Story of Sport

Once in a Lifetime

2009-06-10T17:00:16Z

This film is a documentary of how soccer became known in the U.S. It is very straightforward and uses a timeline as a building block to explain the history of soccer in the U.S. Since this is a documentary all the people in the film are representing themselves.

]]> The main idea of this film is to provide a history lesson of how soccer made it as a sport in the U.S. and how the New York Cosmos helped in the success of the popularity of soccer.

The quality of this film is not the greatest for a film bein released in 2006. This is because a lot of the footage taken was from when cameras were first being used to televised sports. Along with the quality of the film was the lack of sound quality. Music helps films out in a tremendous way and I felt that the music selection for this movie could have been much better for how recent the film was released. I believe that the movie was correctly filmed considering it was a documentary. It flowed very well and it was very informative. It left little room for questions.

“Once In a Lifetime” seems to be the right title for this film. The film does a great job in explaining why the New York Cosmos have a once in a lifetime opportunity to make soccer popular in the U.S.

Murderball

2009-06-09T03:05:13Z

Imagine you’ve been paralyzed and confined to a wheel chair. You can’t walk but can use your arms to a degree. What do you do? Do you give up all hope and sulk around all day, or do you see what new doors have opened up for you?

]]> Well for a surprising amount of paraplegics the decision was simple, see what’s out there. Some start simple, others dive straight into the exciting world of Murderball aka quad rugby. With modified wheelchairs that look closer to battle tanks, these players zip across the court running into each other trying to get the ball across the opponent’s goal.

In “Murderball” you closely follow some of the lives of the U.S. quad rugby team. At first I thought this would be slow and boring watching everyday lives of a wheelchair-bound person. The opening scene is watching one of the athletes, Zupan, change into gym shorts. But after this part, the rest of the movie is a fast paced, constantly changing documentary. You are moved from one player to the next, then to another before going back to the first player. And the best thing, these athletes are completely normal human beings, besides be paraplegic. At one point Zupan, the U.S. team spokesman says that he’s not scared to get in a fight and that people won’t him because he’s in a chair, “go ahead and hit me, I’ll hit you right back.” These players don’t milk it, they have spunk and aren’t afraid of anything or anyone.

Quad rugby requires the player to be tough. They get flipped over, run into, double teamed, and a whole other assortment of bone-jarring crashes. Training to play this sport requires dedication and a honed set of handling skills. You are taken through a training session at the Olympic center and you are shown that these paraplegic athletes work just as hard, if not harder, than their walking counterparts.

“Murderball” is a movie that will leave you satisfied. It immerses you into a world of a sport that not many people have knowledge of. It puts you into the mind of the athletes, how they deal with life and the sport itself. There’s action, drama, heartbreak, and upset. By the end you will have learned much about the paraplegic community and will have a new view of the athletes that play murderball.

King of Kong - Fist Full of Quarters

2009-06-06T15:08:55Z

The Donkey Kong, A video game popular in the 1980s still carries its legacy today. With the attention to achieve a complex creation to challenge the gamers mind, it has proven the reputation it carries for carrying the unraveled codes to beat the game.

]]> Individuals today strive to accomplish the game with the highest points, and become a champion. In this documentary like film, two characters one who holds the record for beating the game, and the other to overcome the intense environment and take over the fame.

Billy Mitchell who broke the record in the 80s became famous for his accomplishments for over 2 decades. He is well known in the gaming community, and sponsored by many businesses and supporters. Before Steve Wieb came along, the fearless competitor, Billy had the spot light.

During the documentary I noticed the public wanted Billy to stay in the top position. Even though Steve proved his score was better than Billy, he was told he had to perform in the public eye.

I didn’t like the way Wieb was being treated by the gaming community just because he was an Underdog. After proving his score of 800,000+ points, Billy submitted a video of his high score. That is discrimination; specially considering the fact Steve traveled over 3000 miles.

I thing the gaming community should work on their gamers rights. No matter what record you hold, you should be applauded for you accomplishment, but never treated better. Every person has the same right to compete under equal rights and rules.

Religion - Finahs

2009-06-05T02:53:58Z

I have been involved with team in which the coach is not a professed "Christian", but before every game made the team kneel s down and pray. Do you see an issue with a coach that is not a "Christian" but make the team submit to God before competition? Why or why not?

Religion - Zach

2009-06-05T02:45:43Z

When I was younger I played for a team that was coached by a "Christian". We had to wear practice uniforms that had various icons including a cross. If we didn't wear the practice uniform we had to sit out of practice for the day.

What if a player was not a "Christian" and refused to wear a shirt with a cross; should that player be banned from practice? Is this fair? What can be done so the player could practice?

Religion - Doug

2009-06-05T02:43:22Z

In Facing the Giants Coach Taylor had his team take a knee and pray before every game. In this case the entire team held the same beliefs, but in the real world this is not always the case. Is it OK for coaches to make his athletes pray before a game/match? What issues could arise from this practice?

Question 2 - Finhas

2009-05-30T02:36:34Z

Would it be okay for a gay man to play Football? What are the standards for a man to be considered manly?

Question 1 - Finhas

2009-05-30T02:35:30Z

Why is it that we unconsciously value women's sports less?

Question 2 - Doug

2009-05-27T18:32:38Z

Elite male cyclists are often made fun of for shaving their legs in the USA but not in Europe. The reason they sahve is to keep road tar and other debris from sticking to their legs while riding. Although their is a function for the shaving, why is it still joked about?

Question 2 - Zach

2009-05-27T18:31:32Z

Homosexuality is not talked about very much in sports. When it is talked about its usually stereotypes for athletes. If a male is a cheerleader he is stereotypically a homosexual. If a woman body builds or resembles a very muscular figure she may be considered a lesbian. Why is it that we consider a woman a lesbian just because she looks and can perform at a level a male can? Shouldn’t she be congratulated for being a tremendous and skilled athlete?

Question 1 - Doug

2009-05-27T18:30:24Z

Homosexuality came up twice in Bend it Like Beckham. Once from a cultural standpoint and another because of sports. Why are women stereotyped as lesbians because of sports they play?

Quesiton 1 - Zach

2009-05-27T18:28:09Z

The dad in the movie makes all the choices for his family. He makes the decision for whom his daughter marries and what she can do with her life. Why does he need to make the decisions for his family? And is this fair, why or why not?