Friday, August 07, 2009

Friday 08/07 Quickie: Hughes, Bueller,
Yankees, Lewis, Crabtree, Nike, More

I really wanted to find a way to tie John Hughes into sports and today's SN column. He made it easy:

The Wrigley scene of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" is the greatest sports scene of a non-sports film in movie history.

Here's why: It wasn't about sports -- the players, the athletes, the action on the field. It was about the FAN experience.

*Sneaking away from school/work for a day game.
*Ferris catching a ball. (And it hurts!)
*Ferris and Cameron heckling batters.
*The Rooney exchange at the pizza parlor.
*The "Save Ferris" on the Wrigley exterior sign.

If at least one theme of Ferris was the notion of wish-fulfillment -- in real life you can't, but what if you took a day all to yourself, to take in all of life's pleasures.

And Hughes felt that going to a baseball game was an integral part of that.

(Upon further reflection, I will say that there is one other scene that is comparable, but not nearly as well-known: The "Colts quiz" in "Diner." Again: It's about fandom.)

More you'll find in today's column:
*Yankees finally beat Red Sox? (And...?)
*PEDs in the NBA? (And...?)
*Michael Crabtree's p.r. nightmare
*The best Nike ad ever?

The whole thing is here. More later.

-- D.S.

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