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“Time-tested football strategy held that when the passing game is working, you launch an air war. They ran slants, curls, posts, and flags, making acrobatic catches and spectacular wipeouts.”

These lines come during Marcus’s first practice session with Charlie, and they highlight the skill both players possess. Korman’s use of football terminology here firmly grounds the book in the reality of the game. The “passing game” refers to how both Marcus and Charlie successfully throw and catch passes like a quarterback and receiver in game. The following terms are types of “passing routes,” different plays that dictate the distance and direction a receiver runs. The litany of plays followed by the descriptive phrase “acrobatic catches and spectacular wipeouts” aims to convey the joy Marcus finds in the game.

“The good comrade, Marcus’s father, had responded to the divorce with his usual flexibility. No joint custody, no weekend visits—just a laundry list of all the material advantages Marcus would enjoy if he forgot he’d ever had a mother. The Vespa had been the primo goodie on an almost irresistible menu. Stalin had even tried to demand it back when Marcus had opted to stay with Mom.”

This excerpt offers context for Marcus’s past and his relationship with his father. Marcus has nicknamed his dad “Stalin” after Joseph Stalin, former Soviet Premier who consolidated power as a dictator in the interwar era. As seen by Marcus’s description here, his dad has a dictatorial parenting style, and his proposed list of benefits highlights that he cares more about winning custody of Marcus than about Marcus himself. Marcus admits he was tempted by his dad’s list, showing that even good people can make poor choices.