Playing for Pizza. Book Review

Playing for Pizza

By John Grisham

Playing for Pizza By John Grisham We all know Grisham to be a prolific author of legal thrillers but did you know he has written several books that are not legal fiction? I have read some of these books: Bleachers about a high school football team, Calico Joe about a son whose father was a professional baseball player; and Playing for Pizza.

In Playing for Pizza, Rick Dockery is a washed up, never-so-great professional quarterback. He has bounced around to so many professional teams over his short career that he has difficulty keeping track. Unfortunately, the one thing he is most remembered for is ruining his team’s 17-0 lead in the AFC Championship Game against the Broncos. Rick was a third-string quarterback for the Browns and when the 1st and 2nd string were injured Rick was called up. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that the Browns would prevail. Rick gets the ball, drops back, and throws a beautiful pass…to the wrong team – an interception! …then a touchdown, then a few more points by the Broncos…and Cleveland’s win becomes a loss and Rick goes down as the worst quarterback in the history of football. During the last moments of the game, Rick is sacked – hard – and ends up being carted off the f ield and taken to the hospital – one concussion too many and Rick remembers nothing.

Everyone else remembers it well and Rick is black balled from the game. He wants to keep playing – somehow – but his agent, Arnie, is at a loss. Until – Arnie finds the Panthers are looking for a quarterback and they are willing to bring Rick on, no questions asked, immediately. The Parma Panthers – in Parma, Italy, that is. He doesn’t speak the language, he is anything but cultured, but he would be playing football – which is all that he knows. Rick swallows his pride and begins his adventures – professionally and personally – in Parma, Italy.

Rick’s story of failure and success is a lesson for us all – be flexible in life as sometimes we have to reinvent ourselves to be happy. Sometimes we must make hard decisions to leave behind what we know in order to flourish.

This was a great book – a quick read…perfect for those lazy weekends in front of the fireplace as cooler weather takes hold. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Until next time.