First, I must say that I'm not a huge reader. With that said, I read this book "twice" in a week!! It paints a vivid picture of the "underdog" football player, who has hit rock bottom. But quickly learns that sometimes its nice to be a friend and teammate than just making money. This is not a Grisham Legal Thriller...this is for a football fan who needs an off season fix :)

You'll be hooked by the first chapter, just like I was. Enjoy. Ciao!

I'm glad I borrowed this book as opposed to having purchased it.

This is a simple tale, simply told. The main character isn't well fleshed out but perhaps Mr. Grisham wanted a sterotypically boorish, self-centered American pro athlete as his star, which is what you get in Rick Dockery. At least the main character develops a little higher from his Neanderthalism. Sure, the book reads like a travel guide at times and a restaurant review at other times, but the way these situations are presented are completely in keeping with a dullard discovering there is more to the world than just himself.

There are no moments of high drama or deep intrigue so if you're looking for the "typical" Grisham thriller you will not enjoy this book at all. However, if you're looking for an easy read and a little escapism, take a chance and read this. It isn't awful, but neither is it particularly satisfying. Just don't pay full price for the book; pick it up free at your local library instead.

I can't beleive it's even a grisham novel! Painted House, Innocent Man and all the other classics are so far above this you will be disappointed if you expect the same enjoyment.

This book was an enjoyable foray into both food and football. The descriptions of the meals made my mouth water and the storyline about an American NFL transplant playing football ball in Italy kept me engaged. The football action and team bonding gave a reason to care about a rather nondescript "goat" of a quarterback that gave the Parma Panthers hope. I found it a very pleasant read, great for taking traveling or waiting in the car for kids, etc.

I enjoyed reading this book so much! It was great. Very entertaining. I admired the craft and writing from a literary/artistic standpoint -- a superb comprehensible writing style. The romantic relationships in the book had unexpected outcomes and had nice substance to them. Great comedy is hard to find, and this book is a rare example of really good comedy. Highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates great writing and who also likes football.