Here's an interesting article from the NY Times about Richard Linklater's new movie. Seems he played at Sam Houston U and his main message to readers seems to be: "I didn't really grow up 'til I quit playing ball".
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03...ectionfront&_r=0
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Siskel, Ebert, and #1 give it a thumbs down.
That trailer was a big let down. NYT article much more interesting. I'll pass on the movie thanks.
So it's set in 1980 and focuses on a freshman member of the baseball team.
The trailer makes it look a bit like a variation on "Animal House."
As someone who was a sophomore on a college team in 1980, my comments are:
Very few baseball programs at that time were "big time" enough to take all the time players had. Most were little more than glorified high school teams. The majority of players I came across were just guys who tried out when they hit campus, not guys who were recruited in any way. There was next to no scholarship money for baseball (Title IX was still relatively new and, as we were still in the Carter recession, no one had any money really), so recruiting was rare.
While some schools still had dorms set aside for athletes (a practice the NCAA later curtailed), such treatment seldom extended to baseball teams. Maybe that happened at the USC's of the world at that time, but not anywhere where I knew anyone playing. Like a lot of my teammates, I was living in a fraternity house -- and my college escapades (limited though they were, especially by today's standards) had more to do with that grouping than with the team.
Whatever deferred maturity the guy got away with in 1980, he wouldn't get away with today. The demands just to get there, not to mention to stay there, have grown so great that you really can't succeed without ongoing self-discipline. In my observation, today's baseball players graduate MORE prepared for adult responsibilities than their non-athlete classmates.
I wish girls had been as interested in baseball players then as this movie would suggest. 
All in all, this looks highly fictionalized, but I'm sure that was the intent.
looks funny enough to watch when it comes to netflix
I wouldn't have recognized the name it unless I had read the article above, but Richard Linklater will be on Conan tonight at 11pm ET (Wed 4/30).
Linklater directed Dazed and Confused so this is his 80's homage.
Critics are always wrong anyway. "It's not artsy enough". PPPPPPFFFFFFFTTTTTT.
Midlo Dad posted:So it's set in 1980 and focuses on a freshman member of the baseball team.
The trailer makes it look a bit like a variation on "Animal House."
As someone who was a sophomore on a college team in 1980, my comments are:
Very few baseball programs at that time were "big time" enough to take all the time players had. Most were little more than glorified high school teams. The majority of players I came across were just guys who tried out when they hit campus, not guys who were recruited in any way. There was next to no scholarship money for baseball (Title IX was still relatively new and, as we were still in the Carter recession, no one had any money really), so recruiting was rare.
While some schools still had dorms set aside for athletes (a practice the NCAA later curtailed), such treatment seldom extended to baseball teams. Maybe that happened at the USC's of the world at that time, but not anywhere where I knew anyone playing. Like a lot of my teammates, I was living in a fraternity house -- and my college escapades (limited though they were, especially by today's standards) had more to do with that grouping than with the team.
Whatever deferred maturity the guy got away with in 1980, he wouldn't get away with today. The demands just to get there, not to mention to stay there, have grown so great that you really can't succeed without ongoing self-discipline. In my observation, today's baseball players graduate MORE prepared for adult responsibilities than their non-athlete classmates.
I wish girls had been as interested in baseball players then as this movie would suggest.
All in all, this looks highly fictionalized, but I'm sure that was the intent.
Based on my experience in the mid to late 70s and my kid's experience I mostly agree with Midlo. The difference is the players were recruited where I played. About twenty members of the team lived in the same frat house. it was a majority of the house.
Athletes were housed in proximity to facilities. But they weren't jock dorms per se. My first roommate was a 5'5, 110 momma's boy from Hong Kong. We were put together for both being Econ majors. There were heavy doors in old classroom building he couldn't push open. He thought I was an ape.
I'm the same vintage as RJM. I can't speak to my own kids' experience since all three are still in jr/high school. But I'm wondering if the writer of this film hung out at my college. My experience as a walk on at a dismal Div 3 program (at the time) was, for many of my teammates, not unlike the trailer. I was too nerdy to fit the frat scene but the frat guys on the team were beer guzzling, bong hitting good ol boys who didn't mind toking up in the back of the team limo heading to away games. The coach's van was full of clean living types, but as team captain I had to drive the other vehicle, a four row limo, and suffer through these antics (If I had narced on the guys we would have forfeited most of our games). My starting catcher was one of the ringleaders of the "Opium Pen" (as it was called) at the back of the limo. More than once, he would later trot out to the mound and say in his incredibly stoned voice, "Hey, man, what do you wanna throw to this guy? He's HUGE." All the guy needed to complete the image was a stars n stripes bandana wrapped around his head and a fu manchu moustache.
I love his movies. Most of them are not relatable for most people but end up appealing to a wide audience. This seems to be the case again. I'll still watch it and unlike with Daze I'll probably be able to get through the whole movie. I'd love to see a movie based on JuCo baseball. Of course that was my world, but it's a very grown up world compared to a university. For example two 18 year olds on the team already had kids. We all got partying out of our system in HS. There was none of that at our 2yr college.
Talented guy. Boyhood is an incredible film to watch and an amazing achievement. Looks like he's just having fun with this one. Nothing wrong with that.
I love Linklater films and look forward to seeing this. He is still a HUGE college baseball fan and a Texas Booster. His documentary on Augie Garrido was pretty revealing and honest (and hard for some to watch).
Hmmm...somehow that trailer and article seem "extremely familiar" to this 1980 college athlete....much too familiar. I will have to see the movie to vouch for its authenticity. There is no doubt that many of those shenanigans were rampant, and that stuff wouldn't last very long in college sports today. College sports is a business, and there is a lot of internal and external scrutiny with the NCAA and social media....heck my son's college team got in serious trouble because one of his teammates took a hotel pillow....apparently that is a grievous NCAA violation that required all kinds of oversight, apology notes and paperwork.
The maturity level that today's college athletes need to display is rather amazing IMHO, and I agree with MidloDad that these young men are much better prepared (overall) for the real world.
Looks kinda like one of those movies where they put all of the funny stuff in the trailer.
I am enjoying hearing you guys' stories.
I played in the mid to late 70s. College summer ball was were all the shenanigans occurred. When we weren't at the park we weren't accountable. Imagine what happened on nights where we didn't have a game the next day. We played two week nights and a Sunday doubleheader. The drinking age was eighteen. Imagine the condition we were in for those Sunday doubleheaders following Saturday night when we knew it was a team we could sweep with our eyes closed (because they were close to closed).
Shaping up to be a legendary, maybe separate post. Keep these stories coming.
Smokeminsidethelimo on top so far. Love to see old Polaroid of the crew
Former major leaguer who is a color commentator now, popped open a bottle of champagne on the team bus headed home from a conference championship winning series. Coach asked what was that, replied a bird flew right in to the bus window.
