As Sam said to me during break, "There hasn't been any football in three episodes." Well, ask and you will receive, as Dillon beats South Pine to earn its way into the playoffs.
This section of the series is perhaps the weakest part of the overall first season, for me, at least. It's the moment in the show—which at the time it was being broadcast originally was being watched by nearly no one—where it seems like the powers-that-be, Peter Berg and Jason Katims, felt the show should be more like a "regular" t.v. show about high school. So more Street and Lyla; remembering that Tyra was part of the show (of all the characters she has had the least back-story up until now); less football; less—oh my goodness—Riggins. Less connection with its sources, the film and the book. It's in a slump. But it will come back. So to get us through these doldrums...
1. There was an audible gasp in the room at the end of the final episode, "Little Girl I Wanna Marry You" (the title of a Bruce Springsteen song, by the way). As Adria said, everything Street said up until the proposal indicated that he was going to do the "right thing," and, as Lyla thought, break up with Lyla (so, of course, he could do what Herc proposed he do—run off with Tyra). But noooo. Respond to this act: is this a "jump the shark moment" in the show, where it completely loses hold of reality and becomes totally ridiculous; or, knowing what we know of Jason Street, does this make sense—is it consistent with this character? And is marrying Lyla a good idea?
2. Another possible "jump the shark" moment: Eric not turning in Smash for steroid use. Eric makes very clear the ramifications of not turning in Smash—he could lose his job. And Smash could lose any chance he has of getting a scholarship. So does Eric letting Smash off seem, from what we've seen of him in the series, like something he would do? Is what Eric does for Smash make sense coming from a coach who kicked Bobby Reyes off the team?
3. Smash, of course, is the stand-in for Boobie Miles in real life. In Chapter 10, "Boobie Who?," we see what the fate of this young black athlete is in football obsessed Permian. What strikes you about the way he is treated by the Permian football staff? Go ahead and quote a couple times from the book. Try not to repeat the same quotes or the same points others make before you.
4. Finally, my regular question: what moment or scene in today's viewing stayed with you? And why?
I think this marriage proposal is a bit ridiculous. It seems completely impulsive, and I just think this is Jason’s way of trying to escape his problems and not face them. With this marriage, neither Lyla nor Jason will have time to discover themselves as individuals, which is especially necessary at this point in both of their lives. This is both consistent and inconsistent with Jasons character. Jason seems to always make such calculated decisions, and really thinks through his actions. This seems like such an impulsive move on Jason’s part, but we don't really get a look into the course of events and the course of Jason’s thought process. I just think this marriage will be bad for both Lyla and Street. Lyla hasn’t had time away from Jason, and Jason has not had a chance to adjust to his own life with a handicap.
ReplyDeleteI think that in Eric letting Smash off the hook, he made the ramifications quite clear. It was not simply a “you’re good”, but there are strict qualifications for Taylor’s actions, which he made abundantly clear to Smash. I think that the dilemma in giving Smash the boot versus Reyes is the enormous potential that Smash has, and the role he plays in his family dynamic. I think that Eric Taylor seems to be constantly stuck in an ethical dilemma, and in this case, I personally believe that he made the right choice by not turning Smash in. Smash needed this second chance, because he would have been much further derailed had Taylor kicked him off the team.
I think what struck me most about Boobie’s return is how selective everyone’s memory of him had become. “In the space of five weeks he had become an afterthought whose past performance earned no special privilege and seemed largely forgotten” (194). It is staggering that a kid who had previously been undoubtedly headed to a star position at a Division 1 school could be so easily forgotten, to the point where he became a nuisance. It is interesting to me that once such a gifted player falls from glory, that his coaches can begin to see the real problems with him: “To a large degree, they saw him as selfish and undisciplined and utterly undedicated to the great cause of Mojo” (200). This definitely came as a reality check to the almighty Boobie, and he was apparently not up for the challenge.
A powerful moment for me in today’s viewing was the scene in which Henry Saracen departs for his return to Iraq. Everyone knows it is for the best that he go, but it is still an emotional moment for everyone. I found it intriguing to watch each character’s different reaction. Matt began to cry and attempted to hug his steeled father, who didn't quite know the proper reaction. I found this moment to be a powerful portrayal of Matt’s teenage life; left at home fatherless with a dementia-ridden grandmother, and forced to grow up before his time.
1. In some ways I do think this is consistent with Street’s character but in other ways I do not. Jason likes to be in control and I think him asking Lyla to marry him is his way of sticking it Mr. Garity. A kind of in your face “you can’t control your daughters life” move by Jason. Also Jason and Lyla always planned to get married so why shouldn’t Jason ask Lyla to marry him now? That was always their plan. Jason wants to keep his life as normal as possible now. The big plans of “Texas forever” are gone but that doesn’t mean his dream of marrying Lyla has to disappear. However, I don’t like how fast Jason seems to have gotten over the cheating scandal. That seems unrealistic. Perhaps Jason’s request for Lyla to marry him is Jason’s way of trying to forget it.
ReplyDelete2. I think Eric letting Smash off the hook is consistent with Eric’s character. Like we said in class today, Eric is in this for the football wins, and just like he made Riggins study for his wife, he kicked Reyes off the team for his wife. Eric doesn’t have to kick Smash off the team to please anyone. He keeps it to himself, and he keeps his star running back. In addition to wanting to win, I think Eric sees promise in Smash. He wants to see Smash succeed and help his family. Eric does not want to take this away from him.
3. I think one of the things that struck me the most about how the coaches treated Boobies was how much they infantilize him. “On the field the coaches were as gentle with him as ever, treating him once again as an explosive time bomb that could be set off by the slightest impulse” (196). In the book when Boobie scores his first touchdown of the season and throws the ball in the other teams face, Gaines doesn’t yell at him. Gaines says simply “You’re a senior, you got to be able to handle that” (202). The coaches also have very little faith in him. One coach says “It takes a special kind of kid to overcome an injury like that. I don’t think he’ll ever do what it takes to be one hundred percent” (201).
4. The scene that stayed with me from today is when Tyra and her mom get a flat tire. Tyra says something along the lines of “mom if we can’t change this tire now, we are doomed.” I think this scene has stayed with me because it shows Tyra realization that she needs to charge of her life in order to make it of Dillon. Things aren’t going to be easy, and you always have to work for them, but Tyra realizes this.
Personally, I totally disagree with Jason's proposal to Lyla. Everything about it seems off and wrong. To start, I feel like they never actually worked through the problem of Tim and Lyla, they just sort of forgot about it and pushed it aside. This leaves their relationship in a more fragile place, and certainly not at a place where they should think about getting married. Also, both Jason's friend and Lyla's dad make very valid arguments as to why Jason should leave Lyla. While it is very tough and it hurts, the fact that life will be harder and he simply cannot provide like he used to be able to is a good reason to let Lyla go. Street knows this deep down, and I think Lyla knows it as well. Yes, they love each other and want to be together, but separating would be much better for them, or better for Lyla. And I was completely expecting him to do this, and then he does the exact opposite. Even watching him propose, it seems like he's questioning whether or not he made the right choice.
ReplyDeleteEric letting Smash off free does seem like something he would do. For one, he really wants to win these football games, and Smash is a big key in winning. But also, Eric is well aware that he holds the power to decide Smash's future. He decides based on helping Smash in the future, even though it is not the right choice in my opinion. While this case with Smash is a much bigger issue than Bobby's, the two are very similar. And yes, it comes as a surprise to me that the verdict from coach Taylor is not similar as well. The only reasons I can think of as far as the contrast in Eric's decisions are that Bobby lied to coach Taylor's face when Smash didn't, and Smash plays a much more significant role on the team. Besides those reasons, I cannot figure out why Eric would not kick Smash off of the team like he did to Bobby.
What struck me about the way Boobie is treated by the staff is how they really do not show any care towards him whatsoever. No one has any respect for Boobie, and nobody sees him as anything more than an expendable football player. No one has the rest of his life and career in mind as far as when it is safe to play him. "The doctor had cleared him to play, which in the coaches' minds meant he could play. And all the things that went along with the injury-the mental aspect of having to adjust to being a white shirt substitute, the necessity of major knee surgery after the season whether he gained one yard or one thousand-were necessary prices to pay," (200). The reason no one pays any attention to Boobie when he returns is because quite frankly he is not needed. "A team so damn good it hadn't missed a single beat when Boobie had wrecked his knee and went on without him as if he had never been there," (206). It really strikes me that even though he does not really make an impact, the coaches would not show a little more respect, after all of the effort and time that Boobie gave them.
I think the one moment in today's episodes that stuck with me was the scene where Tyra's mother is hit by the man in their house. For one, the scene was just downright disturbing, and I cannot get it out of my head. Also, this scene is a little fast forward into the lives of Permian students I felt, and worst case scenario where they might end up if they do not take their lives seriously. It seemed to me kind of like a warning, especially for Tyra. Tyra makes it clear that she does not want to turn into her mother, and she starts to make decisions based off of that. For example, how she turns down Riggins. She turns a terrible situation into a lesson for herself, and she learns a great deal from it.
I think that Jason proposing to Lyla is absolutely ridiculous. Yes, this happens to a lot of 18 year olds who think they're in love, which is the fact that I find appalling. I think the show gets this right, but I don't think the decision is "right". If two people are deeply in love with each other with no questions asked, no matter the age, it can be the right decision to get married. But for Jason, being so young, confused, and hurt mentally and physically, this is such a wrong choice. Especially since Jason has been questioning him and Lyla for such a long time. If he believes this is the right choice, then good for him, but I wouldn't be surprised if this came back to bite him in the ass.
ReplyDeleteI think the difference between the Reyes ordeal and the Smash ordeal is that Smash is more of a necessity and Smash and Coach have more of a relationship. That being said, being a football coach is the job of Eric Taylor. When it comes to his occupation and putting the food on the table for his family, his job comes before being Eric Taylor. If needs to keep Smash to win state, he's going to keep him. But he's not just being selfish to win state, he's helping Smash and his family tremendously. Coach Taylor and Smash have one of the strongest relationships of any other player with the coach, so Eric feels he needs to do a favor for the Williams family by not turning Smash in. He's risking his job to help Smash and his
family. So really, there is a question if Eric Taylor is selfish or not.
It strikes me that Boobie is treated as if he some new, rookie back up running back, not Boobie Miles. Boobie Miles had been this superstar, but ever since the injury, nothing has ever been the same. The book says that he had a tremendous game the year before against the same team gaining 232 yards on 8 carries. Now he is ecstatic when gaining 8 yards and a first down on one carry. He's also placed as a blocker for Chris Comer, as if to say, your days are over Boobie, make way for the new star…literally.
The scene when Henry Saracen leaves Dillon for Iraq again hit me really hard today. It is probably one of the saddest scenes in the series so far. Matt had been so happy to see his father after such a long time, but now it's all over. Matt said it best, that he wanted his dad to want to in Dillon with him, not just to be there. I totally agree, nobody wants someone to be with you unless they want to be there. Matt felt he was almost forcing his dad to stay, but if his dad left for Iraq, Matt knew that both Matt and his dad would be happier in the end.
I think that this is probably not the right move for Jason and very out of character for him. He was a very introspective and logical person even before the accident and afterwards became even more grounded and developed a much more realistic outlook on life. Although Buddy Garrity is annoying and hard to like, he does have a point: Jason may not be able to raise and support a family. No matter how much we love and root for him it is certain that his future will be a difficult one. Jason doesn’t even know when he can come back to school and now he’s marrying Lyla? I think that it is selfish of him to ask her now. I am not against them having a future together but I just think that it is unrealistic for them to get married now.
ReplyDeleteSmash has made a stupid, stupid mistake. Not only does he put himself and his future in danger, he also puts the team, his family, and his coach in danger. Coach Taylor basically has control over Smash’s entire future: if he has the ability to make or break him. While it is clear that Smash was truly sorry and regretted what he had done and the effect his actions had on others, I don’t think that it was smart for Taylor to risk it. It’s hard for him to make a rational decision because of his close relationship with his players but keeping Smash on the team could ruin both Smash and Taylor’s future. However, I do think that the issue involving Reyes was very different then the issue involving Smash. Also, Reyes was going to be allowed to play while Smash would have to sit on the bench until he was completely clean so Taylor wouldn’t use Smash’s steroid use to his advantage.
There were mentions of Boobie’s after-injury treatment earlier in the book but this is the first time that Bissinger really focusses on Boobie. I think Boobie Miles is a clear example of how temporary football really is and how football-obsessed Permian can treat a player like Boobie like a god one day and then throw him out as soon as he is injured. Unlike Street in the television series, they have no sympathy for the injured player. They simply forgot about him. “‘In a week or two the fans will think he already graduated,” said Trapper. “They’ll be saying,’Boobie Who?’”’ (194) And that is simply from the dumb fans who wait for days just to catch a glimpse and admire the Permian players. The coaches treatment is almost worse. They treat him like a child, like a dying dog. They sidestep him and try not to hurt his feelings. They know that his career is basically over but show him almost no sympathy: “But the Permian staff said there was no way a major college would touch Boobie now unless he came back and proved that he had recovered. He was damaged goods,” (200). However, behind all the feigned concern, the Permian staff privately thought him to be a wuss: “To a large degree, they saw him as selfish and undisciplined and utterly undedicated to the great cause of Mojo.” (200). They know that “it would be suicide to let ‘im play.” (196) but think “he’s letting the team down,” (201) by not sacrificing himself and playing to the best of his ability (even if that means injuring his knee again and never playing again).
The scene that stayed with me the most from today’s viewing was the scene with Tyra, her mom, and her mom’s boyfriend. I had a feeling that Tyra had a rough home life because of her hatred of the town and her constant need to act out but I had no idea that her home life would be to this caliber. I was horrified by the boyfriend’s sexual harassment of his girlfriend’s daughter and the fact that he beat Tyra’s mom. Also, from the way Tyra talked about it, it was a common occurrence for her mom’s boyfriend to beat her up. The one moment that made this scene so powerful was when Tyra had to grab a kitchen knife to defend herself. A lot of times during this class we talk about how these 16-18 year olds, these kids, are under so much pressure but it is another thing to have to constantly be on guard in your own home.
I believe that it could be considered consistent with Jason Street’s character because Jason doesn’t like being pushed around by anyone and so he rebels and does the exact opposite of what Mr. Garidy wants him to do. Jason also likes to be in control and because his injury and the cheating scandal took away his control and future plans he had made, proposing to Lyla was his way of trying to regain control over his life again. He may not have much physical control of his body but he can exert his control over his relationship with Lyla because she loves him so much and I think he genuinely loves her too. I think for a small town in Texas getting married at 18 isn’t such a huge drama and could be a real possibility for them. They both love each other and sometimes act like a married couple anyways. But at the same time, I don’t think Jason and Lyla getting married right now is a good idea. They haven’t addressed the cheating issue enough and there hasn’t been enough time for Jason to have possibly gotten completely over it. I feel like Jason is acting a bit desperate to marry Lyla right now and try to regain control over his life. Also, the things Mr. Garidy said are still a 100% true: neither of them have much of a future or plan to go to college. How is Jason going to be able to provide for Lyla? Lyla will have to become the caregiver and that’s not that great of a future for Lyla. I think if Jason truly loved her he would let her go so that she could have a shot at a easy, normal life. And if she still decided she loved him five years from now then they could consider getting married and roughing it out with each other because of their love and commitment for each other.
ReplyDeleteThis decision seems inconsistent with Eric Taylor’s character. Bobby Reyes did something horrible and then lied to it about Eric Taylor and now Smash does the same thing by using steroids and not telling coach about what he’s doing. I think for this to be considered a portrayal of a real high school football team, Eric Taylor should have kicked Smash off the team for his drug use. Why would Eric Taylor put his career on the line (and Smash’s career for that matter)? It just doesn’t make rational sense.
I was really taken aback by how the Permian coaches treat him like a commodity. They loved using him when he’s a star football player but when he injures his knee they throw him away because they don’t have a use for him anymore: “He was damaged goods, like a crate of Florida oranges that had gone rotten in delivery, and the big boys were not going to deal with him unless they had positive proof some sweet juice could still be squeezed out of him, not some mess of pulp and seeds.” I mean really? A teenager just got compared to rotten oranges. They act like this teenager is just a product and don’t understand that he’s just a regular 18-year-old: “Sometimes it sounded as if they were talking about a pro player making a million dollars a year with a contractual obligation to play, not an eighteen-year-old kid playing for his high school team who, to be here at all, overcome abandonment by his mother and foster homes and learning disabilities.” It’s so awful how the value of Boobie Miles, or any black kid at Permian high school, is measured by how well he can play football. The coaches don’t genuinely care about him as a person, they just care about winning state.
ReplyDeleteThe scene when Matt’s father left for Iraq struck me the most today and made me tear up. It was such an emotional moment for that family who the audience has come to love. You feel so bad for Matt Saracen. He has to take care of his grandmother, go to school, be the quarterback in the football games, and run his household. He’s had no time to be a kid, and even when his dad returned his dad didn’t act like a caring father to Matt. For example, the last moment when Matt hugs his father, his father doesn’t know how to properly hug him back. His father is just so emotionally detached from his family. It’s heartbreaking to see Matt have to say good-bye to a father who left/leaves him to raise himself. It makes you believe that Matt deserves better and shouldn’t have to act like a thirty year old when he’s only 18.
I definitely think that the marriage proposal is ridiculous, especially because Jason and Lyla are my age. I think the situation, like how the show depicts the high school, is overblown because it’s TV and also to make a point about small towns and the lack of future that these kids have: marriage or football. I think Jason acted both out of love and desperation. I think he got to the point where he felt so desperate because everyone in the town has shunned him because of the lawsuit, and the only sense of security and stability he has is Lyla. He wants to keep that forever, and that’s why he wants to marry her. It is both out of love and his need for care and attention. I do not think that the marriage is a good idea at all because it limits Lyla’s life so much at such a young age, before she has any time to decide how to live without Jason. Jason and Lyla seem so young to me, and marriage is something that is way more complicated than loving your high school boyfriend. People change so much as they grow up and I know that 10 years from now, Lyla will not be the same Lyla and Jason will not be the same Jason.
ReplyDeleteI think Eric had a choice to make that was much like the choice he made with Reyes. He handled it in a very similar way, too. He confronted Reyes and let him tell his side of the story, although it was a lie, before he kicked him off the team. That was his first chance, than he blew it and suffered the consequences by losing his place on the team. With Smash, this is his warning, which he made very clear and serious: if he fails the random drug testing and does not clean up, he’s done for good. I think Eric is sympathetic towards Smash because he knows how important football is for him, how it is his only chance to have a life and prove himself worthy to his family. There is a lot at stake here, but when it comes down to it, Smash is still only a kid. The punishment is fair and it is consistent with what Eric would do.
In the reading, I was not shocked on how the coaches had completely moved on from Boobie. They had to move on quickly if they ever wanted to succeed without him. They give him a white “second string” jersey and do not guarantee him to play at all, which hits Boobie harder than the injury itself. Boobie says, “They jacked me. If I don’t play, I’m not gonna suit up. You know me. If I suit up, I want to play” (196). This really reflects how Boobie acts after the accident, if he can’t start on the team, than it’s the team’s fault and he wants no part in it. The quote that sums up how the coaches feel says, “Others had done it. He wasn’t the first. To a large degree, they saw him as selfish and undisciplined and utterly undedicated to the great cause of Mojo” (200). The coaches have had this happen before, out with the old, in with the new. They cannot afford to dwell on Boobie; they still have to win football games without him. If he has a bad attitude, then he can warm the bench.
The scene that really stayed with me is when Smash’s mom kicks him out of the house that night, telling him that if he doesn’t have respect for his family, than he needs to leave and go find some. I think it shows what a strong figure his mother is and how much she has to go through to keep her family together.
I think that Jason’s decision is consistent with his character. He obviously loves Lyla and Lyla loves Jason. Marrying Lyla could potentially be a good thing for both of them, but I really don’t think that it was the right time. Their relationship has been rocky since Jason got injured. I don’t think that it was right to propose to her right when they start to work it out.
ReplyDeleteI think that Eric did the right thing, by letting Smash stay on the team. Smash was obviously regretting doing it and without football Smash has nothing. As some other people were saying, Eric’s choice decides Smash’s future and Smash deserved a second chance. Also the situation with Smash is different then the one with Reyes in various ways. An important one of these differences is that Smash didn’t lie about it. Yeah he hid it, but when he was confronted he didn’t try to get out of it and make excuses. Reyes straight up lied to Eric while he was in jail. Overall, I think that Eric made the right choice.
I was struck by how nobody seemed to care about what happened to Boobie anymore. Only L.V. cared. The fans will “be saying, ‘Boobie who?’” (194) They already forgot about him. All of the coaches had moved on, because Comer has “not only replaced him but surpassed him.” (196) Since they can succeed without him, then he isn’t important. He is just another sub now. I think that it is weird how the coaches don’t give him any recognition for what he has done in the past. Everyone has forgotten how good Boobie used to be. But at the same time I can see how the coaches are annoyed with his attitude. Boobie wants to be the star of the show and he thinks more about himself then the team. Trapper says, “His attitude is, ‘If I can’t be the center of attention, I don’t want to be anything at all.” (201) He is bitter about the team’s success without him, instead of supporting the team. He doesn’t understand how a team works.
The abuse scene in Tyra’s house has stayed with me all day. It has had a haunting effect on me. It is such a terrible moment. The worst part is that it seems to be a common occurrence in their household. I think that it is scary that Tyra’s mom stuck with the guy while he was beating her. Tyra, like a lot of the kids in the show, has to take charge and get her mom to leave the guy.
I agree with Sam - the issue between Lyla and Tim has dissolved far too quickly, and the position of their relationship currently is undoubtedly wavering. With Buddy straightforwardly expressing his negative opinion of Jason and Lyla's marital vision, Jason's decision to propose seems to be merely a challenge to this opinion; his willingness to prove himself is commendable, but he has not grasped the starkness of the situation in which he wants to prove himself. This failure to realize the enormity of a predicament he is faced with is consistent in his character, I believe. Jason has often displayed his determination to accomplish various feats, regardless of their irrationality. Once again, his diligence has left his logical state of mind in a skewed state, and the outcome of their anticipated marriage is indefinite to both Jason and Lyla.
ReplyDeleteThe basis of Eric's decision, in my opinion, is split between two reasons: Smash's proficiency, and his unyielding wishes to win. Eric has long realized the sheer potential Smash possesses, and where that can guide him in his career path of choice. Being the coach of the leading team in West Texas, his concept of perfection is winning, which, he thinks, will place the team in a calamitous position without Smash's playing. I agree that the difference between Smash and Reyes' situations is that Smash has the talent and the promise, whereas Reyes could easily have been replaced. Eric's trust in Smash is fragile at this point, but it has not been completely annihilated.
The abrupt turnabout of Boobie's value was what struck me the most about this chapter. He is nothing but property to Odessa, and once he is maimed, there is no use for him anymore. The lack of concern and support that the town has is, I think, utterly bewildering. Bissinger writes, "If he [Boobie] didn't come back that was okay because they had found someone who had not only replaced him but surpassed him." (196) He is so disposable, and this is a blatant example of the inhuman perception that Odessa has of the Permian Panthers. Addressing the insensitivity of the coaches, Bissinger writes, "Sometimes it sounded as if they were talking about a pro player making a million dollars a year with a contractual obligation to play, not an eighteen-year-old kid playing for his high school team who, to be here at all, had overcome abandonment by his mother and foster homes and learning disabilities." (201) The brashness of Boobie's treatment is not one of surprise, but that doesn't diminish how outrageous it is.
Tyra kicked ass in this last episode, and it was the first time that I discerned her as a strong character. Her fearlessness of Bob was astounding - the way she stood inches from his face telling him to get out of her house made me truly cheer for her. And her refusal to endure the pain he has brought upon the family was implemented in her decision to not allow Tim back in her life, which had me cheering as well.
I think this is a risky move, but it could have great rewards. First off, his financial problems won’t be as bad with Lyla being a rich girl, assuming Buddy loves his daughter enough to help out her husband. But right now Jason doesn’t have much to live for, and marrying Lyla would provide happiness in a not-so-happy period in his life. It is a good short-term move, but it might be a bad long-term move. I think this is consistent with his character, because Jason likes to make risky moves. He got into Tim’s truck and went on a little field trip with Tim and Lyla, when he knew he was breaking the rules. And he also played wheelchair-ball when the doctor advised him not to.
ReplyDeleteI think this is definitely something Eric would do, because he cares a lot about his players. That is what is contradicting with what he did with Bobby Reyes, but there is a difference. Bobby harmed another person, and Smash harmed just himself. What Bobby did was worse. Also, Bobby’s incident was known to everybody, while Smash’s is private. Eric cares a lot about his public image, and he wants people to view him as a moral person. Another difference is Smash has a realistic opportunity to provide for his family and play division 1 football. From what we saw, even though football was all Bobby had, he didn’t have close to the potential as Smash did.
What strikes me is that the coaches didn’t care about the future of Boobie one bit. Maybe because it wasn’t their job to, maybe they didn’t like his cockiness, or maybe they were so focused on winning they didn’t have time to consider it. They don’t realize that without football Boobie is nothing. One of the coaches said, “I think he can come back. It’s a mental block. He has blinded himself. His attitude is, ‘If I can’t be the center of attention, I don’t want to be anything at all.’” (201) While Boobie likes being the center of attention, the coaches don’t seem to realize he is more concerned about his future with football. “He’s not just letting himself down. He’s letting his team down, he’s letting [Gaines} down, he’s letting his uncle down.” (201) The coaches don’t understand the hard decision between playing or resting his knee, and they just want what is best to win.
The scene that stayed with me the most is when Smash’s mom kicks him out of the house. Before the steroids, their relationship had been very strong. When she discovered them, their relationship weakened, and his mom was shocked and furious. His temper with his shortened, and he disrespected her. She promptly kicked him out of the house and he didn’t even bother to argue. This moment stuck with me because it shows how steroids came close to ruining Smash’s life.
I found Jason's proposal consistent with his character. He constantly suffers and makes rash decisions because of his love of Lyla, which he professes to her many, many times. His life is so lonely and boring now, that it is no surprise he jumped to the decision of proposing to the girl "he loved more than life itself." I think this was a premature move by Jason, as he will certainly not get Buddy's blessing since he has no stable job. However, when Jason was giving the speech to Lyla, and how he had realized he was a "thorn in her side", the viewer could clearly see the pain this caused Lyla, leading me to believe that she loves Jason just as much as he loves her.
ReplyDeleteCoach Taylor's life is filled with impossible decisions that have no clear right answer. I think that since he was so close to Smash and his family, and the fact he's the biggest star on the team, definitely impacted his decision on whether to report him or not. This does lead me to question the character of Coach Taylor, because he kicked Reyes off the team, but that was only after the entire town discovered the incident. But, since Smash's juicing issue was kept under lock and key, Coach Taylor was able to make a decision based on his own standing, and his decision would not be judged by the community, making it easier for him to cover up for Smash.
The way Boobie is treated when he returns to the team is very surprising. He goes from being a player that the entire town went nuts over and cheered for non-stop, to a "white shirt" player who receives no attention from the general public or press. The book refers to Boobie when it says "He was damaged goods, like a crate of Florida oranges that had gone rotten in delivery, and the big boys were not going to deal with him unless they had positive proof some sweet juice could still be squeezed out of him, not some mess of pulp and seeds" (200). This quote perfectly describes a metaphor for the college recruiting process. The book shifts its focus off of Boobie when it says at the end of the chapter, "As Boobie's season became a sad and sour struggle, Mike Winchell's only continued to rise." This completes the transition of Boobie out of the spotlight, and Mike Winchell into it.
A scene that stayed with me from the viewing today was when Tim Riggins made his possibly first-ever sincere apology to Tyra. This is the first time we ever see Tim open up to Tyra and beg for her forgiveness. This changes my image of Tim and displays a lighter more caring side of him.
I think that the marriage proposal is pretty ridicules. Street may think that he is in love a=right now, but hes a dumb stupid teenager who is about to enter adulthood and is cripple as well. I think he does this for a number of reasons, the first one is that he loves Lyla and wants to spend the rest of his life with her. Second, i think hes doing just to piss off Buddy Garrity after there talk the night before. Third is that i think what his friend Herc told him about being crippled and how people will always think that your not as good as them stayed with him and made him do this.
ReplyDeleteI think Eric letting go of Smash matches his character. Sense he and Smash already have a good relationship and Eric needs Smash in the playoffs, it's not surprising that he let Smash of the hook.
What struck me about how How the coaches treated Boobie was that they didn't seem to care that there ex-star running back was injured and didn't care or want him to come back. They new that their team was good enough to go without Boobie. "A team so damn good it hadn't missed a single beat when Boobie had wrecked his knee and went on without him as if he had never been there." (206)
Boobie had become no more than a nuisance to the coaches and an afterthought by the fans. “They’ll be saying,’Boobie Who?" (194)
The scene that stuck with me was when Tyras mom got hit by her boyfriend and Tyra kicked him out of the house. It really shows why Tyra hates the town and is always talking about moving someplace else.
I think that proposing to Lyla is consistant with Street's character. HE takes his friend's advice seriously, and his friend said that just because they were cripples they don't have to get the crumbs. Street is starting to think that because he's a cripple, that doesn't mean he has to settle for less; he doesn't have to dum Lyla because he's in a wheel chair. This being said, I don't think it is a good idea for them to marry. The proposal comes when both of them are still in high school, so probably neither of them will go to college. And Jason still needs lots of expensive treatment, and I don't think they're mairage will be able to support their collective needs.
ReplyDeleteI think that Eric not turning in Smash is consistant with his character. He cares about him as an individual and sees the chance of a scholarship in him, and turning him in would throw Smash's dreams away. Even though Eric kicked Reyes off the team I think this decision still fits his character. Before Coach talked to his wife, he was going to let Reyes stay on the team. In this case, his wife has no knowledge and cannot intervine.
What strikes me about Boobie's treatment by the football staff is how after he lost his starting position and stardom, they treat him the same as before the injury: On the field, the coaches were as gentle with him as ever, treating him once again as an explosive time bomb that could be set off by the slightest impulse" (196). They don't want to make him at all angry fearing he'll have an outburst. Another thing that struck me is how the football staff talks about him "as if they were talking about a pro player making a million dollars a year with a contractual obligation to play, not an eighteen-year-old kid playing for his high school team" (201). They don't understand Boobie's needs to get a scholarship and all the work thats been put in so that he could get one.
A scene that stayed with me from the episode was the proposal. This is because it was such a shock. It sounded like he was giving a breakup speech and then, to my surprise, he showed her a ring. I am curios now to how both of their parents are going to react and the rest of the community because the community was so involved when tim slept with Lyla.
1) Im not sure that we can really say wether or not this action is consistent with Street's character. Street defined himself mostly as a football player, and since the accident it doesn't really seem like he knows who he is. The pre-accident Street was confident and humble and seemingly non-aggressive. As we've seen in the past few episodes, many of those things have changed. Having said that--I don't mean this to sound too abrasive--I think Street is using his potential marriage with Lyla as something to replace football with. Jason's days used to be consumed by the game and his teammates, but now he doesn't do too much of anything. Street's the type of guy to accept a challenge if he's presented with one and Mr. Garrity definitely gives him one. Becoming Lyla's husband would mean a new life for Street. It's something new for him to figure out and master in the same way that he did with football.
ReplyDelete2) Coach Taylor understands on a certain level that the athletes he works with are in fact kids. They're 16 and 17 year-old boys. They're bound to screw up. I think what makes the Smash and Reyes situations different is that what happened with Reyes was much more in the public eye. Bobby beat up a kid in public. He lied on local television and to the coach. I'm not saying that what Smash did was great, but it's very different. It could be argued that he put the whole team in danger, but, from what we know of Smash, he's not exactly someone who thinks things through 100%. He's a kid under pressure who made a mistake, and I think Taylor understands that.
3) It seems odd to me that a star player like Boobie would receive the kind of babying that he does. This might be the coach's way of getting him to perform, but nonetheless, it's not "normal." If an athlete can play his game in front of 20,000 people, he should be able to handle a scolding or two from his coaches. "Sometimes it sounded as if they were talking about a pro player making a million dollars a year," writes Bissinger of how the coaches speak about Boobie (201). The way that Bissinger describes Boobie's position on the team makes you think that he would get a little more respect than he does.
4) Matt's dad reaches out to shake his hand and Matt rushes in for hug, but Henry doesn't look like her knows what to do. That scene was very uncomfortable. For some reason it brought me back to the scene where Matt is in the parking lot yelling at his father to go back to Iraq. Henry's outreached hand represents his relationship with Matt. It is disconnected and misplaced and awkward. I'm not sure that I know enough about Henry to really make a solid judgement on him, but when I saw him getting on the bus I found myself really disliking him.