The Bronx Is Burning

Although Jose Cardenal first used the "cupped out" bat design in 1972, the design was still not in popular use in 1977. Photos I have seen of Jackson in 1977 suggest he was still using the conventional "rounded out " cap bat design. Yet,in this series he is always shown using the now prevalent " cupped out " bat. Did Jackson ever use the " cupped out " bat in 1977? Nevertheless, the series does strive for authenticity and seems to capture the very mercurial personalities ( each for different reasons that students/experts in psychology and human behavior could have their own "field day" discussing ) of George, Billy and Reggie. Add to this mercurial mixture the spotlight and heat and resulting pressure of the New York Media, "Yankee" tradition/culture and the times and it is not surprising that the Bronx was burning. Nor is it surprising that the Bronx was exploding and this Series captures and does not try to contain that explosion.

It's an incredible story. Each one of the three main characters could star in their own movie, but put them together on one stage, and it's "Clash of the Titans". "The Bronx Is Burning" is a study in how talent can overcome massive ego, meddling, childishness and pettiness played out on the biggest stage in the world. Of the three, Martin comes out looking the best. How he was able to keep his hair and his sanity, much less win, when caught between the unstoppable force called Reggie Jackson and the immovable object called George Steinbrenner is a wonder. Jackson comes off as a prima donna's prima donna. Tyrell Owens standing on Dennis Rodman's shoulders wouldn't reach to Jackson's chin. Steinbrenner was simply a bull in a china shop. He cared about the team, but his attempts to bring the boardroom to the baseball diamond almost wrecked it. This movie is King Kong versus Godzilla versus Rodan. I wouldn't have wanted to be in the same room with any two of the real guys, but you won't be able to take your eyes off of Turturro, Platt and Daniel Sunjata.

It's nice to have something to watch after "The Soprano"s". That was the only show that I made a point to watch, and now it's "The Bronx is Burning". Remembering the Yankee's back then is very nostalgic, even though I was a big Dodger fan. I think John Turturro is Emmy worthy, his portrayal of Billy Martin is unbelievable. Pretty much everyone in the cast us right on. I had forgotten about all the drama that occurred back then with that team, but there's certainly plenty to reminisce about. I was wondering about the reaction that retired Yankee' have about this series? Even though though after the show there are interviews with them, what has been the buzz, overall?

I haven't been a fan of baseball since the last strike whenever that was. The fact that a decent player(A Rod) signed a contract for 300 million over 10 years disgusts me. The best thing about this series is it reminds you of the way baseball used to be. It is excellently acted although a little slow getting going and probably could have been at least one episode shorter than it was. It is a fascinating look at the relationships between all the players, coaches, and owner on the Yankees to see what they had to go through to win. For someone who could care less about baseball anymore it is a great trip down memory lane to the good ol' days of baseball *cough* before steroids, BALCO, & all the illegitimate "Great" players that are around these days. Watch this especially if you want to see a good story and the better days of when baseball actually was America's sport. It's now Football just in case you wondered. If you don't have a chance to see the whole series watch the last few episodes instead of the first.

"The Bronx is Burning" juxtaposes the story of the Yankees' run for the AL Pennant (and ultimately the World Series) with the Son of Sam murders, the infamous blackout and other notable events during this tumultuous time in the city's history. This miniseries mirrors the book "Damned Yankees" written by Moss Klein and Bill Madden, beat writers for The Newark Star Ledger and The New York Daily News respectively, who depicted all the craziness on those Yankee teams from the 70's through the 80's.

George Steinbrenner's tyrannical ownership of the Yankees was marked by a mixture of great success and turmoil during this time. Frequent managerial firings, front office turnover and overpayment of free agents all contributed to a circus atmosphere which was dubbed "The Bronx Zoo" by members of the media. "The Bronx is Burning" does a great job of depicting the principal characters and storyline of the '77 Yankee team. Particularly good is the work of John Turturro as the tactically brilliant but personally troubled manager Billy Martin. His striking resemblance lends immeasurable credibility to the show. Also very good is Oliver Platt as Steinbrenner. His mannerisms and speech closely mirror those of the real George.

If you are a baseball fan or Yankee follower, this is worth your while.