Playing for Pizza takes places in the small town of Parma, Italy, a very real city in Italy. Rick Dockery an American quarterback is shipped over to play football for the Italian football league. That's right Italian football league. No not futbol, as in soccer, i mean futbol americano, american football. Yes its a very real organization. The Italian football league was founded in 2008, and consists of 10 teams. One of which is the Parma Panthers, the same team that Rick Dockery plays for in Playing for Pizza, and no this is no coincidence.
The Parma Panthers are a very real team, and are also very real champions. They were the most recent victors of the Italian football leagues Superbowl. All of the teams mentioned in the book are also real teams, Ancona Dolphins, Bologna Dolphins, Bologna Warriors, Bolzano Giants, Catania Elephants, Lazio Marines, Milano Rhinos, Milano Seamen, Parma Panthers, and the Reggio Emilia Hogs, all of these make up the Italian football league. Many of these teams were mentioned in the book also. The league is surprisingly competitive, many lesser known college players from America do end up in the league. Although just a hobby for many of the employed adults who are in the league, it certainly isn't taken lightly, as practices are long and hard, and games are competitive, and fierce. Although Grisham may have been writing fiction, the story of an american football player who goes to Italy to play football, happens to occur very often in the lively Italian football league. The Italian football league even has its own website. So if your interested, and want learn more, click the button below to check it out!
This is a picture of the Parma Panther football team, the very same team mentioned in the book!
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