A few drips dew on the vast sports interweb as we head toward a warm spring weekend. This metaphor working for you?
Al Pacino slated to play Pat Riley in an upcoming film about the "Showtime" Lakers. [Flicksided]
Shaun Rogers is a big man, with a loaded gun. [Freep]
So it turns out the ocean floor is actually just like Starship Troopers, look at this bug! [YBNBY]
A run-in with Greg Oden in Bloomington in which he conducts himself in the manner opposite of a Pittsburgh Steeler. [Rumors and Rants]
A look at Final Four MOPs that went on to become NBA greats. Miles Simon did not make the list. [Sportige]
Could Tom Izzo go to the Nets if he cuts down the nets in Indy? [Midwestsportsfans]
It's down to Seinfeld and the Simpsons in the Sitcomology title game. This is like the UNC-Kentucky of sitcom battles. [Sparty and Friends]
Friday, April 2
Links Heading Into The Weekend
Thursday, May 7
Tim Lincecum and Henry Rowengartner Share A Bond
San Francisco Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum is a fan of the movie "Rookie of the Year" and seriously, who isn't? Lincecum listed it as one of the reasons he loves pitching at Wrigley Field.
When I was a kid my mom took me to see the masterpiece of a movie at the local theatre. With Gary Busey (pre-psychosis) as pitcher Chet Steadman, a knockoff of Clemens, there was no way this movie could fail. Add to that the Cubs manager who I thoght was Sidney Portier but wasn't, and lines like "funky-butt lovin'" and you had cinematic gold.
Tim Lincecum relates to kid pitcher from 'Rookie of the Year' [Big League Stew via Rumors and Rants]
Monday, January 26
4th and Long: Friday Night Lights on Acid.... in a Good Way
I went and saw an idependent film last week and reviewed it for our friends over at Arts รก la Mode. The movie is titled 4th and Long and its an amusing mockumentary of people's obsessions over high school football and also an interesting character study. If you have a chance to see this one make sure you do, drugs are not required to enjoy. My review is after the break.
It is undeniable that football has become the secular religion of American culture. Every weekend, teeming masses of sports fans tailgate with friends, root for their team and occasionally act like idiots in the process. Tim Vandenberg’s 4th and Long is a mockumentary that follows three men who are entirely and insanely passionate about their local high school football team. The story follows their tales of devotion to their team and their quest to resurrect the program after it is cut by the local school board.
Larry is an overweight football fanatic for the New Hanover Wildcats who works in the school’s library. He never got the opportunity to play football because his parents would not allow it so he now lives out his fantasy through the experiences of the team. Larry is simple-minded yet attempts to be thoughtful, though his circular logic lands him in moments of sheer bewilderment to the dismay of those around him.
Charles or “The Chuck” as he is known is a somewhat senile old man who has been following New Hanover football since his younger days when he claims to have hung out with the great Sonny Jorgensen. It seems his only reason for living is the Wildcat’s football team. Chuck often gets caught up in moments of deep reflection lamenting an accident that claimed his wife, and the way his life has ended up in such disarray.
Nathan or “Coach D” represents the young, energetic and unfiltered version of an American football hooligan. He was an assistant coach on the team until he had a drunken run-in with the cops. His manner of dealing with the young players was too much over-the-top insults and red-faced yelling. Not surprisingly, Coach D’s misguided passion does him in when he is fired from the team, but it cannot stop him for rooting for his beloved Wildcats.
The film takes an in-depth look at the three men’s lives and how they live for the football team; how that in turn keeps them from living a functional life. Football is their only escape from the mistakes they’ve made and their shortcomings. The film, of course, is humorous and it delivers some fantastic laughs as you follow the escapades of the characters, but at some points you find yourself shaking your head at their constricted lives. In the end, though, the message is that football serves as a focus and outlet for these lonely/sad/misguided people. The characters are likable and I found myself rooting for them to be happy in their own simple ways.
Of course, the main thurst of the film is humor and there is no shortage of that. The small town football feel is captured brilliantly by director Vandenberg using the city of Wilmington, North Carolina as a backdrop. The actors are well cast and down to earth, and seem real enough to exist in any similar township in our country. There are some scenes that drag on too long but overall the film is a great watch for the sports fan or even for those who wonder what the fuss about football is all about.
Final Verdict:
4 Shacklefords(out of 5)
