Line #32 Series/NecessaryRoughness


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/necessaryroughnesstvtropes_7686.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:From left: Matt, Dani, Nico, and TK.]]
3
4	->''"There are many different types of fighters in the world. Some of them sit in little flowered chairs."''
5	-->--'''Dani''', "Forget Me Not"''' (01x09)
6
7	''Necessary Roughness'', a drama series starring Creator/CallieThorne and Creator/ScottCohen, aired on Creator/USANetwork for three seasons from 2011–13.
8
9	The series centers on Dr. Danielle "Dani" Santino (Thorne), a tough Long Island divorcee who, in order to make ends meet, gets a job as a therapist for a professional football team. As her career begins to take off when athletes, musicians, politicians and other celebrities start to request her tough love therapy, Danielle must learn to balance her new career with being a single mother.
10
11	Not to be confused with the movie ''Film/NecessaryRoughness'', which, while also football-based, is a comedic underdog story.
12
13	----
14	!!This show provides examples of:
15
16	* AesopAmnesia: TK seems to forget every week that he previously learned not to be so self-obsessed.
17	* AllPsychologyIsFreudian: Averted; Dani explicitly states that she is not a Freudian.
18	* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: TK frequently has to deal with his feelings of inadequacy when compared to newer, younger players: rookie WR Shane Givens, rival CB Maurice Manningfield, and Hawks draft prospect Damon Razor. Season tosses in "Toes" Kittridge.
19	* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: Angela's cringe-inducing meeting with Matt in "Baggage Claim".
20	* BaitAndSwitchTyrant: The assumption in "Mr. Irrelevant" is that Hank Griffin is going to run the Hawks into the ground after [[spoiler: the Pittmans' divorce and relinquishing of the team]]. He turns out to be a good challenge for Coach, a needed ally for Matt to claim more responsibility, and just the kind of guy you want running your draft.
21	** Coach [[spoiler: that is, Wazkinski]] is a straighter example in season 3. [[spoiler: Not only does he replace Coach but he also takes over GMing from Matt who is now back to being an assistant GM ... only with even less power than before.]]
22	* BedmateReveal: Dani and Matt in the pilot.
23	** Nico and Gabrielle in "Baggage Claim". Subverted, though - Nico slept in the chair all night, despite Gabrielle coming on to him and the reveal of their on-again, off-again affair.
24	* BigBrotherInstinct: TK to Ray J.
25	** Matt for the Hawks players, but especially TK.
26	* BigManOnCampus: TK seems to think his life should perpetually be this.
27	* BrattyTeenageDaughter: Lindsey.
28	* BreakingTheGlassCeiling: Rex Evans becomes the first openly-gay football player in the NFL (this was before Michael Sam came to prominence in real life.) Fortunately, his buddy TK supports him, if only because TK is an AttentionWhore who realizes that being an ally will boost his profile.
29	* BrokenPedestal: Subtle one but [[spoiler: Nico's attitude towards Gabrielle turns less amorous when he finds out she used the fact that he didn't know who Juliette's father was to manipulate him. Particularly noticeable in season 2.]]
30	* TheBusCameBack: [[spoiler: Episode 3x6. TK gets traded to New Jersey... where Coach Purnell is head coach.]]
31	* ButtMonkey: As a rookie, Damon Razor is a prime target for TK and the rest of the locker room. TK parking Damon's brand-new car in Newark might have been the breaking point. Coach, serious guy he is, wants nothing of it. [[spoiler: Well... except for conspiring with Nico to haze ''both'' TK and Razor in order to teach them a lesson.]]
32	* CannotSpitItOut: TK can't figure out how to talk to his girlfriend Vivica. She wants to take it slow, and he has real feelings for her, but he's too used to one-night-stands. Naturally, he insults her big-time.
33	* CaptainSmoothAndSergeantRough: Matt is the calm, level-headed trainer, always ready to lend a supportive ear and encourage his team. Nico is just as calm, but resorts to blackmail, bribery, and outright kidnapping to "fix" problems, and doesn't really do heart-to-hearts.
34	* ChainOfDeals: Connor engages in this in order to stop TK from being traded to Buffalo. He uses up a lot of favors to accomplish this but he considers it great advertising. People in the business will see how dedicated he is to his clients and that he can accomplish what might be impossible to lesser agents.
35	* CharacterDevelopment: A big part of season 1 is TK's development from trouble maker to team leader, from bad influence on Dani's life to good influence on her life.
36	** Season two has TK start working on that development as it relates to other people.
37	*** Later episodes of season two has this start to happen to other members of the Hawks - one whom comes out of the closet. As a whole, the show seems to be doing this for the Hawks themselves as we see them turn from non-contender full of troubled misfits and poor team chemistry (TK is suggested to have been the only real standout offensive weapon prior to the series and getting by on pure athleticism) into a Superbowl contender of tightly knitted players.
38	** Season three has TK slipping back into pre-series attitudes [[spoiler: though in this case, it's because of the people around him. He's actually perfectly willing and wanting to work with the new Coach as long as he can talk to Dani... too bad said Coach (who is also the GM) fired her. Matt, rather unsympathetically, tells TJ to suck it up and talk to a new therapist.]] Likewise, his negative reaction to [[spoiler: Sheera's]] glamor-/attention-seeking antics is a far cry from pre-series TK who probably would have sucked it up happily.
39	* ChekhovsSkill: Each client story tends to also flavor the personal story. For instance, a poker player who has trouble bluffing stars in an episode where lying is a big issue in Dani's life. Usually crosses over into a EurekaMoment as well.
40	* TheChessmaster: Conner [=MacClane=] is no doubt one as seen by the events of "Sucker Punch". He may very well get into MagnificentBastard at the rate he's going.
41	* TheChewToy: Phil Kirkman from "A Wing and a Player", the source of the "Hawks Curse". The poor guy can barely walk down the street without getting death threats.
42	* CliffHanger: At the end of "Goal Line", [[spoiler: TK is at a nightclub celebrating the Hawks playoff win when a fan pulls a gun. It fades to black, then the next scene is Nico knocking on Dani's door and telling her and Matt that TK's been shot. Credits.]]
43	** At the end of "Double Fault", [[spoiler: TK is driving his SUV while hopped up on pain pills, possibly about to OD, when a little girl and her bike stop in the middle of the street in front of him. All we see before it goes to black is TK's shocked face and the screeching of tires.]]
44	* ColdTurkeysAreEverywhere: Ray J's girlfriend Olivia has gotten both Santino kids to go vegan. Poor Dani can't help but crack under the pressure, craving meat everywhere she goes, and sneaking out to eat it. Finally, both her kids agree to compromise in the face of steaks for dinner.
45	* CoolOldLady: Angela, Dani's wisecracking, gambling addict mother, who is played by Conchetta Tomei.
46	* CouchGag: The client of the week is represented in the opening credits with some sort of item related to the Patient of the Week rolling up to a shot of Doctor Dani's feet.
47	* DeadpanSnarker: Dani, constantly. Also Nico, though his sense of humor is drier.
48	* DemotedToExtra: Most of the Hawks personnal aside from Evans and King have been this in season 3 [[spoiler: due to new management, Dani and Nico moving on to other bosses, and Matt getting married off-screen.]]
49	* DepartmentOfChildDisservices: "Spinning Out", where a social worker comes to evaluate Dani's fitness to have full custody of her children, and whether her patients (especially TK) are having an adverse effect on the kids. Subverted in that the social worker isn't villified, TK proves in later episodes to be a harmful influence on Ray J and Lindsey, and Dani has to leave her kids in the middle of the night to bail TK out and it's only through Nico's influence that the social worker never finds out.
50	* DivorceAssetsConflict: Ray and Dani's is ongoing over the first season, but comes to a head in "Spinning Out" and "Dream On".
51	** Marshall and Gabrielle Pittman's starts in "Goal Line" and continues until "Slumpbuster", dragging the Hawks, Nico, and Dani along with it.
52	* DoubleStandard: The husband cheats on his wife, he is set up as a monster. If the wife cheated on the husband, she needs to be forgiven.
53	* DownerEnding
54	** "All the King's Horses". Wow, where does one start... [[spoiler: Matt's moved on. TK's friend dies due to a bad heart when they escape from rehab. Pittman is dead and so Nico has lost the only person to ever understand him. Ray J gets arrested for possession of marijuana. Mr. Fishie the Fish dies.]] A few moments do prevent it from being entirely downer but yeah...
55	** "Snap Out of It". Dani figures out/discovers the now-exactly client of the week's condition [[spoiler: disassociative disorder, popularly known as multiple personality disorder]] but... [[spoiler: they refuse therapy. As a result, the last scene we have of the client, Nolan Powers, is his disassociative personality, Scotty (an 8 and a half year old boy), manifesting in order to write a message to Dani saying: "At least we tried."]]
56	* DownToTheLastPlay: The playoff game in "Goal Line", with a subversion - [[spoiler: TK doesn't score the winning goal, but he does tackle Minefield and allow another player to score. Also counts as CharacterDevelopment since, at the start of the series, TK is a egotistical player who doesn't want to share the limelight with anyone and who is more interested in himself than his time. So letting someone else score in such a big moment is a huge sign of where he's come. Emphasized by the fact that despite not scoring at all in the game or putting up big numbers, TK is truly happy and celebrates the win rather than becoming destructive over the lack of limelight. And unexpectedly to him perhaps, the media recognizes his contribution to the play and heaps some praise on him for that.]]
57	*** To boot... [[spoiler: in an earlier episode when giving a post-game interview, TK actually said "I don't do blocks." making this an even better example of his CharacterDevelopment.]]
58	** Though only a regular season game, "Frozen Fish Sticks" has this again. [[spoiler: In this case, TK isn't playing. Rather he does a really awesome thing by helping Kittridge beat the opposing cornerback, allowing him to get the winning touchdown. However, Kittridge not only doesn't acknowledge TK's help, he actually pretends (on camera) that it was his insight that allowed him to get open. TK is understandably upset, though more at Kittridge and less in general.]]
59	** Happens again in "There's the Door" though in this case, the game itself isn't important (playoff contention not withstanding). Rather, it's important because [[spoiler: it's to demonstrate the newfound chemistry between Evans and King, the former who just came out of the closet to his team with TK supporting him, as well as TK proving that he isn't relying on his speed to be good anymore but his team and his smarts.]]
60	* TheDreaded: Phil Kirkman is never named within the Hawks facility, always referred to by Coach, Nico, and Matt as "You Know Who".
61	* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler: Carl]] jumps to his death.
62	* DropInCharacter: Dani's friend Margot (who has been seen twice), as well as her mother, Angela.
63	* DumbBlonde: Jeanette plays the role, but every so often (like in "Dream On") she shows that she's also very perceptive and understanding.
64	* TheDutifulSon: Ray J has shades of this, being the "good boy" to Lindsey's "bad girl". He still makes his mistakes.
65	** The roles dramatically change in the later half of the second season. [[spoiler: Ray J gets sucked into Juliette Pittman's web and subsequently, drops out of high school to fly to Paris with her as her personal assistant.]]
66	* EroticDream: Dani has her fair share of them. One of them mimics that famous scene from Titanic.
67	* [[EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas Even Jerkass Football Players Love Their Mamas]]
68	* FakeGuestStar: Coach Purnell
69	* TheFashionista: Dani and Jeanette, being wealthy Long Islanders, wear a ton of gorgeous clothes.
70	* FiveManBand: An example where the main character is NOT the "hero".
71	** TheHero: TK, as the person all the other characters assist on his journey.
72	** TheLancer: Matt Donnelly, trainer and confidante to TK.
73	** TheBigGuy: Coach Purnell in general. Nico, when a situation calls for his "fixing" skills.
74	** TheSmartGuy: Dani, who's the brains of the operation.
75	** TheHeart: Dani and Nico trade this one off.
76	* {{Foil}}: In some ways, Juliette to TK. TK is actively trying to change who he is - from bad boy to leader, from [[spoiler: drug addict]] to [[spoiler: clean living.]] Juliette prefers Old!TK because it's more marketable and fun.
77	* FollowTheLeader: Like many other USA shows after the success of ''Series/BurnNotice'', this is the story of a fish out of water with personal issues that subverts tropes, has quirky and guile characters, doesn't take itself too seriously while poking fun at other shows in good nature.
78	* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: Lindsey and Ray J, respectively, in the beginning. It's later subverted when [[spoiler: Ray J goes to a club and gets his car stolen, then later sells illegal TK merchandise and gets caught]] and [[spoiler: Lindsey proves she's a talented writer and takes the rap for her brother with the merchandise thing]].
79	* FootballHooligans: In the season one finale, a fan of the team the Hawks played against [[spoiler:is pissed his team lost and proceeds to shoot TK for leading the Hawks to victory]].
80	* FriendshipMoment
81	** Dani giving back Nico's dollar (legally, he has to pay ''something'' for therapy even though he can't really tell her much) because he doesn't need a therapist, he needs a friend. Occurs again in season 2 for similar reasons - [[spoiler: he's trying to be a friend to Marshall by getting Marshall help, but he can't/doesn't want anyone, probably Marshall, to know.]]
82	** Numerous, between Dani and TK.
83	* FunctionalAddict:
84	** Marshall Pittman thinks he's this, but he's [[OffTheWagon really not]].
85	** [[spoiler: TK]] spends most of season two secretly addicted to pain pills, except the facade's beginning to crack.
86	** Juliette Pittman is a straighter example though she's enjoys toeing the line considering we see her regularly downing a bottle of wine at her desk like bottled water.
87	* FunnyForeigner: Augusto is set up to be this, but he and Jeanette seem to have circumvented the language barrier, and he's pretty smart.
88	* TheGhost: The Hawks' oft-referred to, never-seen owner, Marshall Pittman. At least, in season one; he becomes a character in season two.
89	* GlamorousSingleMother: Subverted to an extent. Dani does seem to have a pretty nice life, post-divorce, but it's taking a toll on her relationship with her kids.
90	* GoodColorsEvilColors: Nico isn't quite "evil", but he's always in black, contrasted with Matt's frequent light color palette. When his [[spoiler:loyalties to the Hawks - particularlly Danni - are stretched by the lingering involvement of Pittman, his normal black jacket becomes a dark purple. Normally not notable or noticeable but considering his usual colors, it stands out.]] In season 3, [[spoiler: he's back to wearing black for the same reasons we first saw him doing so - he's got his own agenda going on.]]
91	* GranolaGirl: Olivia, Ray-J's vegan girlfriend.
92	* GretzkyHasTheBall:
93	** An episode where a #1 baseball prospect is expected to be drafted by Kansas City is treated like he's moving to Kansas City. Even #1 high school prospects (like Bryce Harper, who is a potential "once in a generation" like player), take several years in the minors in baseball, typically nowhere geographically near the parent club before making it to the majors, and even that is not a given. Football and Basketball will see jumps from amateur to the highest level all the time, but rarely in baseball. It's the fact that this is treated as standard procedure and not rare and special [[note]]It's rare and special enough for [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_baseball_players_who_went_directly_to_Major_League_Baseball it's own page]] at Website/TheOtherWiki.[[/note]] that makes this a GHTB situation.
94	** Averted when Hutch shows up again later. It's explicitly stated that he's currently playing in the minors and that if he does well there, he'll get called up to The Bigs (the major league). It may have been that KC was intended to represent the minor league team rather than the major league one or that sometime off screen he was traded.
95	* HandsOffParenting: Apparently most of Angela's parenting involved teaching Dani how to gamble. Dani's determined to parent her own children much differently.
96	* HardDrinkingPartyGirl: Jeanette.
97	* TheHeart: Despite appearances, Nico, once we place the other characters in their roles in the FiveManBand.
98	* HotBlooded: TK, to an extent. Then again, between his anger issues, his parental issues, his confidence issues, and his somewhat crude social skills, it's somewhat expected. Ironically, thanks to his CharacterDevelopment, he's not this in the second half of season two... but people sure love to push his buttons to the point where even the calmest person would get pissed.
99	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: TK.
100	* LadykillerInLove: Terrence reaches it with Vivica, when he wants to [[UnusualEuphemism go grocery shopping]] with her. As it turns out, going grocery shopping is a euphemism... for simply spending time doing mundane things with Vivica.
101	** Inverted in the third season where TK, despite his occasional alpha male-ish comments, is actually more interested in a meaningful relationship than meaningless sex as a show of his character development.
102	* TheLoinsSleepTonight: TK tries to sleep with a bimbo after breaking up with Vivica, and can't get it up.
103	* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: TK and Sheera's relationship is this, flipping expectations and situations in reverse.
104	* MetaCasting: TK's actor (Creator/MehcadBrooks) is the son of an NFL wide receiver.
105	** Terrell Owens as Minefield.
106	* MyBelovedSmother: Angela.
107	* MythArc: Whereas seasons 1 and 2 had fairly light arcs revolving around Hawks' owners, Season 3 introduces a more serious and darker one that seems to involve [[spoiler: the FBI, V3, and former V3 client, Joesph Crabchek.]]
108	* NewOldFlame: Laura, who used to date Matt and got back together with him. [[spoiler: He broke up with her again when he realized that she hasn't really changed and got him a job in California because ''she'' wanted to move back.]]
109	* NeverSuicide: Subverted. Given what we saw earlier in the episode [[spoiler: Carl's ]] suicide seems mighty convenient and its clear that Dani and Nico have their suspicions. Then Dani receives the suicide note in the mail and we find out that it really was suicide.
110	* NiceGuy: Matt.
111	* NobleMaleRoguishMale: TK is the rogue to Matt's noble.
112	* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Anne Marie Harmon from "Baggage Claim" for Martha Stewart.
113	** Not to mention TK, who is a younger, thinly-veiled Terrell Owens. Owens himself actually guest-stars as TK's archenemy Maurice Manningfield.
114	** Damon Razor is basically high school basketball phenom Jerry Joseph playing a different sport -- [[spoiler:down to stealing a dead kid's identity and re-enrolling in high school at the age of 18 to start fresh.]]
115	* OnceAnEpisode: Someone shows up at Dani's doorstep in the middle of the night. ''Always''.
116	** It's been Nico so much that Dani's getting savvy about it, but it's happening less often in season two.
117	** Dani having a EurekaMoment about her patient of the week while doing something mundane.
118	* OneSeasonAthlete: Damon Razor is brought into the New York Hawks as a back-up for Terrance "TK" King. He only lasts one season before his troubled personal life causes him to retire.
119	* OneShotCharacter: Played straight with Dani's Clients of the Week. However, unlike other procedural-based shows, the client story is only about half of the show, with the other half related to the Hawks or Dani's personal life.
120	* OppositeSexClone: Nico encounters one of himself in the form of Vera Dade. Being that she's as savvy as he is, both of them can't pull any of their normal tricks on each other with any sort of success or at least, without the other realizing what's going on. Though considering [[spoiler: they end up sleeping with each other]], snoop for information while doing so and still remain cordial with each other, they don't seem to hold any particular antagonism towards each other.
121	* ParentalSubstitute
122	** Dani for TK. Crosses over into family substitute in "All the King's Horses". [[spoiler: Dani is truly hurt by TK's initial refusal to enter rehab and subsequently showing up at her house begging her for help. Ray J's storyline seems to be at first him using Matt & TK for insider info on fantasy football and at first seems upset about TK's rehab because it'll make him lose his fantasy football league... but he doesn't even hesitate to defend TK when his 'friend' starts insulting TK and reveals he was only panicked because he didn't know what had happened to TK.]]
123	** Nico for Juliette Pittman, due to his feelings for her mother. The question is - just how accurate is the "substitute" bit of that label?
124	*** The question is answered in the season finale: [[spoiler: Juliette isn't his, but Gabrielle let Nico believe she could be.]]
125	* PetTheDog:
126	** When a reporter starts hounding Razor, TK steps up and offers an unfettered interview with himself about his shooting... but only if said reporter backs off Razor. Crosses over into both CharacterDevelopment for TK (showing off his growing leadership and compassion) as well that for all his bluster, he really does think of his team as family (in this case, Razor being like a younger brother).
127	** Marshall Pittman isn't the nicest person or easiest to get along with. Still, [[spoiler:after his death, when Dani calls the IRS to discuss paying the rest of her delinquent taxes her ex-husband never paid, she finds the total amount paid for by Pittman. She is debt free]].
128	* PhysicalTherapyPlot: T.K. spends much of Season 2 trying to get back into shape after being shot, but has to contend with both physical and emotional injuries. These eventually land him in rehab after he abuses painkillers to try and keep himself going. Unfortunately, his continued reckless behavior eventually results in another injury in the third and final season, leaving it ambiguous whether he ever truly recovers.
129	* PintSizedPowerhouse: Not in the traditional sense but Pittman is clearly shorter than most of the cast yet wields the most power.
130	** Damon Razor, who can't weigh more than a buck forty, but is a strong match for TK on the field.
131	* PlotIncitingInfidelity: Dani finds out that her husband has been having affairs right under her nose. She promptly kicks him out of the house, files for divorce, and gets a job as a therapist for a professional football team.
132	* PoorlyTimedConfession: Dani finally realizes that she still has strong feelings for Matthew and goes to him to confess her love. Matthew, who's since moved on to a relationship that he's happy with, is less than appreciative.
133	* ProductPlacement: Rampant. One of the most obvious is Subway in "Mr. Irrelevant".
134	** In "Might As Well Face It", Starhawk is an actual game for the [=PS3=]. That said, it's unlikely that any tournament for any game would fill a stadium like they showed - even the biggest e-sport game has trouble selling out a large auditorium (online viewers however are another story).
135	* ProperlyParanoid: When Phil Kirkman tells Dani that he is afraid to leave his house because of death threats, she thinks he might be simply paranoid. When she accompanies him, he is recognized and verbally assaulted as soon as he takes off his sunglasses.
136	* PutOnABus: [[spoiler: Ray J runs off with Juliette at the end of season 2 and is still gone by season 3.]]
137	* RecoveredAddict: Terrence King developed a bad painkiller habit after getting shot, and spent the better part of a season on a downward spiral. He finally got sober after befriending another addict and then watching him overdose.
138	* RefugeInAudacity: In-universe example when [[spoiler: TK's shooter claims that he shot TK in self-defense due to TK (who was unarmed and didn't even so much as touch the guy) being known as a hot-head and aggressive.]]
139	* RetailTherapy: How Dani solves the issue of Leanne's kleptomania (and gets to the root of her issues with the other wives) in "Whose Team Are You On?".
140	* RichBitch: Gabrielle Pittman and Anne Marie Harmon.
141	* RippedFromTheHeadlines: The plot of "The Fall Guy" - that of a coach having a bounty systems against other players - is this.
142	* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler: Damon Razor]] decides that the media scrutiny is hurting his family so he quits football.
143	* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Nico, once you actually get him talking.
144	* SharpDressedMan: Nico and his excellently tailored suits.
145	* ShownTheirWork
146	** The Wonderlic test is an actual IQ test used in the NFL to assess intelligence. And yes, getting a 9 is pretty bad.
147	** A season 3 episode has Dani note the difference between a psychologist (what she is) and a psychiatrist when someone asks if she can proscribe medicine for them.
148	* ShroudedInMyth: Nico in general. All he'll tell Dani is that he's from Pittsburgh, he was once married, and he used to be a Navy [=SEAL=] and a waiter. In addition, we know that Marshall Pittman once saved his life in some fashion which is the root cause of his intense loyalty to the man. We have no idea what his real job is or how he "fixes" problems. He works directly for the Hawks' owner Mr. Pittman and seems to have jurisdiction over any issue he feels might negatively affect his bosses' interests.
149	** The fact that he reveals that much to Dani is a sign that he actually likes her. He also teases her (in his usual dry way) that he knows when she doesn't like something because she squints a lot.
150	** One brief scene in season 2 suggests that Marshall was in the military with Nico.
151	* StatusQuoIsGod: An interesting combination of this and CharacterDevelopment in season two for TK. By the end of season 1 he seems to have made significant progress in addressing his various problems. However, due to the results of the season 1 finale, TK has developed PTSD which has taken over as the major malfunction in his life. His reactions to it are less old TK (party to forget) and more new TK (be proactive and try to help yourself).
152	** The Season 3 premiere averts this. [[spoiler: Matt's off to Boston to be head GM. Coach is gone, replaced by a new one. Dani's fired from the Hawks by said coach and takes up a new job at V3, also closing her private practice in the process. Nico's at V3 as well though he has a mysterious agenda with an equally mysterious someone he's answering to... that isn't V3. And TK's struggling to, as Dani puts it, fly solo since other than Rex Evans, he's lost pretty much every major figure in his life.]]
153	* StealthHiBye: Nico does the "Hi" part to Dani constantly, seeming to materialize right behind her, even in the back seat of her car. However, he does not usually vanish at the end of the conversation.
154	* StraightGay: [[spoiler: Rex Evans, Hawks QB.]]
155	* TeacherStudentRomance: Dani's new boyfriend JD, who was her psych professor in grad school.
156	* TeamDad: Coach, of course.
157	* TeamMom: Dani by proxy of being the team therapist. Coach seems to look to her to lead the way in anything not related to actual gameplay. A notable instance of this occurs in the season 2 premiere where Coach justifies his decision by stating "Dani's record speaks for itself." Later episodes in the season reveal that her original duties have expanded to be more involved in actual team activities such as taking part in the Hawks combine as well as reinforcing the Coach/Dani dynamic as the parents of the players.
158	* ThereAreNoTherapists: Averted, of course, and the show makes an attempt to show their work. For instance, in the first episode, TK has confidence issues. Doctor Dani uses a variety of therapeutic methods including hypnotherapy but makes a point (as does the show) that this is not a quick fix; TK has to keep going to therapy to truly overcome his problems. In fact, he gets screwed over when he briefly latches onto a YesMan self-help guru who merely enables his behaviour by telling him what he wants to hear.
159	* ThisIsForEmphasisBitch: Anne Harmon calls Dani one but it backfires, proving anger-management is, as Dani says, "the least of [her] issues".
160	** TK to Minefield before starting a food fight - "hope you like pumpernickel, bitch".
161	* TreacherousAdvisor: Everyone (except for TK) knew it was only a matter of time before Laz developed into this.
162	* {{Tsundere}}: Dani is a Type B; the "tsun-tsun" side is triggered by her ex-husband, though not, curiously, by any of her LoveInterests. Then again, her ex-husband cheated on Dani with a veritable train of women so the anger might be justified just a little. Also, she is no longer in love with her ex since she found out he was cheating on her.
163	** Sheera might be a slightly straighter example.
164	* TwoLinesNoWaiting: [[spoiler: Episode 3x8]] sees [[spoiler: TKs, Nico's, and Dani's plot lines begin to merge as details begin to emerge about V3.]]
165	* UnusualEuphemism: According to Matt, if you want to "go grocery shopping" with a woman, you're in love with her. TK blurts it out to Vivica.
166	* VisitByDivorcedDad
167	* WeakButSkilled: Draft prospect Damon Razor is relatively weak and skinny compared to other wide receivers, but he's got great instincts and speed.
168	* WhatTheHellHero: Dani potentially ruins a promising football star's life by uncovering why he seems to intentionally tanking his preliminaries. [[spoiler: Turns out he's been living under an assumed identity. He would have gotten away with it if she didn't ask Nico to find out about him. Though the ending of the episode suggests that the Hawks will draft Razor regardless and assist in making the identity thing blow over/take the short term PR hit.]]
169	* WillNotTellALie: Nico tells Dani that he does not lie. While we never see him tell a lie, most of the things about him are a [[ShroudedInMyth mystery]] and he tends to use euphemisms when talking about what he does as the team's "fixer".
170	** The subject of "Goal Line" regarding whether he will lie about his affair with Gabrielle Pittman. He eventually tells the truth, informing Pittman's lawyer that if Pittman wants to know who Gabrielle's been sleeping with, he can call Nico.
171	** That said, in season three, we see an instance where he'll also spin certain events as needed to tell or suggest the story he wants. He still won't lie, but it won't be the truth either. [[spoiler: He mentions to Dani that he "worked at the FBI briefly"... when in fact, at the time, he's working for the FBI right then as an informant.]]
172	* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: YMMV on how woobie Pittman is, but nevertheless his impending divorce means he's willing to tank the Hawks just so that his wife can't take it from him.

Context Series / NecessaryRoughness