High school sports can have a tremendous effect not only on those who participate, but also on the members of the community in which they participate. These effects can be positive, but they can also be negative. In the book Friday Night Lights, HG Bissinger shows that often in communities where high school sports “keep the city alive” due to social pressure they are often negative. In this way, Friday Night Lights provides insight into the effects of high school football as the backbone of a community, revealing that the fates of individual football players are inadvertently determined by the actions of citizens. African American players are often negatively affected. due to the prevalence of racism in the city. Ivory Christian, for example, is a born-again Christian with aspirations of becoming a famous evangelist, but is unable to pursue his dream due to his commitment to the football team. Because of this, citizens have unrealistic expectations of him and assume that he will put all his time and energy into football. Additionally, there is more pressure on him to succeed...