by Judson Cade Pedigo

I’ve never been much of a sports guy. It’s just not for me. I’ve always leaned more towards the stage and screen. I once said that “The Oscars are my Super Bowl.” (Everyone’s entitled to give me one good punch in the nose for saying that out loud.) My indifference to sports extends to movies as well. Necessary Roughness, Major League, Field of Dreams – all movies I’ve never seen. I did watch Varsity Blues once and walked out of the theater thinking that I had just seen the greatest American film ever (sorry John Ford). If I liked it so much, why am not I a fan? By the time it was over I felt like I had just finished playing a game, all out of breath and sweaty. See, a sports movie relies on emulating a sports game and everything from the lights, camera, action, are all working towards heightening the tension of it if the underdog team wins or not (Spoiler Alert: They win). It’s cinematic manipulation at its finest.