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    The Franchise
    The Franchise
    The Franchise
    Ebook74 pages47 minutes

    The Franchise

    By Brent Chartier and Patrick Jones

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    About this ebook

    Latrell Baker's scientific approach to football—watching football—has finally paid off. Harmon Holt heard about the algorithm he developed for determining best defensive play, and now Latrell's landed himself an internship with the NFL's LA Stars. But he'll soon discover that working in pro football involves more politics and secrets than science.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLerner Publishing
    Release dateAug 1, 2013
    ISBN9781467733380
    Author

    Brent Chartier

    Brent Chartier co-wrote The Franchise (The Opportunity series) and At All Costs (Red Zone series) with author Patrick Jones. He currently lives in a Detroit suburb with his son and their two cats.

    Read more from Brent Chartier

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      Book preview

      The Franchise - Brent Chartier

      Cosby

      Dear Mr. Latrell Baker:

      Congratulations, you’ve made an impression. And earned an opportunity. You will be an intern working for the general manager of my newly acquired Los Angeles Stars NFL team.

      I was impressed with your award-winning science project—an algorithm to predict the best possible defensive positioning based on the most likely offensive play. My other businesses succeed because they make decisions based on measurable factors. But too often in the realm of sports, judgments seem to be made on instinct and biased experience. I expect you to bring to this opportunity your enthusiasm and passion for evidence-based decision making.

      As with all my interns, your story reminds me of my own years growing up in DC. I was raised by a single mother who made me study because she knew education was the only path out of poverty. I loved football, but I was physically unable to compete. Like you, I knew that no amount of hard work or passion would pay off unless I excelled when given an opportunity to prove myself. This, Latrell, is that opportunity!

      Sincerely,

      Harmon Holt

      ONE

      August 5 (Sunday)

      How do you like your room, Latrell? A thin white guy with short black hair stood outside my door.

      I nodded. Latrell Baker, from DC. How’d you know my name?

      He laughed—giggled, really—and pointed at my mirror, where I had taped a sign with my name on it. It was the sign the limo driver was holding when he met me at the airport.

      Kevin Whitney. The guy stuck his hand out. His nails were bitten down to the quick.

      I shook his hand, which is always awkward with a white guy. I think we’re the only two in the dorm, I said. Are you a Holt intern too?

      He walked past me. No, what’s that? he asked as he gazed at a poster I’d hung on the wall of the Baltimore Ravens’ last Super Bowl team.

      It was a dumb question on my part. The scholarship only went to kids from Carver High, and there were no white guys at Carver High anymore. I told him about the internship.

      Sounds cool, he said. I’m interning with a defense contractor, researching materials to protect soldiers in combat.

      I felt stupid. He was doing good work, while I was calling pass rushes.

      I was about to ask Kevin more about the dorm when my phone rang. I looked at it. It said Bob Milliken. The L.A. Stars’ general manager was calling me. My hand shook; I hoped Kevin didn’t notice.

      It’s my boss. Kevin nodded, shot me a thumbs-up, and walked away.

      I took a deep breath and answered the call.

      Hello, Mr. Milliken.

      Hello, Latrell. I’m downstairs. Mind if I come up? Milliken and I had sent a number of e-mails back and forth. This was the first time we’d talked on the phone. But I knew his voice from the TV interviews he’d given while he was GM of the Ravens. They won two Super Bowls while he was running the team. Sometimes his face was on TV more than any of his star players.

      No, it’d be great to meet you. What a stupid answer. Would everything I said be a fumble?

      Great. Fire up your computer. I want to see this famous system of yours.

      Sure thing. Of course, my computer was already on. It was always on. I was always working on the system. Plus, I needed to enter data for new players.

      Mr. Milliken knocked on my door. I opened it and started to speak, but stopped when I saw he was talking on his cell phone. I sat back down at my computer and waited.

      And waited. And waited.

      Sorry, kid. Busy time of year, but you’ll learn that soon enough. He stuck out his hand. It was big and heavy, weighed down by two Super Bowl

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