I have intently viewed the first four
episodes of the new ESPN football drama “Playmakers” and to
be perfectly frank, I have no idea what to think – and that’s
part of the reason this review has been delayed for so long.
Part of my questioning derives from the subject of the show:
it follows the trials and tribulations of several key players
on and the head coach of an NFL-esque professional football
team (generically named the “Cougars”). The program serves
up some good dramatic scenes and some characters worth paying
attention to, but it also provides scenarios that leave me
scratching my head…

While I acknowledge that reviewing a
show four weeks into its initial run isn’t exactly timely,
I hold that the potential questions that the show raises makes
it so, as long as it remains on the air. But that isn’t the
entire subject of this column. After all, the show deserves
almost as much praise as it does ridicule.

Allow me to explain…

Touching on the “praise” first, “Playmakers”
was created and executive produced by John Eisendrath, who
currently is deeply involved (as executive producer) with
another hit show from the Disney family: action-drama extraordinaire
“Alias.” The guy knows what he is doing and Disney obviously
recognizes this since they worked with ESPN to get this new
show off the ground. Taking away the “ridicule” that I will
address later, the show’s storylines are compelling, interesting,
and the storytellers gave the audience multiple reasons to
care about the characters almost within several minutes of
their first appearance on the screen.

One key example of this comes from one
of the main characters, Eric Olczyk (played admirably by Jason
Matthew Smith), a ferocious linebacker hell bent on hurting
people, as all good well-bred linebackers should be. The audience
is required to jump head first into the middle of the season
with the team, its players and coach. Seeing as that is the
case, we are first introduced to Olczyk immediately after
he inflicted such serious damage on an opposing quarterback,
he was left paralyzed from the neck down. The character is
dealing with the fact that he has done this to another person
and it forces him to question whether he should still be playing
football. He is also dealing with his father, his former overbearing
football coach, whose hard, intense workouts without adequate
rest and hydration caused the death of his brother due to
cardiac arrest resulting from heat stroke. To top it off,
he’s dealing with this in therapy. This storyline begs several
questions to be answered including “Will he quit football?”,
“If he doesn’t, how will his future performances be affected?”,
and “What’s the story with the relationship with his father?”
All are valid questions, and the story is told in such a way
that I want to tune into the next episode to see what happens.
That’s pretty damn important…

One other key component that makes “Playmakers”
an intriguing and different type of program is the fact that
show really does look at the characters’ lives through their
eyes as football players, not just characters who happen to
play football.

What do I mean?

Consider this…

The cameras don’t just focus on the exploits
of the players away from what happens outside of the game
– many relevant scenes take place in the locker room before
and after games, during practices, during potentially private
meetings between the owner and players or the head coach and
players. One such scene in Episode One centers around aging,
former star running back Leon Taylor (played by accomplished
stage actor, Russell Hornsby). During a pregame team breakfast,
Taylor is bestowed with a large rocking chair as a birthday
gift obviously signifying that he is an “elder statesman”
or a “senior citizen.” Taylor was visibly shaken up by the
experience, not wishing to be reminded of his “old age” (he
is in his early 30s) and the losing battle he is fighting
to get playing time with a hot, new young stud on the team.
Not only was the scene relevant to the character, it introduced
the audience to a setting they likely weren’t familiar with:
a pregame team breakfast. It wasn’t a “make or break” scene,
but it provided with the viewers with a unique perspective
on what happens to a football team before and after the games.

Despite the strong aspects of ESPN’s
“Playmakers”, there is one significant point that at least
needs to be questioned if not ridiculed, as I mentioned before.
That significant point can be defined in one word: reality.
Actually, it’s more like: reality?

Through the first four episodes of the
new show, these are the following storylines that have been
introduced and, at least in part, addressed:

• Leon Taylor, the aging, former
star running back, is convinced by a teammate to begin using
steroids to get a “leg up” in his continuing competition
for playing time with the hot shot young stud, Demetrius
Harris.

• Taylor also is involved in a
physical domestic dispute with his wife that leads to him
pushing her down the a small set of stairs, after which
she sustains injuries to her right wrist and bottom lip.

• Starting quarterback Derek McConnell
(blandly played by the usually skilled actor, Christopher
Wiehl) becomes addicted to painkiller medication that he’s
taking in order to dull the writhing pain from a series
of injuries he’s sustained. This obvious addiction leads
to the beginning stages of a liver disorder.

• Head Coach Tony George (a poorly
written character played by Tony Denison) is apparently
pissing blood and really sick. This puts the likelihood
of him getting a contract extension in serious peril.

• The mental instability of star
defensive player, Eric Olczyk, caused in part by his father’s
high demands, intensifies due to the paralyzing collision
with an opposing player.

• My personal favorite: the exploits
of Demetrius “DH” Harris (played by an all grown up Omar
Gooding of “Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper” and “The Smart Guy”).
Not only has this guy shown up late to a game high on crack
(he still gains over 100 yards in the process), but he ends
up as part of a criminal investigation when one of his “boys”
commits a murder outside a club. In order to protect his
boy, DH says he was with his friend when the player was
really in the bathroom getting head from a bartender.

Wow…that’s a lot going on. Basically,
while the show provides a pretty realistic framework of what
a football locker room and a conversation between a coach
and a player looks like, it also portrays the players as prescription
drug addicts, cocaine and crack users, cheaters, liars, mentally
unstable freaks, wife beaters, and last, but certainly not
least, accessories to murder.

Stepping back and looking at it, that
is A LOT to swallow…and it’s only been four episodes…I am
sure more is to come later on in this 11 episode run. I find
it frustrating and bordering on disgusting that while some
behind-the-scenes aspects are portrayed with style, grace,
and thoughtfulness, the characters themselves are not treated
with the same care…at all (and this is coming from a guy who’s
never been involved with professional football except as a
fan. What are others saying?). Former player and current football
analyst and radio talk show host, Chris Spielman was interviewed
on a recent episode of Dan Patrick’s ESPN radio show and when
asked about “Playmakers”, he pretty much shunned it off as
unrealistic and something he wouldn’t watch anyway because
he didn’t wish to watch shows like that. That may be expected
from a more religious man, but when Patrick interviewed current
NFL offensive lineman and resident “crazy guy” Kyle Turley,
he, too, scoffed about how life in a professional locker room
is butchered on the show, how completely unrealistic the show
was, and how frustrating it was to see players portrayed in
that light. I am inclined to agree with those sentiments.

Now that I have those thoughts off my
chest, the obvious retort to that line of reasoning will likely
be something along the lines of: “Well, of course the characters
will be portrayed in that light, it makes for good TV.” Then
I would think about it and say something like: “Yeah, but
shows like ‘Law & Order’, ‘Third Watch’, ‘The Practice’, and
‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’ accurately portray the professionals
being profiled, so why can’t ‘Playmakers’ do the same thing?”

Wait a minute…I’ve never been a cop,
lawyer or a forensics investigator, how the hell would I know
those professions are being portrayed accurately?!?

Shit…I have a good point.

Most critics reviewing the show have
stayed away from the question about how “realistic” it is
primarily because it isn’t terribly important. However, I
do think two larger points need to be considered when looking
at this show and its realism:

1. ESPN covers, scrutinizes, analyzes,
interviews and talks about these types of athletes day in
and day out, whether it’s on “Sportscenter”, ESPN News,
ESPN Radio, ESPN: The Magazine or ESPN.com. It monitors
these people’s every move, and does so much more closely
than other media cover police officers, lawyers, or forensics
investigators. Some may question it, but it’s reality. Considering
that is the case, of course more people are going to consider
how realistic the scenes and characters are. Fans and viewers
of the show (at least to a degree) think they know what
athletes are like and what is considered realistic and what
isn’t.

2. All the major networks have “news”
divisions that are concerned about journalism, getting fair,
accurate, but good stories. In addition, they have “entertainment”
divisions that are devoted to fun, interesting, programs
that may or may not have anything to do with the news subjects.
This is largely unavoidable. For obvious monetary reasons,
networks need to succeed in both areas, but they do so separately.
However, that is different than ESPN’s mission which is
to provide sports fans with the most up to date news, best
analysis, and most thought provoking topics to consider
as they relate to the world of sports. They accomplish this
through hard work, research, and most of all, being HONEST.
Is “Playmakers” a real honest interpretation of what football
players are like? The bottom line is that ESPN’s mission
may appear to be a bit clouded when they produce and frequently
air a program such as this one. Though, since we’re being
honest here, I should probably say I am not sure I believe
what I just said. While that may be true, I do firmly believe
it is an issue to consider.

To bring this column to its overdue,
but dramatic, conclusion, I will say that for those interested
in mentally suspending reality in favor of a compelling drama
that captures some good behind the scenes looks at life on
a professional football team, “Playmakers” is just for you.
However, if overbearing, largely unrealistic stereotypes about
football players and modern athletes in general is hard for
you to watch, maybe you should spend your Tuesday nights trying
yoga, eating yogurt, or maybe watching that Yogi Bear marathon
you recorded off the Cartoon Network…

FUCK YOU/THANK YOU

I am a little short on material this week,
so I will use this space strictly for promotional purposes:

• FUCK YOU! to most of
the major TV networks for waiting until the end of September
to debut most returning season premieres and the new shows
that will try to find a place in our heart and our weekly
viewing schedule.

• Since I have been forced to
wait on most of these shows, I will now say THANK YOU!
to my faithful editor Matthew Michaels who has volunteered
to work with me on the Fall TV Preview which you’ll see
next week. If you have anything to add, be sure to email
me at coachcoogan@hotmail.com. I’ll make sure you get a
shout out!

Have a good weekend and enjoy the show(s)!

- Coogan

Steven Coogan also writes for 411mania
and can be reached at coachcoogan@hotmail.com.

Last 5 posts by Steve Coogan

• Two New Fox Shows - March 25th, 2004
• Weekend TV Update: Where Will The Real World End Up? - March 18th, 2004
• Weekend TV Update - February 21st, 2004
• Did The Critics Torch Ashton Kutcher's Latest Offering? - January 29th, 2004
• Old, New, And Born-Again - January 15th, 2004