Bleachers - John Grisham

Oops my 'Bibliophile' has no books by John Grisham, Really? Can easily remember having read at least five - One a huge collection of short stories, trying to recollect the name. Let me check it out.

Was attracted to him when just out of school, on taking commerce - on knowing about a great writer - who was an accountant turned lawyer cum writer; eventually turned out to be a politician as well. For me he was a self made, complete family man. Most of his books were legal thrillers.

Another reason I was attracted to him was on reading that Grisham was converted to The Presbyterian Church. Let me check out for the books of his that I have read, meanwhile on the one in hand now - 'Bleachers' - meaning 'a cheap bench seat at a sports ground, typically in an outdoor uncovered stand' is not from the legal genre but one of his passions from childhood day - American football (Rugby).

The book focuses on whether the famous Eddie Rake, former coach of the Messina High School football team, was loved or hated by his former players. When the story begins, most of the 714 football players Rake had coached in his 34 years at Messina High School return to the town for the funeral of the legendary coach, a man both beloved and reviled. Among them was Neely Crenshaw, born in 1969, is a high school All-American quarterback, who has been Messina High School's 'golden boy,' expected to lead them to the state title. Neely was a highly recruited quarterback with a golden arm, fast feet, plenty of sizes, maybe the greatest Messina quarterback ever. When Neely was younger and playing football with his friends, a man watching him approached Neely, saying "You're going to play football for the Spartans." Crenshaw suffers a career-ending knee injury on a late hit,
and subsequently drops football for the real estate business.

In 1987, after trailing 31-0 at halftime to East Pike, and crippled by a broken hand, the gutsy quarterback rallies the Spartans to a 34-31 victory for Messina's first state championship in seven years, achieved without the assistance of coach Rake. His hand injury is caused when Neely punches Coach Eddie Rake in the face, after Coach Rake backhands him, causing him to break his nose. Neely Crenshaw had decided he would never meet Eddie Rake during his lifetime.

Rake ends his career with 418 wins, 62 losses, and 13 state championships. During a grueling unsanctioned Sunday morning practice in 1992, Messina player Scotty Reardon died of a heat stroke. Rake's brutal training methods are called into question and the superintendent of education, who also is Reardon's uncle, fires Rake.

In a letter revealed at Rake's funeral, the coach states the two regrets of his life were losing Scotty Reardon and for striking All-American quarterback Neely Crenshaw at halftime of the 1987 championship game against East Pike. He was laid to rest next to Scotty.

At the funeral, Neely ends up forgiving coach after all those years of debating whether he likes or dislikes Eddie Rake. There was no proper way to decline a eulogy.

--------

Games are for ever or not; one playing it is not forever. But playing it - the teachings of the Coach are for ever - It included:
1) Fear is inevitable, and it is not always bad. Harness your fear and use it to your advantage.
2) Pick yourself up, set a goal, work harder than everybody else, stick to the basics, execute perfectly, be confident, be brave, and never, never quit.

--------