A deliciously wicked tale of contemporary professional sports.

In Bump and Run, Jack Molloy, known as the "Jammer," in-herited half of the legendary New York Hawks from his father, and through many bawdy, outrageous, twisting and twisted tribulations, maneuvered them to a Super Bowl cham-pionship. Molloy thinks he's a pretty smart guy. But sometimes smart guys outsmart themselves.

Molloy is taking a break abroad, letting his people manage things back home, when his siblings, "the devil twins," call to tell him they've sold their half to legendary businessman Big Dick Miles. When Molloy refuses to sell, too, Miles sweetens the pot: He'll buy half of Jack's half, Molloy can keep his hand in, everybody walks away happy. Partners . . . Oh, boy.

It doesn't take a month for Dick Miles to make George Steinbrenner look like Little Mary Sunshine and for Jack to realize just how big a mistake he's made. Flying back just in time to catch his departing general manager, he says, "I'm here to save Private Ryan."

"I saw that movie," the GM says. "Most of them died in the end."

And it looks like the same fate, metaphorically speaking, awaits Mr. Jack Molloy-the Jammer jammed good and proper. It is only when he enlists the help of old friends and new allies, taking one last stand, nose to nose, betting it all on one last play in the red zone . . . that things really begin to get interesting. Red Zone is Lupica's funniest, smartest, most surprising novel yet.