Friday Night Lights
 

Coming soon to a theatre near you!

HFP and some others remember the Odessa team as we are about the same ages as the Texas team the movie is about. I hope they don't make this another stereotypical Varsity Blues Part II type thing. (even though that movie was funny). I would like a real good representation of what is was like to play football in Texas in the late 80's. There was nothing like it.

Plus, I get to see the coolest towel ever - RB Boobie Miles "Terminator" X! Public Enemy is back!

I'm reading this book right now and am halfway though, it's really pretty good and I'd recommend it to anybody.

I love the book and have read it several times.

I'm not sure how good a movie version will be, though...

I read it about 10 years ago. I enjoyed it immensely. It is really a social commentary, not a condemnation mind, a commentary without unnecessary bias and judgement, wrapped in the fascinating and enjoyable setting that is big time high school football.

Fun to hear some of the names near the end. Turns out Hayden Fry, former Iowa coach was from there, or coached there, or something. The other name I recall, or don't recall at the moment, was a QB that went on to make it as a back-up in the NFL. Stone Something, or something like that. Odd first name. it will come to me later. Perhaps sooner to someone else.

Stoney Case :)

Stoney Case?

Damn you Jeeber!

Roy Williams of the Lions and formerly of Longhorns is the...brother(?)...cousin(?) of the Mojo's stud receiver, who set state records while in Odessa.

I think that either Don Billingsly or his dad started up an auto dealership in Oklahoma which has been pretty successful.

whatever happened to Boobie?

Boobie is a BIG ol' boy now. Saw a special a couple of years ago and they were talking to him. He's gotta be 275, easy...

Boobie if I remember ended up going to JC but never made it to Division 1. Before the knee blew out and the misuse of therapy, he was going to a big time program. Nebraska, Texas and A&M were some of the schools after him.

I played with Ivory Christian when he went to TCU. He got hurt and was worn out mentally.

Lloyd Hill (the receiver) went to Texas Tech. He was a pure stud in college.

Jesse Armstead is also in the book, he played on the Carter team they play in the semifinals.

Yep, in Texas High School football, there are haves and have-nots. My HS was definitely in the have not category. I went to a private school that opened in 1961. In the entire history of the school, only 4 guys have gone on to start Div. 1 football, and one of them, Horace Ivory, played for the Patriots back in the 70s.

We were so have-not, we didn't even have a home football game until the stadium was built my junior year, 1988. Before then every game was an away game. Homecoming just happened to be whichever away game was closest. :D

But now it seems that the sports there (Nolan Catholic) are starting to greatly improve. Back when I went, there weren't really any tryouts, if you wanted to play a sport, you pretty much were guaranteed to be on the team.

But there isn't anything else like small towns in Texas on a Friday night during football season. It is a magical thing. The book does a good job of describing it, but it is something you have to experience in person.

Horace Ivory - I still have his football card somewhere. He went to Nolan, huh? Learn something new everyday.

I have seen this book on the shelf and thought about picking it up. Is it more about high school football or more about texas?

Something else you guys might enjoy is a documentary about high school football in Ohio (i think) the team was the Massilon? Tigers. It was enjoyable if not groundbreaking.

I read FNL a couple of years ago while I was living in Midland, which is a twin city to Odessa. Frankly, I can understand why HS football is so huge out there - there quite literally isn't anything else to do. Combine that with the big boom / bigger bust of the oil industry in the late 70's / early 80's, the region's primary economy driver, and it makes for a good tale. Some of the stories in the book are quite interesting, including the fact that the Rolls Royce dealership in Odessa was the #2 dealer of RR in the country in a couple of years in the early 80's.

The area still churns out the football players. As Jeeber said, Roy Williams attended high school in Odessa, and Ced Benson led one of the Midland HS to 4 straight state titles in his time there.

Lee

Yeah guys, Stoney Case.

Didn't recognize Jessie Armstead from the book.

I recall Horace Ivory. Had a real good Strat-O-Matic card one year.

And it was 3, not 4.

Is this where the Detmer's are from?

Nope, they are from the San Antonio area.

Stoney Case was a back-up for the Lions. He wasn't a very good Pro QB.

Roy Williams is in the movie. I think he has like 1 or 2 lines. Plays an assistant coach or something.

That's all I got...

I knew I remembered this thread.

He was also a Arizona Cardinal.

And a Baltimore Raven.