P3+How+does+the+history+of+Odessa+affect+the+expectations+of+the+1988+Permian+Panthers+football+team?

5. The town of Odessa has always been a small town that kept to itself. There is a reason for this and it has effected everyone who has ever lived in this town. " In 1982, the thirty-seven murders that took place inside Ector County gave Odessa the distinction of having the highest murder rate in the country" (Bissinger, 31). Because of this incident, the people of Odessa usually just always keep to themselves and don't bother other people. The one thing that makes Odessa a town worth living in is the football. The football team at Permain High School have always been expected to win ever since the school started. The pressure put on the kids every year is really hard on them. The history of Odessa sets high standards for the football every year. And when the football players don't do well and exceed, everyone knows about it and the whole town doesn't forget it. The history of the Permian Football team and Odessa puts major pressure on the kids backs and sometimes gots the worst of them.

- Ryan Bentley

5. The town of Odessa is quite a small town, it has a population of just over 90,000. That seems kind of like an everybody know everybody town, right, well not everybody likes each other there. A lot of the white people living there are moving away because of the job ratings, the minorities are taking all the jobs. "The town of Odessa has had a roller coaster economy" (Bissinger 32). This is saying that Odessa is having a hard time keeping up with businesses and things because they didn't have very many people to occupy the jobs so they went out of business. What this has to do with the history of Odessa affecting the Permian football team is because they might of had friends who's parents didn't approve of them hanging out but they played football together so they had to. And from the economy being kind of shaky with people leaving and people losing their jobs they had to resort to football as a relaxing time to mingle with other people they didn't know and maybe not even like. So the history of Odessa affects the expectations of the 1988 Permian Panthers football team because everyone has differences from what is happening economy wise and they have to find how to change it.

-Justin Newkirk

5. In 1970 through 1980 Odessa, Texas had a high crime rate that Permian high school really didn't look much into. " In 1982, the thirty-seven murders that took place inside Ector County gave Odessa the distinction of having the highest murder rate in the country" (Bissinger, 31). Both football players and parents of the players were to concentrated on football to think about the crime rate and what was happening in their town. Football saved Odessa, oil was also still in tact and didn't show a change. The players became depended upon to give their town happiness, when they lost all that was brought upon was anger and frustration. Winning was no option for Permian High School. Victories seemed to work for the town of odessa, because their town is now so much better than what is was in the 70's and 80's. -Amber Anders

5. The town of Odessa has had a roller coaster economy as described by H.G. Bissinger in Friday Night Lights (32). Bissinger describes the oil boom as being the town’s savior, until the oil fields run out and the economy goes to crap, and this vicious cycle repeats time after time. When it comes down to it, the Permian Panthers high school football team is all the town really has to depend on, and in 1988 when state’s are actually a foreseeable thing, hopes and dreams are even higher. “Expectations were high every year and in 1988, if it was possible, they were even higher than usual” (Bissinger 36). This is because the town in the late 80’s was living off the Permian football team. They lived, dreamed, and breathed Friday night-lights in the Permian stadium. Odessa has a rough history, thus making the 1988 trip to state even more intense. Panthers would be a more suiting name for Odessa during this time, one is actually surprised it wasn’t legally changed already. -Jono Smith

5. Much of the history that has been going on in Odessa could affect their history because of the incidents they have. “In 1982, thirty-seven murders that took place inside Ector County gave Odessa the distinction of having the highest murder rate in the country” (Bissinger 31). Incidents like these can cause Permian football team incidents because if there is someone that plays a specific spot and he ends up moving because of the crime rate they would need to find a replacement with out much time. All their fans expecting to go to every home game the Permian Panthers have but they don’t know if they will be coming home alive because of their high crime rate. So the Permian Panthers expected to get many people to go to their games and stay away from crime. The Permian Panthers just took everything out of their lives every time they hit the football field. They cleared their minds so that they would be able to win and get their fans to come out and support them and stay away from crimes. By giving their fans big plays and hard tackles they could keep their fans focused on coming back for the show that Permian Panthers put on. -Jamel McKnight

====5. In the town of Odessa, the people experience many different difficulties. “In 1982, the thirty-seven murders that took place inside Ector County gave Odessa the distinction of having the highest murder rate in the country”(Bissinger 31). Because the people of Odessa were so revolved around the football team, they didn’t really think about what was going on in their town. People were not thinking about the all the crime that was happening, all they really cared about were their Friday nights and whether or not the Permian Panthers had won a game that night. The football team is put under so much pressure to win their games and the players do everything they can to make the town happy. According to Bissinger, “Expectations were high every year and in 1988, if it was possible, they were even higher than usual. The team had an incredible array of talent, the devout boosters whispered, the best of any Permian team in the decade”(36). This just shows how much the town depends on the football team, and how much pride they have had for years, but especially in 1988 when they were suppose to win it all.====

-Ashley Doty
5. Odessa was a town known greatly for football and not much else. According to H.G. Bissinger, "Of all the legends of Odessa, that of high school football was the most enduring. It had a deep and abiding sense of place and history, so unlike the town, where not even the origin of the name itself could be vouched for with any confidence" (24,25). Not much positive activity was going on in Odessa. That area had its high's and its low's when dealing with oil business. One thing that was always a high point for them was Permian football. Year after year, Permian would make the playoffs and gain the support of the whole community. Every year high expectations were made for the Panthers. In 1988, the expectations were higher than usual because of the amount of talent on the team. The whole town had expected a state title and nothing less from these boys.

- Max Cerrillo

5.The history of Odessa affects the expectations of the 1988 Permian Panthers football team in many ways. People expect the football team to win and put pressure on the players themselves to win. According to H.G. Bissinger in his book 'Friday Night Lights', “He saw the irresistible allure of high school sports, but he also saw an inevitable danger in adults’ living vicariously through their young” (xiv). The reason that Odessa has such high expectations in the Permian football team of 1988 is because in the city itself there is nothing that is achieved because of the social and racial conflicts. In football though, there can be achievement not mattering your social standings or race. In a way, football is the only option for the people in this town to be more than they are, to create a different opinion for not only themselves personally but also for the town itself. Since Odessa history is one that most people around the country look down on, people in the town assume that through football the opinion will change. To accomplish this, the town of Odessa expects the team to win games and if they do not, then the football team is just another disappointment.

-Anna Clark

5. Football, it wasn’t just an extracurricular activity; it was much more. It was an event that held a small town of Odessa together and it provided a night in which community members could put their minds at ease. The year 1959 marked the start of a football team, the start of the Permian Panthers reputation for going to state. As written in “Friday Night Lights”, “Twenty years earlier, Charlie Billingsley himself had worn the black and white of Permian…he still had those powerful memories of those days… it seemed impossible not to look down on the field and see his own reflection” (Bissinger 79). The history of the past Panthers teams in Odessa raises a great expectation to succeed for that current team. Knowing that the crowd is expecting them to win to maintain that tradition of going so far in the season is one of the major influences that push the players to work so hard. A single game could make or break their chances of taking the title. So having to live up to past players could surely affect how the players react during the game. - Colleen Brown

5. Odessa, Texas has always been a very small town. Football has always been a main part of their lives. The history of this town has stayed pretty consistent through out the years. In the book it states, “Mojo football, it helps you survive all this sand, the wind, the heat. I wouldn’t live in any other place”(Bissinger 41). The Permian football team has brought people together for many years. The expectations for the football team are very high due to the fact that so many people rely on the team to do well. Every home game family and friends through out the town gather together and watch the game. Without the football team Odessa would be even more boring and small than it already is. The football team bring everyone together and people put away there problems to be at the game. -Hilary Pepper

5. People living in Odessa, Texas had high expectations for their high school football team. This is to be expected from a place as remote as this. This was something to talk about, look forward to, and something that would bring together neighbors that wouldn’t normally engage in conversation. Ever since its roots left in time and history, Odessa had always been secluded from the rest of the world. As H.G. Bissinger put it in his novel //Friday Night Lights//, “at times Odessa had the feel of lingering sadness that many isolated places have, a sense of the world orbiting around it at a dizzying speed while it stood stuck in time” (33). The feeling that this land may be forsaken by a higher power, but in a paradoxical fashion blessed at the same time, lingers in Odessa because of its tremendous isolation. With this isolation, a town like this needs a sense of union and something to keep them looking forward to the next season. The past, separating the olden ideals of this town from the rest of the world set flame to the excitement of the football season and as a result, expectations of the Permian Panthers football team shot through the atmospheric layers into space. - Justin Silva

The town of Odessa has always been a small town that kept to itself. The one thing that makes Odessa a town worth living in is the football. The history of Odessa sets high standards for the football every year. "The town of Odessa has had a roller coaster economy" (Bissinger 32). In 1970 through 1980 Odessa, Texas had a high crime rate that Permian high school really didn't look much into. Winning was no option for Permian High School. In the town of Odessa, the people experience many different difficulties. Odessa was a town known greatly for football and not much else. The history of Odessa affects the expectations of the 1988 Permian Panthers football team in many ways. People expect the football team to win and put pressure on the players themselves to win. To accomplish this, the town of Odessa expects the team to win games and if they do not, then the football team is just another disappointment. The Permian football team has brought people together for many years. People living in Odessa, Texas had high expectations for their high school football team. -Shakarra Dickert

5. The history of Odessa affects the Permian Panther team greatly. All Odessa was known for was having a great football team and that’s it. In the book H.G. Bissinger stated. "Of all the legends of Odessa, that of high school football was the most enduring. It had a deep and abiding sense of place and history, so unlike the town, where not even the origin of the name itself could be vouched for with any confidence" (24 & 25). Odessa did go through its up and downs with the oil business, and crime and more. However, everyone could always turn to football as a positive thing. Year in and year out the Panthers would make the playoffs and get the whole community behind them. In 1988. The Permian team was very talented, thus bringing a lot of pressure to bring home a state title and nothing less.

-Cody Woody