How does the invention of and the playing of Blitzball impact/influence the relationship between Finny and Gene? (Amy)

The invention and playing of Blitzball impacts the relationship between Finny and Gene by disclosing the power imbalance between them, and highlighting Finny's feelings of superiority over Gene. When the game first begins, Finny throws the ball to Gene, catching him off guard. Finny begins to yell out orders while Gene runs frantically,  "No, not that way! Toward the river! Run!... Don't hog it!" (Knowles 36). This quote demonstrates Finny's belief that Gene will do as he says, and by catching Gene off guard, Finny is able to demonstrate his own skill by showing how he is superior to Gene, which raises him up in the eyes of the other boys at Gene's expense. In addition, doing so forces Gene to decide whether or not he is going to let Finny use him, and follow his orders, or if he is going to potentially lose Finny's respect and the feeling of camaraderie between them by asserting some power. After the game ends, Gene reflects back on the night and says, "[Finny] had made it up... the rest of us were more or less bumblers in our different ways," (Knowles 40). Although Gene feels inferior to Finny after the game because Finny succeeded while Gene struggled, Gene realizes that Finny has designed it that way. Although the game was created to be an enjoyable pastime, Finny uses it to display his own skill, and configures it in such a way that it would highlight his abilities while bringing out the worst in others. Although Finny could not be blamed for this, because they had followed along, Gene realizes that Finny had more than simple fun in mind, and instead of feeling threatened Gene admires Finny for his ability to display himself in such a way. Blitzball not only shows a schism between Finny and Gene's personalities, but it brings to light the length at which Finny will go in order to be admired, and the intensity of Gene's feelings of oppression due to Finny's immense ego.