‘Lombardi’ to Come in 2011: Cheeseheads Cheer

Are you a football fan? What about movies? Do you find the weekend between the NFL conference championship games and the Super Bowl to be boring, underwhelming, and wrought with too many non-stories filling up the sports pages/talk shows to the point of absurdity?

If you answered “yes” to at least two of those questions, prepare to rejoice, as ESPN Films-Movies and the NFL have teamed up to create a biopic about Coach Vince Lombardi, set to premiere in late January 2011. If the movie is successful, prepare yourself for a yearly treat of tales about redemption, the power of sports, and winning the big game, all to go along with your hot cocoa and marshmallows. Yum.

While I admittedly don’t watch as many sports movies as I should, I have to admit to feeling a bit excited at the prospect of this movie. To match Lombardi’s gruff persona, the tone of the film is set to emulate that of “Raging Bull”, which is a welcome break from the comedic take that sports movies seem to have to take to be successful. Football movies in particular have a difficult balancing act, as they have to strike the right combination of authenticity and appeal to find an audience. They haven’t been terribly financial successful for years, unless they go the route of Disney (“The Game Plan”) or remaking older movies (“The Longest Yard”). Of course there have been exceptions but for the most part, football movies have came and went without much ado.

Time will only tell how quality the movie will be. I only hope that it honors the legacy of one of the greatest coaches in professional football’s history without pandering to get box office dollars. I know I’ll be eagerly anticipating the trailer and will more than likely check it out opening weekend even if I have to leave my cocoa and marshmallows at home.

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(Photo: Getty Images)

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