Small Town Football Boosted by Friday Night Lights

Written by: Charles Chid

How was Small Town Football Boosted by Friday Night Lights

Friday Night Lights was an American TV Show that aired

between 2006 and 2011 and ended up changing the perception of most small town

folk and the value they attach to football. Based on a fictional town known as

Dillon, the show centered on the life and times of small town folks who were,

in one way or another, connected to the members and participants of the

football team who include, the coach, football players and general members of the town. Critics rated it one of the best sport-based drama flicks to ever

show on American television.

There was so much more attached to the show than just football, it addressed many societal issues

that affect the modern day American such as drugs and drug abuse, family

values, racism, school operations and funding, illogical competitions as well

as other chronic issues such as abortion and lack of economic opportunities.

By the time the show ended in 2011, it had garnered a huge fan-base who still refer to it whenever similar issues arise in the real small town scenarios. So how really did Friday Night Lights expose the

real common small town football teams and their interactions?

Small town folks within Texas do value football a lot

Being a football star is a big deal in real life Texas just as it was for Jason Street (Scott Porter) in Friday Night Lights. People follow the games and the town almost comes to a standstill whenever there is a match, especially

state championships. If you ask the folk in Texas, to this very day, about

their favorite pass time activity and sport, football will definitely be the

response. It is not restricted to just the players but their families, the

business people, the farmers and sometimes, even the dogs. It is like a

whirlwind that sweeps through the entire town.

The fight for supremacy is real

Being that football is such a big deal, everyone wants to be

part of it; and not just be part of it, but also be at the top. Parents want

their kids to be the best players that everyone talks about them when it comes

to football. So deep is this desire that parents are ready to go to weird extremes

even compromising other players that so their kids could shine. Just as it is

seen in Friday Night Lights, it is evident that whoever makes it to the top is

like a demi-god within the town just as Coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) did. Remember though, that

Joe McCoy was already there ready to bring the coach down. This was rightfully

depicted in the how and still stalks even modern day small town Texas folks.

Racism in and out of the football pitch does exist

Although racism still exists throughout America, the

closely-knit nature of small town folk within Texas makes racism even more

lethal in these areas. This is worsened with the fact that everyone wants to

make it to the top despite the color of their skin. As shown in Friday Night

Lights when Shawn Williams has a knee injury, folks are ready to look down upon

you based on your race just to bring you down and have them excel. Even as kids

grow up and become entrenched in football, they are exposed to high levels of

racism that is passed down through generations.

College football Scholarships are a big deal

When it comes to proceeding from high school and going on to

college through a scholarship based on your football kills, Texas folks go

crazy just as depicted in the television show. In Friday Night Lights, Smash

Williams shows unrivaled determination and desire to receive a college football

scholarship making him go the extra mile to ensure he is fit and suits all the

requirements and luckily he does eventually receive one. Parents and town folk

groom their kids straight from childhood to prepare them for high school then

college football being that it will save them a lot of money and make their

children stars. It is a plus for the kids as well as they will get education

and play their favorite sport. It, however takes a lot of consistency, skill

and determination to stand out.

Almost everyone in the town has ever played football

From the local gas station owner, to the large scale corn

farmer, all Texas folk have at one point in their life played football. Take,

for instance, in Friday Night Lights, one of my favorite characters Landry Clarke (Jesse Plemmons)

decides he will try out football by joining the Panthers in Season 2. If that

is not enough, he goes ahead and joins the Lions. This just shows exactly how

almost everyone in these small Texas Towns is a footballer, was a footballer or

is planning on being one.

A coach who succeeds is as good as mayor of the town

If you have watched Friday Night Lights then you definitely

know how big a deal Coach Taylor is. He literally sets the pace for the

entire film. Although his charisma and character traits make him an even more

effective coach, real life Texas football coaches are a big deal. They set the

standards for the entire team and give them the pace with which they go through

the entire season. If a coach takes the team to the state championships, he

even becomes a bigger deal. The guy literally almost runs the town if he

manages to win trophies, especially more than once.

Parents are involved a lot.

Watching Friday Night Lights reveals just how much parents

are involved in the football careers of their kids. They walk with them through

the journey, help them build up their skills, push them positively to their

limit and just make the best out of their kids. A good example in the show is Corina

Williams (Smash’s mom) who was very dedicated to his son’s career.

Well, if you know how the small town folks in Texas behave

when it comes to their relation with and around football, Friday Night Lights

will just make you feel the impact further. No single show has ever effectively

depicted modern day Texas football interaction like FNL.