vernc1

Sort of a biopic cum documentary. Plimpton was a writer who spent a training camp with the Detroit Lions.

I'm surprised that so many reviewers don't know that this film is "an amiable fiction". Alex Karras sat out Plimpton's season suspended for gambling violations. George Parker was the Lions coach. And more.

Plimpton appeared in an intrasquad game and was announced to the crowd. He did take an ignominious fall after a snap.

Scenes like the rookie hazing and the growling wakeups are authentic. I'm told that there is a marked similarity with the practices of college fraternities.

All that said, the film is a fine comedy wonderfully made.

Superb drama series showcasing the young George c. Scott and a Hall of Fame list of guest stars. One characteristic of the series is that the episodes don't conclude with the conflicts neatly resolved. When the episodes conclude we are not told if the little girl went back to school or if the neighborhood was successfully integrated. The feature of unresolved conflict was unique in dramatic tv at the time, and may have contributed to the series low ratings and regrettable cancelation.