Content Warning: The source text and this guide contain references to murder, violence, suicide, racism, sexism, and addiction.

The NFL plays an important role in the action of The House of Wolves. In the novel’s depiction of the NFL, the organization is rife with corruption and prejudice. The central focus of the plot is John Gallo’s attempts to secure an NFL franchise on behalf of Michael Barr. Barr believes that owning the San Francisco Wolves would allow him to “control the city in a way that no private citizen ever has in all the city’s history” (337); in his opinion, ownership of an NFL team gives an individual significant power. The fact that Barr is “one of the most powerful and ruthless private arms dealers in the world” compromises the ethical standing of the NFL and indicates that the individuals running it are not immune to violence or illegal activity (335). Similarly, NFL Commissioner Abrams’s behavior shows that corruption is a part of the novel’s depiction of the NFL organization. For instance, Danny Wolf is shocked to find that Commissioner Abrams is “as deferential” in his conversations with John Gallo “as if Gallo were the commissioner” (76).