Down at the AFCA National Convention back in January, the AFCA held a pre-screening of "When the Game Stands Tall", a movie chronicling De La Salle HS (CA) and the infamous 151 game win streak. Tickets were handed out and everyone attending the night's speaker was welcomed to attend.
That presented quite the decision; Do I stick around and catch this movie, that may eventually replace "The Program" or "Remember the Titans" as my all-time favorite football movie or do I catch up with some coaching buddies for a beer or two.
I'm not proud of it, but I think we all know the decision that was made.
Since coming back from the convention, I have seen numerous clips and great reviews on the movie, so I circled August 22nd (the official release date) on my calendar and blocked it for good. After seeing the latest clip, I recommend that you do the same.
In the scene below, De La Salle coaches and staff are shown in the locker room following their first loss in 12 seasons, and 151 games. The Shield's Michael Chiklis, who plays longtime assistant of Bob Ladouceur (portrayed by Jim Caviezel in the movie), uses the loss to teach lesson bigger than the game of football.
After watching this one scene, you'll understand why I blocked off August 22nd...and I recommend you do the same.
video via USAToday