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Synopsis
New York Stars, the rookie quarterback figures the world is his oyster. Reality sets in after meeting his football "family" -- the all-too benevolent owner, Papa Goldman; his daughter, the Stars' Director of Communications, Dominique, who has a certain fondness for quarterbacks; a frustrated head coach; a team full of malcontents and racial tensions; and a very shady Director of Player Personnel.
But all of his concerns become secondary when an ex-Stars quarterback is murdered, and Brody finds himself hustling just to stay alive, while confronting the scars of his own past. With a little luck, smarts, and help from a beautiful aspiring actress, this is one time he can't drop the ball. Someone seems intent on sabotaging the Stars, and perhaps the future of entire football league is at stake.
Retired gridiron great Boomer Esiason has delivered a sharp, edgy, insiders look at the game and the business of professional football.
Library Journal
Former NFL quarterback Esiason and novelist Cauffiel give a gripping portrayal of an NFL team engineered for failure in order to force a sale and lower its value. The team's manager drafts troublemakers and keeps them out of jail and on the team; he also foments racial antagonism. When rookie quarterback Derek Brody arrives, the players don't want to work with him. Gradually, he overcomes their resistance and convinces them that winning is possible, while he figures out who is sabotaging the team and why. Derek must then decide whether to play and win or to hand the bad guys over to the cops. Derek is an enigmatic but likable character. The games, preparation, and team-building are well described, as is the corruption surrounding professional sports. Public libraries should buy multiple copies. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 7/98.]--Marylaine Block, St. Ambrose Univ. Lib., Davenport, IA