Friday Night Lights.

Snake~eyes

Originally posted by BktBallRef

Originally posted by quiggle
I too thought the movie was good. However, I think that the officials were portrayed in a bad light during the state championship game. I know it makes for a good movie, but I find it hard to beleive that any crew would let as much crap as went on in that game actually go on, especially in a chamionship game.

At least it wasn't as bad as "Remember the Titans," where the officials were intentionally making calls against Titans so that they would lose the game.

I don't know, in that movie it seems to me like it could have been based more on facts, racism was a big factor in the officials calls in that one specific game, also politics. I think in FNL the officials were portrayed as flat out poor, they missed calls, they let the game get out of hand. I know its just a movie but its a good example of what not to let your game be like.

Ed Hickland

Originally posted by Snake~eyes

Originally posted by BktBallRef

Originally posted by quiggle
I too thought the movie was good. However, I think that the officials were portrayed in a bad light during the state championship game. I know it makes for a good movie, but I find it hard to beleive that any crew would let as much crap as went on in that game actually go on, especially in a chamionship game.

At least it wasn't as bad as "Remember the Titans," where the officials were intentionally making calls against Titans so that they would lose the game.

I don't know, in that movie it seems to me like it could have been based more on facts, racism was a big factor in the officials calls in that one specific game, also politics. I think in FNL the officials were portrayed as flat out poor, they missed calls, they let the game get out of hand. I know its just a movie but its a good example of what not to let your game be like.

I was shocked but not surprised at the level of politics in the game.

The championship game was an slam on all the good honest officials who could and would control a game of that caliber. One call that no good officiating crew would have let go was the complete pass that bounced to the receiver.

I suggest the movie "Go Tigers!" is a much better representation of a football crazy society.

Mike Simonds

For football movies its hard to beat John Wayne in "Trouble along the way".

Another good book is "When pride still mattered" by David Maranis. Its a great biography of the life of Vince Lombardi.

P.S. When you read about Vince Lombardi you realize what a complex and multi-talented man he was. Also, that he probably would have succeeded in just about anything he set his mind to. And how competitive he was: whether it was coaching football or playing gin rummy at the country club. Truly an amazing man.

[Edited by Mike Simonds on Feb 3rd, 2005 at 01:16 PM]

Uncle Ernie

Originally posted by Mike Simonds

Another good book is "When pride still mattered" by David Maranis. Its a great biography of the life of Vince Lombardi.

[Edited by Mike Simonds on Feb 3rd, 2005 at 01:16 PM]

Mike,
Couldnt agree more. The VL book is great reading. As a matter of fact, now that you have reminded me, I am going to read it again.

Regarding the movie. This is exactly why I did not go to the movie. I read the book when it was first published in the early 90's. Great story, but I could tell by the previews the movie would be nowhere near the quality of the book.

BktBallRef

Originally posted by Snake~eyes
I don't know, in that movie it seems to me like it could have been based more on facts, racism was a big factor in the officials calls in that one specific game, also politics.

Actually, that's not as true as you would think.

A local girls HS basketball coach was on that 1971 Titans team. He stated that the movie played up the racial issues, much more strongly than they actually were.

BktBallRef

A few things I noticed in the movie:

#1 - The scoreboard clocks had tenths of seconds. Scoreboards didn't have tenths in 1988. The NBA didn't begin using tenths until a couple of years later and they were the first to use them for sporting events.

#2 - Officials had our present day penalty flags instead of the old, yellow nylon flags of that day.

There were a couple of others that I can't recall at the moment.

JugglingReferee

I did not like the movie. I felt there was not enough character development.

Ed Hickland

Originally posted by BktBallRef
A few things I noticed in the movie:

#1 - The scoreboard clocks had tenths of seconds. Scoreboards didn't have tenths in 1988. The NBA didn't begin using tenths until a couple of years later and they were the first to use them for sporting events.

#2 - Officials had our present day penalty flags instead of the old, yellow nylon flags of that day.

There were a couple of others that I can't recall at the moment.

Add UnderArmor shirts and Oakley visors worn by the Dallas Carter players, they did not exist in 1988.

BktBallRef

Originally posted by Ed Hickland

Originally posted by BktBallRef
A few things I noticed in the movie:

#1 - The scoreboard clocks had tenths of seconds. Scoreboards didn't have tenths in 1988. The NBA didn't begin using tenths until a couple of years later and they were the first to use them for sporting events.

#2 - Officials had our present day penalty flags instead of the old, yellow nylon flags of that day.

There were a couple of others that I can't recall at the moment.

Add UnderArmor shirts and Oakley visors worn by the Dallas Carter players, they did not exist in 1988.

True. Also, the face masks that the teams wore were not from 1988.

86362

The book was much, much, muchbetter than the movie.