Rick’s life in, Playing for Pizza, is define by two words: humility and arrogance. He wants fame, but can’t have it. In high school and college, his level of popularity was incredibly high. But going to the NFL as a third-string quarterback, his popularity plummeted. When it plummeted, he started to become arrogant. Even after he blew the AFC Championship Game, he was extremely arrogant. It took Rick traveling to Italy and realizing that the game of football can be played without money involved. After being in Italy a while, he started to mature and gain some humility. Livvy, his girlfriend, helped tremendously in his “attitude adjustment.” The two words, humility and arrogance, can be found throughout the book and most of Rick’s actions are showing one or the other. At the end of the book, he has truly matured and shows it through his actions.

“We made too much noise last night. There were complaints.’ ‘What did you say.’ ‘Too bad. We can’t stop.’ Atta girl.’ She doesn’t think we should, but she might move us to another room, one with a bigger bed.’ ‘I love a challenge” (280). I like this quote because it shows that he matures in the sense of he has actually stuck with a girl, instead of leaving. Also, it brings some comic relief to the book.

” The refs managed to prevent a brawl, but the brouhaha went on for minutes.” (291). I like this quote because of the excellent vocabulary John Grisham uses.

“She adjusted on the fly like any seasoned traveler and was not above using her smile and beauty to get what she wanted. ” (282). This quote shows that Rick found the right get to get with. Rick’s attitude and personality melds well with Livvy’s beauty and character. This also tells me that Livvy has a “bad side” as well.

“As he massage her feet, he told himself that he would follow those legs anywhere. The train was half full. Other men couldn’t help but gawk as they shuffled by. Livvy was off in southern Italy wonderfully oblivious to the attention her bare feet and tanned legs were getting” (306). This quote added a little comic relief to the end of the story. It shows that Rick can bask in the glory of having such a wonderful girlfriend.

“Nope, I’m leaving. I guess I’ll take the train.’ ‘Send me a postcard.’ …An hour later the Fiat was loaded and Rick was hauling back coffee and croissants from his neighborhood bar” (275). This quote shows how whipped Rick is about this girl and how Livvy can talk him into do just about anything. Also, this quote brings a little comedy.

“I thought you were the stud quarterback.’ ‘Just the quarterback for now.” (223). I love this quote because it shows how far Rick has come in the way of maturing and becoming humble.

“Cray’s eyes were wide, his glasses fell to the floor. There would be only one punch, Rick has decided after much thought” (215). I like this quote because it shows how Rick, finally, dealt with the Cleveland problem that has been nagging him since the day after the AFC Championship Game. 

“Both doors suddenly flew open and Rick came face-to-face with the judge. ‘Reek Dockery!’ he shouted, thrusting a right hand forward while grabbing a shoulder with his left, as though they had not seen each other in years” (71). I love this event that takes place. The judge arrest Rick just so he can meet him. It’s histarical. Also, I love how the judge pronounces Rick’s name (Reek).   

“After a few seconds, the kids was hacking at his hamstrings and Rick wanted to scream. But you can’t complain during a massage- it was a rule that has never been violated in the history of professional football.” I like this quote because it shows his self control. He knows this is Italy and probably knows that the rule has been broken in Italy, but still takes it on the chin and doesn’t complain about the massage.

“Time expired and the Panthers of Parma had their first Super Bowl trophy.” This quote means a lot because it shows the reward of the dedication and hard work that the guys put in. All the events that Rick had to go through is rewarded with this win against the 8 time defending champs Bergamo.

Rick Dockery is a NFL player, or was a NFL player. In the beginning of John Grishman’s book, Playing For Pizza, Rick Dockery is in the AFC Championship game with the Cleveland Browns. After the first two quarterbacks get hurt, Rick goes in the fourth quarter and goes in to keep a 17 point lead. Needless to say, Rick threw three interceptions in 15 minutes to loss the game and the Cleveland’s first birth to the Super Bowl. The day after he was cut from the team and he could feel the hurt from the city, literally. While he was still in the hospital, mobs were forming outside of the hospital waiting for Rick to come outside.

A couple days later, Arnie (Rick’s agent) gets Rick a job playing a quarterback for the Parma Panthers…in Italy! Rick finally gives in and travels to Italy where he is warmly greeted by Sam Russo, his new coach. They talk and took a short tour of the city. Finally, they stopped to get supper. Little did Rick know that  dinners in Italy can last from 2 hours to a full 4 hour, multicourse dinner. The restaurant that was chosen was Café Montana. The owners were two of Ricks players, Nino and Carlo. This is where Rick gets his first taste of Italy. Nino and Carlo warm greetings had a lasting effect on Rick and he remembered and was reminded of their customary greetings throughout the book.  Rick thoroughly enjoyed his meal. From the “little sandwich” made with brown bread, a slice of prosciutto and a shaving of parmigiano to the special veal cutlets. This experience humbled Rick just a little bit in the sense of that he realized what food means to the Italians.

His first game as a Parma panther really opened his eyes in the sense of he realizes how much his fellow teammates love the game. Rick got back to his college days throwing touchdowns. Fabrizio had a huge game and the whole team did outstanding as the Panthers win 48-21. This was Rick’s first game since college to throw a touchdown pass.

Through the middle and end of the book, Rick meets a girl named Livvy. They had a “one nighter,” but it lasted way more than one night. Livvy changed Rick. She humbled and matured him. They traveled Italy together when Rick didn’t have practice or a game. They went to see domes, cathedral, etc., but all Rick cared about was being around Livvy. This changed him because he had never want that before.

The big day had arrive for Rick, Super Bowl day. The Parma Panthers had rallied to win several games in order to get in the Super Bowl against Burgamo. The game started off with a play to take out the middle linebacker called the “Kill Maschi” play. After the play occurred a brawl between the two teams broke out. The ha;ftime score was 3-0. The third and fourth were offensive quarters. It came down to the last plays, where Rick threw a 76 yard bomb to Fabrizio who walked into the end zone untouched. Rick had took a monster hit from Maschi, who came back from the devastating hit in the third quarter. After a four and out by the Bergamo, the back up quarterback for Parma fell on the ball twice and ran out the clock. The Parma Panthers won their first Super Bowl. The after party and film session was pretty uneventful for Rick. At the end of the book, Rick considers a new contract from Bercardo to stay in Parma. Then he and Livvy take a train to a new place in Italy and as the train passed by the Stadio Lanfranchi, Rick “allowed himself a smile of deep satisfaction” ( 306).

           In the novel, Playing for Pizza, there is a certain theme that is in play through the whole story and that is the theme of change. One sentence that summarizes this change is what Bruncardo offers Rick after he just won a Super Bowl, “Bruncardo is offering 2500 euros a month for 12 months, plus the apartment and the car for a year.” This is a huge change from what Rick is used to. A Super Bowl winning quarterback in USA will receive a bonus worth millions of dollars. Rick is receiving a bonus of 500 euros. Also, back in the USA, Rick was making $400,000 a year and owned a SUV and had a decent apartment. Now, he has a small apartment that he has to share it with Livvy and his car might as well be a Smart Car. Rick goes through a huge change both physically (location) and mentally (attitude and character). Rick starts to mature and see how football really should be played, strictly for the love of the game, not for the money. The theme of change is evident through every chapter in the novel and its fun to read Rick’s changes and how he handles some of the situations.

           Humans are moviated by concrete and abstract things. Rick shows this trait when Rick discusses with Arnie about going to Parma for 2000 euros a month. Rick doesn’t go to Parma for the money, but for the abstract images Arnie puts into his head, such as cheerleaders and glory.

           Human behavior is predicable. Rick’s actions and thoughts become very predicable after reading a couple of chapters. Rick is a snobby quarterback who wants “one-nighters,” so it’s no suprise when he makes faces at Gabrella on page 144, which says, “Rick couldn’t keep his eyes off of her” (Grisham 144).

           Human nature can change. Rick is a perfect example of this truth at the beginning of the book. He thought, just after he had blown the AFC Championship Game, that a NFL team would be dying to have “God’s gift to football.” Then, by the end of the novel, he has settled down and learned a little humility, which he shows when Livvy ask about him being a stud quarterback. Rick replies with, “I’m just the quarterback for now” (223).

           The John Grisham novel, Playing for Pizza, is a great book for sports fans who like a little comedy. The book is the only book that I’ve ever wanted to sit down and keep reading. I’m not a book worm myself, but I wish Grisham made a sequel to this book. Playing for Pizza is a book that is very realistic and certain events have probably happened in reality. Rick Dockery, the main character, shows his arrogance in the first of the book. Beware: don’t put the book down after reading the first couple of chapters in gets better. I wanted to stop reading the book because Rick was so selfish and cocky through the beginning that is completely turned me off. But as time went he started to mature and his attitude changed tremendously. 

          This book is defiantly recommended to anybody who loves the game of football. John Grishman did an excellent job on creating a plot that showed the maturing and changing of Rick Dockery. If you can stand a slang term occasionally, it’s a wonderful and entertaining story to read.

           If I had the option of changing any element of the book, I wouldn’t change anything. Although I wanted to figuratively punch Rick Dockery at some moments , I wouldn’t change him because it wouldn’t be so enjoyable to read about him changing from a pompous quarterback to a humble guy in Italy who just happens to play football. John Grisham defiantly knew what he was doing when he wrote this book.

In the novel, Playing for Pizza, Rick Dockery got booted out of the NFL and goes to play in Italy for the Parma Panthers. When Rick arrives in Parma, he is this pampered, cocky, arrogant quarterback who thinks that he is God’s gift to football. For example, when Rick first arrived in Parma, Sam Russo (his coach) took the liberty of showing him around the city. Sam Russo mentioned that Rick might check out a men clothing store and like much of what Sam was saying to Rick, Rick blew him off. While they were walking to get something to eat, Sam was describing what kind of restaurant they were going to be eating at. Then Rick said, “Are you going to feed me or talk me to death” (Grisham 51). This made a lastly impression on Sam and it took a lot to change his mind.

It took meeting the right girl and just being it Italy for awhile. One morning, after they been together for about a week and a half, Livvy asked Rick a question, “I thought you were the stud quarterback.” Rick replied with, “Just the quarterback for now.” Now, that seems unlike Rick Dockery, the arrogant, third-string quarterback that got kicked out of Cleveland. Throughout the book, you can tell that Rick’s character is improving and maturing. By the end of the book, Rick Dockery has turned a complete 180. For example, he has turned down the opportunity to play in Toronto for a larger sum on money. The last couple of sentences were describing the Stadio Lanfranchi and as the train pulled away, Rick “allowed himself a smile of deep satisfaction” (306). Rick is glad that he has came to the small town of Parma and being away from the world (USA) it satisfies him.

Rick Dockery at the beginning of the book is a pompous quarterback who can’t play at the NFL level, but he believes the NFL needs him and his miracle arm. Throughout the beginning of the book, you can see his cockiness, his arrogance, and his I-am-first attitude. He doesn’t care about others; he just needs people who will make him look good.

When Tick arrives in Italy, he is greeted by his coach. His coach, Sam Russo, is a humble man who loves to compete. You would think Rick would be grateful of Sam coming out to meet Rick and show him around Parma and even Sam buying dinner. One statement that summarize Rick’s and Sam’s first meeting was when Rick said, “Are you going to feed me or talk me to death” (Grisham 51). Sam was telling Rick about something that they saw while walking to the restaurant. Rick didn’t care about what Sam was talking about because in Rick’s mind this stop in Italy was just a side show on his way back to the NFL. Little did he realize that his three interception-fourth quarter incident cost him his NFL career. After a performance like that, you would think it would be a humbling experience to Rick, but it doesn’t and he carries his arrogance to Italy.

The only thing about him that I admire is his drive to return to playing professional football. After two concussions and a scaring performance that Charley Cray (A Cleveland Post writer) deemed Rick Dockery as “the unquestioned Greatest Goat in the history of professional sports” (12). The drive to play is admirable, but his arrogance that comes with it, is pathetic. John Grisham made the character of Rick Dockery have imperfect characteristic to show his change throughout his experience in Italy.

The setting of the John Grisham novel, “Playing for Pizza,” mostly takes place in Italy. Rick starts the book in Cleveland, Ohio playing for the Cleveland Browns, but when he leaves and travel to Italy, he stays, except on one occasion, in Italy for the rest of the book. The main city in Italy which he stays is Parma, Italy. When his new American girlfriend (Livvy) comes around, they travel all across Italy to places such as: Venice, Apulia, Sicily, Sardinia, Veneneto, and Friuli. The setting effects Rick because he comes to realizes that he is not in American, but in Italy where everything is completely different. The food is different,the cars are different, and even the criminal system is different. When John Grisham takes Rick out of the US and puts him into Italy, he accomplishes the fact that Rick can now start over and have no distractions. This is a brillant way to be able to block out Cleveland, Charley, and the prego case.

The genre of this book is fiction, but John Grisham was inspired by real people, towns, and events that took place while he was touring Italy. John Grisham told us in his author’s note, “There is a real NFL there, with real teams, player, even a Super Bowl. So the setting of this book is reasonably accurate… In these pages, though, all characters are fictional. I went to great lengths to stay away from real people. Any similarities are just coincidental.” The story’s plot may be fictional, but the Parma Panthers are as real as can be. This book is very realistic and that it is very possible to occur today. Now, Rick Dockery blowing the AFC Championship Game is very possible today. His situation with his ex-girlfriend is very real and has happened before.

The significance of the title, Playing for Pizza, is exactly what it says. Rick Dockery used to play in the NFL for $400,000. Now he comes to Italy for the sport and for the pizza and beer afterwords. Throughout the story, the pompous quarterback, who arrived in Italy to play for the Parma Panthers, begins to change into a humble leader. One of the main reasons Rick begins to change is that he sees all the players (except Trey, Sly, and Fabrizio) playing for the love of the game, not for money. The Title is symbolic of the change in mindset that Rick Dockery has to make in order to play and have fun in Italy. Rick has to come to the reality that most people in Italy don’t care about football and he will never get a lot of glory in Italy for what he does. It’s a big change, but by the end of the book, he is satisfied in Italy. The symbolic meaning of the title even goes past football, where Rick’s entire lifestyle is going to change. His home, attitude towards girls, even the type of car he drives is going to change. By the end of the book, he has half the value of everything he owned in the United States, but with his Parma Panthers and Livvy ( his girlfriend) he’s glad to be in Italy.