Sports/Athletics
Average Joe movie: Supreme Court, praying football coach backstory. When Coach Joe Kennedy knelt to pray at the 50-yard line after a high school football game, he had no idea of the seismic legal transformation he was triggering. A new film explores his backstory and the U.S. Supreme Court decision his actions prompted. He’s an unlikely protagonist for such a momentous development. (Short op-ed; published by Washington Examiner)
‘Big George Foreman’ movie: Fame, tragedy, triumph, second chances. George Foreman’s storied career has many facets: Olympic gold medalist, twice World Heavyweight Boxing champion, TV grill pitchman, philanthropist. But a near-death experience forever altered his life’s trajectory. Sony’s new biopic conveys his tragedies and triumphs, with inspiration for anyone who ever needed a second chance. (Short op-ed)
Divine dilemma: Who gets God’s nod in March Madness? By Mark I. Pinsky and Rusty Wright. Thursday evening (March16), in the first round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, Duke University, a historically Methodist school in Durham, North Carolina, tips off with Pentecostal powerhouse Oral Roberts University, in Orlando, Florida — a Southern Baptist stronghold and a part of the country that takes both religion and college athletics very seriously. If two Christian schools’ fans pray for victory, which one gets God’s favor? (Religion News Service release 3/16/23).
‘Nothing is Impossible’ movie: Hoops, romance, second chances. Feeling battered by life’s challenges? Do circumstantial hurricanes keep hitting you in the face? Could your love life, work, or family relationships use a tune-up? Maybe a rescue or do-over? Chances are you’ll relate to the characters in Nothing is Impossible, a fun and inspiring sports and family drama. (Short op-ed)
‘The Mulligan’ movie: Need a second chance? Ever wish life granted second chances? What would you do with them? The Mulligan movie uses the game of golf to get you to ponder possibilities. (Short op-ed)
‘American Underdog’ movie: From supermarket stocker to Super Bowl MVP. Do life’s challenges ever get you discouraged? NFL Hall-of-Famer Kurt Warner’s wild journey from castoff to superstar could inspire you to keep pursuing your dreams. (Short op-ed) Washington Examiner version
‘Show Me the Father’ movie: You and your father. How do you think of your father? With love, happiness and respect? With fear, misery and anger? Your relationship with your dad can influence your self-image and success. Show Me the Father uses gripping stories of good parenting and bad to motivate viewers to promote healthy fatherhood. (Short op-ed)
‘Blue Miracle‘ movie: castoff kids, fractured families, fishing, and hope. Does your life sometimes seem stormy? Financial woes mounting? Trouble at home or work? Got family conflicts? Need some hope? Maybe what worked for these Mexican orphans and their caretaker is worth trying. Go fishin’. And pray. (Short op-ed)
‘Walking with Herb’ movie: Fun sports drama, inspiring second chances. Need a fun, refreshing break from COVID-world? How about some laughs, mixed with high-level sports drama plus some inspiring second-chance stories woven in for good measure? Veteran actor Edward James Olmos and comic George Lopez will make you chuckle as you ponder in Walking with Herb. (Short op-ed)
Hoops Cancellation Withdrawal Disorder. In these tumultuous times, do you have difficulty focusing on work or household responsibilities? Does life seem empty? Do you often daydream about excitement? Are you a basketball fan? If so, you may be suffering from a recently designated serious malady, Hoops Cancellation Withdrawal Disorder (HCWD-20). (Short op-ed)
Overcomer movie: What defines you? What defines who you are? Your job? Your spouse, your partner, your accomplishments? Does your sense of well-being and satisfaction come from dependence on your position or friends or appearance or skills? What would you do if all that were taken away? Overcomer tells an entertaining, sensitive story of finding a stable source of personal identity in the midst of life’s shifts in relationships, family, work, and sports. (Short op-ed)
Emanuel: Steph Curry movie documents Charleston church shooting forgiveness. Some members of Charleston’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church shocked observers by appearing in court two days after Dylann Roof massacred their family members at a 2015 Bible study session, and telling him they forgave him. Would I do that? Would you? (Short op-ed)
Breakthrough movie: Miracle on Ice? Ever meet someone who died…and lived to tell about it? Breakthrough tells a startling, back-from-the-brink recovery story that’s sure to leave you scratching your head, even if you don’t share the grateful mom’s faith-miracle conclusions. (Short op-ed)
Run the Race movie: dreams, despair, romance, redemption. Ever had a dream die? Or a loved one? Perhaps you struggle with why bad things sometimes happen to good people. Maybe you enjoy romance, brotherly bonds, or football. If so, Tim Tebow’s film (he’s an executive producer) should appeal to you. (Short op-ed)
The Real MVP movie: Kevin Durant’s inspiring mom struggles and shines. When NBA superstar Kevin Durant received the league’s Most Valuable Player award, he named his mother “the real MVP.” The standing ovation and subsequent media groundswell confirmed that something significant had just happened, something transcending the game. Now, Lifetime Television brings the inspirational backstory to a wide audience. (Short op-ed)
Woodlawn movie: racial strife, football, faith. A nation too-often tarnished by racial conflict could use an inspiring film like this. The poignant story of NFL star Tony Nathan and how football plus faith helped bring harmony among racial enemies during his high school years in early 1970s Birmingham, Alabama. Mark Burnett and Roma Downey are executive producers. (Short op-ed)
Unbroken movie: hope, despair, redemption. When Louie Zamperini boarded a World War II bomber in late May, 1943, unforeseen dangers awaited the Olympic runner and war hero. He later said he’d prefer suicide to repeating his castaway and POW ordeals. His enthralling story – told now in film – still inspires. (Short op-ed)
New Football Movie: Character trumps winning. Could a football coach who teaches that character trumps winning … win games consistently? It’s happened – and quite dramatically – inspiring the film When the Game Stands Tall. Jim Caviezel plays Coach Bob Ladouceur, who led an obscure, struggling California high school team to record-shattering national prominence by helping his players mature toward adulthood. (Short op-ed)
Linsanity movie: hoops, hopes, Harvard, heaven. Benchwarmer Jeremy Lin set the basketball world ablaze when he led the faltering New York Knicks to seven straight wins and helped boost them into the NBA playoffs. The film documentary of his phenomenal rollercoaster ride – from struggling underdog to global star – will inspire you. (Short op-ed)
Sexual Abuse Victor Offers Hope for Sandusky Victims, Others. He knows how Jerry Sandusky’s victims must feel. Their stories reawakened agonizing memories of childhood sexual abuse in Josh. He’d hated his assailant, hated his father, and damned God. He felt ashamed, and terribly alone. Then a college student’s challenge started him on a quest that changed everything. (Short op-ed by Rusty Wright and Meg Korpi)
Mighty Macs Movie – Teamwork Works. The basketball team at tiny Immaculata College – a “pint-sized papal institution” – became an example “for every team that thought they never had a chance” as they played for the national title. Their story could get you cheering, too. Rocky meets Sister Act meets Hoosiers. (Short op-ed)
Tiger’s Faith-Road Home. Tiger gets religion? “It’s up to me to start living a life of integrity,” affirmed golf’s superstar as he confessed to his affairs. He says to save his marriage and children, he wants to balance his spiritual and professional lives. Can he? (Short op-ed)
Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright. “Tiger, Tiger, burning bright/ Driving from your home that night/ Was it fate or destiny/ That made you crash your SUV?” A bit of hope … with apologies to William Blake. (Short op-ed)
Duke Lacrosse: Ethical Reflections. The Duke Lacrosse scandal has multiple ingredients for explosive media coverage: sex, race, politics, criminal charges, sports, class, a prestigious institution. What ethical lessons might this episode teach? What principles should determine how we act in life? (Short op-ed)
Greater than Olympic Gold. World-class British hurdler Tasha Danvers-Smith found herself unexpectedly pregnant three months before the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Should she terminate her pregnancy in hopes of Olympic glory and fortune? An inspiring story. (Short op-ed)