The Day Sports Stood Still

The pandemic in 2020 took the world by storm and, even when I write this review, in 2022, we're still upside down, but slowly recovering and getting up.

Sports worldwide made no difference.

This documentary focuses more on the USA major sport leagues, with a special note on NBA and also the BLM movement.

Athletes are today's gladiators and, as many fans have made even idols out of some of their favorite superstars, sport's voice can be heard louder and its message delivered more successfully.

But aside from covid and social equality, sportspeople are people just like us, with families, goals and fears, and their life trembled too as 2020 unfolded.

The comments below are opinions on the subject of the doc not the craft of the doc. A well made well edited doc.

Everyone has an opinion but it's interesting to see where the industry is at right now and what has shaken it.

As "The Day Sports Stood Still" (2021 release; 85 min.) opens, we get a slick montage of memorable moments in sports, celebrated by the masses of course. We then go to "May 1, 2020" and NBA superstar Chris Paul talks about how much he is missing the game and the fans. We then go to "Oklahoma City, March 11, 2020, 6:20 PM Eastern", as the Thunder and Jazz are doing their pre-game warm-ups, and before we know it, the game is postponed (it turns out a Jazz player had tested positive for COVID). At this point we are 10 min. Into the documentary.

Couple of comments: this documentary is produced and directed by Antoine Fuqua ("Training Day"), but to be honest, it feels much more like a Chris Paul labor of love. Not only does he star (as both the NBA superstar he is, but also as the President of the NBA Players Association), but he also executive-produces. The documentary's title is a bit misleading. Yes, of course, we get a close look what all transpired on March 11 and 12, 2020, when all sports shut down. But the documentary really comes into its own when 2 1/2 months later, the country is rocked by/comes to grasp with the George Floyd murder by a white police officer, prompting many sports (led by the NBA, let's be honest) to start protesting for social justice and much needed reforms. The documentary's tone is so(m)ber throughout, and seeing some of the scenes of all of this now a year later, remains profoundly moving and shocking. In a sense, this movie really highlights the unexpected impact of COVID-19 on sports, resulting from the social unrest rocking the country in the Spring and Summer of 2020. Kudos to Chris Paul for sharing intimate home videos. Watch how his son reacts when CP informs him that his COVID test cam back negative...

"The Day Sports Stood Still" premiered on HBO a few months ago and is now available on HBO On Demand (where I caught it), HBO Max, Amazon Instant Video and other streaming services. If you have any interest in sports, or simply in the bigger picture issues of how COVID-19 and social unrest rocked US society in 2020 like it hadn't in decades, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.

And didn't know the name of any athlete talking in this documentary.

But i got caught by the overall rhythm and editing of it, the director has applied his thriller and action movie model to this effort, and it works.

Then, reading the harsh critics here, i thought important to offer another perspective. Today so many efforts are deployed to deny the gravity of the pandemic or dispute the need for vaccination, i find hearing these guys, however entitled and protected from reality they may be according some reviews, take the issue seriously and not trying some false bravado posture about it, very healthy.

It can be very well done and executed, but it doesn't warrant a ridiculous rating based on that.

A bunch of overpaid athletes couldn't make money playing a child's game. End of story.

The story drags, on a subject about extracurricular activities that no one other than the athletes and owners need, with commentary actually expecting us to feel sympathy.

Nope.