3 Reasons Why Brian's Song is the Greatest Football Movie of All Time

Football Movie Review

Alfonso Coley
On behalf of the period proceeding the past thirty years - there has not been one sports movie that has had more touching and awe inspiring moments than Brian's Song. When Brian's Song was released in 1971, the movie eloquently delved into the world of professional football, it also dealt with how the NFL was still dealing with racial issues in America. The majority of the movie dealt with how two men from diverse ethnic backgrounds would forge a relationship that would become stronger than grid iron steel.

Brian's Song broke the mold pertaining to many things that were related and happening in the NFL - during a time where America was healing from the wounds of prejudice and bigotry.

#1. A Family Orientated Movie: Even though this sports movie dealt with how full back Brian Piccolo courageously wrestled with several forms of cancer that would ultimately take his life in June 1970. The overall theme of the movie deals with family unity, tragedy, and death, but the main focus of the movie dealt with interracial issues. Gale Sayers would form a special bond with Brian Piccolo, and during this time both player's would become the very first interracial roommates in the NFL. Even though Brian's Song Dealt with many social issues in the early seventies, the movie broke down how people dealt with death, tragedy, and color barriers, which taught children and families how to deal with their many innate human frailties.

#2. Motivational Movie for Young Athletes: There are only a handful of movies that deal with how to motivate young athletes in today's world, the identity of the movie has many key elements that offer scores of positive solutions for every young person that wants to be the very best they can be. The Brian's Song movie can also be used as an ideal educational tool, as it teaches young people to be the best you can be despite your circumstance or national heritage. The Brian's Song movie is also a prolific teaching moment - where as coaches, parents, and mentors can use this movie to point out specific particulars that deal by means of learning how to cope with adversity. This may be one of the most important things that young athletes will have to gain knowledge of - in conjunction with becoming a team player in sports activities that also unclothe a reflection in their personal life.

#3. The Best TV Sports Movie of All Time: There may be many more reasons why Brian's Song is a moving portrayal of real life events, but if it were not for the extraordinary acting talents of lead actors Billy Dee Williams and James Caan, there would have been no way that Brian's Song would have touched the hearts of so many American football fans. The two actors completely immersed their self in the roles portraying Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo, their character acting was a moving document and testament relating to Brian Piccolo's battle with an incurable cancer. One of the more interesting and engaging facts about the other actors that were involved in the Brian's Song TV movie, Dick Butkus, Jack Concannon, Abe Gibson, and the Chicago Bears were represented as true Chicago Bears players and staff that gave the movie an even more realistic appeal.

Informational Resources: http://www.bearshistory.com/lore/brianpiccolo.aspx

Informational Resources about Brian Piccolo & Gayle Sayers: www.profootballreference.com

Published by Alfonso Coley

My passion includes writing about important events that shape our society, opinions, view points, and relationships. A true writer is not afraid to bare his soul - a service that should always be refined wit...  View profile

5 Comments

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  • Alyce Rocco10/8/2010

    Saw the movie; do not remember it. Not much of a sports enthusiast; sports films I remember seem to be about baseball, tho' I know I have seen others. Nice review.

  • Michael Thompson9/18/2010

    Alfonso, this ought to crack you up:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlR-I57nmr4

  • Lodie9/17/2010

    Great coverage.

  • Alfonso Coley9/16/2010

    Thanks S.E. Masters on reading and leaving your comment on this sports review.

  • S. E. Masters9/16/2010

    Very good piece. Chicago (the city) especially had a lot of racial problems during that period.

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