A Mockumentary: Leaf Blows into Town

Just when we thought we'd seen it all in San Diego, a filmmaker is showing a screening of his movie Leaf for free to all interested San Diegans on Wednesday, depicting the sorry tale of former NFL quarterback and San Diego's #1 draft choice in 1998, Ryan Leaf.  Like we need a reminder of just how much the Chargers sucked (and still do).

Thanks, Tim Carr.

Already witnessing a brutal 2008 season full of disappointment, close losses, and locker room bickering, San Diego football fans are now being subjected to the release of the 32-year old's independent film project, Leaf.  The movie discusses the "maturation" process Ryan Leaf went through leading up to and beyond his being chosen as the second overall pick in the 1998 NFL draft.  For those who have been living under a rock during the last decade, Leaf's brief career was nothing short of a disaster (14 TD, 36 INT in just 25 career games over three seasons), and sent the downtrodden Chargers deeper into the pits of the NFL losers lounge for five more years.

In a story published by the San Diego Union-Tribune today, Carr details why he is showing the film for free at the San Diego library on Wednesday evening:

"I insisted it be free for all the Chargers fans because it's their story,” Carr told the U-T. “I was like, 'Chargers fans have been through enough – let them have this.'”

It's bad enough when San Diegans mock themselves, like I did Monday.  Do we really need the rest of the country tearing open these scabs of our almost-forgotten past?  Can't we just live in pain, tucked away alone somewhere? Or does Kathy Bates need to take a swing at our ankles just one more time for humor's sake?

The film has already screened back east in New Jersey, New York, and Carr's hometown of Philadelphia.

Maybe when this film is done, Carr can work on a few other "mockumentaries" such as:

- The San Diego Chicken: Fair or Fowl
- Tony Gwynn's 20-minute Abs
- COPS: The Steve Foley Story
- Ted Leitner's Tan: Fake Bake or Black's Beach Success Story?
- Skiing with Chuck Muncie
- Ken Caminiti Isn't Barry Bonds, I Swear!

(Photo: Getty Images)

Chase Parker believes in the East Coast bias, stretching triples into doubles, and considers Tommy Boy to be the greatest athlete of our generation.

Unless otherwise stated, no particular sexual orientation of anyone depicted is implied or should be presumed.