Hoop Dreams

Over at Sports Illustrated's CNN-partnered site, Seth Davis has a nice feature on Arthur Agee and, to a lesser extent, William Gates, the two guys at the heart of Hoop Dreams. Things have not gone all that well for Arthur in the years since he was a promising high school prospect. His father died in tragic circumstances, and it was subsequently revealed that he led a fairly dark second life that ended up having lingering effects on Arthur. William Gates is doing better, is a minister, but has also seen tragedy in his family.

I loved Hoop Dreams. It was powerful and affecting and sorrowful and inspiring. When the geniuses behind the Oscars did not even nominate it for best documantary that year, I pretty much abandoned the Oscars as being even vaguely credible. Hoop Dreams set a template for both sports documentaries and sports reportage that lingers to this day. It also does a great job of revealing why sports are so compelling, both for good and for bad. It makes me sad to see Arthur Agee struggling, because I feel as if I know him, and I definitely was rooting for him from the earliest scenes in the film. Similarly, it is a joy to know that through all of the struggles, William has turned into a role model and a strong family man. Neither guy lived their hoop dreams, which makes their lives all the more compelling and cautionary. Most athletes, after all, end up falling short of their dreams, on the court, but sometimes in their lives as well.

Hat Tip to the Thunderstick for the link.