it means. The story takes a look at some vintage Boston Patriots programs from the early 1960s, featuring cover designs and illustrations by Boston Globe sports cartoonist Phil Bissell. Chris Holmes at the very cool Gray Flannel Suit site provided a set of program covers. “Early AFL programs had a homegrown feel that suited a scrappy new league trying to compete with the established NFL. Each team game program had its own bespoke design, using area artists; the covers were comic, usually depicting the local team doing something bad to the visitors.” Many thanks to editor Stephen Hauser for providing inspiration and ideas as part of his wonderful collaboration on this story. You can read the full story here. There’s also a bonus audio section with additional comments on various facets of vintage and contemporary Patriots program covers.