Wednesday, April 29, 2020
A World Without Sport
I could not
fathom such a world before it became a reality. Incomprehensible, I
thought. Yet, here it is, in mid-March, 2020. For many of us, it
really is a challenge. But it is only part of the challenge that we
now face, with the Coronavirus on our doorstep. The financial world
continues to crash, most of the world's borders are closed, many
people face a self-imposed isolation after returning from a holiday.
I am not sure if this is the tip of the iceberg, or simply the
beginning of a truly horrific period in the history of the world.
Whatever it is, it poses challenges for all of us, especially for
those of us who are keen on sport.
At this
point in time, many of the leagues of sport have either been
suspended, or have completely shut down. There are no exceptions. The
latest rulings, perhaps in the form of suggestions, indicate that no
more than 50 people should be gathered in any place, at one time.
Those in the gathering are supposed to be two metres apart.
Initially, thought was given to playing in empty houses. Rather
futile.
And so, like
the rest of you, I watch too much news on television, I watch the
Canadian dollar tumble, I experience cabin fever. I wonder where this
is all headed. I believe I recently read that baseball will not begin
for at least two months from now. Hockey and basketball might be
kaput for this year. The football world is fiddling with drafts, and
potential signings, and the continuation of the Tom Brady saga. We
really hope that will finish soon.
What to do!
What to do! With tip of the cap to my son David, we have compiled a
list of sports movies that we are familiar with. Some may be
available through the various companies that now supply us with film
and other types of programming. Some may have simply faded into the
sunset. The list we have compiled is not complete. We are in the
stages of, “What about this?”, or, “I had forgotten about that
one,”. I will throw a few of them out there for you to consider,
and I offer you the opportunity to add to the list, to disagree with
those I am posting, perhaps to take the opportunity to watch some you
may have missed.
For every
sport, there is one particular movie that should be at the top of the
list. For hockey fans, that movie is “Slap Shot”. It is slightly
irreverent, and the language in the movie is not for tender ears. The
movie captured the imagination of hockey fans when it was released.
It presented the essence of the game, mixing the violence with plenty
of humour. Paul Newman stars in the movie, and this added great
credibility to the film when it initially hit the screen.
“Field of
Dreams” is a favourite baseball movie. It presents plenty of
history of the game, in a mystical way. When the players emerge from
the corn field, the viewer is swept with nostalgia. They are
preparing the site for a major league game, supposed to take place
this year. Kevin Costner plays the farmer who has to convince his
wife to plow under the corn field, to answer a dream.
“Hoosiers”
takes the nod as a fine basketball movie. College basketball is big
stuff south of our borders, and the movie presents a fine tale of
accomplishment many years ago. Gene Hackman delivers a fine
performance as well. The site of the filming remains intact today,
and can be seen on a web site.
There are
some fine golf movies to be seen. “Tin Cup” reveals a great
competition in the game. There is little more dramatic than a long
putt heading towards the 18th hole, in front of thousands
of fans. We have been asked to wait for that to happen at Augusta
this year. The starting date has been posted, but that could change
as well. Kevin Costner also stars in this movie.
“Chariots
of Fire” is one of my favourite Olympic movies. “Cool Runnings”
is only on the good list, the zany movie about the Jamaican bobsled
team that decided to participate in the Games.
Dave listed
“Friday Night Lights” at the top of his football list. It tells
us a lot about the game, and the society in which it is located,
capturing the essence of mid-America at the time. Little has changed
since the film hit the screen.
That's it
for now. There are many more sports, many more great athletes, and
great movies. Happy St. Patrick's Day!!
James Hurst
March 17,
2020.
-- James Hurst 613.399.2278 sportslices.blogspot.ca
# posted by James Hurst @ 2:00 PM 
