THE FRANCHISE

by Peter Gent ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 1983

Pro-football has been pretty well exposed by now--in such novels as Gent's own North Dallas Forty, in memoirs, in TV-documentaries, in the newspapers. So, in this overlong (576 pp.) new novel, Gent seems determined to somehow--anyhow--top all the previous ugliness; and the result, though sporadically funny, is a noisy, messy, unconvincing mixture of black comedy, shrill soap opera, and violent, bloody mystery-melodrama. The unengaging hero here is star-quarterback Taylor Rusk--who dispenses Zen-like pronouncements on the metaphysics of football, who remains self-righteously cool and honest while everyone else behaves abominably. Taylor is followed from high-school to college, winning the Heisman Trophy, witnessing college-hall corruption galore, and observing some gross fraternity hijinks. Then, along with married pal Simon D'Hanis, Taylor is hired by the brand-new pro ball franchise, the Texas Pistols--the brain-child of tycoon/owner Cyrus Chandler, a fool who indulges in shadiness (Mob and CIA connections) that even his ruthless mastermind/henchman Dick Conly deplores. Also hired for the new team: a maniacally ambitious coach; veterans Kimball Adams (the quintessence of corruption) and Bobby Hendrix (the quintessence of player-as-victim). Sentimental subplots proliferate: Conly's teenage son commits suicide; Taylor falls in love with Chandler's daughter Wendy, who bears his child--while married to the team's slimy PR director; sweet Simon suffers terrible knee injuries, is abandoned by the Franchise, and (typical of Gent's excess throughout) goes mad, killing himself, wife, and kids. But the novel--delivered in about 150 scattery mini-chapters--eventually becomes primarily occupied with two melodrama-plots, both of them overdrawn. A journalist is about to expose the Franchise and ""a nationwide network of ticket scalping, game fixes, gambling and income tax evasion""--which leads to several grisly murders, plus attacks on Taylor (who holds the corruption evidence). Meanwhile, there's a struggle for control of the Franchise as Chandler goes luridly senile: Taylor and Wendy vs. Cyrus' new wife Suzy (a sexy, vicious gold-digger) and her slimy lover/cohort. And it all ends at the Super Bowl, with Taylor defying the planned fix. . .while the bad guys are napalmed by a crazy Texas Pistols fan. Despite lots of fine, raunchy dialogue and gritty inside-atmosphere from groupies to steroids: a grandiose, chaotic disappointment--with outlandish, half-baked effects instead of the close-up credibility that made North Dallas Forty so forceful and entertaining.

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1983

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Villard/Random House

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1983

Categories: FICTION