2) Significance of the Title:

                  John Grisham titled his football novel Playing for Pizza because of where the story’s setting takes place; Italy. Grisham’s main character, Rick Dockery, is a NFL reject who is recruited to play as the quarterback for an Italian football team in Parma, Italy. It’s a club team where most of the men play for fun instead of for money and the majority of the players have daily jobs. However, instead of money, they are paid in pizza; thus the title Playing for Pizza. Rick on the other hand, because he is the quarterback, is actually paid in money, as well as pizza. Playing in Italy is a wake up call for Rick because he is so used to playing for fame and fortune. When he arrives in Italy, his life changes not only with the culture, but also by the way the game he loves so much is played. Grisham cleverly titled his novel Playng for Pizza to show that playing sports, playing football isn’t only for fame and wealth. After all, it is only a game and should be played for the fun of it. Rick Dockery was sent to Parma just in time to save him from himself by showing him that he can have fun and be payed to do so.