Friday, February 06, 2004
Nice Try Guys
They didn’t do it.
They didn’t pull it off.
Miracle is good. Pretty good. Maybe even really good. But honestly, that was almost a given considering that the very story is so amazing.
Good doesn’t get it done though. Good just isn’t enough. Seabiscuit was good. This is bigger than a horse; this is bigger than a movie. It just might have been too big to try.
Miracle does a real nice job of letting people know how the team got to the point where they were able to beat the Soviets. The biggest problem is that most people already KNEW the story. If they didn’t, well then I guess this movie will serve as an excellent teacher. What it should have done was given something to all of us.
Actually, this movie really isn’t about the Miracle on Ice as much as it is about Herb Brooks. And Kurt Russell actually pulls it off. He really is great, and from all player accounts he really grasped Herb, nuances and all. Watching Kurt gave me the impression that I was living Herb’s experience, and that alone makes it worth your time and money.
But where were the player’s stories? Where were the late night conversations talking about how hard it was, or how much the Soviets scared them? They came across more as pawns in Herb Brook’s genius plan than young men on the verge of something far bigger than themselves. I’m sure they didn’t know that, but I’m sure the thought SOMETHING. What that is, I don’t know.
My biggest problem with the movie are the hockey scenes. I think they shot them completely wrong. The goals in the Soviet game are so famous that you can see them develop in your head just thinking about them. But for some reason, Miracle only shows parts of them developing, never giving you a view of the ice. They tried to make it seem as though you were on the ice, skating in the game. That might work for some parts, but not for the biggest moments. You need to see those moments to live them, not kind of see them.
(This really angers me, and the further removed I get from the movie the more upset I get about it.)
In fairness, for the last 15 minutes of the movie I was basically shaking from nerves/excitement. I knew what was going to happen and I still couldn’t wait for the clock to wind down. Part of the problem with the movie is that you know the outcome, but it also has its advantages. Right from the start you know you are watching something special unfold. Every decision, every argument, every moment, everything is leading up to this incredible accomplishment. It gives almost every scene of Miracle a special feeling. But I guess it didn’t really need that. How much more special can you get?
The entire movie is building up to Al Michaels’ famous call, where the word “miracle” became synonymous with the event. And you know what? They screwed it up. They screwed up most of the ending. They gloss over the Finland gold medal game and the medal ceremony. Fine, I get it; it’s about beating the Soviets. But still, how do you gloss over that? How do you gloss over Jim Craig looking for his father in the stands? How do you gloss over Eruzione calling his teammates up to the podium?
The three most remembered moments from those days are Michaels’ call, Craig’s search, and Eruzione calling the rest of the team up. And they didn’t shoot one of those sequences correctly. I don’t get it.
I don’t think this movie had to be made. Really, how could it have succeeded? The standards were impossible – showing the impossible.
Miracle is essentially a testament to the late Herb Brooks, and that is a good thing. Even if the rest of the movie falls a little short, his legacy will probably grow even more because of this, and God knows he deserves it.
It would have taken something short of a miracle to make this movie do justice to its event. What it is instead is a really nice, entertaining American history lesson.
Problem is, so was Seabiscuit.
They didn’t do it.
They didn’t pull it off.
Miracle is good. Pretty good. Maybe even really good. But honestly, that was almost a given considering that the very story is so amazing.
Good doesn’t get it done though. Good just isn’t enough. Seabiscuit was good. This is bigger than a horse; this is bigger than a movie. It just might have been too big to try.
Miracle does a real nice job of letting people know how the team got to the point where they were able to beat the Soviets. The biggest problem is that most people already KNEW the story. If they didn’t, well then I guess this movie will serve as an excellent teacher. What it should have done was given something to all of us.
Actually, this movie really isn’t about the Miracle on Ice as much as it is about Herb Brooks. And Kurt Russell actually pulls it off. He really is great, and from all player accounts he really grasped Herb, nuances and all. Watching Kurt gave me the impression that I was living Herb’s experience, and that alone makes it worth your time and money.
But where were the player’s stories? Where were the late night conversations talking about how hard it was, or how much the Soviets scared them? They came across more as pawns in Herb Brook’s genius plan than young men on the verge of something far bigger than themselves. I’m sure they didn’t know that, but I’m sure the thought SOMETHING. What that is, I don’t know.
My biggest problem with the movie are the hockey scenes. I think they shot them completely wrong. The goals in the Soviet game are so famous that you can see them develop in your head just thinking about them. But for some reason, Miracle only shows parts of them developing, never giving you a view of the ice. They tried to make it seem as though you were on the ice, skating in the game. That might work for some parts, but not for the biggest moments. You need to see those moments to live them, not kind of see them.
(This really angers me, and the further removed I get from the movie the more upset I get about it.)
In fairness, for the last 15 minutes of the movie I was basically shaking from nerves/excitement. I knew what was going to happen and I still couldn’t wait for the clock to wind down. Part of the problem with the movie is that you know the outcome, but it also has its advantages. Right from the start you know you are watching something special unfold. Every decision, every argument, every moment, everything is leading up to this incredible accomplishment. It gives almost every scene of Miracle a special feeling. But I guess it didn’t really need that. How much more special can you get?
The entire movie is building up to Al Michaels’ famous call, where the word “miracle” became synonymous with the event. And you know what? They screwed it up. They screwed up most of the ending. They gloss over the Finland gold medal game and the medal ceremony. Fine, I get it; it’s about beating the Soviets. But still, how do you gloss over that? How do you gloss over Jim Craig looking for his father in the stands? How do you gloss over Eruzione calling his teammates up to the podium?
The three most remembered moments from those days are Michaels’ call, Craig’s search, and Eruzione calling the rest of the team up. And they didn’t shoot one of those sequences correctly. I don’t get it.
I don’t think this movie had to be made. Really, how could it have succeeded? The standards were impossible – showing the impossible.
Miracle is essentially a testament to the late Herb Brooks, and that is a good thing. Even if the rest of the movie falls a little short, his legacy will probably grow even more because of this, and God knows he deserves it.
It would have taken something short of a miracle to make this movie do justice to its event. What it is instead is a really nice, entertaining American history lesson.
Problem is, so was Seabiscuit.
Thursday, February 05, 2004
BU's Greatest Sports Alum
The following is a column that I wrote for the Daily Free Press, since it wasn't chosen, I am going to post it here. I don't really like it all that much, but my friend Seth maintains that it is a great column, so here it is.
Please keep in mind, this was written for a Boston University paper and audience and was meant to run just after Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Martin Luther King Jr. doubles as the man who gave us this past Monday off and arguably as BU’s most prolific alum. I mean, at least until we have “Alexander Graham Bell Day” off, ol’ MLK gets the nod. The question of our greatest sports alum is a totally different matter.
For one thing, most people really aren’t aware of the gifted athletes that have graduated from this university. If you were to ask most knowledgeable Terrier fans, the consensus would most likely be that the title should go to Harry Agganis. Agganis was a two-sport superstar at BU, dominant in both baseball and football. He turned down an offer from the Cleveland Browns, opting instead to play baseball for the Red Sox for whom he hit .313 for in 1954.
In 1955 Agganis died of a pulmonary embolism at the age of 25. Almost 50 years later “The Golden Greek” still holds the hearts and minds of Boston University, as evident by the new arena baring his name. The search for the most prolific sports alum isn’t a question of talent or legends-it is about accomplishment. And one BU graduate accomplished more in one game than all the rest combined: Mike Eruzione.
If the name Eruzione is foreign to you, then you aren’t just a bad Terrier, you aren’t just a bad sports fan, you are a bad American. The former IceDog captain was also the captain of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team. Yeah, now you know who I mean.
There’s no need to rehash the story. The simple fact is that when Mike Eruzione (one of the few BU hockey players on the team) scored the go ahead goal versus the Soviets in Lake Placid, he propelled himself to the top of the Pantheon. The Miracle on Ice isn’t just a great sports moment; it is THE greatest sports moment of all time. Never has a single sporting event combined the elements of national pride, international fervor, impossible skill levels, and underdog achievement. It transcends explanation, it transcends sports, and it transcends Mike Eruzione.
Considering the magnitude of his accomplishment you should know his name. And if the rest of the country didn’t know, they will on February 6th with the release of a movie called “Miracle”, based on that 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team.
This movie cannot be “okay” and it can’t be “good.” This movie has got to be amazing. If you are going to take the greatest sports moment ever, you can’t screw it up. You just can’t. I have never anticipated a movie more than I have “Miracle” and I have never had more fear and trepidation about a movie. This is literally hit or miss.
Hopefully (more like, please dear God) the movie will do justice to the event. It will allow our generation to bask in the utter glory that the entire nation felt when a bunch of teenagers beat one of the greatest hockey teams ever assembled.
I don’t take this topic lightly. I remember as a high school hockey player in Massachusetts going to an away game in Winthrop - Mike Eruzione’s hometown. We were waiting for the game to start when I basically whispered out to my coach, “That’s Mike Eruzione!”
He couldn’t believe I recognized him. Twenty years after the fact (a fact I wasn’t even born for), I could still pull him out of a crowd. Strangely enough my coach knew him, offered to introduce me, and seemed happy to do it. I declined.
I didn’t know what to say.
I really did not know what to say to the man that scored the biggest goal in American sports history. Think of what he had been a part of. It’s not everything you dream of, it’s more. And there he was. Standing 5 feet away from me, watching a hockey game.
I never did go up to him. I went and got my equipment on, thinking about what I could have said. Only now, years later do I think I know. I would have said, “Hi, my name is Mike.” That’s the best I can do, but it’s a start.
What I can say to you though, is that Mike Eruzione is the greatest sports alum to ever grace a BU jersey. With all apologies to Jim Craig (the team’s goalie) and Dave Silk (another member who now teaches in SMG) and the others, Eruzione wore the “C” and he scored the goal. That’s enough in my book.
Now if only he had invented the telephone as well we might be able to get “Mike Eruzione Bell Day” off from school. Whatever, tell my professors I’ll be “sick” on February 6th.
The following is a column that I wrote for the Daily Free Press, since it wasn't chosen, I am going to post it here. I don't really like it all that much, but my friend Seth maintains that it is a great column, so here it is.
Please keep in mind, this was written for a Boston University paper and audience and was meant to run just after Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Martin Luther King Jr. doubles as the man who gave us this past Monday off and arguably as BU’s most prolific alum. I mean, at least until we have “Alexander Graham Bell Day” off, ol’ MLK gets the nod. The question of our greatest sports alum is a totally different matter.
For one thing, most people really aren’t aware of the gifted athletes that have graduated from this university. If you were to ask most knowledgeable Terrier fans, the consensus would most likely be that the title should go to Harry Agganis. Agganis was a two-sport superstar at BU, dominant in both baseball and football. He turned down an offer from the Cleveland Browns, opting instead to play baseball for the Red Sox for whom he hit .313 for in 1954.
In 1955 Agganis died of a pulmonary embolism at the age of 25. Almost 50 years later “The Golden Greek” still holds the hearts and minds of Boston University, as evident by the new arena baring his name. The search for the most prolific sports alum isn’t a question of talent or legends-it is about accomplishment. And one BU graduate accomplished more in one game than all the rest combined: Mike Eruzione.
If the name Eruzione is foreign to you, then you aren’t just a bad Terrier, you aren’t just a bad sports fan, you are a bad American. The former IceDog captain was also the captain of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team. Yeah, now you know who I mean.
There’s no need to rehash the story. The simple fact is that when Mike Eruzione (one of the few BU hockey players on the team) scored the go ahead goal versus the Soviets in Lake Placid, he propelled himself to the top of the Pantheon. The Miracle on Ice isn’t just a great sports moment; it is THE greatest sports moment of all time. Never has a single sporting event combined the elements of national pride, international fervor, impossible skill levels, and underdog achievement. It transcends explanation, it transcends sports, and it transcends Mike Eruzione.
Considering the magnitude of his accomplishment you should know his name. And if the rest of the country didn’t know, they will on February 6th with the release of a movie called “Miracle”, based on that 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team.
This movie cannot be “okay” and it can’t be “good.” This movie has got to be amazing. If you are going to take the greatest sports moment ever, you can’t screw it up. You just can’t. I have never anticipated a movie more than I have “Miracle” and I have never had more fear and trepidation about a movie. This is literally hit or miss.
Hopefully (more like, please dear God) the movie will do justice to the event. It will allow our generation to bask in the utter glory that the entire nation felt when a bunch of teenagers beat one of the greatest hockey teams ever assembled.
I don’t take this topic lightly. I remember as a high school hockey player in Massachusetts going to an away game in Winthrop - Mike Eruzione’s hometown. We were waiting for the game to start when I basically whispered out to my coach, “That’s Mike Eruzione!”
He couldn’t believe I recognized him. Twenty years after the fact (a fact I wasn’t even born for), I could still pull him out of a crowd. Strangely enough my coach knew him, offered to introduce me, and seemed happy to do it. I declined.
I didn’t know what to say.
I really did not know what to say to the man that scored the biggest goal in American sports history. Think of what he had been a part of. It’s not everything you dream of, it’s more. And there he was. Standing 5 feet away from me, watching a hockey game.
I never did go up to him. I went and got my equipment on, thinking about what I could have said. Only now, years later do I think I know. I would have said, “Hi, my name is Mike.” That’s the best I can do, but it’s a start.
What I can say to you though, is that Mike Eruzione is the greatest sports alum to ever grace a BU jersey. With all apologies to Jim Craig (the team’s goalie) and Dave Silk (another member who now teaches in SMG) and the others, Eruzione wore the “C” and he scored the goal. That’s enough in my book.
Now if only he had invented the telephone as well we might be able to get “Mike Eruzione Bell Day” off from school. Whatever, tell my professors I’ll be “sick” on February 6th.
Monday, February 02, 2004
They Didn't Cover
WHO CARES!!!!!
WAAAHOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
WHO CARES!!!!!
WAAAHOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
