‘The Watermelon Feed’, the title of chapter two in the book Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger begins by taking place in the Odessa high school cafeteria. The beginning of the chapter starts on a Friday night in the preseason of the Permian High School Panthers football team. Each player takes part in a prayer as well as watching a video of past heroes of the team. The squad is introduced player by player giving the town a preview of who is playing this year. Bissinger infers that Boobie Miles, a young player, has high hopes and dreams but feels great pressure from the team and town to fill the shoes of the past all-star. The author explains that in a few weeks the beginning of the season will begin and the town will observe the team closely. Bissinger explains to the reader that being able to play for a team such as the Permian Panthers is an honor. He states that the boys on the team will endure intolerable pain to have the privilege of playing for the team and being able to wear the Permian Panther beautiful black jersey. The author presents the idea that winning is more important that personal pain or suffering. As such the author tells how boys will use pain pills and about anything they can get their hands on to persist through the game. In addition, the team is starting to feel the pressure and how important each season is to the town as well as the players. Bissinger explains how children are exposed to the atmosphere of football from a young age and encouraged to continue the legacy of past generations going. The author leads into the past generations and teams who are still remembered as heroes even those who played in the 1950’s. The game takes place with the ‘Palo Duro Dons’, showing the town how much progress they have made and giving them a first-hand view of their so called “privileged children”. The end of the chapter suggests an unexpected and eventful change is going to take place, one that may or may not benefit the team or town.

“The Watermelon Feed” By H.G. Bissinger
Audience: Similar towns like Odessa

A summary of Friday Night Lights chapter two the ‘Watermelon Feed’ By H.G. Bissinger. The author presents the beginning of this chapter with the boys of the High school football team of Odessa. He lays down the setting which takes place in the high school cafeteria giving an introduction of each player and their attributes. The author tells the audience that this is a tradition of each new team. Prior to the introduction, each football player on the squad takes part in a prayer and watches a video of the past team with a focus on the all-star ‘Shawn Crow’. The author leads to the character ‘Boobie Miles’ who is to take over the place of ‘Shawn’ the prestigious football player. Bissinger explains that Boobie feels a lot of pressure building upon him, feeling overwhelmed to fill the shoes of a great player. Throughout the chapter the author describes the importance of football to the players and town of Odessa. Bissinger explains the pros and cons of playing for the team, cons being how the players are willing to suffer physically for the teams benefit. Whether it is breaking bones or suffering injuries the young men are willing to take pain killers and other drugs to push through for the win. Although there are downfalls in the sport, the author states that you are treated as a hero of the town and given special treatment by young cheerleaders called ‘Peppets’. Though the author emphasizes that the sport of football has a much larger impact to the town of Odessa than what just meets the eye. For example, Bissinger quotes a character Allan who states, “There is nothing to replace it. It’s an integral part of what made the community strong. You take it away and it’s almost like you strip the identity of the people. (Bissinger p.43)” He implies that football is the essence of Odessa and without football they are nothing but a small town in West Texas. As the end of the game comes about, Bissinger infers that the team is in for turn for the worse as the season begins.

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Works Cited
Bissinger, H. G. "The Watermelon Feed." Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream. [Cambridge, Mass.]: Da Capo, 2000. N. Print. Cited