“No piece of ground was more revered than The Field. Not even the cemetery.”

This quote foreshadows the importance of the cemetery (which becomes apparent when Scotty Reardon’s death is revealed) as well as the looming fate of Rake’s legacy as he nears death. After Rake’s funeral, Messina is back to business as usual, and football is once again more important than even Rake. Dead heroes don’t take precedent in this town; they will always favor living legends who are still around to take their team to victory.

“The games came back to him, though he tried to block them out. Those days were gone, he told himself for the hundredth time. Long gone.”

Neely and the rest of the Spartans are haunted by the memories of the glory days. The games, which once brought them so much joy, now only bring pain because they have the hindsight to know it doesn’t last. The novel is both about remembering, and letting go of, the past.

“You had no choice in this town. Rake had us in uniforms when we were in the sixth grade. Four teams—red, blue, gold, and black, remember? No green because every kid wanted to wear green.”

Though Neely expresses he wishes he had never been a football player, Paul reminds him that would have been impossible in Messina. The town raises their children to be athletes, and the parents turn their sons over to Rake from a young age. This only heightens the influence Rake has on them because he is the player’s role model, coach, and mentor from young adulthood.