Even though we spend our days checking our phones for trades and inhaling every game, set and match we can get our eyeballs on, we still like to take a break from the world of live-action sports for the slower pace of movies and documentaries. Sports by its very nature lends itself to both the big screen and television, and how we enjoy sports is very much influenced by Hollywood's take on our favorite athletes and events.
Hello and welcome back to the Yardbarker roundtable where we ask our contributors to discuss the serious (and not so serious) side of sports. Yesterday we asked some of contributors to talk about the bandwagons they jumped on in 2016, today we're going Hollywood. We asked our writers:
What was your favorite doc, movie or TV show that dealt with sports in 2016?
Hashim Hathaway: By far, it had to be "O.J.: Made in America." As a documentary, it goes beyond just the Rockingham murders, but also gives us a glimpse into hero worship and how men of color can be deified for their skill on the field while also being demonized for their lives off of it.
For any athlete in 2016-17, it should serve as a wake up call that nothing is promised when it comes to fame and celebrity, and that you're only as good as your last touchdown.
Laura Sabo: "Ice Guardians" is a documentary about NHL enforcers, featuring interviews with several former hockey players who were tasked with fighting on the ice in an attempt to deter opponents from going after their skilled teammates.
In the last few years, the health risks associated with fighting in hockey and the long-term effects on the players have become well-publicized, leading many fans (including myself) to believe fighting should no longer have a place in the sport. The documentary didn't do anything to change my mind on that front, but it was definitely interesting to see how these players see themselves and how the sport in general sees them.
Matt Whitener: I really enjoyed the Ben Simmons documentary Showtime aired in November, "One & Done."
My favorite athletes are the ones that you'd like to hang out with and those characters are ones I'll be hanging out with again and again in the future. (This answer will retroactively change when I finally get around to watching 2016's "Made in America" documentary and FX's anthology series about OJ.)
More must-reads:
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