MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[billy_pilgrim]

Hickory High's best player, Jimmy CHITWOOD, sat out the opening few games of the season in the movie Hoosiers. When Chitwood does decide to rejoin the team, he does so only under the stipulation that Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) stays on as the coach. The small town of Hickory was ready to strap Norman's ass to a pine rail and send him down the Monon line.

So, your mug and hat are slow arriving because Chitwood Sports Media has lost its namesake, most likely "cause he transferred on over to Terhune" following Dale's dismissal.

Now, David, I've already had my eye on you because you despise Joe Paterno. But, now, you hate the greatest film ever made. While I have found countless faults with the movie Hoosiers, on subject matter alone, it goes to the top of any list of great feature films.

So, please, tell us why you cheer against the Hickory Huskers....or I may have to battle you to the death.

[smedindy]

DC - *snif*.

[David Collinge]

Not being from Indiana, I have never found Indiana high school basketball to be a terribly interesting subject.  Beyond that, it's been many, many years since I saw it, so I can't remember all the things that made me dislike it, but I do recall that the acting was terrible and the direction was ham-handed.

And I don't hate the "greatest film ever made," but we're not talking about Fanny och Alexander here, are we? 

[wally_wabash]

Not being from Indiana, I have never found Indiana high school basketball to be a terribly interesting subject.  Beyond that, it's been many, many years since I saw it, so I can't remember all the things that made me dislike it, but I do recall that the acting was terrible and the direction was ham-handed.

I didn't get it either.  Being a transplant from the west coast, the hooplah surrounding Indiana basketball was lost on me.  I remember one day during my time as a student, word leaked that I had never seen Hoosiers.  I was immediately forced to put down the books and spend the next 90 minutes or so getting an education on Indiana basketball.  Your critique of the film is pretty accurate, DC (Gene Hackman + Barbara Hershey = Worst onscreen chemistry.  Ever.) but you can't help but love the story I think.  Everybody loves David...unless of course you're a devout fan of Goliath. 

[woosterbooster]

I loved Hoosiers, and have watched it countless times over the years from when I first saw it in the theatre in 1981.  While I don't consider it the best movie ever made, it's clearly my favorite sports film.  So what if Hackman and Hershey are an improbable couple, or if the ending is completely predictable?  It had me misty-eyed the first time and still occasionally does.

In San Francisco, where I lived during the big earthquake in 1989, I remember watching a tape of Hoosiers late that night with some friends after our power had been restored.  None had ever seen it before but all loved it.  It was the perfect film to watch after the calamitous events of that day.

[David Collinge]

My favorite sports movies are Requiem for a Heavyweight (Ralph Nelson, 1962) and the documentary Tokyo Olympiad (Ichikawa Kon, 1965).

The only reason I can think of that would make Hoosiers the "perfect film to watch" in the aftermath of an earthquake is that it serves as a reminder that, no matter how bad things are, they could be worse.   

[smedindy]

Well, DC, if you grew up here, you'd get it. Even though they ruined it when they went to classes, high school basketball still evokes passion in pockets around the state.

[David Collinge]

Oh, I get it; at least, I understand that people from Indiana look on their high school basketball as some kind of religion.  But they also seem to enjoy watching funny-looking cars drive in circles for hours. There's a lot about Indiana that I'll never understand.

If I want to watch a sports movie where the underdog makes good, I'll take Major League (David S. Ward, 1989) every time. 

[smedindy]

Mind you, some of us like to watch the cars turn left AND right as well!

[earlhamalum]

Hoosiers is a great movie that showed everyone that ever watched it a remarkable basketball story.  It would be like Milian High School (Hickory) beating Indianapolis North Central today for the state chamionship!  .00001 chance of that happening even if they didn't have class basketball in Indiana.

Second... I'll never understand OHIOians.  Hands down (KY in a close 2nd) for the oddest people I've met in this fine country  I'm not saying Indiana isn't in my top 10 

[woosterbooster]

I have never understood what anyone sees in the movie Major League, unless it's just the fact that it's about the Indians.  Other than that, simply nothing, it's among the dumbest films that I've ever seen.  Not even in the top 100 sports movies; as a matter of fact I can hardly think of one that's worse.

Requiem for a Heavyweight is terrific, as was the televised 1956 Playhouse 90 version starring Jack Palance.

[TigerFan_1973]

Here's the news hot off an email from Witt.

One ticket is good for both games on Wednesday.  The women play Kenyon at 6 and the men play Wabash at 8:00.

Also, the men's game will be on the Wittenberg Worldwide Video network.

Go here http://www4.wittenberg.edu/news/athletics/mbasketball/schedule06-07.html

Scroll down to Feb. 14 and click on "Watch/Listen Live".

TF_1973

[Li'l Giant]

If I want to watch a sports movie where the underdog makes good, I'll take Major League (David S. Ward, 1989) every time. 

I'm a native Texan but even before I made my way up to Indiana I loved Hoosiers. I put it up there in my "favorite sports movies" list. Right alongside Major League, which is, in my opinion, the best baseball movie ever.

[TigerFan_1973]

I'm a native Texan but even before I made my way up to Indiana I loved Hoosiers. I put it up there in my "favorite sports movies" list. Right alongside Major League, which is, in my opinion, the best baseball movie ever.

Li'l Giant -

Are you making the trip to Springfield?

[sac]

Pitchers and catchers start reporting on Wednesday.

Which can only mean the "Field of Dreams" marathon on TBS isn't too far away, followed by many showings of "The Natural", "Bull Durham", "Major League" and "A League of Their Own"