Look, I don't even watch football. I have no team to root for, no real attachment in any way whatsoever ,but I can tell you one thing: this film hit me right in the gut.
So if you're a fan of football, imagine someone who isn't familiar with football witness a football player completely obliterate and outwit literally every other football player in his path. And that's just the football side of it. XD he was a human brick wall.
Then you have Barry the guy, who basically just shrugs his shoulders and smiles.. like "who me?"
And then there's everyone else back in nineteen ninety whatever like "wtf just happened to us?"
All those poor lions fans. I felt genuinely depressed they never won when I was watching this. You know it's coming, but you're never truly prepared. It can be juuust a bit uncomfortable and hard to sit through.
Barry being Barry is most exemplified with his kids. Just being a dad all casual like and straight faced, like "yeah I was just done with it lol". I've never witnessed anything quite like this documentary in my entire life.
It just hits different. Those vintage play by play calls combined with Barry's unreal athleticism is truly something that everyone should experience. As a hardcore baseball fan, It kind of makes me wish I had a football team growing up.
That is to say that this doc evokes a sort of nostalgia, and when it's over, you do feel empty. Like that's it, the story is over.
You're so invested in this great football player, raised by good parents and coming from a good family.
You watch him prove over and over throughout his life what his values were, his convictions.
But then you're surprised when he decides to hang it up.
Hey, it shocked me to my core and made me realize to everything there is a season, and a time and purpose under heaven.
For the people who got to witness it first hand, God bless you. I can only imagine what that would be like.
I was ok with what he did and how he said it because it felt true to who he always was from a young age. Like another reviewer pointed out, it seemed like he didn't show a single ounce of emotion his entire life basically. So this was no different. He just decided to bounce, and... well... that's all, folks!
With that I'll just close this out by saying it's amazing what kind of legacy someone can leave behind in only 10 years; but a mere blip in time.
For that I'll always have fond memories, a non football guy I might add - of the life and times of the great, the mysterious, the football running back superior, in london no longer here with ya, the one, the only, Barry sanders ladies and gentlemen give it up for him... 👏
