But it wasn't. It was just Odessa. (30)
Two chapters into Bissinger's book, you should be seeing how Peter Berg has softened or sweetened his cousin's take on small town Texas football. Which is okay: the film works well enough on its own, in its more conventional view of sports (in my opinion). But you should be seeing by now what has been changed. Boobie's story for one. Look at pages 17-18. And then: "Boobie officially quit the team two days later. But no one paid much attention. There were a lot more important things to worry about that that pain-in-the-ass prima donna with a bad knee who couldn't cut worth a crap anymore anyway. There were plenty more on the Southside where he came from" (20),
This is not Berg's story. That said, there are parts of the film that approach the messiness of the "true" story. For one, the relationship between Don and Charlie Billingsley, whom we meet in Chapter 4 of the book.
This is one of the most uncomfortable moments in the film; note the reaction of Coach Gaines, who does not say a word during this awful moment. What I really like about the film is its willingness to let Gaines be a bit of a mystery, to let him be a complicated man who can alternately punish his players mercilessly, as he does Ivory in the bull ring on the first day of practice, who can scream at his sensitive quarterback Mike Winchell, yet can give that beautiful half time speech below:
So, with all this in mind:
1. What is your reaction to the film separate from the book? What do you like about it and perhaps dislike or question? What scene or moment in it especially stayed with you, and why? What character has especially struck you as we get toward the end of the film?
2. Now to be more critical: do you think Gary Gaines is a good coach? Do you think he is a good human being? Why or why not for both questions?
3. You've read the first two chapters of the book. What do you think the film gets right about the book? For you, where is the perfect intersection of the text and the film?
4. And finally: Odessa in the book. A place you'd want to live? Why or why not?
We'll finish the film tomorrow, talk about it, and the book as well. Then onto the series.
My reaction to the film might be a bit premature, but so far, everything about it is so curiously perfect. The composition of the film is stunningly faceted, and it generates various emotions meant to be felt by the viewer: sympathy for Don's relationship with his father; joy for the team's victories; empathy for Boobie's incapability of playing; a stirring connection to the team itself. One scene that was particularly moving was the scene in the car with Boobie and L.V., in which Boobie is so excruciatingly immersed in relentless agony. He boasts his glitzy wardrobe that includes a spotless towel with "Terminator" embroidered in it, yet all of his glamour and physical appeal couldn't matter less here. He is raw and engulfed in a pain that is impossible to alleviate, and I found that immensely stirring. Ivory Christian's character has considerably struck me in the film. He's so obviously the quiet-but-strong player, which I think most sports films need. But his sudden emotional eruption in the locker room with the team was what "sold" me. I was waiting for that, some kind of release from him, and he finally - and rightfully - gave the team a piece of his mind.
ReplyDeleteGary Gaines, in my opinion, possesses every aspect of a good coach. He knows football like the back of his hand, he's ruthless on the field, he makes no hesitation to communicate with the players and their families, and he has an almost paternal bond to his players that allows them to plant the entirety of their trust in him. His devotion to his job is fueled by his love for his team, and he is peculiarly unashamed by this love. He incorporates his humanity with his job, which ultimately transpires to his success as a football coach.
Both the film and the book indubitably illustrate the adherence Odessa's population feels towards the Permian team. One point at which the film and book become parallel is the demonstration of the press's interest. Not only are the Permian players essentially worshiped by the townspeople, but they are lavished by the press as well - speaking for endless interviews, signing autographs, and being written about in immeasurable amounts of magazines and newspapers.
Odessa certainly doesn't come across as the ideal place to live, especially for someone black as myself. I could never be attracted to a city where racism is continually being instilled in its inhabitants' belief systems. However, one thing that I do admire about Odessa is the bluntness of its residents, and how unapologetic they are about their economic and societal position in Texas. They are what they are, they do as they please, and they don't express any eagerness to change that.
Since we are only two chapters in to the book, I feel that I can't have a separate reaction for both the movie and the book. Although, being almost done with the movie, I can say that this has gotten to be one of my favorite football stories, along with Remember the Titans. Like John said, I do enjoy the mystery of Coach Gaines in the film, as well as the many different relationships in the story: Mike and his mom, Don and Charlie, and more. The most pivotal scene for me was when Charlie threw his state championship ring out the car as if it was merely nothing to him. That scene is pretty much a summary of the relationship between the two, Charlie looks at Don as if he was nothing, but Don cares enough to get out of the car and search for the ring. Don is a character that I hope to get to know more of in the book, because of his sensitivity and compassion for the game. Personally, I believe Gary Gaines is a good coach because of the pressure he puts on his players, and the hopes he has for them. I do disagree with the decision to put Boobie in when he first got his injury, and when he was injured. I'm sure almost everybody can agree with me on that. I also believe he is a good human being. He would visit some of the players at their homes, to check in with them and build a stronger relationship with them. In the film, the shots of the naked deserts of Odessa is right on point. The images of nothing put the viewer in to that setting, of a naked, almost useless territory. Odessa is a place I would not want to call home, solely because there is nothing there. Odessa is a barren desert, somewhere I would not want to be because I have always been a city kid.
ReplyDelete1. I have really enjoyed the movie so far, and as I am getting into the book more and more, it has been interesting to see the differences between them. Reflecting on the movie alone, I would say that it is a pretty accurate depiction of the text in the story, but moments seem kind of “Hollywood” or cheesy throughout the film. Boobie’s character seems almost too good to me. Of course there is the dramatic scene with him getting his MRI and screaming at the doctor, but his character suddenly becomes the ultimate teammate as he gets on the bus to sit on the bench at the state championship. After reading the prologue of the book, it implies that Boobie is not really the amazing hero that everyone in the town builds him up to be and that he quits the team instead of being the teammate that he is in the film. I really like the quarterback in the film, and I think he has shown a lot of character development throughout discovering what he wants from football and his life. I especially thought the scene where the coaches who were recruiting him were sitting down with his mother, and his mother instantly said that he would take them up on any offer that they would give him. In the beginning of the film, he never really stood up for himself or said what he wanted or thought, but just went along with what his mother wants and everyone else wants from him. Towards the end, he is sitting with the coach and tells him that he feels pretty lost on the field and he is not really sure what he wants with football or even if he has the right mindset to play and be great. To me he is the character who realizes he wants something bigger than just playing football for his high school team, and he is struggling on how to cope with that.
ReplyDelete2. I would say that Gaines is a good coach. He made some dumb mistakes that ended up costing him a lot, like putting Boobie in when it was not necessary, but I think overall he knows what the game is about and what the team is about. He usually keeps his composure, even if the team is losing badly or playing poorly, and for what I’ve noticed, tends to stay pretty positive through all of the pressure that he is under. During his halftime speech, he hit the key points about what football means and what sports are: not winning, but loving your teammates and yourself. He talks about committing all of your heart to something you love, and explains that even if it does not go “perfectly”, that there would be no regret. I would argue that he is a similar man as he is a coach. He is under a lot of pressure, so he acts rashly and gets overly heated sometimes, but I think he handles the townspeople with poise. He does not let the angry fans take his heart out of the sport or off of his team.
3. The perfect intersection with the text and film is the description of the town, the establishing shots of the barrenness, as well as the sheer obsession that the fans have for the game. I think the book and movie convey the importance of football as an identity for Odessa.
4. I would not like to live in Odessa. As mentioned before, I am a city-girl at heart, and I cannot imagine having nothing else to do but obsess over the high school football team. As mentioned in the book, no one really wants to live in Odessa, but most were just thrust there with the promise of oil money and no one really knows how to get out.
When we were watching the film today in class, I got the sense that football is, without a doubt, the most important thing to the people of Odessa. When reading the book tonight, I also picked up on the fact that football is the most important thing. But what makes the book and the film so different from one another is the "why" component, the actual reason that football is so important to these people. When I saw the film, I truly felt like the reason for the focus on football was because everyone had really grown up with the game, and because they simply love the sport. It is their lives and that is simply the way it is. I felt the focus on the football was actually for the football. Everyone in the movie seemed to rely on the drive and passion of Permian High School football. When I read the book, the reason why football is so important in Odessa was very different. In the book, there is a much bigger sense of hopelessness than there is in the movie. It is much more depressing, and the passion in Permian football seems to be because people have nothing else in their lives. The people of Odessa are so focused on it because they simply have nothing else to look forward to, and it is an escape from the depressing lives they lead. Odessa is described as an extremely awful place, and the people need something to keep them going, or to distract them at the very least.
ReplyDeleteI do think Gary Gaines is a good coach and an even better human being, but I think he makes his fair share of mistakes throughout, as all human beings do. I think any coach that can lead a team to a Texas football state championship game is good. But, as far as how he handles some of the situations he has to deal with as a coach, I feel like he could've made a better choice. For example, the way he screams at his quarterback in one scene cannot possibly be helpful. Also, I do not know much about football, but personally I found myself disagreeing with some of the play calls he was making. As far as being a good human being, I think he makes a significantly smaller number of mistakes. He handles most of the situations he's in as a human being very well, and he keeps his cool. The halftime speech he gives in the state championship game says a lot about his character as well. He understands that there is life outside of football, and that is about how you respond to events.
I think two things that the film get correct about the book are, obviously, the importance of football in Odessa, and then, a little less obvious, Mike Winchell. I think it captures his nervousness, his love and also at sometimes hate for the game of football. It captures his loathing at the attention, and the way he carries himself outside of the team. The moment that is the perfect intersection of the book and the film is at the beginning of the film when Mike's mom is testing a nervous looking Mike on the different plays.
I would never want to live in a place like Odessa. For one, I am a city person and would not be able to stand living so far away from a city. The reason for this is because I cannot stand to not be in the know. From everything from national news to the time of day, I feel uncomfortable if I am cut off in any sort of way. Also, Texas has never been a state that appeals to me. I absolutely love trees, and I never want to live any place where there aren't many trees.
I think the film is very well done, and it portrays the atmosphere of the town and the focus on football very nicely. I like how the movie goes in depth with the relationships between the players and their family. There is a good balance between football and the characters’ lives. The scene when Boobie is in the doctor’s office in Midland was really powerful, and also when he is in the car with his uncle. It is very emotional when he breaks down and realizes his football career will never be what he envisioned. It shows how these players’ lives revolve around tackling each other. The character that stuck me towards the end of the film was Billingsly’s father. What he said about how the one senior year of playing football is the only significant year in your life was very interesting.
ReplyDeleteGary Gaines is a very good motivator and is very inspirational, and he gets his players to give it all they’ve got. That is a very important part of coaching, but his decision to play Boobie with a minute left when they had secured the victory wasn’t very smart. I also think he is a good human being, and he cares about his players.
The film does a very good job of depicting how the whole town rallies around the football team. The players’ personalities in the book and the movie are very similar, like with Mike Winshell’s shyness and Boobie’s self-confidence. The perfect intersection is between the book and the film is showing how much pressure the players have on them to succeed. With the press and everybody they see asking them is they will win state, it is a ton of pressure for 17 year olds.
I would not want to live in Odessa, because I like living in a big city with more going on around me than just football games. I don’t think life would be as enjoyable in Odessa because beside the 10 games or so a year, there isn’t much to get excited about.
I have loved the movie so far. I felt like it took me along for the journey of the football season with the team. Every time one of them got hit hard I’d physically cringe at the sight. When Boobie got injured and desperately wanted to return to the game I felt terrible and wanted to cheer him on. The movie really makes you connect to the individual players and the team as a whole. It also gives you an in-depth perspective of the town and how important and essential the football games are to their lives. Their Permian Panthers are the source of any pride they have. It serves as their reassurance that Odessa isn’t just the insignificant town that the outside world views them as. They have worth and their valuable asset and only asset is the strength of their football team. I also loved the wide shots in the movie of Odessa itself and how barren and rural it seemed. I thought the movie did a fantastic job of capturing the physical rundown town of Odessa, Texas. During the movie I became attached to Boobie Miles and felt like I could relate most athletics wise because of how he suffered an injury. The longing he felt towards returning to his sport in a crucial time during the season was easy for me to connect to since I burned my hand the week before playing the state tennis match. His story is one of the saddest, in my opinion, because of his entire future relied on his ability to play football. I also loved the character of the coach. He’s mysterious as John said, but truly acts as a paternal figure towards a lot of his players. In the movie, I enjoyed the scenes where he talked to Mike about his mom and Mike’s future. I feel like he doesn’t care about the racial aspects of the game and is always just looking out for what is best for his whole team. The movie so far has been great at capturing the rural town of Odessa that worships its star football team.
ReplyDeleteI think Gary Gaines is a great coach. He tries his best to help his football team succeed and does what’s best for the team, not just individual players. He plays the role of that necessary paternal figure in some of the boys’ lives such as Mike’s. And when people get upset about him losing a game and put for sale signs in his yard, he’s not shaken or affected by it. He encourages the players to play the sport they love and not think about the pressures the town puts on them. I think Gary Gaines is a good person because he tries to make the team become a family that looks out for each other and wants what’s best for his team. He’s caring and considerate and obviously loves his family very much. I think all this shows that he’s a good person.
The film really portrays the scenes of Odessa as described in the book well. The movie captures the rural, old, southern American town perfectly. Especially the beginning shot of the barren, dry land of Odessa in the movie fits the book’s description. I also appreciated how the film really showed the outside pressure on the football team from the town. The radio constantly bashing the coach and specific players when they lost or the media praising their amazing team when they made it to the state championship. It really shows how football and the scores influenced the whole town’s mood. Football is all the people of Odessa have to live for, honestly. Football is a means of escape from Odessa and the only way out of town for some. I think that’s what the movie does really well, it demonstrates the desperateness of the players to succeed and it shows what football means to each individual on the team.
Odessa in the book is not somewhere I would ever consider living because it seems so boring. It’s completely sheltered from the outside world and the whole community knows everyone’s own business. Even the physical appearance of the town is not appealing: it’s dirty, rundown, and insignificant. Also, they obviously do not value education and the only way out is playing football. So, no I would definitely not want to live in Odessa, Texas, no matter how fun their football games are.
I agree with the notion that the film places a more prominent emphasis on football itself rather than having a focus on Odessa as a community and the prevalent fixation on football and that fixation’s effects on the entirety of the town. However, I do feel that the film did touch on some of the more prominent issues in the book that have arisen in the first two chapters. In my opinion, Mike Winchell’s conflict centered upon his almost fervent desire for seclusion combating the unyieldingly prying and often condescending nature of many of the town’s fans was captured perfected in the scene where Mike and Coach Gaines were speaking in Mike’s bedroom. Mike’s desire to remove himself from Odessa was evident, in addition to the monumental psychological duress he has been burdened by for the near entirety of the season. The scene further exemplified Coach Gaines’ ability to embody the persona of an unrelenting coach or an empathetic at any particular moment, an attribute that renders it difficult to discern who Coach Gaines’ is as an individual. Gaines’ is under the same amount, if not significantly more scrutiny than the Permian Football team, and thus needs to be staunch in his choice words and actions in order to allow the performance of his team to be the only positive or mitigating factor in the duration of his tenure as head coach of the Permian high school team. This renders Gaines a hard read, as although he appears to be nearly relentless towards his team during practice (probably in order to ensure the fans that he undoubtedly leads the team), he is also capable of delivering addresses that for what they lack in eloquence feasibly have the ability to move nearly every individual in his presence emotionally.
ReplyDeleteOdessa would definitely be a place I’d have a hard time calling home. Although the bigotry and underlying racial roles are almost unitarily applicable to any city or town in the United States (albeit to a lesser extent in the majority of cases), the overt bigotry that is rampant Odessa accompanied by some staggering statistics regarding the crime and murder rates, in addition to the ravaged economy makes Odessa a less than desirable place to live, or at least for me.
1. The movie in my opinion is depressing and extremely upsetting. To be honest, I have not enjoyed the movie partly because it is so difficult to watch. The movie has reiterated all the preconceived notions I had about football and small town life. These kids literally eat, breathe, and sleep football. Their fixation and the town’s obsession seems unhealthy and disturbs me. Watching the movie I feel physically sick especially when Boobie gets into the car and cries onto his uncle’s shoulder. It troubles me that at 17 years old these kids feel the weight of the entire town on their shoulders. The scene that especially stuck with me was when coach Gaines goes to talk to Winchell at his house, and Winchell breaks down. This scene really emphasizes how the players on the football team are not prepared to lead a team that the entire population of Odessa is counting on. Another scene that particularly bothered me was the scene of Billingsley and his father in the car. I feel scared for Billingsley. In addition to playing football, he has to be the adult and stand up to his father. I’m curios how their relationship plays out and whether Hollywood dramatized it a lot.
ReplyDelete2. Gaines appears to be a good coach on the surface. He knows what to say in front of the video cameras and how to motivate his players. He also appears to know football very and how to build solid players. However, I don’t think the movie depicts Gaines as a very good human being. He doesn’t stand up for his player when Billingsley’s father beats him, and Gaines puts Boobie into the game when Boobie is clearly not ready to play. Gaines is not thinking about Boobie’s career. Although coaches often need to be merciless and be able to disconnect themselves from their players, I think Gaines crosses this line. He puts his players at risk whether it’s turning a blind eye to abuse or playing an injured player. It is unsafe.
3. I think the film portrays the town very well. The book talks repeatedly about the emptiness of Odessa, and the movie opens with the perfect shot to show how desolate Odessa is. The scene where Winchell is in the telephone booth with the oil rig behind him and then nothingness depicts the completely barren world that these people are a part of.
4. Very plainly, I would not want to live in Odessa. I do not like a place where I can’t get out and see different things/get a different perspective. Maybe because I’ve never grown up with football, the idea of my life revolving around football every Friday night revolts me.
It’s interesting to simultaneously read the book and watch the film, because they tell the same story, but are so drastically different. What strikes me about the book is how journalistic it is in style, which, although informative, is not necessarily as invoking of emotion. The presence of raw emotion is why watching the movie has been such a different experience for me than has been reading the book. The scene in the film that most moved me was Boobie’s injury. Watching the toppling of an athletic powerhouse be so quickly stripped away is hard to watch. Equally as painful is watching his uncle’s reaction to the injury. It’s emotionally difficult to watch him as he recognizes that not only are his nephew’s dreams crushed, but that also his years spent training Boobie and leading him to believe that he could make it have been washed down the drain by bounties.
ReplyDeleteThe character who has especially struck me in the film is Mike Winchell. It is agonizing to watch him and have no idea what’s really going on in his mind, and to know that he has no idea where he wants his life to go. With most of the other players, there is either the sense that football is their passion, or that they possess the academic excellence to achieve a ticket out of Odessa; however, despite the fact that Mike could get a scholarship, he doesn't really know if that's what he wants, and this unique tentativeness is definitely what interests me the most about him.
I think that Permian could have no better coach than Gary Gaines. He is ruthless his style of coaching, but he does not pretend to be perfect. He owns up to his own mistakes while calling others out for their own. Gaines maintains the perfect line between coach and human being in his presence in the lives of his players, and I admire him. I think that any coach dealing with players under such pressure must maintain such an identity as not only coach, but human being as well.
In my mind, the scene that beautifully integrates the film with the book is the scene in which all the football players are eating their food at the restaurant, and the father comes up with his wife and daughter to take a picture with Mike Winchell. I think that this portrayal of the pride in the game and the exaltation of its players exemplifies the feeling I get from reading the book. It's interesting to watch Odessa’s citizens completely idolize the game in a manner so unfamiliar to myself, and I think that they way the movie does it, although not necessarily completely parallel to the description in the book, manages to perfectly translate the same message.
To me, Odessa sounds utterly unappealing as a place to call home. The only reason that comes to mind when I wonder why I wouldn't ever want to live in Odessa is because I have been brought up in a life so starkly different than the one portrayed in Friday Night Lights. Invariably, because of the city life I have always led, I see no appeal in living a life on a landlocked island in Texas, but that is not to say that such a lifestyle could not also have its benefits.
I think the film is very well made because of the unlimited number of conflicts within the film. I like how the film forces you to feel connected with the team and ride the same emotional roller coaster they do. I thought the scene when Boobie partially tears his ACL the first time was a very thought provoking scene. The third string running back was supposed to be put into the game, but could not find his helmet, and Boobie was put in instead, systematically ending his career as a Permian Panther. This shows how in athletics, your future and dreams can be snatched from in front of your eyes in a matter of seconds. I was very struck by the quarterback Mike Winchell. The entire town loves him or hates him on a weekly basis, and he has to take care of his sickly mother, while balancing out schoolwork and football. His dreams to play football in the future are overshadowed by his mother's need for his care. I think that Coach Gaines is a coach who is tough on his players, but at the same time is a very good coach. He is great at leading the team and inspiring the players to do their best. While he is a very tough coach, I think he is a good person who not only wants to see his players succeed on the football field, but in life as well. I think the film did a good job of showing how much football means to the town of Odessa. When the Panthers had a game in the film, shot after shot was shown of the stores that were closed because the owners were going to the game. Odessa is a place that I probably would not want to live in, but I do not think it would be a terrible place to live. Being so isolated from the rest of the world and having nothing on your mind but football all day everyday honestly does not sound like a horrible way to live, but at the same time, the rampant racism within the town and uncertain economy would dissuade me from wanting to live there.
ReplyDeleteI have really enjoyed the movie so far. I was reluctant to go to lunch today because the part we stopped at got me really pumped, and I am very curious to see how the movie ends. I enjoy the subtle humor inserted into the movie. I think the scene at the beginning when Boobies' Uncle talks to scouts is hilarious. Also, the way Boobie acts is funny throughout the movie, and I like how every time the camera pans to Ivory he has a stern expression. The moment of the movie that stayed with me was the championship halftime scene. Coach Gaines gives a great speech, and I could feel the power of it in the audience. The movie really gets me cheering for the Panthers, and the intensity makes the film engaging and entertaining.
ReplyDeleteI think Gary Gaines is a good coach. It is important for a coach to demand the best from his players, and that is what he is doing when he is tough on them. When Mike throws a bad pass in practice Gaines yells at him because he knows Mike can do better. He looks out for his players and visits some at home. He is not only a good coach, but a good human being. He has a tremendous pressure from the whole town to win state. When the team lost to Lee, people put for sale signs in his front yard. However, with this magnitude of pressure on him, he still manages losses coolly.
I think the movie gets the character Boobie right. He has "the attitude" as his teammates call it in the book. Just like the book, in the game against Lee he feels good and wants to go in. And just like like the book, Boobie is upset when he realizes he can no longer play football. This is demonstrated well in the scene when Boobie he leaves the stadium and in his car breaks down crying because his only shot out of Odessa was football.
Odessa in the book is certainly not a place I'd like to live. I do not like football very much, which is the only thing people do in Odessa. I am not a religious person, and Odessa is an extremely religious place. I do not feel like I would fit in with the people of Odessa. Along with that, I would hate the scenery. The sandstorms described in the book sound unappealing, and the lack of trees would depress me.
I have really enjoyed the movie so far, and the book is also pretty good. While the film is based more on the football aspect, the book also brings in the atmosphere of what Odessa is really like. In the movie, the seen that really moved me was when Boobie was in the car with L.V.. This scene moved me because it really shows how one injury to an amazing young athlete can ruin any hopes of playing in college or in the pros. It is very heartbreaking ti see Boobie crying because the one thing that he has centered his life around, he can't do it no more.
ReplyDeleteI think Gains is a good coach. Hes is able to keep his players organized and disciplined, and is also able to change his teams game plan when they loose their star player. As for Gary being a good human, i can't really tell. He seems to be friendly to other people, yet when Don Billingsley is basically beat up by his father, he stands by and does nothing to help his player.
The perfect intersection of the text and the movie is the description of the Town. IN the movie, it shows the how barren it is and what the people are like and the book gives great descriptions on the feel of the town.
Odessa is not a place i would like to live. For me it's to out in the middle of nowhere, way too focused on football, and it's just an ugly place to be in in general. I am a city person. I am also not a very religious person, which wouldn't fit in with their style of life.
1. I really liked the film but the one thing that I didn't like was how it sweetened the real story from the book. While in the movie we did see a glimpse of Boobie’s house and a tinge of the racial problems in Odessa with the all-black garbage men, there has not been much mention of racism. In the book, Bissinger does not try to sugar coat the racism in anyway, he reveals the coaches’ real thoughts about Boobie after the accident with no sense of discretion. While the movie is fantastic it sidesteps some of the larger racial issues that play a big role in the book.
ReplyDelete2. I believe that Gary Gaines is a good coach in the way that he motivates his players and finds ways to emotionally connect with them while still remaining in a higher position of power. While he does have his flaws I do believe that he is overall a good person and does care about his players, but just feels like it would be out of his place to delve deeply into his players’ personal lives.
3. I think that the movie captures the intense drive of the players and the town’s fascination with football. In the book it goes into the characters individual motives heavily and the movie also focuses on what the game means to the players. There is a great scene in the locker room where Mike Winchell is banging his head against the wall after a loss and a couple of the players are crying. I think that this clearly shows the importance of football in their lives. For some of them it is the only way to get out of the town. Also, I think the way that the movie shows the vacant town littered with signs proclaiming “Gone to the game” really shows how devoted everyone in the town is to the football team.
4. I would not want to live in Odessa because it is a dilapidated, distraught town covered but by the mirage of football. Without football, it is nothing and I would not like to live in a town that’s only reason for not falling apart is sports. Also, there is no emphasis on education so that anyone who lacks in talent is doomed.