Deprived: The Lost 1982 NFL Season

Classmates and former Buccaneer football players (and lifelong fans of the game) reunite for a combined “what-if” story and love letter to the sport. Their plot revolves around the infamous season mentioned in the title, when the 57-day-long players’ strike forced the NFL to cancel seven of the regularly scheduled 16 games.

Using statistics from the season as well as evaluations of some top teams and players, the authors offer up their theories of how each of the “lost games” might have gone—from the matchups of the teams to the final score. Interwoven through all of this speculation are the stories of two boys growing up with football. From Miskimins’ initial draw to the Dallas Cowboys as a way to spite his brother, to Grant’s early memories in a town obsessed with the Steelers, both authors lovingly recall the game as a vital part of their childhood—and of who they became as adults.