Game Plan by Don DeLillo, 1971
The magic trick:
Using extravagant language and absurdist humor to simultaneously celebrate and mock the sport of football
Hilarious football shenanigans today on the Magic Tricks site.
DeLillo simultaneously celebrates and roasts the sport’s penchant for dramatic language. Some of the terms and turns of phrase here are just wonderful. It’s absurd, of course. The entire thing. The story. The characters. The desperate desire. The joy. The guilt. The spectacle. Football is glorious. Football is stupid. And that’s quite a trick on DeLillo’s part.
The selection:
“On the 32-break I want you to catapult out of there. I want you to really bulldoze. I want to see you cascade into the secondary.”
“Tremendous imagery,” I said.
“But be sure you protect that ball.”
“Right.”
“Get fetal, get fetal.”
“Fetal!” I shouted back.
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