home+team

Dylan Ferraro Kyle Schneider Waffles Mike Manente

= Groupo de Awesome =

Week One:

Topic: Characters (Section 1 out of 5 of your text)

Assignment: The Main character of this book is Sean Payton. It is written in the first person about his life. Sean Payton started his career as a football player, he always enjoyed going over the plays, learning how to run them, and watch they develop in the game. Sean was a quarterback and got his first coaching job as a player-coach in England, he was paid to coach the team and to play quarterback for them. He then was offered a job at a college as a coach assistant. He worked his way up to being a college head coach and eventually being offered a job as the coach if the New Orleans Saints.
 * 1. On your group's wiki page, describe the main characters in your text. What makes them interesting? What is their story or background? Why are you drawn to them? Conversely, are there any characters that you just cannot stand? Why not? (A) **
 * (Dylan Ferraro) **

2. **Person B should share and discuss their selected quotations, using Save The Last Word techniques.** "I want to talk to you a minute as if you were my son." Parcells said this while talking to Sean to discuss what job decision he should make. "Hey want to go to New York" Sean said this to his wife, and the quote shows how much you have to move and always relocate when you are a head coach. It shows how difficult it is to be a football coach in the NFL. "I'll be honest with you. If I'm working for your staff, so regardless of what they ask i am going to do it." Sean said this during an interview when Coach Nunnely asked Sean If the coaching staff asked him to do something that was not ethical. This shows that Sean was going to be loyal to the team he coached on no matter what. "Coaching is a small fraternity" Sean said this explaining how everyone knew everyone in college football and that one job leads to another because people talk. "We are moving on" Sean heard this from several coaches when he applied for coaching jobs. This show that jobs don't come easy in football and how Sean and many other coaches had to work there way up.
 * (Michael Sowinski) **

It gave a lot of emotions and heart warming scenes in the beginning of the book. Taking the job would have been a bad idea not because Al Davis was there but because it was not a rising organization.
 * 3. Person C should share his/her questions with the group, as well as post the questions on the group's wiki page **
 * (Mike Manente) **
 * How did the first couple of pages of the book, about the parade, make you feel? **
 * If you were Sean would you have taken the head coaching job for the Raiders? **
 * Did you think New Orleans was not as bad as it was after Katrina? **

Yes I think I would have too if all my friends thought it was the right choice and you got the chance to rebuild a city and a team. It would be a challenge but I would have taken the job. I would feel very mad because it should be some of her decisions too not just all Sean's and I would make him talk to me about making a decision before he does make it.
 * Would you have taken the Saints job if you were Sean? **
 * How would you feel if you were Sean Payton's wife not being very involved with Sean's coaching decisions? **

Today we had some great questions made by Mike Manente and it was mostly about decision making because Sean Payton in the first part of the book had to chose between which jobs to take or not. It was very suspenseful at times and it almost felt like you were making the decision. Some of the questions asked were, would you have taken that job to go to Oakland, and everyone in the group gave there own opinion on it. Sean Payton always seem to get his decision right every time.
 * 4.Person D should post the meeting summary on the group's wiki page after class. **
 * (Kyle Schneider) **

Dylan was our group leader this week and he kept us on pace to keep talking about the book. We had a very good book club discussion I think because we all know about football and how hard it is to get to the NFL and work your way up there. So we talked about how great of a story it was for Sean Payton and where he came from to get all the way up to the greatest level of football. He started way low as an assistant to the coaches, which is almost like a servant. We all think that he deserved it and worked hard for it. We are all suspicious to read what happens after Hurricane Katrina and how the city and team react.

Week Two:

Topic: Language (Section 2 out of 5 of your text)

Assignment: 1. **On your group's wiki page, discuss the type of language that your book contains. Is it easy to read? Conversational? "Classic"? Does it use a lot of words you don't understand? What grade level do you think the book is written at, and why? (B) (Kyle Schneider)** The book is easy to read but I think it is easier to read if you know what they are talking about. If you do not really know anything about football this book will help you learn more but it wouldn't be an easy read. Sean Payton really writes the book from his heart and what truly happened. He has good vocabulary but it is nothing that I can't understand, if I didn't understand the word I could probably find out from the context clues. I think this book is for grade levels 9 and 10 because it is too easy for a senior to read and it has some humor for the average underclassmen in high school. Also I think for the average middle school student this would be not a challenging book but not an easy read. This book is sad at times but also suspenseful and could also be hilarious. Sean Payton really knows how to keep you reading and alive while reading this book.

"I got this for you" Sean said this to his wife about a valentines gift and she did not accept it because times were tough "It's an amazing concept now. Drew Brees as a free agent in the winter of 2006.Bum- rushed out of San Diego. Told his quarterbacking services were not required. "Where do we have to be with our offer to separate us from anyone else."  "Who dat who say dey gonna beat dem Saints, Who Dat?"  "I just went and bought four season tickets"
 * 2. Person B should share and discuss their selected quotations, using Save The Last Word techniques. **
 * (Mike Manente) **


 * 3. Person C should post the meeting summary on the group's wiki page after class. **
 * (Mike Sowinski) **

Today we were discussing language. We started out talking and discussing the questions which including talking about how they were acquiring the coaches, Drew Brees, and other players to come play in the dump they called New Orleans. We discussed how hard it was to hire head coaches and how not many would come, only the ones that were looking at a way on getting into the NFL as a coach. We talked about the story of how Drew Brees landed in New Orleans. After 2006 no one wanted Drew because of his shoulder injury that did not look to promising to most teams, but the New Orleans Saints decided to take a risk on him. We talked on how we the Saints went to get Reggie Bush, even though Bush did not want to go to the Saints. We then talked about the quotes and one was “This is for you.” Sean Payton said to his wife as she handed her a diamond neck glass. His wife thought that Sean got the gift last minute and it wasn’t planned out so she asked him to return it. Theses sets of chapters had to do with the building of the New Orleans Saints and how hard it was to get people to come to this town, which was bad enough before Katrina, to ask them to come and play and live in New Orleans the city where no one wanted to life at that point.These chapters had a lot to do with the building the team, of New Orleans.

The best thing to do would be to get coaches that are not at the higher level and would just be honored to get the opportunity to get a coaching job in the NFL, no one who already is in the NFL coaching would want to go to the falling saints. Sean Payton did the thing most people would and that is set them straight and set some ground rules. It was a huge gamble he didnt even play a game yet after the surgery and they still went for him but it was one of the best decisions the Saints ever made. The Saints needed Reggie Bush and for his agent to tell the Saints that he does not want to be on their team is outrageous, at first I couldn't believe what I read.
 * 4.Person D should share his/her questions with the group, as well as post the questions on the group's wiki page **
 * (Dylan Ferraro) **
 * 1. when you saw how hard it was to hire coaches, what would you have been thinking if you were sean payton? **
 * 2. when you saw all the players slacking off in the locker room at the first meeting, what would you have done to try to take control? **
 * 3. how much of a gamble was it to try to get Drew Brees? **
 * 4. what were your thoughts on the Reggie Bush process? **

Week Three:

Topic: Mood/Tone (section 3 out of 5 of your text)

Assignment:
 * 1. On your group's wiki page, discuss the mood or tone of your book.What is the overriding emotion of this book? What examples back up your claim? (B)(Mike Manente) **

** 2. Person B should share and discuss their selected quotations, using Save The Last Word techniques. (Kyle Schneider) **
Said by Sean Payton to the pilots in the cockpit after the huge win over the Cowboys, “Hey, is there any way we can make this flight a little longer.”

“Where is Drew?” Sean Payton yelled at the PR guy, Greg Bensel, who gave Brees a call right after that.

“I have never in my life heard a crowd roar so loud” –Michael Vick

‘ We landed at one thirty a.m.; fifteen thousand Saints fans were waiting outside the airport to welcome us home. Fifteen thousand people! To greet a team after a loss!’ -Sean Payton

"We lost 39-14. to the environment as much as the Bears."
 * 3. Person C should post the meeting summary on the group's wiki page after class.(Dylan Ferraro) **


 * 4.Person D should share his/her questions with the group, as well as post the questions on the group's wiki page **
 * (Michael Sowinski) **
 * Would you train as hard as some of the players did during the blazing heat of the sun? ** The sun was hot and all the players were working hard and as longing as you were part of a team that had a plan to achieve something I'm sure you would work that hard


 * What do you feel was going on in the minds of Drew Brees during the preseason while he was struggling during the games? ** Drew Brees must of had a lot going on through his mind. He was thinking would he get his arm back will he ever be the caliber quarterback that he once was. I think at of all of it though I think he still had some confidence left in him that helped him get through the preseason.


 * Would you have done the same thing by giving the player a day off and bringing them to do something fun like go to the water park? ** It would have been a change of pace for a football team, I might have done it, but you never know if you would have done if you were a coach.

Yeah I think emotions played a huge role in that game. Everyone wanted to win so bad for their team, their coach, their city.
 * The Saints went back to practice at the superdome the Friday before their game against the Falcons, do you think emotions played a role in that game as the Saints beat the Falcons 23-3 starting off with a punt block? **

Yes, because when you play for a second time you know what is coming you know how they play the game who's their main targets what their moves are.
 * Do you think it was easier the second time that the Saints played the Cowboys? **

Week Four:

Topic: Themes/Images (section 4 out of 5 of your text)

Assignment: **What are some of the images that are used?** Sean Payton likes to describe what happens in his practices, games, and what happens in the locker room. **What do they seem to represent?** He also describes scenes of Katrina as he enters New Orleans and they represent many of the people who died or lost their homes in the storm.
 * 1. On your group's wiki page, discuss the themes and images that your book contains. **
 * (Michael Sowinski) **
 * Why do you think the author uses ** **these images to convey his or her meaning?** He uses these because he they represent the book main theme, that this was more then a team, it was a whole city fighting to get back to what it once was.
 * 2. Person B should share and discuss their selected quotations, using Save The Last Word techniques.(Dylan Ferraro) **

Summary: Our goal for this discussion was to talk about the themes and images of this book. So, our group talked about that teamwork and hope are two great themes for this book. Sean Payton is always stressing how important it is to have every player on the teams back. The team seems to be really close together because they are always having a laugh during their off time. We talked about how we all agree this book is getting pretty funny and how it is hilarious that an NFL head coach took his team to a water park 2 years in a row in the middle of training camp. Another theme that we talked about is hope. Every player on the New Orleans Saints has to have hope after all that has happened to the city of New Orleans. We all agree that it is amazing how they could come back from being in such bad shape to beginning an undefeated season. One image that we thought would be funny was the Saints starting linebacker ,Scott Fujita, coming back through the fence with a bummed ankle after the water slide contest. We couldn't imagine the headlines after that extravaganza. Another image that seemed very funny would be Sean Payton dressed up as Bill Bellicheck. From the description it seems like he went all out so we would have liked to see a picture of that.
 * 3. Person C should post the meeting summary on the group's wiki page after class. (Mike Manente) **

As a coach you would have to have the team to focus on each week one step at a time and try to keep media out of the issue.To win you would all games you would need to have a tremendous amount of focus. We think that it helped a lot and how the players reacted. It helped them show that what everyone was thinking and how all the teams were after them. No, he should have tried something different. He was probably very nervous. The kick was for the game and he knew if he made it he would send the city of New Orleans to the super bowl, but if he missed it they may lose the game.
 * 4.Person D should share his/her questions with the group, as well as post the questions on the group's wiki page (Kyle Schneider) **
 * -As a coach, how would you keep your team from distractions as being an undefeated team? **
 * -Do you think that Sean Payton imitating Bill Belicheck helped them beat the Patriots? Why? **
 * -Would you have taken the players to the water park a second time? **
 * -If you were Sean Payton and wanted to get a new coach very bad, would you give up some of your contract money to add to the new coach's contract? ** We all said we would probably give up some money to get the coach if he was a good coach and someone you felt that you trusted
 * -What do you think was going through Garrett Hartley's mind on that overtime game-winning field goal? **

Week Five: (LAST MEETING)

Topic: Responding to the Text (section 5 out of 5 of your text)

Assignment: **1. On your group's wiki page, discuss your final reflections on this book.** Would you recommend it to peers? Why or why not? Has this topic been discussed more/less effectively in another book or books? Should this book be considered for the school's curriculum? **(B)(Dylan Ferraro)**


 * 2. Person B should share and discuss their selected quotations, using Save The Last Word techniques. (Mike Sowinski) **
 * "The pressure was immense" **
 * "He was joking, I think" **
 * "Ten-Million Dollar atheletes had their dispositions brightened by a 50 dollar gift card." **
 * Originally, ambush wasn't going to be our big suprise in the Super Bowl." **
 * "I can smell a team that is just happy to be in the super bowl. you guys reek of that team **
 * "I took the trophy from Mr. Benson and held it high over my head. **

This week was the last week of book club and the book we read was a fantastic one. It was very inspiring. I sometimes could not stop reading it and I am a person who really doesn’t like to read. So the theme for this week was Responding To The Text. We all talked about how we liked it and who to recommend it to. We all decided that it was a very inspiring book to read and to know the background of the story and not just hear headlines but also know what really happened. I think that people need a general idea about football to read this book. They do not need to know everything about football to read Home Team by Sean Payton. Sean Payton really shows the emotion and how it feels to be behind the scenes and know the real action that takes place. For example in the story, the week prior to the Super Bowl all the families spend time together in the hotels but that they also get the experience of a lifetime with lots of things being given to them almost like prizes.
 * 3. Person C should post the meeting summary on the group's wiki page after class. (Kyle Schneider) **

The group came to a conclusion that we would rest our starters because there would be no point in playing the full game and risking the players injury or considering that they had lost the two games earlier, humiliation as losing three games in a row with the starting lineups playing. the saints got the true experience with the super bowl. they got the true experience as the super bowl with all the free stuff they recieved The saints got risky there but the way then said it was working during the week of practice I think that I would have done it too. It would have been amazing to be anyone on the Saints organization especially Sean Payton for what he did for that team, those players, and the city of New Orleans. n The book overall was fantastic, it was very suspenseful and it was a good read. It was also very enjoyable if you love the game of football.
 * 4.Person D should share his/her questions with the group, as well as post the questions on the group's wiki page (Mike Manente) **
 * -Would you rest your starters at the end of the season when you know your in the playoffs or play to win? **
 * -Do you think the endorsements and free stuff Mike Ornstein got the Saints impacted their super bowl? **
 * -Would you have run the ambush onside kick had you not known the outcome? **
 * -Describe how you would feel if you were Sean Payton after you won the super bowl? **
 * -What is your overall opinion on how the book was? **

**Book Club Schedule**
You should divide your book into 5 equal sections. For example, if your book has 100 pages, you should have five 20 page sections. You should read the appropriate section for each meeting.


 * Requirements**:
 * **PERSON A - GROUP LEADER** - This group member will be responsible for both keeping the group on task throughout the meeting as well as responding to the week's topical questions, listed below.
 * **PERSON B - QUOTATION FINDER** - This group member will be responsible for finding 5 important, meaningful quotations from their section of the text. They will also facilitate a discussion regarding these quotations.
 * **PERSON C - KEY QUESTIONER** - This group member will be responsible for providing 5 open-ended questions regarding the week's reading section. These questions, and their responses, will be posted on the group's wiki.
 * **PERSON D - GROUP SUMMARIZER** - This group member will be responsible for posting a thorough, two-paragraph summary of the group's Friday meeting, to be posted on the group wiki no later than the Sunday following the meeting.


 * Groups will decide appropriate penalties for group members who fail to uphold their responsibilities.**


 * NOTE: If your book club has three members, the roles B and C should be combined; if your book club has five members, two students should take the role of C (5 questions each).**