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| Categories | Humor |
| Author | John Grisham |
| Publisher | Bantam; Reprint edition (August 23, 2011) |
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 272 pages |
| Item Weight | 7 ounces |
| Dimensions |
5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches |
I. Book introduction
Playing for Pizza is a short novel by John Grisham, released on September 25, 2007. The novel is about an itinerant American football player who can no longer get work in the National Football League and whose agent, as a last resort, signs a deal for him to play for the Parma Panthers, in Parma, Italy.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • After providing what is arguably the worst single performance in the history of the NFL, third-string quarterback Rick Dockery becomes a national laughingstock. Cut by the Cleveland Browns, and shunned by every other team, Rick insists that his agent find a team that does need him.
Against enormous odds, Rick lands a job—as the starting quarterback for the Mighty Panthers … of Parma, Italy.
The Parma Panthers desperately want a former NFL player—any former NFL player—at their helm. And now they’ve got Rick, who knows nothing about Parma (not even where it is) and doesn’t speak a word of Italian. To say that Italy—the land of fine wines, extremely small cars, and football americano—holds a few surprises for Rick Dockery would be something of an understatement.
Synopsis
Rick Dockery is a third-string NFL quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, who throws three interceptions in 11 minutes in the AFC championship game, blowing a 17-point lead and resulting in the Browns missing their chance at their first-ever Super Bowl appearance. Carried off the field in a stretcher, he is cut from the team, vilified in the press, and faces additional legal troubles due to a questionable paternity lawsuit. His agent Arnie tries to find him work in the NFL, but no team will take him. Arnie manages to find him a starting position for the Parma Panthers of the Italian Football League for meager compensation. Rick accepts the job, glad to get away from the negative press and his legal troubles in the United States, but wary of living in Italy, where he doesn’t know the language and where American football draws little attention or respect. The Parma Panthers have only two other Americans on the team – halfback Slidell “Sly” Turner, who ends up leaving early in the season, and safety Trey Colby.
The Panthers win their first game with Rick, then lose a couple for various reasons, including the loss of his American teammates to homesickness and injury. Despite these problems, Italy and the team are growing on Rick, and he begins to feel some loyalty to them despite the fact that Arnie has found a more lucrative job offer with a more respected CFL team. Rick decides to honor his contract with the Parma Panthers. With renewed resolve, a talented Italian wide receiver, and a new strategy, they win each of their remaining regular-season games, then advance to the playoffs and the Italian Super Bowl, a very close and hard-fought game against their rivals, the Bergamo Lions.
Editorial Reviews
- “Fans of John Grisham live for his legal thrillers, but now and then he serves up something unexpected. That’s exactly what he does, with great success, in Playing for Pizza.” —USA Today
- “Enthralling.” —People
- “Score another one for Grisham…This is a fish-out-of-water tale that perfectly suits his strengths as a storyteller.” —USA Today
- “A light-hearted story of football, food and love.” —Richmond Times-Dispatch
- “Football in Italy? Who knew? Grisham means to have a sweet time with this story of a fallen NFL quarterback. And he does.” —Daily News (New York)
- “Delightfully comic…a deeply satisfying story.” —The Boston Globe
- “Charming…the author’s love letter to Italy.” —Publishers Weekly
About John Grisham
John Grisham (born February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas) is an American novelist, lawyer and former member of the 7th district of the Mississippi House of Representatives, known for his popular legal thrillers. According to the American Academy of Achievement, Grisham has written 28 consecutive number-one fiction bestsellers, and his books have sold 300 million copies worldwide. Along with Tom Clancy and J. K. Rowling, Grisham is one of only three authors to have sold two million copies on a first printing.
Grisham graduated from Mississippi State University and earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1981. He practised criminal law for about a decade and served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1983 to 1990.
Grisham’s first novel, A Time to Kill, was published in June 1989, four years after he began writing it. Grisham’s first bestseller, The Firm, sold more than seven million copies. The book was adapted into a 1993 feature film of the same name, starring Tom Cruise, and a 2012 TV series which continues the story ten years after the events of the film and novel. Seven of his other novels have also been adapted into films:
- The Chamber,
- The Client,
- A Painted House,
- The Pelican Brief,
- The Rainmaker,
- The Runaway Jury, and Skipping Christmas.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he’s not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John Girsham lives on a farm in central Virginia.
II. Reviewer: Playing for Pizza
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1. JR reviews for Playing for Pizza
My wife and I were in Italy between 10 and 12 weeks in 2011. She arrived there earlier due to work assignment and I came 2 weeks later with our cat and a few items from home. Needless to say the entire book JG described, clearly captured the same culture we experienced in Italy. We were in Northern Italy in a town or small city called Ferrara.
We experienced several issues which normally are kept out of US media. Such as protest demonstration issues from the main unions which blocked transportation for one day (which of course didn’t affect us because weren’t travelling at the time of the protest) to include the racial discrimination from immigrants from Sub-Sahara Africa seeking to stay and live in the Ferrara Region. I understood very well the survival techniques of the Africans but also the annoyances of the local residence “bugging harassment” of being annoyed to purchase things one doesn’t want or need from them.
Getting back to the book is: Italy is laid back and the 2 hour average lunches in 2011 were normal. The weather and atmosphere resembled Florida and California. However, what nerved me a bit was seeing a freaking McDonalds because I really get tired of seeing these burger joints in Europe. Sure they bring capital to the locals but I want to taste and experience a foreign country’s cuisines, culture and what it has to offer me that I haven’t and wont ever experience in the US.
Like going into a restaurant with no menu cards and having to order something you’re not aware of is quite challenging and rewarding especially not being able to speak the language. Driving out of our way to get a terribly expensive Original Balsamic Vinegar in Modena. Tasting a very old Prosciutto di Parma and how it’s usage on Cantelopes makes one very weak to reisist or the god of cheeses, the Parmigiano Reggiano and the different sytles and techniques of eating it plain of dipped in Balsamic vinegar and etc…. My god, what a life I had living there. We visited Museums and the local tourist joints but really captured Italy and even more for us was having a local person to help integrate us within the local area and country.
There was really one odd thing that we encountered which made us aware of hygienic issues while shopping for fruits and vegetable. The shopping of fresh fruits and vegetables MUST have plastic disposable gloves available so we can put on and it’s the most hygienic thing we ever encountered there because the Italians are very picky and particular about getting any types of illness that they can easily avoided.
Our contact person there just so happen to be from the Sicilian area but living in outskirts area of Ferrara. The family accepted us as their own and attending their open BBQ with friends was a delight and then later a home cooked meal just for the two of us and the family was incredible. Learning how to make a real pasta sauce and how much flavor we are missing by the typical standard of drowning out out pasta dishes with so much sauce. They even gave us a special invitation to attend a special Iraninan restaurant with dancers and etc..
Now, during our entire stay we cooked 80% at home and went out to eat in restaurants 9 times which were in different locations and only 3 x we ate local pizzas. The 6 restaurant all had their specialities, 2 restaurants we ate twice to get the different taste and cuisines they were offering and the the last one was strictly a raw seafood special which was served with shrimps, oysters and salmon. I couldn’t see coming to the country without trying the local pizzas, the rest we were experimenting and tasting different cooking methods and taste from the area. This way when ever it’s time to come back, we can always have a little Italiano at our creation.
What we uncovered from the book was more than what was written, it was a life time and life changing experience. For anyone who would like the taste of Italy – from the view of an American Football Player – this book is highly informative, beautifully written with a loving heart for Italy.
2. JIMH reviews for Playing for Pizza
This was clearly a departure for Grisham, much like Bleachers and Skipping Christmas, insofar as they departed from his usual lawyer-related books. Actually, he seems to enjoy the departure as these light-hearted books tend to be well written and enjoyable. In this case, Playing for Pizza is a light hearted romp through Italy using football as an excuse to settle on a topic. The story line is predictable as is the ending, so we’re left with a not-too-deep story of an ex-NFL quarterback and his PLAN B which is to play somewhere – anywhere. Somewhere in this case is Italy, mostly near Milan in the small town of Parma (where they make Parmesan cheese!).
Rick Dockery is the ex-quarterback who reluctantly arrives in Parma and begins a transition from “ugly American” to a convert to life in a small Italian town. Along the way he meets Livvy, another ex-pat who wants to know everything there is to know about Italy. Rick (or Reek as the Italians pronounce it) walks a fine line between his first love (football) and his desire to please Livvy in her pursuits of Italian churches and castles.
The interactions with the locals including his teammates is the basis for the story. And Grisham navigates the storyline in a comfortable manner. Reading this book is a relaxing departure from most of today’s books where excitement is needed in every chapter in order to create a sellable book. If you like football, if you like Italy (and, even better, if you’ve ever traveled there), and if you enjoy a laid back love story, you’ll probably enjoy Playing for Pizza. I marked the book down one star because, after all, it’s not Gone with the Wind.
3. SARA reviews for Playing for Pizza
This is another gem from Grisham in which he gives us a glimpse of his tale-spinning away from the courtroom dramas. This time he whisks us away to Italy. The vivid descriptions of ingredients, foods, and full course meals will make you hungry – reminded me of reading Part 1 of Eat, Pray, Love. This book is a real treat if you enjoy international travel and are a football (NFL that is!) fan. But even if you aren’t into quarterbacks you can easily skim the sporty paragraphs and still have a lot of fun feeling like you are jaunting around Italy along with the main character.
4. RAILGEEK reviews for Playing for Pizza
This was the first book that I had read by this author. I enjoyed this book quite a bit, not only from the standpoint of it has some sports influence that are really quite realistic, but it also covers other cultures.
I had been given the book by a co-worker, and had lost the book on an airplane. Just prior to getting the Kindle, I bought the book in paperback form. I then purchased the Kindle and later purchased the Kindle version. I found it easier for me to read it in that manner, then trying to read the paperback version. The good thing about getting the paperback is that I got it from Amazon for a very reasonable price in a used format. That way, I was able to return the book to the original owner.
I haven’t been a big reader of fiction in the past, although I do enjoy to read. I just never seem to have time. This book got me back into reading, along with the Kindle. John Grisham writes in a manner that is hard to put down, and easy to digest. Those of you that know his other books already realize this. But this book kept me waiting for what was going to happen next, and what the main character was going to have to do next.
If you enjoy American football, and you would enjoy learning a bit about how other nationalities and cultures might think of it, this isn’t that unrealistic of a view of that. Mr. Grisham states that this is based upon what actually goes on in Europe and Italy, where the majority of the book is based. It is a great story about a Quarterback at that point of his career that has to decide if he will keep trying to fight the “second string” fight (if he will even be allowed to), go to a Canadian league, or play the game based upon his love of the sport, along with those others that love it as well. It shows a lot of sides to the game, and it is a very well done story if you are a football fan.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
5. MICHAEL SLAVIN reviews for Playing for Pizza
What a fun book to read. This is not a typical Grisham book.
It takes place mostly in Parma, Italy. Rick or “Reek” as he is called in Italy, is the laughing stock of the NFL and reluctantly takes the only job he can get as a quarterback for the Parma Panthers for a very low salary, a room and, a car to use.
He is a fish out of water, but treated like a God. Food, food, food…..you won’t believe the food. I really enjoyed the small community and how Reek was pulled in. You should enjoy it too.
If you like football and Italy this book is perfect. If not, you’ll still probably like it, but there is some light football talk. Fun book!
6. TOM reviews for Playing for Pizza
A good rule to live by is that any book that has detailed descriptions of Italian meals is worth reading. I found Playing for Pizza very enjoyable and no exception to that rule. It tells the story of Rick Dockery, a journeyman third string quarterback in the NFL, who after a disastorous game in which he was the goat, can only find work on a semi-pro football team in Parma, Italy. Somewhat predictably, he rediscovers his love of the game, is welcomed by his gregarious teamates, and discovers the joys of Italy as an antidote to his many years of bouncing from apartment to apartment in city after city.
What I really enjoyed about this book, other than the descriptions of meals, is that Grisham wasn’t too ambitious. It’s a quick, light, fun read. It doesn’t have 800 pages to develop the main character. So Rick starts off as only a moderate asshole, essentially a decent guy who has somewhat negatively conformed to the world around him. He doesn’t finish the story as a cultured lover of opera and baroque architecture. It’s believable. Tolstoy, this is not (I don’t know why I say things like that, I’ve never even read Tolstoy), but it’s a really good read.
7. ELLEN GEORGE reviews for Playing for Pizza
I have missed John Grisham – Bleachers wasn’t my favorite, but the title, Playing for Pizza made me take a closer look. It is the story of a third string quarterback, Rick Dockery, who has pretty much played himself out of American and Canadian football – part is wrong timing, part is he is not much of a scrambler, but he lost a really big game and ended up in the hospital with injuries – There is practically a lynch squad outside the hospital. Rick’s agent is running out of options where to place Rick- there is a very intruiging offer – a position for a quarterback – a starting quarterback with the Panthers – no, not Carolina, Parma – Parma Italy! They have football teams there and while most of the members of the team play for the passion and fun of it, they are willing to pay to have an American play with them – The dollar figure offered is not great, but after some difficulties in the states, Rick goes to Italy –
He is welcomed, but soon, in spite of perks of being paid, a car, an apartment gratis, he has to train with the rest of the team – forget about quarterbacks not training with the team – he had to get into shape – and prove himself. He comes to love the Panthers, his team mates, his new country – And the football action is fantastic.
Yes, it is a story of redemption, but it is so much more – and beautifully and lightly written by Grisham –
He states his next book will have ‘lots of lawyers’ – I wish one of them represented the Panthers and had to visit them in Parma –
This is maybe my 2nd favorite Grisham – the first being A Time to Kill – there is no comparison between the two, but they are wonderful in their own rights.
8. PAUL FALK reviews for Playing for Pizza
The author grabbed me by the arm and took me on a no-holds-barred, light-hearted adventure through the streets of Parma, Italy and into the world of football – served up Italian style. I eagerly assumed the role of tourist in this charming tucked-away city, sampled wonderful local wines, consumed mouth-watering pastas and cheeses and came to appreciate the hospitable charm of the warm, colorful people reserved only for the fortunate few. Needless to say, I was enthralled to visit there. John Grisham delivered a well-written narrative with a superb storybook ending.
Third-string quarterback, Nick Dockery had endured a short-lived roller coaster career in the NFL. He had been traded more times than the common cold. His mediocre career came to a crashing halt when the twenty-eight year old suffered his most disastrous day on the turf. In a nutshell, he blew the Cleveland Browns playoff game for the Super Bowl. Needless to say, he was not a popular man among the many devoted fans. Again, he was pink-slipped.
Understandably, no team in the NFL wanted anything to do with him. Hopelessly, his agent searched high and low and somehow found a team tucked away in Italy that was in need of a quarterback. He agreed to play just one season there for five months at a pittance of what he was used to getting in the NFL. For the first time since his old College days, he was placed as the starting quarterback of the Parma Panthers. That included pizza.
He received a rousing welcome from his new teammates and the locals of the town. After all, he had played in the NFL which gave him a sort of celebrity status. It had felt great to be appreciated once again. It had been a long long time.
Soon he befriended many players of the team. Though nowhere near as popular as soccer, his teammates were serious about their games. Winning was everything. After practice sessions, they all went out together for beer and pizza. Everyone cursed, laughed and drank. It was was like being part of one large family. For an added bonus, his non-existent love life had been rekindled when he met a visiting college student from the States. Turned out, they were a good match.
The team had desperately wanted to win their first Italian Super Bowl. That’s all that mattered to them. Their hopes, their dreams were largely invested in Rick. For all his past failures, the one thing he wanted most was redemption. Make-or-break, this was his last chance.
Ciao.
9. EFKA reviews for Playing for Pizza
“Playing for pizza” is quite a strange book. Despite being written by Grisham, one of my favorite writers, it is so unlike his typical books, that I could have guessed it was written by, I dunno, Jodi Picoult or someone else, had I not known who actually wrote it.
Now this book’s also strange because it has no plot. Basically it’s sort of a simplified diary of Rick’s life in Italy, or, more like an account of what did he eat, where did he eat, what did he drink, where did he drink, what cafe, bar, trattoria or restaurant he visited, what landmarks did he see, and, occasionally, how did turn out a football match he played in.
And you know what? I enjoyed it. It was quite a page-turner for me. Of course it’s a short read, and had it been longer, most likely it would have bored me finally, but being as long as it is – just a 7-8 hours read, I had lots of fun. And why wouldn’t I? It’s a book about Italy, good food, beer, football and even a couple of cute dolls. What more could a man want? (Yes, that’s actually sexist and chauvinist and perfectly legit for the last three+ hours – welcome to Orange World!)
As I said, it’s a quick read and most certainly not the most intellectual book you’ve ever seen, but it’s quite good and odds-on you’ll enjoy it, especially if you read it as a break from “normal” literature.
10. EVA LENOIR reviews for Playing for Pizza
To be honest, I was not planning on leaving a review. I mean, seriously, this is John Grisham with almost three thousand reviews so who cares about my little grain of sand on an endless beach? But then I read the reviews posted here on Goodreads and decided to voice my own opinion. I started reading John Grisham when I was a sophomore in college and babysitting for my English Lit professors’ kids. Needless to say, I devoured those novels like they were going out of style. As much as I love the courtroom drama and the legal stories that make you ignore your daily chores because, damn it, you have to at least finish the chapter, I have to say that Playing for Pizza, for me, was a poetic ode to Italian culture. Why is that a bad thing?
Yes, the descriptions of the sights, smells and tastes are profound and in detail but having lived 7 years in Italy, I practically salivated through each one of those scenes. Maybe those readers who criticized this one particular aspect of the novel had never been to Italy, if such is the case, then I suggest you listen to the audio version, close your eyes and let the descriptions take you away. I loved this book. I loved the fact that Grisham refers to this culture and country as though it were an exquisite woman shedding her clothing and reaching out to him like an irresistible muse. No complaints here. None.
III. Playing for Pizza Quotes
The best book quotes from Playing for Pizza by John Grisham
“in Italian. For the first time in his new home, Rick admitted to himself that learning a few words was not a bad idea. In fact, it was a great idea if he had any hope of scoring points with the girls.”
“Sam, who had not had the chance to bitch and yell at them for two weeks, unloaded in the locker room and everyone felt better.”
“And with that they passed another little milestone, took another step together. From flirting, to casual sex, to a more intense variety. From quick e-mails to much longer chats by phone. From a long-distance romance to playing house. From an uncertain near future to one that just might be shared. And now an agreement on exclusivity. Monogamy. All sealed with a mouthful of pistachio gelato.”
“The pretty town of Bolzano is in the mountainous northeastern part of the country, in the Trentino-Alto Adige region, a recent addition to Italy that was chipped away from Austria in 1919 by the Allies as a reward to the Italians for fighting the Germans. Its history is complicated. Its boundaries have been rigged and gerrymandered by whoever happened to have the larger army. Many of its residents consider themselves to be of Germanic stock and certainly look like it. Most speak German first and Italian second, often reluctantly. Other Italians are known to whisper, “Those people aren’t real Italians.” Efforts to Italianize, Germanize, and homogenize the population all failed miserably, but over time a pleasant truce evolved, and life is good. The culture is pure Alpine.”
“At 1:00 a.m., they were in the Welsh pub again, having drinks and talking opera and football.”
Excerpted from Playing for Pizza by John Grisham
Chapter One – Playing for Pizza
It was a hospital bed, that much appeared certain, though certainty was coming and going. It was narrow and hard and there were shiny metal railings standing sentrylike along the sides, preventing escape. The sheets were plain and very white. Sanitary. The room was dark, but sunlight was trying to creep around the blinds covering the window.
He closed his eyes again; even that was painful. Then he opened them, and for a long silent minute or so he managed to keep the lids apart and focus on his cloudy little world. He was lying on his back and pinned down by firmly tucked sheets. He noticed a tube dangling to his left, running down to his hand, then disappearing up somewhere behind him. There was a voice in the distance, out in the hallway. Then he made the mistake of trying to move, just a slight adjustment of the head, and it didn’t work. Hot bolts of pain hit his skull and neck and he groaned loudly.
“Rick. Are you awake?”
The voice was familiar, and quickly a face followed it. Arnie was breathing on him.
“Arnie?” he said with a weak, scratchy voice, then he swallowed.
“It’s me, Rick, thank God you’re awake.”
Arnie the agent, always there at the important moments.
“Where am I, Arnie?”
“You’re in the hospital, Rick.”
“Got that. But why?”
“When did you wake up?” Arnie found a switch, and a light came on beside the bed.
“I don’t know. A few minutes ago.”
“How do you feel?”
“Like someone crushed my skull.”
“Close. You’re gonna be fine, trust me.”
Trust me, trust me. How many times had he heard Arnie ask for trust? Truth was, he’d never completely trusted Arnie and there was no plausible reason to start now. What did Arnie know about traumatic head injuries or whatever mortal wound someone had inflicted?
Rick closed his eyes again and breathed deeply. “What happened?” he asked softly.
Arnie hesitated and ran a hand over his hairless head. He glanced at his watch, 4:00 p.m., so his client had been knocked out for almost twenty-four hours. Not long enough, he thought, sadly.
“What’s the last thing you remember?” Arnie asked as he carefully put both elbows on the bed’s railing and leaned forward.
After a pause, Rick managed to say, “I remember Bannister coming at me.”
Arnie smacked his lips and said, “No, Rick. That was the second concussion, two years ago in Dallas, when you were with the Cowboys.” Rick groaned at the memory, and it wasn’t pleasant for Arnie either, because his client had been squatting on the sideline looking at a certain cheerleader when the play came his way and he was squashed, helmetless, by a ton of flying bodies. Dallas cut him two weeks later and found another third-string quarterback.
“Last year you were in Seattle, Rick, and now you’re in Cleveland, the Browns, remember?”
Rick remembered and groaned a bit louder. “What day is it?” he asked, eyes open now.
“Monday. The game was yesterday. Do you recall any of it?” Not if you’re lucky, Arnie wanted to say. “I’ll get a nurse. They’ve been waiting.”
“Not yet, Arnie. Talk to me. What happened?”
“You threw a pass, then you got sandwiched. Purcell came on a weak-side blitz and took your head off. You never saw him.”
“Why was I in the game?”
Now, that was an excellent question, one that was raging on every sports radio show in Cleveland and the upper Midwest. Why was HE in the game? Why was HE on the team? Where in the hell did HE come from?
“Let’s talk about it later,” Arnie said, and Rick was too weak to argue. With great reluctance, his wounded brain was stirring slightly, shaking itself from its coma and trying to awaken. The Browns. Browns Stadium, on a very cold Sunday afternoon before a record crowd. The play-offs, no, more than that—the AFC title game.
The ground was frozen, hard as concrete and just as cold.
A nurse was in the room, and Arnie was announcing, “I think he’s snapped out of it.”
“That’s great,” she said, without much enthusiasm. “I’ll go find a doctor.” With even less enthusiasm.
Rick watched her leave without moving his head. Arnie was cracking his knuckles and ready to bolt. “Look, Rick, I need to get going.”
“Sure, Arnie. Thanks.”
“No problem. Look, there’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll just be blunt. The Browns called this morning—Wacker—and, well, they’ve released you.” It was almost an annual ritual now, this postseason cutting.
“I’m sorry,” Arnie said, but only because he had to say it.
“Call the other teams,” Rick said, and certainly not for the first time.
“Evidently I won’t have to. They’re already calling me.”
“That’s great.”
“Not really. They’re calling to warn me not to call them. I’m afraid this might be the end of the line, kid.”
There was no doubt it was the end of the line, but Arnie just couldn’t find the candor. Maybe tomorrow. Eight teams in six years. Only the Toronto Argonauts dared to sign him for a second season. Every team needed a backup to their backup quarterback, and Rick was perfect for the role. Problems started, though, when he ventured onto the field.
“Gotta run,” Arnie said, glancing at his watch again. “And listen, do yourself a favor and keep the television turned off. It’s brutal, especially ESPN.” He patted his knee and darted from the room. Outside the door there were two thick security guards sitting in folding chairs, trying to stay awake.
Arnie stopped at the nurses’ station and spoke to the doctor, who eventually made his way down the hall, past the security guards, and into Rick’s room. His bedside manner lacked warmth—a quick check of the basics without much conversation. Neurological work to follow. Just another garden-variety brain concussion, isn’t this the third one?
“I think so,” Rick said.
“Thought about finding another job?” the doctor asked.
“No.”
Perhaps you should, the doctor thought, and not just because of your bruised brain. Three interceptions in eleven minutes should be a clear sign that football is not your calling. Two nurses appeared quietly and helped with the tests and paperwork. Neither said a word to the patient, though he was an unmarried professional athlete with notable good looks and a hard body. And at that moment, when he needed them, they could not have cared less.
As soon as he was alone again, Rick very carefully began looking for the remote. A large television hung from the wall in the corner. He planned to go straight to ESPN and get it over with. Every movement hurt, and not just his head and neck. Something close to a fresh knife wound ached in his lower back. His left elbow, the non-throwing one, throbbed with pain.
Sandwiched? He felt like he’d been flattened by a cement truck.
The nurse was back, holding a tray with some pills. “Where’s the remote?” Rick asked.
“Uh, the television’s broke.”
“Arnie pulled the plug, didn’t he?”
“Which plug?”
“The television.”
“Who’s Arnie?” she asked as she tinkered with a rather large needle.
“What’s that?” Rick asked, forgetting Arnie for a second.
“Vicodin. It’ll help you sleep.”
“I’m tired of sleeping.”
“Doctor’s orders, okay. You need rest, and lots of it.” She drained the Vicodin into his IV bag and watched the clear liquids for a moment.
“Are you a Browns fan?” Rick asked.
“My husband is.”
“Was he at the game yesterday?”
“Yes.”
“How bad was it?”
“You don’t want to know.”
***
When he awoke, Arnie was there again, sitting in a chair beside the bed and reading the Cleveland Post. At the bottom of the front page, Rick could barely make out the headline “Fans Storm Hospital.”
“What!” Rick said as forcefully as possible.
Arnie snatched the paper down and bolted to his feet. “Are you okay, kid?”
“Wonderful, Arnie. What day is it?”
“Tuesday, early Tuesday morning. How do you feel, kid?”
“Give me that newspaper.”
“What do you want to know?”
“What’s going on, Arnie?”
“What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
“Have you watched television?”
“No. You pulled the plug. Talk to me, Arnie.”
Arnie cracked his knuckles, then walked slowly to the window, where he barely opened the blinds. He peered through them, as if trouble were out there. “Yesterday some hooligans came here and made a scene. Cops handled it well, arrested a dozen or so. Just a bunch of thugs. Browns fans.”
“How many?”
“Paper said about twenty. Just drunks.”
“And why did they come here, Arnie? It’s just you and me—agent and player. The door’s closed. Please fill in the blanks.”
“They found out you were here. A lot of folks would like to take a shot at you these days. You’ve had a hundred death threats. Folks are upset. They’re even threatening me.” Arnie leaned against the wall, a flash of smugness because his life was now worth being threatened. “You still don’t remember?” he asked.
“No.”
“Browns are up seventeen to zip over the Broncos with eleven minutes to go. Zip doesn’t come close to describing the ass-kicking. After three quarters, the Broncos have eighty-one yards in total offense, and three, count ’em, three first downs. Anything?”
“No.”
“Ben Marroon is at quarterback because Nagle pulled a hamstring in the first quarter.”
“I remember that now.”
“With eleven minutes to go, Marroon gets drilled on a late hit. They carry him off. No one’s worried because the Browns’ defense could stop General Patton and his tanks. You take the field, third and twelve, you throw a beautiful pass in the flat to Sweeney, who, of course, plays for the Broncos, and forty yards later he’s in the end zone. Remember any of this?”
Rick slowly closed his eyes and said, “No.”
“Don’t try too hard.
“Both teams punt, then the Broncos fumble. With six minutes to go, on a third and eight, you check off at the line and throw to Bryce on a hook, but the ball is high and is picked off by somebody in a white jersey, can’t recall his name but he sure can run, all the way. Seventeen to fourteen. The place is getting tense, eighty thousand plus. A few minutes earlier they were celebrating. First Super Bowl ever, all that jazz. Broncos kick off, Browns run the ball three times because Cooley ain’t about to send in a pass play, and so the Browns punt. Or try to. Snap gets fumbled, Broncos get the ball on the Browns’ thirty-four-yard line, which is no problem whatsoever because in three plays the Browns’ defense, which is really, really pissed at this point, stuffs them for fifteen yards, out of field goal range. Broncos punt, you take over at your own 6, and for the next four minutes manage to cram the ball into the middle of the defensive line. The drive stalls at midfield, third and ten, forty seconds to go. Browns are afraid to pass and even more afraid to punt. I don’t know what Cooley sends in, but you check off again, fire a missile to the right sideline for Bryce, who’s wide open. Right on target.”
Rick tried to sit up, and for a moment forgot about his injuries. “I still don’t remember.”
“Right on target, but much too hard. It hits Bryce in the chest, bounces up, and Goodson grabs it, gallops to the promised land. Browns lose twenty-one to seventeen. You’re on the ground, almost sawed in half. They put you on a stretcher, and as they roll you off the field, half the crowd is booing and the other half is cheering wildly. Quite a noise, never heard anything like it. A couple of drunks jump from the stands and rush the stretcher—they would’ve killed you—but security steps in. A nice brawl ensues, and it, too, is all over the talk shows.”
Rick was slumped over, low in the bed, lower than ever, with his eyes closed and his breathing quite labored. The headaches were back, along with the sharp pains in the neck and along the spine. Where were the drugs?
“Sorry, kid,” Arnie said. The room was nicer in the darkness, so Arnie closed the blinds and reassumed his position in the chair, with his newspaper. His client appeared to be dead.
The doctors were ready to release him, but Arnie had argued strongly that he needed a few more days of rest and protection. The Browns were paying for the security guards, and they were not happy about it. The team was also covering the medicals, and it wouldn’t be long before they complained.
And Arnie was fed up, too. Rick’s career, if you could call it that, was over. Arnie got 5 percent, and 5 percent of Rick’s salary wasn’t enough to cover expenses. “Are you awake, Rick?”
“Yes,” he said, with his eyes still closed.
“Listen to me, okay.”
“I’m listening.”
“The hardest part of my job is telling a player that it’s time to quit. You’ve played all your life, it’s all you know, all you dream about. No one is ever ready to quit. But, Rick, ole buddy, it’s time to call it quits. There are no options.”
“I’m twenty-eight years old, Arnie,” Rick said, with his eyes open. Very sad eyes. “What do you suggest I do?”
“A lot of guys go into coaching. And real estate. You were smart—you got your degree.”
“My degree is in phys ed, Arnie. That means I can get a job teaching volleyball to sixth graders for forty thousand a year. I’m not ready for that.”
Arnie stood and walked around the end of the bed, as if deep in thought. “Why don’t you go home, get some rest, and think about it?”
“Home? Where is home? I’ve lived in so many different places.”
“Home is Iowa, Rick. They still love you there.” And they really love you in Denver, Arnie thought, but wisely kept it to himself.
….
Note: Above are quotes and excerpts from the book “Playing for Pizza by John Grisham”. If you find it interesting and useful, don’t forget to buy paper books to support the Author and Publisher!
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