Owen Sherman Blog One

Hola Solonites! This is Owen Sherman posting his first blog about the book Any Given Sunday by Robert Huizenga. I have only read the first two chapters of this book but so far it seems like quite a thriller.
                  The book starts off with the Miami Sharks, an imaginary team in the books version of the NFL, the AFFA. The Sharks legendary quarterback Cap Rooney is injured. This is a huge blow for the Sharks, as he is a legend. The Sharks coach Tony D'amato, calls in Cherubinni, the backup QB, who is injured on the next play and fumbles the ball. The offensive coordinator frantically tries to find the third string quarterback, Willie Beamen, who is sitting on the bench eating Skittles and reading a newspaper. When Beamen comes in on the next possesion, he immediately vomits in the huddle. On his second play of the game, he calls an audible and changes the play to one that does not actually exist. Obviously shaken by the pressure, Beamen is taken to the side by D'amato and told to relax, as he couldn't be replaced since the QBs were injured. Besides lining up for a snap behind a player who was not the center, Beamen is able to put on an average performance and has a few good runs. The Sharks lose, and it is revealed that this is their fourth loss in a row. The team is barely in the playoffs and is in danger of losing it. The team thinks that they wont make it since their star QB is now injured.
                     This book is great. I am not a huge football fan, but I love this book so far. It shows you the emotions of the players and the stress in the locker room and on the sidelines. If this book was any more fun, it would be named the Jamie Foxx Show. It captures the true intensity of competition even with the frustration of the team owner at some of the plays. This should probably win a Newberry award.
                     I think that the author wrote this to show the competitiveness beyond just the field but with he team coaches and Owners as well. The author is really showing how the whole system is run rather than just what people see on the field. There is a whole process that goes into making what people see on, you guessed it, Any Given Sunday.
                   I believe that the theme is anything can happen. The title, Any Given Sunday, kind of gives it away, but heres why this is the theme. Nobody would think that a first and second string quarterback would go down in the same game, which gave the third string QB a chance to play. I haven't gotten deep enough into the book yet to know anything more than that, as the beginning is just a football game, but that is something to support the theme right there.
                  My favorite character is Tony D'amato. He hasn't had time to grow or change yet, but he is my favorite because he seems to know the game very well and he is quick to calm down the young Willie Beamen when he is having trouble. He seems very intellegent as well as a very good people person.
                  My favorite quote is Tony D'amato when he says to Willie Beamen " Pretend like your back in the hood, and your mama's ringing the dinner bell and you go over to the Buick for one last throw over to your friend. Go to that Buick Willie, turn around, and throw the ball". This is Tony's way to calm down the nervous QB and it works very well. My questions are will Cap Rooney and Cherubini be ok, and will the Sharks make the playoffs?
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