Odessa, Part 2: Friday Night Lights

The Daily

The New York Times

Daily News, News

4.4 • 102.8K Ratings

🗓️ 12 March 2021

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 1988, a high school football team in Odessa, Texas, was so good that it became the inspiration for a book, movie and, eventually, the television series “Friday Night Lights.” And in the decades since, as West Texas has weathered the unsettling undulations of the oil industry, football has remained steady. So after the pandemic hit, the town did what it could to make sure the season wasn’t disrupted. And at Odessa High School, where the football team struggles to compete against local rivals, the members of their award winning marching band were relieved they could keep playing. In Part 2 of Odessa, we follow what happened when the season opened — and how the school weighed the decision to start against the possible risks to students’ physical and mental health. New episodes of Odessa will be released as they become available in this feed. For more information visit nytimes.com/odessa.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Today, the second installment of our special series,
0:04.0	documenting life inside one of the nation's first school districts
0:08.5	to try to reopen during the pandemic.
0:12.0	If you'd ever heard of Odessa Texas before this,
0:15.0	it's probably because of one story.
0:18.0	I expect you boys to execute.
0:20.0	Yes sir.
0:22.0	Expect you boys to play football.
0:35.0	Friday night lights was written about a high school football team in Odessa, Texas in the late 80s.
0:44.0	A time when the city was reeling from a huge oil bust.
0:47.0	When unemployment rates were soaring.
0:50.0	And still, every Friday night, the city would gather to cheer on their winning team, the Permian Panthers.
1:07.0	In the book, one Odessa tells the author,
1:10.0	life really wouldn't be worth living if you didn't have a high school football team to support.
1:18.0	The town continues to be so in love with the sport that regular adults,
1:23.0	not just fanatical parents, have been known to camp out in line,
1:27.0	waiting for tickets to the high school game.
1:32.0	When life in Odessa is tied to the unsettling ups and downs of oil,
1:37.0	football is steady.
1:48.0	So perhaps it should come as no surprise that just as Texas was among the first to reopen their classrooms.
1:55.0	Good evening and welcome to ECISD Live.
1:58.0	My name is Scott Murie and I'm the superintendent and it's a pleasure to welcome each of you this evening.
	...

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