The 25th anniversary edition of Friday Night Lights was just released with a new afterword from the author. The author writes about his year in Odessa, Texas shadowing the Permian High School football team. Football is a religion in the town of Odessa. It is not uncommon for people to wait in lines for two days to get tickets to Friday's game. The stadium fills with 20,000 people all cheering for their state champions, the Permian Panthers. He examines the community, parents, coaches, students and football players and their die-hard commitment to the football program. The author also analyzes how funding and focus on football takes away from academics. And most importantly, how the pressure and adoration of the football players affects their personal lives. Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger is an intense appraisal of high school sports in America and what we as a society value.