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The Sports Rewindables #2 – Draft Day

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There are definitely more deserving sports movies in the pantheon of great sports flicks but in a recent watch of Draft Day, it got my attention enough to make it Rewindable #2. It’s a flawed movie that entertains while it plays to the strengths of it’s main star, Kevin Costner, and overlooks some of the nuances that the NFL draft entails. The plot follows Sonny Weaver Jr, the GM of the Cleveland Browns on draft day and stitches an arc of his conversation and emotions around one of the busiest days in the NFL calendar. We see the trials in his relationship, his family life, the respect of his work colleagues and mostly the personal demons he faces. You can get a full review of the movie here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draft_Day if you want he blow by blow.

I had the pleasure of watching this with Mary and my older boys and I came away with a few immediate observations from them:

  1. Mary was surprisingly entertained. She doesn’t know the nuances of the NFL draft process so the football parts needed a few pauses to explain the back story but she stayed with it. She likely wouldn’t sit through many other sports related movies.
  2. My boys loved the drama of the draft day wheeling and dealing because it’s how they function in their fantasy football lives. They are always trying to trade some ball bag for a superstar, including future draft picks and no trade is too radical for them.
  3. It resonates well with younger football audiences because they dream to draft their own team and do so in their Xbox Madden experiences. Trading players is their favourite part of the game really.

As always, we will use a similar methodology in breaking down the highlights of the movie.

Our categories for the golden Rewindables  include:

  1. Most Rewindable moment – the moment where you are flipping the channels and you catch this part only to be sucked into rewinding to the start of the movie.
  2. The “Did you touch my drum kit” award – not necessarily the quote that the world remembers but the one that someone who has seen the movie 25 times would know exactly what movie this is from. Bonus points if you know which show this quote is from.
  3. Best “microwave” actor – the actor who hits the screen with their hair on fire and owns their scenes in such a dominating fashion. Small scenes, big value.
  4. Best “Over the Top” acting moment – the actor who dials it up like this is the moment that he/she wants on the “In Memoriam” snippet at the 2044 Oscars.
  5. The “What show have I seen him/her in before” award – you know, the actor who you’ve seen in 100 shows and never know their name. Every movie has that person.
  6. The “That makes no sense moment” – You know what I mean when you see something that makes no logical sense. That moment.
  7. Bonus category – Unanswerable questions – I love this stuff where the movie ends but the questions linger on. I have no answers but lots of questions.

Most Rewindable Moment

This is a hard one to peg. The indelible scene is likely the draft day sequence where Sonny makes a sequence of trades that would blow the minds of the most seasoned NFL veteran. We’ll save that for later as you will definitely stop and watch that last 20 minutes but would you rewind it?

The real moment that sucks you in is when Sonny walks into the Cleveland war room and tells the front office that he has acquired the #1 overall pick and likely prospective draftee Bo Callahan. The banter between he and Coach Vince Penn (played by Dennis Leary) is classic dick-swinging material and it sets up the chaos of the remainder of the movie. Sonny is a flawed man. making flawed decisions without the advice or backing of his team and it’s here that you realize that the countdown to the draft is going to be memorable.

The “Did you touch my drum kit” award

The most memorable quote comes at the end of the movie where after baiting the Seattle GM into trading his 3 – first round picks back to Cleveland, he caps off the baiting with the classic “trade me back my picks, you pancake-eater motherfucker”. It’s a reference to an earlier scene with that same Seattle GM was prioritizing his breakfast over the discussion with Sonny.

I also enjoyed the part where Sonny educates Vontae Mack (Chadwick Boseman) on the reasons he should get off social media. It goes something like this:

Sonny.: Don’t Twitter. For the love of Jesus, just stop. Delete your profile, get off the web, do not do this to yourself.
– Vontae Mack: I don’t know why you care what I do. I can do whatever I want, right?

The best quote happens between Ali Parker (Jennifer Garner, cap specialist) while spitting barbs at Coach Penn. She stops him dead in his tracks and asks:

“How is it that the ultimate prize in the most macho sport ever invented is a piece of jewelry?”

Fair question and something that really had never occurred to me before. Leave it to the Salary Cap specialist to blow your mind.

Best “microwave” actor

There is zero question that the person who lights the fire under this movie is Dennis Leary playing Coach Vince Penn. Even his back story is full of awesome:

Inherited the Cowboys on their ascension, coached them to a Super Bowl win, let go a couple of years later, wife hates Cleveland compared to Dallas, took the Browns job to prove he could build a team.

The fact is, he adds the confrontation that football represents, directly into every scene. He is an asshole, brazen and sure that everyone around him is inferior. Pure awesomeness as a coach and he is electric in this scene:

Best “Over the Top” acting moment

Well the end of the movie could fit into several categories in the Rewindables but it fits best here. It’s somewhat implausible but intriguing while the drama of what gets pulled off is fascinating. It starts with him convincing the rookie GM of the Jaguars to trade out of the number 6 pick by sweating him through the options he faces:

Once that manipulation is sealed, he then leverages the position of the Seahawks, who want to draft the stud QB, by trading them back for their original 3 first round picks capped by the “pancake-eating MFer” crescendo.

And to cap it off, he then sticks to the smug Seattle GM with the now infamous “I want all my picks back and David Goddamn Putney, just because I want to.” Classic dick swinging at its best. Enjoy the bravado.

The “What show have I seen him/her in before” award

This one has to go to my man Patrick St. Esprit who gamely plays the Seattle General Manager and one of the main antagonists in the show. Backed in discussion by another “who’s that guy?” Chi McBride, the two make a formidable team in maneuvering the draft day wars. This ultimately was the best role he has played on the silver screen but he has played other key roles in TV and movies such as Hunger Games, Smokin Aces, and War Dogs. Take some pride in this role Patrick, you made this movie flow and provided some sage experience up against Costner’s Sonny Weaver.

The “That makes no sense moment”

Where do you start here? Let me rattles some off for recap.

You wouldn’t take a linebacker with the number 1 pick, ever, ever, ever. You also rarely see a team take a running back in the top 10 (which they do at number 7)The Browns owner, after being embarrassed at the draft in not drafting Bo Callahan, flies back to Cleveland and arrives back BEFORE they have made 5 picks in the draft. The trading of picks through the last 10 minutes are equally improbable and indefensible but there was one glaring error in the film.

It is a well documented tradition that when the Commissioner of the NFL walks across the stage to kick off the event, he walks to a resounding boo. Does this sound like a boo to you? Forward to the 1:52 moment in this clip.

Unanswerable Questions and Wrap up

Who gets fired after this mess of trades is sorted out? – Sonny appears to have avenged himself here and will get a chance for the next few seasons. The Jacksonville GM is too green in his job and will get a pass for dumping the pick. Seattle’s GM did the right thing in the end and probably drafted the best player in the draft. He survives. Let’s go with Coach Penn getting canned first. He continues to shoot his mouth off and eventually Sonny swings the axe on him and his act.

Is Bo Callahan the franchise player everyone predicted? – Yes he was. He has too much going for him and the weaknesses that Sonny exposes, although it takes him time to work through the yips. $ Pro Bowls and he takes his team to a couple of Championship games before he’s done.

Do Sonny and Ali make it as a couple and as parents? – No chance. Sonny is too headstrong and won’t allow for her to take full control of his heart and family. It ends bad for Sonny, losing his girl, his child and eventually his job when he turns to the bottle after blaming his parents for his messed up life.

Draft Day is a flawed but amazingly enjoyable sports themed drama. There is something for everyone and even more if you like the football parts. It wouldn’t hurt to have someone watching the movie who can explain the nuances of football and the NFL Draft as it certainly overtakes the end of the movie. If you have football fans in the house, it’s got to be on your short list of movies to take in.

Let me know what you think. Message us back on Facebook or Twitter if you agree or disagree here.

Marco

New Reppin the 403 Articles, Yacht Rock Rewindables

Yacht Rock Rewindables #4 Baby Come Back – Player

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There is only one way to describe the incredible song and lyrics of Baby Come Back from Player. Pure Gold. When this song hit the charts in 1977, it not only established Player as the newest member of the 70’s soft rock era, it brought us a song that would span the decades in the category of absolute smooth music. This song keeps coming back, generation after generation. Ask your kids, they will know this one. You can’t help singing the falsetto portions while in the car and you know all the words. Pure Gold.

The song hit the charts in later 1977 and by January 1978 it was the #1 hit on the US Billboard charts and the Canadian charts. The group had one more Yacht Rock classic, This Time I’m in it For Love (which deserves it’s own review at some point) but almost nothing else. The song speaks to the pain that someone feels after a breakup with their love. It speaks to people and touches them lyrically. Who needs more than a #1 smash hit that spans the decades and will live forever?

The group split up by 1982 and never was to be seen again, and they haven’t been touring the casinos of the US keeping the dream alive. The song keeps “coming back” in the form of commercials and in movies in dramatic relationship moments. You may recall it being used in the first Transformer movie and in a classic Swiffer Wetjet commercial. Listen to it in it’s original studio form and try to not sing the chorus.

Comment along and let me know what your favourite Yacht Rock song is. Agree or disagree but either way we will rewind some great soft rock.

Marco

New Reppin the 403 Articles, Yacht Rock Rewindables

Yacht Rock Rewindables #5 Key Largo – Bertie Higgins

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This song was truly made for the Yacht Rock high seas. Bertie Higgins hit the scene and dropped an instant classic upon us and one that once you hear it, you can forget the lyrics. On top of the fact that Bertie has no idea that he was the man in 1981 rolling around with his high collar, bare chested, gold chained machoism. Not only did he write great Yacht Rock songs, he lived them. Soak this in:

The song revolves around the setting for the 1948 film Casablanca filmed in Key Largo and his previous failed romance in the same area. He says that the songs was a plea for her to return to him and his report was that it was successful. The song hit #8 on the US Billboard charts in 1981 and was #3 in the Canadian charts. It was ranked one of the greatest “One-hit Wonders” of the 1980’s even though his other hit Just Another Day in Paradise also hit #10 on the US charts the following year.

Fun fact: Bertie became fast friends with Burt Reynolds who loved his music (and likely his swagger) and groomed him for screen writing movies. They remained lifelong friends.He has become a well covered artist with many popular artists including Tina Turner adopting his songs into their concert repertoire. The greatest compliment of all is that you can’t think of a another song that rings the names “just like Bogie and Bacall….” into a song. Listen to it in it’s original form and don’t be afraid to admit you love it. Here’s looking’ at you kid…

If you just love Bertie Higgins or his hit Key Largo, let us know. We are looking for classic Yacht Rock songs to rewind for your enjoyment.

Enjoy Key Largo.

Marco

New Reppin the 403 Articles, Yacht Rock Rewindables

Yacht Rock Rewindables #3 Steal Away – Robbie Dupree

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The next episode of Yacht Rock Rewindables brings us another of my absolute favourites. There are Yacht Rock songs and then there are songs that stop you in your tracks. Robbie Dupree’s singular hit, Steal Away is one of those songs to me.

One of my favourite topics is around the Greatest one hit Yacht Rock wonders. Here’s where I place them:

  1. Steal Away – Robbie Dupree
  2. Magnet and Steel – Walter Egan
  3. Who’ll be the Fool Tonight – Larsen-Feiten Band
  4. Chevy Van – Sammy Johns
  5. Who’s Right Who’s Wrong – Pages

Somewhere along the path, they will all end up rewinded here but today let’s hit Steal Away.

Dupree’s one Billboard hit reached #6 on the US charts and #14 on the Canadian charts in 1980. The song represents a proposition from him towards a girl. He asks her to steal away into the night after he catches a glance at her. Of interest, Dupree did not have a recording contract when he made the song. He sent in a demo tape of 5 songs and a studio liked what they heard and offered him a contract. That was a big improvement from his job of hauling carpet around Los Angeles.

The song was ranked #64 in the top 100 one-hit wonders of the 80’s. It upbeat melody helps it bolt along and resonates with you after it’s done. He continues to roam the country playing his song with Yacht Rock Revue and it continues to bring audiences to the show. Enjoy the song the way it was played in the studio.

Let us know what you think here. Yacht Rock classic or not? We love to hear what you think and what you would like to hear us review in upcoming episodes.

Marco

New Reppin the 403 Articles, Yacht Rock Rewindables

Yacht Rock Rewindables #2 Biggest Part of Me – Ambrosia

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I had some good feedback on other favourite Yacht Rock songs that people have adopted in the past years. I look forward to reviewing them all at some point. For today, I needed to get one of my personal favourites on the board. The rock group Ambrosia was formed in 1970 in Los Angeles and over the late 70’s and early 80’s they hit the Billboard charts hard with 5 top 40 hits and 2 that went into the top 5. These guys are one of my favourite Yacht Rock staple groups and expect to see other hits reviewed along the way. Today we rewind their smash hit Biggest Part of Me from April 1980 and played live on The Midnight Special in June of 1980.

Ambrosia hit it big with their 1980 album One Eighty and Biggest Part of Me was the 9th song on that album. This singled a 180 degree turn for the band from its previous style and set them off into the new decade of music. The sweet sounds come from the 4 man band made up from David Pack – vocalist, Joe Puerta – bassist, Christopher North – keyboardist and Burleigh Drummond – drummer. In the groups later years, Bruce Hornsby joined the band to add a second keyboardist and background vocals, before he started his own band called The Range.

The song rose on the US Billboard all the way to #3 in mid-1980 while it hit #18 on the Canadian charts. The song is about a guy who adores a woman in his life and is prepared to give her everything. What better way to create a syrupy Ballard than to tell his girl that he in incomplete without her and pledge himself to her onwards. David Pack wrote the framework for this song while waiting for his family to get ready for a vacation and hammered out most of the work in 10 minutes as inspiration hit him.

This song was a staple at early 80’s weddings and is still widely regarded as one of the classic Yacht Rock songs in any playlist. It’s one of my top 5 and I choose to enjoy it in its studio form here. Enjoy Biggest Part of Me in its studio form.

New Reppin the 403 Articles, Yacht Rock Rewindables

Yacht Rock Rewindables #1 I’m Still Forgettin’ – Michael McDonald

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Those who know me, know about my sick addiction for the soft, sticky hits of the late 70’s and early 80’s renamed “Yacht Rock”. I always had a deep seeded love for this music but until JD Ryznar, Hunter Stair, Dave Lyons and Lane Farnham dubbed this genre of music as Yacht Rock, I had never pulled it all together. When this music is played together in a sequence on on a channel (like on SiriusXM) it becomes pure gold. Before we explore the genre, we need to establish what my parameters are for this music:

  1. The music has to come from the years 1975-1983. There are a few exceptions to this rule but largely after 1983 the music became more pop and synthetic.
  2. It must be smooth sounding. Easy to say but hard to do but there is no need for synthesizers and yelling.
  3. The lyrics carry the song and tell the story. No exception to the rule.
  4. The songs are catchy and have tempo but ultimately must feel like a song you could listen to while riding the waves.

There are scales that rate and rank these songs (like Yacht or Nyacht) and do a great job of it but ultimately you should just enjoy the music and learn to love the genre. In Yacht Rock Rewindables, we will hit on my favourites and look forward to your comments.

I Keep Forgettin’ – Michael McDonald 1982

Years later, the Doobie Brothers have become the quintessential 70’s groove music and after its lead singer went solo in the early 80’s he turned out this Yacht Rock gem. The song hit #4 on the US Billboard charts that year and #5 on the Canadian charts and was a bona fide chart topper.

The song is amazing, hits the right groove and epitomizes who Michael McDonald was to become. It’s a song that tells the story of a man who refuses to accept that his relationship is over and the pain that it causes him. He added the song to his solo debut album If That’s What it Takes and his sister Maureen sings background vocals on the song. Enjoy it in its true sound from You Tube:

Tell us what you think here and add your suggestions for more Yacht Rock songs to be added to this channel. Follow along at www.reppinthe403.com

Marco

New Reppin the 403 Articles, Our 403 Life Articles

10 Things I Should Have Done Better During COVID

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It’s hard to believe that we collectively have been isolating for the past 10 weeks. In many ways, it has been the shortest 10 weeks of my life. In so many ways, I have pissed away an opportunity to do so many things that I should have done. Rest assured, it’s not like nothing got accomplished in the past weeks considering work kept rolling along and was extremely consuming for most of the day. Between some evenings and the weekend days, this family did make some headway on some long-standing issues around the ole’ Casa.

Re-stain a deck, organize the mechanical room, clean out closets and cupboards, move an un-Godly amount of rocks to the backyard, re-bark mulch the back, re-seed the lawn, paint the house, try new cocktail drinks, set up the patio furniture, explore Fish Creek Park, re-border the flowerbeds, build some plant stands for Mary, change the headlights in my truck, watch parts of several Netflix series and a million 80’s movies and complete around a dozen puzzles. It sounds like a lot of things got done but all I can think about are the things that never got done.

I did spend a ton of quality time with my Mary and our collective of boys also made for some spicy dinners and evenings but when this is all over, I will still be left with some missed opportunities:

I should have made some time for the webpage

I really enjoy writing, even though I have a lot to learn about the craft. Somehow I ran out of time for this stuff a few years ago and I don’t know what got so complicated in my life. These past weeks would have been a great time to get some work done on the site, clean it up and add some bells and whistles that I would like. More importantly, I should have crafted a bunch of plans for future work. I didn’t do any of that and only stumbled back into this world while I was cleaning up files for tax season.

I have new goals for myself with the site and really would like to try some new things with new topics. I would also like to try and support small businesses by writing about what makes them great. Business in the 403 needs all the help it can get.

We should have found some new restaurants through Take Out

We really hunkered down, so much that we virtually ate nothing but at home. In many ways, that was a refreshing change for us and I know Mary enjoyed finding new recipes for us to try. Really, it was a good experience for us to bring the boys back to the dinner table for family dinner. Mary also convinced each of them to select and make a dinner for the family, every week. Those were amazing feats that would never have happened without the family lockdown.

We did miss the chance to try local restaurants and find new food choices. I swear, one of our neighbours ordered from Skip the Dishes every day of the quarantine and I was intrigued every time the car rolled up. What was in that glorious red bag? Could it be a game-changer in the household? What mystery hole in the wall could be sending the greatest supper ever to their home? Missed opportunity for sure.

I should have listened to more music

Music makes me happy. People who know me, know my sick addiction for classic 70’s music, particularly the sweet, smooth sounds of Yacht Rock. There were days where I would have the music on while doing some work in the yard or while I was doing some work in the evenings. It’s not that I wanted to branch out with my musical choices into Country or Rap or even the top hits of today. I really should have just listened to my music, more contently. I’m sure that over the next few weeks, I will express some of that love for music in my writing.

I should have sat around on the deck more

It’s hard to remember back to the start of COVID but the weather really was not very good. We had a cold and snowy start for an interminable amount of time, right into April. Although, that was not exactly deck weather it turned around quite quickly afterwards and I didn’t really grasp the opportunity enough.

There were chances to do it. We had some really nice weather as we moved into May and the chairs were sitting there waiting for my ass but I just couldn’t stop doing stuff. I feel accomplished by the number of things we accomplished at work and home but missed a glorious chance to rest.

I should have tried to find sports in my life even though professional sports stopped.

Let’s be clear, the pro sports leagues did the right thing in shutting down in mid-March. In many ways, I credit the NBA in creating the needed awareness about the virus, when they shut the doors. The collapse of the remaining sports leagues was fast and those that were getting started, were halted. For a family like ours, this was a devastating blow as the nightly sports event was the bonding moment for the boys. We would gather and watch and talk. I miss that.

At the same time, youth sports was an instant casualty of the pandemic and the season for basketball, never really got off the ground. Nic, Cam and myself were poised to coach teams with Rian and Liam on them and all of that was shelved, fast. We will never know what could have been with the spring basketball season, and I feel for those kids who have lost an entire year of development in the sport. We are lucky to have a hoop outside on the street and short of a few days, I didn’t do enough to get outside and shoot some hoops with the boys. They went out pretty often and I missed that chance.

I should have exercised with more creativity to stay fit

My daily trip for to the gym was the biggest immediate impact on my life and it took me a whole week to get my act together. We were certainly one of the luckier families because we had access to some weights and a treadmill to allow the family to have a fitness routine. It was certainly more limited than my gym but not a disaster. My issue was that I didn’t find anything creative to do with the equipment or without it.

As the weather improved, I had even more options available like walking and biking and should have looked harder for alternatives. Mary and I did get out most evening for a walk with the pups but that doesn’t replace the challenge of getting your heart rate pumping for some exercise. I often long for the spring and summer to come, if for no other reason than to get some exercise in the evenings. The grind during the day and the responsibilities during the evenings took its toll and it just never happened. The summer isn’t over yet and I will have to get re-focused and re-energized.

I should have completed at least one TV series along the weeks

Mary and I have this terrible habit of starting a series and not committing to see it through. We have a litany of titles that we have seen 3-5 episodes of and never to be completed. Part of the issue is that I need to be attached to the theme and the characters and most importantly, the theme has to be completely plausible if it’s going to be fictional. Here’s a few series that we started and are TBD on its completion:

Ozark – we liked it a lot but only got midway through season 1. I think we will get back to it and see it through at some point.

The Crown – an honest depiction of the Royals and their screwed up worlds. We are in season 2 (which is a miracle in our world) and it seems to be chugging along. We will complete it one day.

Sex Education – a fictional depiction of high school in England with the twist being that the main character decides to provide sex education advice for the other students. Got to season 2 and it lost me.

The Kominsky Method – fun show about old dudes who are trying to stay young as they advance through the latter years. I was entertained through season 1 but season 2 became repetitive.

We did make it through a couple of mini-documentaries with some mixed success:

Tiger King – basically unwatchable but a fascinating train wreck that we powered through in the early weeks. The fact that I had trouble figuring out what the most screwed up part of the series was, tells you all you need to know.

Waco – it had been out previously but we finally saw it through and it was great. I highly recommend the back story on David Koresh and his cast of followers.

My biggest regret was that I was following the latest season of the Walking Dead and the final episode didn’t get completed prior to the outbreak and it has yet to be completed. I was into it and wished to have some conclusion to this season.

I should have done a deep clean of the garage and shed

No complaints here as we did tackle several rooms and closets in the house but we left the grand daddy of them all. I was out there a lot and looked at strategies even more. I started to clean the tools and gave up. I cleaned the corner out when we swapped the winter tires off and got frustrated. We even took a load to the dump early on and I thought we had traction but nope. The garage in this house has always been a catch all for the stuff that has no home in the closets and rooms. I will get there before the summer is done.

I should have started to plan out where we should vacation to next

I love to travel and I know I am not a good “staycation” candidate so when the world of travel dried up, it took its toll on my mind. We had a plan to go to Palm Springs for our anniversary in June and that was cancelled. We usually plot out a plan for November and we can’t even think that far out yet. We normally would have some Western Canada travel wrapped into the boys club basketball and that went by the wayside. We have ended up in Vegas most of the past few July’s and it’s out of the question.

I’m open to suggestions for what to do this year. I now have 2 travel companion vouchers to use and our friends at Westjet are holding my money ransom. I should have put some work into this as I can’t survive until 2021 before I get to feel the heat of the Caribbean or the culture of Europe.

I should have told Mary how thankful that I am that she chose me in life and dealt with my ups and downs through the lockdown.

I did tell her but probably not enough. She basically locked herself in the home for 7- starlight days, making sure that the kids did what they should and kept the wheel on out bus moving. When I got home, she listened to me drone on about COVID related issues at the pharmacies and kept me motivated and healthy. She also stepped aside when she needed to, to let me work on a puzzle or keep slugging away at work issues into the late evening. Mostly, she was just there with me and for me. There were a lot of people stuck without the one you care about the most but that was never my issue. She sacrificed herself for the family and for me and I will make sure the knows how important that was for me.

Those were the biggies on my list. There were so many positive things along the way too and I am choosing to focus on the great things that happened along the past 3 months.Take a minute and formulate your own list of things you did or didn’t do. The outbreak is far from over and there is still time to wrong those rights. Seize the opportunity.

Marco

New Reppin the 403 Articles, The Rewindables - Sports and Movie Rewind

Instantly Rewindable – The Last Dance

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Being a basketball guy, I have had a lot of questions from friends about my thoughts on the latest ESPN/Netflix documentary regarding the final year of the Chicago Bulls dynasty. The season of 1997-98 season was certainly a tumultuous one for the franchise and its main players and cast of characters surrounding it. It was fascinating theatre to watch in the way it weaved its way through MJ’s entire career arc while tying it back towards the storylines of the 97-98 season. I was a fan of the era and a fan of the players and I learned more than I thought I would over the series.

There are hundreds of breakdowns of the series, episode by episode, that will give you a much better breakdown than you will get here. My take is that even if you are a modest basketball fan, not a fan of the Bulls, or not even a sports fan, you will get something from this series. There is something for everyone. Of greater value is to watch it with younger sports fans in the home with you. My younger boys, who knew nothing about Jordan other than his “greatness” and his shoes, were captivated from start to finish and I sucked up every moment I spent with them, explaining the nuances of these rivalries and the relationships with the other players they only knew by name. If marketing was MJ’s plan with the documentary, it was pure brilliance on his part as he will capture a whole new group of NBA2K aged fans through this.

In typical Rewindables fashion, we will use the same category structure that we have used for other movies etc.

Our categories for the golden Rewindables  include:

  1. Most Rewindable moment – the moment where you are flipping the channels and you catch this part only to be sucked into rewinding to the start of the documentary.
  2. The “Did you touch my drum kit” award – not necessarily the quote that the world remembers but the one that someone who has seen the movie 25 times would know exactly what movie this is from. Bonus points if you know which show this quote is from.
  3. Best “microwave” actor – the actor who hits the screen with their hair on fire and owns their scenes in such a dominating fashion. Small scenes, big value.
  4. Best “Over the Top” acting moment – the actor who dials it up like this is the moment that he/she wants on the “In Memoriam” snippet at the 2044 Oscars.
  5. The “What show have I seen him/her in before” award – you know, the actor who you’ve seen in 100 shows and never know their name. Every movie has that person.
  6. The “That makes no sense moment” – You know what I mean when you see something that makes no logical sense. That moment.
  7. Bonus category – Unanswerable questions – I love this stuff where the movie ends but the questions linger on. I have no answers but lots of questions.

Most Rewindable Moment

I couldn’t get enough of the detail of the NBA Finals series vs the Seattle SuperSonics in 1996. I was following that series closely but didn’t fully follow the nuances that were happening during that series, specifically regarding the matchups that were or weren’t being played during the series. That was a great Seattle team who just peaked at the wrong time in their era and had to run up against the greatest team in the history of the sport.

The series was ugly at the start where the Sonics went down 0-3 and were home fighting for their lives when Coach George Karl changed his matchup to have Gary “the Glove” Payton matched up against Jordan. This was widely contested at the time as Payton was a much smaller but tenacious defender who should have been no match for Jordan’s size and skill. The Sonics handily won games 4 & 5 and it set up a game 6 showdown where the Bulls were reeling. The Rewindable moment from the documentary-series came with the split banter from the egregious “Glove” talking frankly about the matchup and his banter with his coach and MJ’s rebuttal. Watch this instant classic moment from the series here.

The “Did you touch my drum kit” award

There were some great quotes throughout the series. Some classic characters from the 80’s & 90’s NBA lore had their say on what MJ meant to the league and the sport. Some of them were brutal in their approach to his style of play, trash talking and commitment to being a team player. Will Perdue

“Let’s not get it wrong. He was an asshole. He was a jerk. He crossed the line numerous times. But as time goes on, and you think back about what he was actually trying to accomplish, you’re like, ‘yeah, he was a hell of a teammate.'” — Will Perdue

Others were more succinct about his possible baseball career. I’m sure Tito Francona will live by this quote but won’t live it down either.

“In my opinion, with 1,500 at-bats, he wou’d’ve found a way to get to the major leagues.” — Terry Francona

The best quote came from Reggie Miller who rationalized that while the Indiana Pacers thought they were perched to knock off the Bulls, he realized that MJ was simply not going to let that happen. After taking a royal hammering from the Bulls in that stretch he summed it up with the infamous “Black Jesus” quote here.

My rookie year we were playing the Chicago Bulls, and this is Michael Jordan’s third or fourth year in. And we were playing an exhibition game…most veterans do not like to play in exhibition games, they want to get to the real thing. I’m a wide-eyed, energetic rookie and…Michael’s going through the motions. And Chuck Person—who’s on my team—who is a trash-talker as well, is like, “Can you believe Michael Jordan, the guy everyone’s talking about, who’s supposed to be able to walk on water? You’re out here killing him, Reg! … You should be talking to him!” And I was like, “You know what, you’re right!” “Michael…who do you think you are? The great Michael Jordan? That’s right, there’s a new kid on town!” He kind of looks at me and starts shaking his head. So at half I have 10, and he has four points…end of the game, the second half, he ended up with 44 and I ended up with 12. So he outscored me 40-2. And as he’s walking off, he’s like, “Be sure, and be careful, you never talk to Black Jesus like that.”

Best “microwave” actor

There is no question that very scene that Dennis Rodman is in continues the legacy of the man. When ever he talks, you pay attention just to see what he will say next. What ever he says is more captivating than the sentence prior. There is no end to the mystery around Rodman and there is no doubt that they don’t win the last 2 championships without him in tow. This would have been a very different series without him on the broadcast and the fact that he vanished during the 1995-96 season for a 48 hour Vegas blowout will live on in sports infamy.

Best “Over the Top” acting moment

There could have been several members in this category. Jerry Krause had passed away by the time this was filmed but his demeanour and legacy was all over this thing. He was the architect of the roster, other than Jordan, and continued to add the true antagonist to the organization. Having someone to hate is a powerful motivator for a team. Rodman supplied his own level of drama and there is no doubt that he was generally, over the top in everything he did or said. All that aside, the most over the top moment of the series was the Food Poisoning Game versus Utah in the 1997 championship. Jordan was incredibly sick overnight and barely could get his shoes on to play. The crazy part that was exposed in this series was that his reason for sickness was related to a 2am pizza that he had ordered because he was so distraught about his performance from the previous night’s game. The issue: speculation was that the Salt Lake City pizza joint had “poisoned” the pizza to make him sick. Their strategy worked except they didn’t know that MJ could play through anything to win and poured in 38 points on no sleep and low energy. Truly incredible.

This is not really the kind of show where you don’t know who the actors are but there were a few “new” characters introduced in the series, who the world never knew:

Gus – the fatherly, trusted security man. Jordan loved him so much he brought him to the ROAD games too.

The perm haired security guard – named as the “Sniff Brothers” for the way they sniff the jocks but full of colour in the way he roams the old Chicago Stadium. He is also one of a few people in the world who successfully trolled MJ enough to become his own meme.

Scottie Burrell – He’s a rookie in the second of the 3 championship and the constant whipping boy for MJ’s threats and barbs. He needed to voice his frustrations at parts of the team and had to pick his victims well. The constant there was that Burrell was calm and cool under the heat of the spotlight and though Jordan tells him after the 6th championship that he better not see him again in the future, deep down Burrell gave the greatest gift to these teams, an outlet for MJ to bully and an outlet that he could sound off to.

The “That makes no sense moment”

It comes from the most shocking revelation in the series. Dennis Rodman left the team for 3 days to go on a binge or whatever the hell he wanted, in Vegas, with Carmen Electra, during the middle of the season AND MJ had to go to Vegas and pull him out! What the hell just happened!

Can you imagine the chaos that should hav created on a normal team? The all-star and future HOFer going AWOL on a drug and sex filled binge on the greatest sports team of all time and only topped by the fact that the greatest player bails him out. Can you imagine the conversations that were being had in that Vegas hotel room between he and Jordan. You could tell that MJ had a smirk on his face while reflecting on his moments getting him out. I’m sure Jordan has his own skeletons to hide but that one may have even impressed him. It’s worth the watch again.

Unanswerable questions & Conclusions

I have one amazing takeaway from the end of the series. Jordan swears they could have won their 7th chip if they had come back but the world will never know. Jordan feel robbed of the opportunity even to this day. Would they have won if the came back?

I speculate that they would have been back in the finals, had they put the band back together. A few reasons:

  1. The 1998-99 season was strike shortened with a lockout. This would have helped the old guy Bulls get some rest and come back for the sprint that a 53 game season provided.
  2. The East was a mess. Miami was the best team but was knocked off in the first round by New York, who ran the table to the finals thereafter. Indiana took a step back and Orlando was a year away. It was there for the Bulls to run that table.
  3. San Antonio was good, winning it all, but young and soft. They would have had a hard time taking the pounding from the veteran Bulls. The mauled the Knicks in the final as NY was softer than they were.

All in all, this was basketball royalty gold. Sure, I’m a round ball fan and would probably watch a 3 show series on almost any NBA start from 1970-2000 but there would be very few that could fill in the basketball story with more commerce, scandal, death, gambling and passion. He had it all and they told most of it here. MJ is no dummy when it comes to marketing and you couldn’t pick a better time to remind the world of your importance to it, than to hit us during a lowdown. He pulled the strings to launch early and the rest is COVID history. We are all better for the decision.

New Reppin the 403 Articles, The Rewindables - Sports and Movie Rewind

The Sports Rewindables #1 – Hoosiers

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Where else would I start but to review, arguably the greatest sports movie in history. The 1986 sports spine tingler, Hoosiers remains the pinnacle for sports movies and to this day, gives me the chills during the crescendo of the film. Directed by David Anspaugh, better known for his work on TV hits like Hill Street Blues and Miami Vice, pulls the real life tale of the 1954 Milan, Indiana high School basketball state champions into the fictitious Hickory Hoosiers. The names and faces aren’t real but the drama and character building feel like a true movie classic.

You can go to Wikipedia and get a full recap on the plot and cast here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoosiers_(film) but on the Rewindables we will focus on the awards that should have been given out for the movies we select. Our categories for the golden Rewindables  include:

  1. Most Rewindable moment – the moment where you are flipping the channels and you catch this part only to be sucked into rewinding to the start of the movie.
  2. The “Did you touch my drum kit” award – not necessarily the quote that the world remembers but the one that someone who has seen the movie 25 times would know exactly what movie this is from. Bonus points if you know which show this quote is from.
  3. Best “microwave” actor – the actor who hits the screen with their hair on fire and owns their scenes in such a dominating fashion. Small scenes, big value.
  4. Best “Over the Top” acting moment – the actor who dials it up like this is the moment that he/she wants on the “In Memoriam” snippet at the 2044 Oscars.
  5. The “What show have I seen him/her in before” award – you know, the actor who you’ve seen in 100 shows and never know their name. Every movie has that person.
  6. The “That makes no sense moment” – You know what I mean when you see something that makes no logical sense. That moment.
  7. Bonus category – Unanswerable questions – I love this stuff where the movie ends but the questions linger on. I have no answers but lots of questions.

Most Rewindable Moment

Like many movies, the climax of the show will always grab you but there are more subtle moments throughout where you see it and the remainder of the movie is like a freight train rolling downhill from there. The moment where the movie finally captures you and you are “all in”. for me that moment is when the town of Hickory is having a referendum about whether Coach Dale (Gene Hackman) is to be fired because he has crossed a line with the boys and the team. Basketball is a religion in Indiana, after all. Jimmy Chitwood, the team star player enters the town hall and egos the famous line to the community “Coach stays, I play. He goes, I go”. The captivating selflessness by the star player, saved the coach and turned the angry mob around. The rest of the movie is pure gold from here. Try and turn it off.

The “Did you touch my Drum kit” Award

I came around to the moment where Coach Dale walks the team into the cavernous championship stadium and the boys are immediately intimidated by the size and the possibility of the sheer number of fans who will come to watch them play. In a classic coach move, he tries to alleviate their concerns by proving to them that the dimensions of the court are exactly the same as the one on their small town school of 60 kids back home. Coach Dale pulls out the measuring tape to prove that the hoop is still 10 feet high and states “I think you will find that it’s the exact same measurements as our gym back in Hickory.” Concerns alleviated and instant chills for an old ball coach like me.

Best “microwave” actor

Only one actor completely takes over the screen, every time they are on it even though they are not in more than a handful of scenes. Dennis Hopper hits the screen as Shooter Flatch, the father of one of the players and the local town drunk. Besides his favourite drink, he knows basketball and hits the screen hard with his mixture of a man who is grappling with his issues but grasping the opportunity to show his worth to the town folk and more importantly, his son. He is magnetic to the scenes he’s in and convinces the viewer that he is a fallen man who wants to do better. Magnetic.

Best “Over the Top” acting moment

Although, he is a tour de force in the movie, Gene Hackman (as Coach Dale) is always on the verge of over-hamming the world of coaching into something unrecognizable. He is by far and away the best performance in the movie but his desire to do it “his way” and make the whole community despise every move he makes is, at times, too much. Would I change a thing about the way he plays it? Not a chance. It’s this type of strong character that makes the whole movie work and leaves an indelible impression on the typecast for future movie coaches. Congratulations Gene!

The “What show have I seen him/her in before” award

This one has to go to our man Chelsie Ross, who plays the parent of one of the main players on the team but also represents the main antagonist in the movie. He speaks for the town folk and provides the biggest threat to Coach Dale until he can prove his hard-ass style is a winning style. Where has he been before? Most famously are his sports movies roles as the “only” starting pitcher the the Major League, Eddie Harris and in Rudy as Notre Dame head coach Dan Devine. He shows up here and there as “that guy” who builds the plot but no one knows who he is.

The “That makes no sense moment”

You could go a bunch of different ways here:

Why would a renowned college coach come to a hick town and coach a bunch of scrubs? What would he hire the town drunk to assistant coach when he knows it will go bad? What would possess him to take on the whole damn town that is clearly crazy for basketball?

I’m going with the final shot. It makes no sense to me as an amateur coach that the veteran coach of the South Bend Bears would allow Jimmy Chitwood (who has been dismantling them in the second half) isolate on the final shot of the game. I’m thinking the conversation went like this:

Coach: “Here’s what were going to do. Number 15 has been tearing us up for the past 25 minutes. He’s got about 30 points, made 1 layup and is lights out from the perimeter. We’re going to put Bobby on him straight up and force him to shoot from 20 feet.”

Players:

The rest is history and with it so went the Indiana lore of one Jimmy Chitwood. No doubt, it’s the exclamation mark on the movie and a well-shot sequence but equally perplexing why that was their strategy. On the other side, Coach Dale is going to be run out of town on a rail if he misses but everyone knew that shot was going in. Here is the moment for the sake of it.

Conclusion and Unanswerable Questions:

All in all, Hoosiers is a sports classic that isn’t without its flaws but completely rewindable if you come across it on TV. I was left with questions at the end of it:

Did Jimmy go to College or maybe even Pro? I say he had lot’s of interest from colleges in the area but his silent demeanour and tricky past always got in his way. He’s selling insurance in the nearest “big” town to Hickory.

Did Shooter actually kick the booze after drying out? Again, I say no. The sweet taste of Cherry Whiskey gets the best of him again and he succumbs to the pressures of fatherhood. The ending is not great for the Picket Fence mastermind.

Did Norman and Myra stay together after? I’m going yes here. He’s lucky to have a younger woman in his life and she is happy that he is going places with this coaching gig. He ends up coaching Div II college and she likes the fact that she can teach at the bigger high school in the area.

Truly unanswerable but awesome to think through. Add your comments on your favourites and watch for more Rewindable reviews in the coming weeks.

Papagrande

New Reppin the 403 Articles, The Rewindables - Sports and Movie Rewind

Great Canadians who could stop the world

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The title doesn’t quite tell the whole tale. In the past week, Canadian music lovers are mourning the passage of one of the greatest singer songwriters we have seen. Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip passed away this week and as Mary said to me upon hearing the news, “They were the sound of my university life.” What has been more amazing to me has been the media attention that his battle with terminal brain cancer has garnered. Certainly, his story is tragic, if for no other reason that at 53 years old, he left behind a wife and family and like so many other Canadians, he didn’t reach his full life plan. This story is one told daily by hundreds of Canadians who battle disease and sometimes lose so what makes him different? The answer of course was his footprint on Canadiana and the audio legacy he left behind. Most of us leave a footprint on the family and friends we touched along the path of life. His arc allowed him to touch so many more with his committment to cancer research along the final months of his life.

This raised a fascinating question this weekend, while sharing a dinner party with our friends Michelle and Alan. The question was posed, “If Gord Downie’s life made Canada stop for a few days, which other Canadian passing would reach the same impact?” From there, we needed to set some parameters to guide this wine fuelled debate.

Criteria:

  1. They must be 50+ and be in the stages of life where a passing could become probable. Although a plane crash carrying Justin Beiber would make world-wide news, the probability was not likely, nor predictable.
  2. They must have been relevant to us Canadians for 20+ years. Someone who has entered our conscious in the latter years of their life, cannot be held in the same reverence as someone who spans generations of families.
  3. The criteria were that their passing would be major news on Canadian media for 3 or more days while they had to make news in the US or world markets for at least a day. Of course, this became a limiting step on scientists or writers who may not have the national media notoriety needed.
  4. No Prime Ministers allowed. Of course, they would grab attention all over the world regardless of how long ago they were in office. No debate needed here.

This was no easy task to run through the names of people who would stop the Canadian clock if they passed away today. We narrowed the list from hundreds, down to 50 and then to a dozen, who we agreed would have an impact.

 

Honourable Mention:

Howie Mandell

Pamela Anderson

Keanu Reeves

In their own way, they all have reason to be within the top 12 but fell just outside of it. Howie Mandell has seen a resurgence in his reality TV career but really never was huge 20 years ago. Pam Anderson was massive during her Baywatch days but doesn’t fully resonate today. Keanu Reeves is the most interesting of the discussion because he was huge 20 years ago and again today but ultimately was too average in the middle to get 3 days worth of Canadian press because of it.

Canadian Legends:

Alex Trebek

The man is truly an institution in the game show industry. He continues to be relevant within the vernacular of Canadians as well as within any trivia contest you may play. The man has made a complete persona out of smug let apologetic answers to useless trivia. You are lying if you say you haven’t mimicked him when answering with “Ooh no, is was What was the Pythagoras Theorem.”

Donald Sutherland

We had our struggles separating the two Sutherland boys but ultimately Papa Sutherland met the criteria. He was relevant in the 70’s with MASH and Kelly’s Heroes and remains the same today with THe Hunger Games. At 82 he is now reaching legendary status with accolades planned to present him with a honourary Oscar for lifetime achievement. You don’t earn the golden statue without being great.

Neil Young

Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and his solo career make him a surefire hall of fame Canadian. The man is one of Canada’s greatest singer songwriters and continues to be a draw in concert well into his 70’s. Heart of Gold is one of the best songs sung by a Canadian artist and the man owns countless Grammy’s and Juno’s. Revere his magic while you still can.

Canadian Gold:

Shania Twain

I had no idea how worldly popular this artist was until this debate. She has 5 Grammy’s with 4 number one hits on the US charts and was THE biggest country star of the 1990’s. She remains relevant today with sell out concerts to new generations of fans and appearances on the Voice. Replay some of her hits and you will remember why she is the biggest Canadian cross-over star.

Bryan Adams

For people born in the 70’s and who grew up in the 80’s, Bryan Adams was Canadian music. The remainder of the 80’s stars who came after him should kiss the ground he walks on. His 13 number one hits including “Everything I do, I do it for you” lasting an incredible 16 weeks at number 1 in the US, make him an untouchable. Tack on 15 Grammy nominations and several Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for soundtracks and you realize what a gift he is.

Bobby Orr

You could debate that Bobby Orr had the greatest 10 year career of any pro athlete in any sport, ever. He is revered by a generation of hockey fans who will not accept any argument that there is anyone better. He is the only defenseman to lead the league in scoring, twice and scored an incredible number of points in a career shortened by knee injuries. He had 8 Norris trophies for best defenseman  and left us with countless highlights of a player who was before his time in skill. Number 4, Bobby Orr!

Don Cherry

The man has been the Canadian TV star for the past 30 years. Incredible considering he is literally on the tube for 6 minutes a week but has become appointment TV for millions every Saturday night. His crazy pattern suits and high collar dress shirts are part of the image as much as the bold statements and personal attacks on any other nationality except Canada. That stance alone has made him a God to hockey fans and the world would come to stop should he not be on air next Saturday night.

The royalty of Canadiana:

Michael J Fox

He was only the sweetheart of American comedy TV in the 1980’s. Hit shows such as Family Ties, Spin City and the epic Back to the Future Trilogy make him a legend of modern TV. His public battle for and against Parkinson’s disease make him completely relevant to today’s Canada. He has handled this debilitating disease with the grace and honour that all of us can be proud of and all the while, he continues to act his way through role in movie and TV. True class.

Jim Carrey

For most of the 1990’s, Jim Carrey was the biggest comedy star on the planet. starting with his classic role on “In Living Colour” and through massive hits like “The Mask”, “Ace Ventura”, and “Dumb and Dumber”, he became a legend. Countless hits followed, many with critical acclaim including a Golden Globe award. The man could star in a movie about building sand castles or ice fishing and have it gross $100 million. That’s truly the sign of a star. His shines brightly for all Canadians.

Celine Dion

Simply said she is one of the biggest recording stars on the planet and proudly Canadian. She was massive worldwide with her hits and her Vegas show pulls people in year over year to catch a glimpse of her brightest moments. Titanic was a huge hit but her music within it is as much a part of its legacy as the movie ever was. She gracefully managed her life through the death of her husband and continues to be relevant to the newest of her fans with her voice attached to the best of the TV reality shows. There will not be a greater music star in our generation.

Wayne Gretzky

He is Canada. He brought the country something special when the Oilers won all of those Stanley Cups in the 1980’s. What we didn’t know then that we do know now is that through those years he became the face of the country around the world. His hockey accolades aside (and they are mind boggling), he became a national treasure whether you cheered for other teams or not. Today he is back involved with the Oil and continues to say and do the right things in the mold of the Greatest living Canadian would. The Great One is really the Greatest One.

You may agree or disagree but that’s what makes this such a fun topic. Have your own debate and let us know what you think.