The Underdogs

“No team, no practices, no games, no shot at the league title Forbes had come within a touchdown of winning last year.”

The novel’s conflict is clearly stated before the end of the first short chapter. The viewpoint (third person, limited to Will’s perspective) and fragmented sentence inform Will’s worried interior monologue about the loss of his football season. The repeated negativity in this line suggests a compounded weight of burdens, each contributing to missed opportunities for fun, skill, and potential victory.

“That would be like the Steelers going to the Ravens and asking for help.”

Tim replies with this simile when Will reveals he considered asking Castle Rock’s coach for financial help. The comparison refers to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens, who have been consistent rivals since the inception of the Baltimore team in 1996. The Ravens were created that year when Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell relocated the franchise to Baltimore as an expansion team. The epic rivalry between the Steelers and the Browns goes back to their earliest matchups in the 1950s. Tim’s meaning here is two-fold: Will’s idea would involve too much pride-swallowing, and asking a rival for help would make it very difficult to enjoy beating them.