ESPN: 30 for 30

It's close to chemical factories and the place that had the chemical leak last year. HAHA

 

I just finished watching Rand University. What did you guys think of it?

I was surprised they didn't talk about Jason Williams much but I guess that went against the narrative they are going for.

They also didn't show the complexity of the issues that Randy faced when in high school. They talked about the boy that was badly beaten but they forgot to mention that it was the wrong boy that scribbled the racist stuff on the desk. They also didn't mention how many of Randy's friends jumped him. They made it seem like only two but there were more.

Also, the race relations weren't nearly as bad as Randy and his friends made it out. It was definitely there, but they ignored how cocky and mean Randy and his friends were. They did what they wanted and were at least half to blame for the tension. Randy was regularly in fights and it wasn't because he was being picked on. He was a giant compared to most high schoolers. People both feared him and were in awe of him at the same time. It made for an odd relationship that the documentary touched on. Everyone wanted to see him play and everyone rooted for him. At the same time, when he did something wrong, those same people would lash out at him. He was both a hero and a villain.

 

Fvckin' A. One was too many.

 

How come? They won a lot, and to their credit, they didn't seem to have any of the "I'se jest happeh t' be heah playin' fo' Massa Bryant/Saban/Muschamp..." going on. All the crime (real or alleged) is insignificant. If they'd joined the SEC (that is, without altering their team personality), they'd have become my third favorite schoolball team.

 

So the kids that play in the SEC are now shineboys compared to these enlightened U players? That's a spin I've never heard before.

"Rinse & Repeat in South Florida" should've been the title of this unncessary Part II. The Miami "way" since the mid-80s has been - get to the top, rub it in everyone's faces, don't even pretend to be college students and then the whole piece of shit is torn down to the rotten foundation because it's not sustainable long-term. Because of the athletes they recruit and the greedy people running the show down there. We know it goes on in lots of places. But Miami has a way of throwing it in everyone's faces and having zero class when doing it. So I cheered when they got the shit kicked out of them by FRIGGIN' VIRGINIA to close the Orange Bowl. Hahaha.

 

I didn't call them enlightened. You did. Yeah, the SEC players are basically shine boys. Particularly at Alabama. Blake Sims is White, Jacob Coker doesn't even transfer. I know I'd find somewhere else to give me a ride if I'm a 5-star thinking about Alabama. I can get to Sunday real ball from just about anywhere. That's what scouts get paid for.

It's probably our locations. You live in a region where educational institutions are well-known and cfb programs are not. I live in a region where a program can hire and fire four head coaches of questionable character or talent (in an attempt to avoid hiring the Black guy) and still bounce back with 21 Black players and A.J. McCarron to lead them. And everything in this region hinges on the outcome of SEC football games. No, no, read the script again... I'll tell you about rotten foundations and shine boys.

 

After being thoroughly disgusted by another U infomercial, I browsed thru the other 30 for 30s. One of the finest I've seen is The Best That Never Was about the recruiting and short career of Marcus Dupree. Switzer says he was the best HS player he ever saw. That includes Bo, Earl, Herschel, Billy Sims - you name it. His teammates said he could basically score at will and his HS game tapes are ridiculous. He united the infamous redneck town of Philadelphia, MS.

But coaches like Switzer stupidly made even the best freshmen 30 yrs ago "prove themselves" and Marcus didn't take well to it. Not a hard practice player but lit it up on Saturday afternoons as a freshman. His college career petered out after less than 2 seasons and he had cups of coffee in USFL and NFL. He drives a truck in MS nowadays.

 

I don't typically watch sports documentaries, but I have to agree with the one featuring Marcus Dupree, even discounting for the gotcha moment when he's talking about his brother. Dupree was the first high schooler that I was aware of the hype -- he was going to follow Billy Sims for goodness sake -- only I'd never heard why he'd flamed out to the degree that he did. Really nicely done.

And then I got greedy, starting to watch more of the 30 for 30s as they have come available on netflix. I got lucky with the one on the Piston's Bad Boys, but it's more or less downhill since. Didn't care too much for the one on the Big East (and I was a child of the early Big East), I got really sick of Derek Whittenberg on the NC State 30 for 30 (but guess why he gets so much screen time? He produced it.), they actually made Bo boring, and the Hillsborough one left me with the same questions that I had going into it. And now I've stopped watching...

 

You gotta watch the Two Escobars, my fav out of the whole series . Miller time was entertaining. The Serbian players with Vlade Divac was good too.

 

Is there anywhere where I can watch the old 30 for 30s? I want to see Rand University.

 

Netflix streaming has them. Other than that, I'm not sure.

 

the one about the ABA's St. Louis Spirits is pretty good. But re: Marcus Dupree... the book version was better, though not as up to date...



The Courting of Marcus Dupree by Willie Morris.

 

Awesome 30 for 30

 

I agree. The U oh I hate it when I see these mindless players recite the letter and make the hand signal. F'em.

I forgot what an asshole Jimmy Johnson was. If I was president Foote and Johnson refused to reel in the team and be accountable for the ridiculous antics of his team and then storm out slamming the door to the President's office I would have chased him out with his contract and told him to shove it up his ass because he was terminated.

 

Hermano, come on you have repeated pointed out in various posts how gangsta and thug mentality is an issue keeping African Americans from overcoming their status in American society. It celebrates violence, stupidity, and exclusion from mainstream society and the University of Miami football team did a great job of playing to White America's fears and racist tendencies towards African Americans. Miami didn't graduate players under Johnson. They also had a lot of players that were arrested. Not that other colleges don't have equally terrible graduation rates and players being arrested, but they sure glorified their thug image along with their coach, Johnson.

As to the false humbleness, yeah they didn't do that, but they did so much other bad crap that phoniness and insincerity might have actually come across as refreshing.

 

All I can say is, we've been begging and pleading with White folks to see us as human for generations. Doing the right thing has never worked.

 

I hope you caught it. I meant to mention that it is being shown a lot the past week or so.

 

Yup I saw it on neftlix thanks.

 

What did you think?

 

It was interesting. It was cool seeing him in highschool at 6 foot flying by everyone.

 

@Alberto Was waaay too short with my answer on this, and I regret the answer I gave you. Take this question to Football (specifically the SEC thread) and I'll be much more forthcoming as it's the right forum.

I saw most of the 30-30 on The U. All I can say in this forum is that cfb is a huge business masquerading as sis-boom-bah amateur athletics and that 2) given the history of the SEC and the way the rest of the NCAA has excused the SEC's activities over the last 50-60 seasons, the sis-boom-bah was never there for me anyhow.