<p>I just watched Friday Night Lights, which I thought was an incredible movie. This is not your typical sports movie (e.g. Remember the Titans, The Mighty Ducks) where a group of lovable misfits band together and win the prize trophy on some crazy last-minute miracle play. FNL tackles the glory and pointlessness of high school sports in such raw ways that I have never seen before (for example, Mr. Billingsley). What the film does so well is that for 99% of the movie, we're just aching for Permian to beat those Dallas Carter bastards, or for Boobie to somehow return and buy that house for L.V. But then, at the end, when they came just one yard short of "glory", the audience is left feeling, "so what"? There are bigger and better things than Class 5-A high school football, but unfortunately, some people can't see that.
This movie really hit home because I'm a football player, and my team, like the Permian Panthers, relies heavily on a talented running back, is rather undersized, and lost the championship last season by two points (we had one last play to make something but failed). </p>
<p>I've been playing high school football for 4 years, as a cornerback and now as a wide receiver. I've played other sports like basketball and rugby, but they can't compare to football. I don't know what it is about football, but I think it's the consummate team game. In sports like basketball, there are always one or two hotshots who commandeer all the glory and attention. However, in football, even a star QB is nothing without his O-line, or his competent receivers. A good running back is no more than a tackling dummy without a dedicated O-line that will allow him to power his way to the second level. From the TD-making heroes to the benchwarmers, it seems that everybody is an equal on a football team. </p>
<p>I'm now in my last year, and I'm starting to have more fun and enjoy the moments more.</p>