The director made sure there was never too long without some game action, or at least some conflict. That was key to keeping our attention.
This film of course did not reflect well on football players in general. They come across as lazy, self-absorbed, irresponsible, and feeling entitled. Football is not supposed to simply produce or nurture great athletes. It is supposed to build solid men.
The counselor woman had a tough choice. Because the guys were already getting the tough cop routine from their coaches. So she probably didn't want to be too tough on them. She either chose the mom/buddy approach, or it just came naturally, or perhaps we didn't see the tougher side of her off camera. At times I felt frustrated that she wasn't tougher on the players.
One thing this show made me realize, is that pro football should have a minor league. Why should guys who have no interest in school, be forced to attend, just so they can continue playing? It's absurd. Just create a minor league, like baseball has.
A person could have a career in the minor league, or play in the Arena League, or Canada, etc. There are plenty of options. Why do you need college?
Needless to say, this piece of work does not reflect well on African Americans, rednecks, or the South. The coach is a beast, the players seem almost lobotomized, and the culture looks bland and hopeless. The physical geography looked very inviting however.
Lesson to be learned: You can't just swear, fight, lie, and screw, and then say an "Our Father," and wash it all away. You have to try not to do those things in the first place.
But what made the whole thing worth it, and what I never came close to predicting, was how a bizarre chain of events redeemed and jettisoned the career of one player, who seemed to be almost out of the picture.
