Can we say, "Varsity Blues" only serious?

Rating: Null/10 (9 October 2004)

OK, as a former high school football player and a huge football person in general, I think this film was excellent. I enjoy football movies. But when hearing the hype of this movie and reading the article in last week's Sports Illustrated, I was expecting more. I hear that the story was supposedly controversial. But all I saw in the movie was, another movie about high school football. I haven't read the book, so I'm sure that the book is probably way more controversial than the movie. Because I didn't see anything in the movie that the town should feel "betrayed" about.
Back to Varsity Blues reference, I love that movie, and it was a very funny comedy. The only difference between VB and FNL is that the latter is a true story of a serious nature. However can anyone see the similarities between the two? We're talking, Texas, not-so-smart athletes hopin for a dream, a hot slut who screws the QB, an asshole father, (which by the way, hat's off for Tim McGraw, I'm thinking possible supporting actor Oscar nod for that one) and a town who thinks football is everything. Please help me out here. Will it be worth reading the book? Cause as far as I'm concerned it almost seems as if VB was loosely based on this story.
But anyway, those are my thoughts. for those of you who have read the book tell me if I'm wrong.