Why “North Dallas Forty” Is the Best Sports Film Ever

“North Dallas Forty” It is hilarious and brilliant. This classic has stood the test of time.

Every year, I take a moment to rewatch it, and it reconfirms all the reasons why it’s the ultimate sports movie.

It’s important to share my runner-ups in that category:

“Breaking Away” (1979) — First, the cast. Jackie Earle Haley is amazing as is Daniel Stern. Dennis Quaid, Dennis Christopher and others do great work. It’s a story of class, small towns and bigger dreams.

“Vision Quest” (1985) — You’d be hard-pressed to come up with a better foe in a sports movie than Shute (Frank Jasper). Why? Each high school in America has at least one Shute. The Shute is not required for any other purposes. “Rocky” While franchise are great movies about sports, they are not my personal favourites. “Visions Quest” He has the best preparation/training program because he creates the momentum to take down Shute.

“Inside Moves” (1980) — It’s beautiful, tragic and real, plus it’s about brotherhood. This is one of the all-time under-appreciated movies, and yet there’s not a single guy (and many women) who don’t get this on some deep level within.

“All The Right Moves” (1983) — The best Sports movies are always about class. Before “Friday Night Lights” Tom Cruise was there “All The Right Moves,” and it’s better than you remember. The story centers on Cruise, a high-school football player who depends upon a scholarship in order to escape from a dying rural Pennsylvania steel town.

Ok, but why is that? “North Dallas Forty” Are you the one who comes out on top?

1. Drugs: It was the first movie to tackle drugs and injuries in sports. We
   see a number of players use drugs as both performance enhancers and as cheats to speed recovery after taking a beating. The one player who doesn’t use drugs is injured and loses his place on the team.
2. Class System The classification system of players, coaches, owners and fans is clearly explained in the
   audience. This film explains the power structure and the owners of the NFL.
   A system of gladiators that has distinct hierarchies. The real “joy” For
   They are the pride of ownership.
3. Metrics: This film was way ahead of its day and examined how technology (computers, etc.) can be used to crunch stats or develop metrics that help shape the game. “We let you score those touchdowns!” B.A. Strothers, G.D. Spradlin
4. Players as Gods We see how players are viewed by the community and fans as gods, with a different set if rules. The movie gets how violence in players is viewed differently than the violence of “average” men.
5. The Dallas Cowboys’ Mystique: This movie should be on your TV. “America’s Team” Was
   perfect as the Cowboys were in ascendance in the late ’70s. They were mysterious. They were all strange. “up and down” thing the O line did before every snap, to Tom Landry’s hat to the cheerleaders meant something special.
6. Cleat chasers: “North Dallas Forty” Highlights women who chase athletes and watch them
   Wild rides.
7. Race Relations The movie didn’t shy away from racial tensions in the locker room.
8. Contracts: Athletes will play hard and try their best, even if it means they risk their health.
9. The NFL’s Christianity: Roger Staubach was the Dallas Cowboys’ player at the time.Be outspoken
   Christian and rising star) fighting for a spot on the team against noted party boy “Dandy” Don Meredith. In “North Dallas Forty” We see the tension between Seth Maxwell (Mac Davis), who wants to keep his starting spot as QB, and Art Hartman (Marshall Colt), who is leading prayer groups on the team. Christianity is a big part of the NFL, now but back in the ’70s this was an emerging trend.
10. Chemistry: Each great sports movie must give you an insight into the game. “North Dallas Forty” It does an amazing job of showing us the importance of the relationships between receivers and quarterbacks. Nowadays, this chemistry is well known, and there’s been a ton of reporting on the NFL of off-season get togethers between QBs and their receiving corps. That was the case in 1979.
11. Relationship Impact: The game packs a terrible toll on players’ minds and bodies as well as their relationships. We’ve seen that recently with Tom and GiselleIt is possible, but you must give up your life to something that demands 24/7. Everything and everyone else will fall into second place.
12. Leave: It’s very hard to leave the game and, once you’re out, you’re no longer held
    That special light.

Peter Gent, author of the book. “North Dallas Forty” He was an interesting character, and he inspired the movie. He played college ball with the Michigan Spartans before joining the Dallas Cowboys and then, at the end of his career, the New York Giants.

After the NFL he was part of a Texas writers’ group known as the “Mad Dogs” which included Larry L. King, Billy Lee Brammer, Gary Cartwright, Bud Shrake, Jerry Jeff Walker and the most famous and successful of the bunch Dan Jenkins, “Baja Oklahoma.”

The book “North Dallas Forty” is, of course, better than the movie, but for all Gent’s wit it might have been “Dandy” Don’t be surprised if you get the best laugh.

Several former Dallas Cowboys attended the film’s premiere, and when asked about the movie Meredith quipped, “Heck if I knew that [Gent] was that good of a receiver I’d have thrown to him more.”

The ’70s Dallas Cowboys are legends, but Gent’s insight and willingness to speak the truth about the NFL has stood the test of time for its insight, humor and courage. There hasn’t been anything like it before or after.

This quote is from the movie I often use:

“Every time I call it a game, you call it a business. And every time I call it a business, you call it a game!” – O.W. ShaddockJohn Matuszak)

If that isn’t America’s Team well, it certainly is America’s psyche.

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