Day 16

Winnipeg, Manitoba - I think as you get older time moves quicker. The body moves slower, but the days rush by like the wind. It's the beginning of the fourth and final week of production on A SEASON ON THE BRINK, and I don't know where the time went.

It's Monday in Manitoba, and we have returned to the Winnipeg Arena. When last we saw it a week ago Tuesday night, it was the bright red, bristling home of the Indiana Hoosiers. Now, as we return, it has magically transformed from Bloomington to Ann Arbor, Michigan. The red and white have given way to the maize and blue of the dreaded rival University of Michigan Wolverines. We are recreating the second 1985-86 match-up between these two Big Ten powerhouses. Michigan had already beaten Indiana at Assembly Hall. Now, with the Big Ten title on the line, this was a "must win" game for the Hoosiers.

If you've been keeping up with these diary entries, you'll remember that last Monday (Day Eleven) the production did a big push in Winnipeg to recruit a large number of extras to the arena. They were asked to wear red clothing to replicate the Hoosier faithful. We had the same issue today, only this time we needed the Winnipeggers to show up wearing the hometown blue of the Wolverines. We successfully secured about 800 to 1000 last week, and we were hoping for the same number today.

Once again, the city of Winnipeg didn't disappoint.

Not only did they show up in bright blue, but a good two or three hundred MORE showed up today than volunteered last Monday. And for good measure we had three guys who painted themselves maize and blue. One guy wore blue pants, painted his entire body and face blue, with a gold "M" emblazoned across his chest. He topped it off with a giant blue cowboy hat. He was a sight to see and looked exactly like a die-hard Wolverine. They sat him and the two other blue goofballs right behind my bench. You won't be able to miss them in the film.

I don't think I'm giving anything away by telling you Michigan beats the daylights out of the Hoosiers on this day. Indiana's hopes for a Big Ten title come crashing down and, for all intents and purposes, this signals the end of their season. (Even though they still get invited to The Big Dance, they lose in the first round. This was the most costly loss of the year.) After a spirited and contentious first half, Knight is disquieted by the big lead Michigan builds up in the second half. To add salt to the wounds, Knight's former close friend and current nemesis, Michigan coach Bill Frieder, pulls out one player at a time to a thunderous ovation. Eventually, with a fair amount of time left in the second half, Michigan has nothing on the floor but scrubs.

When I first thought about performing in this movie and spoke to director Bob Mandel and Executive Producer Stan Brooks, we discussed the surprising nature of this story. Given that this is the maiden film for ESPN, you would expect it to be a traditional sports movie. The sports film genre is very specific. It's a player or team who, against seemingly insurmountable odds, beats the unbeatable team or foe. From HOOSIERS to RUDY to LONGEST YARD to BAD NEWS BEARS, the formula works time after time.

And yet, here was a movie about an underdog Hoosiers team that works harder than the rest and still loses the big game and wins nothing.

I remember Stan Brooks telling me that, despite its outward appearance, this wasn't a sports movie at all. He told me to think of it as PATTON in college athletics. It's a character study of a complex, flawed and larger-than-life figure.

Until tomorrow...

Past Diaries

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Day 15