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re: 30 for 30 "Benji" thread...
Posted on 10/24/12 at 9:24 am to Baloo
Posted on 10/24/12 at 9:24 am to Baloo
quote:
By contrast, this doc didn't shy away from Benji's warts, and even showed him as a pretty flawed guy. Sure, he had a massive ego and he assaulted a teacher. He probably did mouth off to that street punk. It doesn't mean he deserved to get murdered.
Hell I had no idea about him being good friends with Nick Anderson, the reason why certain players wore #25.
Posted on 10/24/12 at 9:25 am to bayou2003
Read the SI article in April 87 about Bias it is well worth it
Posted on 10/24/12 at 9:30 am to sms151t
Len Bias was my hero as a kid. He was Superman. Wasn't a huge fan of the doc, as it was clearly made from someone who cared more about his impact on the Celtics than on the Maryland community. And the fallout was fascinating. Strangely enough, it destroyed the football program.
Also, the Bias family is cursed. I believe his brother was shot in a convenience store robbery gone wrong (he was just a patron at the wrong place at the wrong time).
Also, the Bias family is cursed. I believe his brother was shot in a convenience store robbery gone wrong (he was just a patron at the wrong place at the wrong time).
Posted on 10/24/12 at 9:40 am to Baloo
I haven't watched the Bias one yet. How did it help destroy the football program?
Posted on 10/24/12 at 9:46 am to LSUDAN1
quote:
I haven't watched the Bias one yet. How did it help destroy the football program?
I thought it had to do with something about athletic dept money or sanctions, some behind the scenes shite. Haven't watched it in awhile but I can remember some penalties or some other shite. Baloo can explain it more.
Posted on 10/24/12 at 10:25 am to bayou2003
Read the SI article in April 87 about Bias it is well worth it
Posted on 10/24/12 at 10:35 am to sms151t
I give Wilson's gf about 10% of the blame for his death. Whore.
Posted on 10/24/12 at 11:06 am to bayou2003
It was more the attitude. A black cloud hung over UM for about a decade after Bias. Bob Wade came in and the team went on probation for giving kids car rides (while UNLV got a slap on the wrist for being caught in a hot tub with a game fixer). Maryland basketball got hammered and the general attitude was to de-emphasize all athletics. The football program let Bobby Ross walk and people just stopped caring. Even the lacrosse team started to suck.
There was just no energy and everything just seemed bleak and horrible. Gary Williams didn't just revitalize the hoops program, it was the entire AD he turned around.
There was just no energy and everything just seemed bleak and horrible. Gary Williams didn't just revitalize the hoops program, it was the entire AD he turned around.
Posted on 10/24/12 at 11:11 am to bayou2003
quote:
Hell I had no idea about him being good friends with Nick Anderson, the reason why certain players wore #25.
Yea, I thought a lot of it would be pretty exaggerated about how popular he was, how good he was etc... but seeing how many people showed up to the viewing/funeral etc.. and the way they were acting was pretty crazy. Surprised I had never heard of this before.
Posted on 10/24/12 at 11:25 am to VABuckeye
quote:
Ohio State had a running back recruit who died in 2001 of a heart attack while playing pickup basketball. That was a tragedy. Kid had a ticking time bomb in his chest and no one knew.
They could do a doc just on this type of story. Lots of guys with faulty tickers over the last several years. They just had a young HS football player near Baton Rouge die from this over the summer maybe.
Posted on 10/24/12 at 11:35 am to Baloo
Bob Wade was a terrible hire I always thought they rushed him there. They threw Lefty under the bus, but he had to be the fall guy. If Maryland would've thought things out, they probably go after a Terry Holland or Johnny Orr type.
Posted on 10/24/12 at 12:25 pm to ProjectP2294
Hank Gathers was another one. I know he died in a different way, but the dude could ball.
Posted on 10/24/12 at 1:00 pm to Baloo
I agree with you about the U, at least when it came to the ending. At the end, Corben essentially blames the decline of the school's program on Butch Davis, which is idiotic. The teams that Davis put together in the late 90s and early 00s were among the best squads in the history of the sport and gave Larry Coker the opportunity to be the most undeserved national championship winning coach in the history of sports.
As for Benji, I thought it was very good. Definitely one of the top 10 of the 30 for 30 series. I was surprised by the murderer's version of the story. He didn't throw the second guy under the bus at all (really, just the opposite), so I wonder why he agreed to the original plea since it totally screwed over a guy he claims was innocent.
His version of the story doesn't make Benji look any worse in the eyes of most people. I mean, he was a dick to a stranger in a tense moment and talked too much shite. Stop the presses, an elite athlete is kind arrogant at times.
And any rational jury would have found him guilty of second degree murder on his story alone.
The situation is tragic, and while it's great to see a guy like Derrick Rose come from the inner city in worse conditions than Ben Wilson and thrive so immediately, it's interesting to look at the Chicago music scene and see just how little has changed (and probably gotten worse) in the ensuing three decades.
I vaguely recall one of the people on last night's show saying Benji's death was about the 650th murder in Chicago in 1984. I believe the town has about 420 murders so far this year, and while that's obviously not going to reach 1984 levels, there has been a dramatic increase in the past few years.
Also, I agree with everyone who was impressed with the determination and composure of Benji's mom.
As for Benji, I thought it was very good. Definitely one of the top 10 of the 30 for 30 series. I was surprised by the murderer's version of the story. He didn't throw the second guy under the bus at all (really, just the opposite), so I wonder why he agreed to the original plea since it totally screwed over a guy he claims was innocent.
His version of the story doesn't make Benji look any worse in the eyes of most people. I mean, he was a dick to a stranger in a tense moment and talked too much shite. Stop the presses, an elite athlete is kind arrogant at times.
And any rational jury would have found him guilty of second degree murder on his story alone.
The situation is tragic, and while it's great to see a guy like Derrick Rose come from the inner city in worse conditions than Ben Wilson and thrive so immediately, it's interesting to look at the Chicago music scene and see just how little has changed (and probably gotten worse) in the ensuing three decades.
I vaguely recall one of the people on last night's show saying Benji's death was about the 650th murder in Chicago in 1984. I believe the town has about 420 murders so far this year, and while that's obviously not going to reach 1984 levels, there has been a dramatic increase in the past few years.
Also, I agree with everyone who was impressed with the determination and composure of Benji's mom.
Posted on 10/25/12 at 10:02 am to Keys Open Doors
I watched the doc last night. What a great freaking documentary. I have always been a huge basketball fan, and honestly never heard of this guy. The did a great job of bringing you into the story. I agree with alot of the comments, so I don't have anything new to add there. I thought having the shooter was a great addition. I think the truth is somewhere in the middle. The mom was amazing....etc. This is one of the best 30 for 30 docs. One of the few that made me tear up. But I still have trouble watching The Guru of Go when Gathers died. And it's not the doc in general, its just the part when Gathers drops dead. There is a specific part when his brother talks about the moment Hank died and he just sits there staring directly into the camera. Get's me teary every time.
Top 5 doc so far, hands down.
Top 5 doc so far, hands down.
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