I Better Review "Believeland" Before The NFL Season Goes Much Further

ESPN 30 For 30: Believeland (2016)

A- Netflix Streaming

Starring LeBron James, Ernest Byner, Jim Brown, Hank Aaron,

Directed by Andrew Billman

The Story:

There are cities across the United States that host the "Holy Trinity" of professional sports teams: Baseball. Basketball. Football. They've all hoisted a trophy or two in their time. Some even repeatedly.

Then there is Cleveland, Ohio. Home of the Indians. The Cavaliers. The Browns.

No championship banner was raised in the city since 1964.

For over 50 years, the city would endure tantalizing heartache in one sport or another as their teams came within inches...within minutes...of raising that trophy, only to have fate come and snatch it from them at the last minute.

Sports fans in general, and Cleveland fans in particular know how close they were on so many occasions, and as the poster for this riveting documentary shows, their troubles are often summed up in succinct moments of failure.

Relive the pain of a World Series trophy being wheeled into the Indians locker room, only to have them turn it around and take it next door!

Watch Michael Jordan do what he did best, and crush the spirits of Cavalier fans.

Grab a tissue when Ernest Byner recounts the horrors of The Fumble.

Relive the anger of a city when Art Modell steals the franchise away from Ohio, relocates it to Baltimore and wins that championship they had worked so hard to bring to Cleveland.

Finally, watch as LeBron James arrives on the scene to save the day, destroys a fanbase with one fateful decision, then ultimately comes back and fulfills a promise.

The documentary has the best possible ending you could hope for, and is something right out of Hollywood. That it was filmed and wrapped after the Cavaliers had to write their own David vs. Goliath ending is pure synchronicity.

The curse is finally dead.

At least for a minute.

This is Cleveland after all.

Currently streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: A-

More Excitement Than The Real NFL "Draft Day"

Draft Day (2014)

Rated R (language)

Starring Kevin Costner, Chadwick Boseman, Jennifer Garner, Arian Foster, Frank Langella, Denis Leary, Josh Pence, Ellen Burstyn, Tom Welling

Directed by Ivan Reitman

The Story:

It's Draft Day for the NFL and the Cleveland Browns General Manager, Sonny Weaver (Costner) needs to make a splash in the draft.  To do that, he makes a fateful decision to move from # 7 to # 1 by giving up 3 First Round draft picks to Seattle for a new QB (Pence).  The Coach (Leary) is furious, and so is their current QB (Welling). The owner (Langella) is pleased to no end.  However, as the countdown to the draft continues, Sonny isn't sure whether he made the right decision or not. 

What a great movie.

Strangely, I didn't realize it was rated R at all.  I'm wondering if that's a typo? 

Aside from a bit of language sprinkled throughout, there was nothing in here worth slapping that rating on the film.

Cleveland. 

If you need to pick a franchise for a down on their luck sports story, Cleveland is the go-to city of choice.

My hope?

That this film will do for the Browns what Major League did for the Indians.

Shortly after the release of that film, the Indians finally started winning and making a run in the playoffs.

If any franchise ever needed a return to greatness, this is it.

Stolen from the city and moved to Baltimore, the Ohio fans could only watch in horror as their team won it all, under the banner of the Ravens.

For a nearly 2 hour movie, Draft Day moves along at a great clip, never dragging nor spending too much time on anything that could slow the pace.

You'll bounce from person to person, city to city, all the while Costner anchors the film as the  beleaguered misunderstood figure at the helm.

By the time the draft begins, you will be engrossed by what has happened, but know that the movie isn't done.

Not just yet anyway.

There's still a surprise or two up Sonny's sleeves.

If only the real NFL Draft was this much fun.

Final Grade: B+ maybe even an A-.  Either works.

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I would happily own this one, and it is definitely a contender for Best of the Year status.