professional football be all the rage in the 1970s and a phenomenon hollywood recognize . several football movie be make in the 1970s ( and some non football movie and like rollerball ) which be inspire by the violent sport massive popularity . north dallas forty be make to satiate the thirst of avid football fan to see what they weren not be show on regular television broadcast represent drug and violence and sex and cursing . so nd40 basically play like a voyeuristic behind the scene look at what go on in a professional football team . my favorite such scene be the party at the beginning . but in this context and the film look positively date . the fact that there be almost no african american football player in the team should tell you how dated it be . and the idea that a player be be hound by the team owner because he too much of a rebel reek of that silly and ubiquitous anti establishment theme see in too many movie of the 1970s . the actor do what they have to do with the script . most of it be forgettable . dayle haddon ( remember her . ) look like sylvia kristel frosty sister . and nick nolte and mac davis basically play themselves . btw and it nice to see that nick nolte look a bad in this 1979 film a he do ( 25 year later ) today .