Product Description

Rick Dockery was the third-string quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. In the deciding game at the climax of the season, to the surprise and dismay of virtually everyone, Rick actually got into the game. With a 17-point lead and just minutes to go, Rick provided what was arguably the worst single performance in the history of the NFL. Overnight, he became a national laughing stock and, of course, was immediately dropped by the Browns and shunned by all other teams. But all Rick knows is football, and he insists that his agent, Arnie, finds a team that needs him. Against enormous odds, Arnie finally locates just such a team and informs Rick that, miraculously, he can in fact now be a starting quarterback. Great says Rick - for which team?The mighty Panthers of Parma, Italy. Yes, Italians do play American football, to one degree or another, and the Parma Panthers desperately want a player from the home of American footballat their helm. So Rick reluctantly agrees to play for the Panthers - at least until a better offer comes along - and heads off to Italy. He knows nothing about Parma (not even where it is), has never been to Europe, and doesn't speak or understand a word of Italian. To say that Italy - the land of opera, fine wines, extremely small cars, romance and football americano - holds a few surprises for Rick Dockery would be something of an understatement.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18013 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 272 pages

Daily Express
Grisham comes into his own. The man knows how to crank up the tension, we are soon on the edge of our seats. Read this book, enjoy it.

Sunday Express
Playing for Pizza is a lyrical page-turner and a gasp-inducing reminder of the scope of this man's genius with the written word. Grisham is something of a Da Vinci with words. He can blow your brains out with the power of truth or paint pictures that magically reveal the reality beneath. This is a smooth, satisfying and delightful read.

From the Back Cover
Rick Dockery was a quarterback for one of America’s most famous football teams when he gave arguably the worst performance in his league’s history. Overnight Rick became a laughing stock and unemployable in his own country.

But his agent somehow finds Rick a job. He is guaranteed a starting position and a salary. The only problem is that the team that wants him is in Parma, Italy. The American football league in Italy is tiny and, unlike Rick, the Italian players only get paid in free meals.

Rick has never been to Italy, so it’s no surprise that the country has a few surprises for him. What follows is a delightful, heart-warming story of an innocent abroad.


‘A lyrical page-turner and a gasp-inducing reminder of the scope of this man’s genius with the written word. A delightful read.’ Sunday Express

Customer Reviews

Don't Waste Your Money
This is a very poor book and a big disappointment for any Grisham fan. It smacks of Grisham having to churn out something to meet a contract rather than the normal standard of his work. Try buying "The Innocent Man" by this author instead.

Playing for Pizza
Very very disappointing. Not Grisham at all, has he died and his dog wrote this one?? Would have dumped it but it was all I had to read on a long journey so read to the fizzled-out end. I usually pass on paperbacks but binned this one to avoid boring anyone else.
Pity zero stars is not an option

Very disappointing
Picked this up in the airport thinking it would be standard Grisham fare and perfect as a holiday read - nothing too intellectual but a well-strcutured story with a few plot twists and turns to keep you entertained till the end. It disappointed on every front, and I started to wonder what the point of it all was.

It wasn't a thriller in the usual Grisham style - the plot was predictable from the start and sort of petered out towards the end. It wasn't a sports book - the sporting scenes were pretty diffident and I never felt engaged in the sporting success of either the team or the main character (and I'm normally a sucker for cheesy sports books). It wasn't even well-researched - there were a number of factual inaccuracies about Italy and the sport that even a layman like me picked up. Grisham even admits in his author's notes to making some of the detail up.

The only thing I can think of is that the book was inspired by a trip to Italy annd was intended as some kind of homage or guide to the country and it's culture. If so, it failed miserably. Grisham portrays a 2-dimensional stereotype of Italy where all the locals are very passionate and emotional and love their food and drive around in small cars, and where the country is full of old churches, museums and galleries. Very insightful!

If you love American football and know absolutely nothing about Italy then you might get something out of this. If you are in any way expecting to be inspired, informed or gripped, then don't bother.