Friday Night Lights

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View books by H.G. Bissinger.

Astonishing - Rated
Being English, the whole American high school sport thing is something of a mystery. I knew that some university teams get crowds bigger than premier league football does here, but had no idea that schoolchildren can draw crowds of 20,000 to watch their games.

And I think the main point of the book is that the word "school children" has been completely lost (or rather had been in the late 1980s, when this book was written). These young men train more or less full time, and have what must be almost unbearable pressures heaped upon them before they are old enough to drink (not that the legal age seemed to stop them). The book is about shattered dreams and hopes and is rivetting.

But it's astonishing in what it shows about race in America, and about class, and about sport (or "sports"). Of course, a lot might have changed in 20 years, but the racism is shocking. Genuinely, truly shocking. As is the way that children's educations are sacrificed in the name of sporting achievement. These guys don't have to do any school work they don't want to. It's an amazing portrait of the town, Odessa, of the people in it, and of (a bit of) America.

If, like me, you don't really understand American football (beyond the large men in armour knocking seven bells out of each other), it doesn't matter, as many of the details don't matter (understanding what a Safety or Split End does isn't necessary) and the writing about the matches themselves is good enough to keep you going.

One of the best books about sport I've ever read. Fantastic.

Better than the film - Rated
Like most others, I was inspired to read this after seeing the film. The film was great, but the book is brilliant. Like the Glory Game and Spurs in English football, the author here has got unparalleled access to the club and it shows in the pages. This is about hopes and dreams as well as the crashing and bashing of American football. A must for all sports fans.

simply brilliant - Rated
I bought this book, like many on the back of seeing the film and then subsequently a few episodes of the TV show and i have to say i was blown away from the first chapter.
I wouldnt say it was completely different to the film or the show but alot more in depth, as you would expect from a book but watchin the film you cant help but feel that there is alot of things that they could have focused more on to make it a better adaptation, which is why this book has to be read aswell if you are a fan of either the tv show or the film because you can get a better feel for the characters and the town and why they are the way they are when it comes to high school football.

brilliantly written, poignantly set in a time where not alot is going for the town apart from those Friday Night Lights - (cheesy ending i know but what the hell)

simply brilliant

A crescendo of failed dreams - Rated
I have only limited reading experiences of non-fictional sports books, and by and large this is not something I regret. Books (ghost) written by sportman, or by biographers risk being stultifying boring - think of the collective charisma of Nigel Mansell, Nick Faldo and Alan Shearer, or, if they are written by a fan about a particular sport, club, match etc, they have the tendency to remind you of exactly what word "fan" is a derivative off - books written for the devout.

All this should however be set aside when reading Friday Night Lights. The most obvious and striking thing about the book being that it should be a non-fictional account written in such emotional, at times highly charged prose that would normally be indicative of a fictional narrative. It would be perfectly possible - if you skipped the authors introduction - to read it as simply as an east-coast outsiders cliched fictional take on Texan small-town life, townsfolk worshippers at the alter of petroleum dollors, conversations peppered with references to "niggers" and other undesirables, and an unhealthy addiction to high school football, matched in fervour perhaps only by a religious adherence to the Republican party.

What makes the novel work is that this is not seen through the eyes of a condesending outsider but one who in part likes and admires those in Odessa he has been fortunate enough to live and work with whilst following the fate of the Permian Panthers. Its strange but the very parochialism and rough edges that are usually sand-papered over in books about major sports teams and athletes serves to make this particular account broader and informative, not reduced simply to a black and white rendition of athletic achievement. I hasten to suggest that someone who isn't a fan of American Football could pick up and enjoy this book in the same way I (someone interested in the sport) did, but unlike say, an account of the history of Manchester United FC I do at least think it possible.

Whereas the forces of commercialism and Satellite TV have long since severed any meaningful linkage between MUFC and the Mancunian community, robbing any comtemporary account of MUFC of any local context or comptemporary societal trends, big bucks and TV rights, are - fortunantly, if just for the sake of this broad, open range book - entirely irrelevent to the down to heel charm of the Oddessan version of football.

Think of this book as Annie Proulx for guys, a varied and interesting synopsis of not just players, teams, formations and games, but a whole way of life.

"Can you be perfect?" - Rated
Based on a true story, this film presents the odyssey of the Permian Panthers in their 1988 season. The Panthers are a high school football team from Odessa, Texas, that at the start of the season looks like the strongest candidate to take the state championship. The high hopes are based in great part on the presence of Boobie Miles (Derek Luke) and his incredible ability for playing football. Not only can he play his position, running back, in excellent fashion, but he can also pass, receive, block, you name it. The offers from the most prestigious universities are pouring in, and he is at the top of the world. But everything comes tumbling down for him and for the Panthers when he gets a knee injury in the first game of the season.

Now the responsibility falls on the shoulders of the rest of the team: an average quarterback, a supporting cast that was used to being "carried" by the star, and a coach that some people think is earning a salary that is too high. The burden is even larger, since each player has personal issues he has to deal with. For example, the QB Mike Winchell (Lucas Black) has to take care of his sick mother who has mental problems. Others have to endure the abuse by their fathers, who see themselves in the kids and push them beyond their limits.

The movie succeeds in showing the significance of teamwork and of how important it is to believe on yourself. It also shows that in some town across the US, football is almost the only thing that counts, and high school kids end up carrying the hopes and dreams of the whole population, which given their age and maturity level may be considered unfair. A similar picture is presented in John Grisham book "Bleachers".

As to the acting, the only person worth pointing out is Billy Bob Thornton, who as usual delivers a high quality performance. Luke and Black are the other actors that get a fair amount of "acting" time and provide us with acceptable performances. This is a good movie but it is definitely not among the best football films out there. 3.5 stars