The Lasting Effect of Peter Gent’s North Dallas Forty

Really interesting essay looking back on North Dallas Forty–the book and the movie–by Oregon State English professor Michael Oriard over at Deadspin. Oriard, a former player from the same era as Gent, compares the recently deceased author to fellow ’60s writers Kurt Vonnegut and Norman Mailer. He also wonders if Gent ever smoked pot with Don Meredith. Breaking down the differences between the book and movie, Oriard writes that “the ‘truth’ of North Dallas Forty lay in its broad strokes rather than particular observations. The characters weren’t ‘real,’ but collectively they conveyed the brutality, racism, sexism, drug abuse, and callousness that were part of professional football.”