Best football documentary I've seen

[Jerry]

Recently stumbled across this NFL Films piece on the life and career of one Vincent Thomas Lombardi...and with the Super Bowl upcoming, it seems timely.

He achieved fame in Green Bay but got his start long before that at the high school level, winning five state championships with an undermanned team...and in his spare time a state basketball championship (though he'd never played or coached the sport previously)...before a stint as assistant coach at Army and then offensive coordinator for the Giants.

His legendary record came at a high cost...both to him and his family...but he defined an era, and his name transcends the game, which is why the league put it on the Super Bowl trophy.

There's a Penn State angle to this documentary in the sense that one of the Packers highlighted in it is Dave Robinson, and his comments are entertaining and at the end downright poignant.

It comes up below as "video unavailable" but can be accessed by clicking on the embedded youtube link:

 

[b&w1987]

The documentary on the Bills and their four SB losses was a good watch as well. Great teams just could not win a SB.

 

[JoeLion]

I may be mistaken but I thought there was a connection with JoePa from his high school days?

 

[Waste Management Consultant]

Read “When Pride Mattered”. If you are interested in Lombardi. Fantastic.

 

[Jerry]

Read “When Pride Mattered”. If you are interested in Lombardi. Fantastic.

No question, one of the best sports-themed books ever. In fact, its author, David Maraniss, is prominently featured in the above NFL film documentary.

The chapter at the end of the book, titled Run To Daylight, regarding Lombardi's last days in the hospital totally choked me up.

The book and to some extent the film too bring out the paradox that even great men are flawed...because that's the human condition. But at the end of the day we remember them not for their flaws but for the qualities that made them great.

 

[dailybuck777]

No question, one of the best sports-themed books ever. In fact, its author, David Maraniss, is prominently featured in the above NFL film documentary.

The chapter at the end of the book, titled Run To Daylight, regarding Lombardi's last days in the hospital totally choked me up.

The book and to some extent the film too bring out the paradox that even great men are flawed...because that's the human condition. But at the end of the day we remember them not for their flaws but for the qualities that made them great.

I saw it and it was great. Many of their films are really fantastic.

Going in a somewhat different direction, I read PB The Paul Brown story and although he was a great coach, he had an excuse for every loss he had. A loss in high school was caused on account of the flu that the team had. A Brown's loss was caused by Milt plum's stuttering and on and on. My father idolized Paul Brown.

 

[PSUQBKeeper]

I may be mistaken but I thought there was a connection with JoePa from his high school days?

Lombardi coached Saint Cecilia's to a win over JoePa's Brooklyn Prep team in 1943

 

[step.eng69]

Recently stumbled across this NFL Films piece on the life and career of one Vincent Thomas Lombardi...and with the Super Bowl upcoming, it seems timely.

He achieved fame in Green Bay but got his start long before that at the high school level, winning five state championships with an undermanned team...and in his spare time a state basketball championship (though he'd never played or coached the sport previously)...before a stint as assistant coach at Army and then offensive coordinator for the Giants.

His legendary record came at a high cost...both to him and his family...but he defined an era, and his name transcends the game, which is why the league put it on the Super Bowl trophy.

There's a Penn State angle to this documentary in the sense that one of the Packers highlighted in it is Dave Robinson, and his comments are entertaining and at the end downright poignant.

It comes up below as "video unavailable" but can be accessed by clicking on the embedded youtube link:

View embedded media

Watching the video on the tv screen..,.
Really good.

A coincidence? Lombardi and I both arrived at West Point in 1949!
GO FIGURE. 😉

 

[Jerry]

I saw it and it was great. Many of their films are really fantastic.

Going in a somewhat different direction, I read PB The Paul Brown story and although he was a great coach, he had an excuse for every loss he had. A loss in high school was caused on account of the flu that the team had. A Brown's loss was caused by Milt plum's stuttering and on and on. My father idolized Paul Brown.

There have been many great coaches, and Paul Brown certainly qualifies, but only one Lombardi.

To my mind, a great coach is one who gets the best from his players and whose teams are more than the sum of their parts. Lombardi obviously fit the bill on both counts, but he took things to a whole different level. Rarely do you hear guys say "love" with regard to a coach, but that word crops up a lot when former players talk about Lombardi.

Also, I've always been fascinated by the contradictions in the man. Deeply religious but driven by the most worldly of goals: to win football games. A great coach but maybe not a great husband and father because he was married to the game and perhaps more a father to his players than to his own son.

At any rate, I've been a big fan of many coaches and players over the years, but Lombardi is the only sports figure who I ever considered a personal hero...and still do.

 

[CoastGuard2018]

Recently stumbled across this NFL Films piece on the life and career of one Vincent Thomas Lombardi...and with the Super Bowl upcoming, it seems timely.

He achieved fame in Green Bay but got his start long before that at the high school level, winning five state championships with an undermanned team...and in his spare time a state basketball championship (though he'd never played or coached the sport previously)...before a stint as assistant coach at Army and then offensive coordinator for the Giants.

His legendary record came at a high cost...both to him and his family...but he defined an era, and his name transcends the game, which is why the league put it on the Super Bowl trophy.

There's a Penn State angle to this documentary in the sense that one of the Packers highlighted in it is Dave Robinson, and his comments are entertaining and at the end downright poignant.

It comes up below as "video unavailable" but can be accessed by clicking on the embedded youtube link:

View embedded media

Steelers fan but after you watch some of the Lombardi stuff it actually sent chills down my spine when you see his name and years etched inside there stadium.

 

[Waltwam]

No question, one of the best sports-themed books ever. In fact, its author, David Maraniss, is prominently featured in the above NFL film documentary.

The chapter at the end of the book, titled Run To Daylight, regarding Lombardi's last days in the hospital totally choked me up.

The book and to some extent the film too bring out the paradox that even great men are flawed...because that's the human condition. But at the end of the day we remember them not for their flaws but for the qualities that made them great.

"that's the human condition. But at the end of the day we remember them not for their flaws but for the qualities that made them great." Jerry, this used to be true, and in many of us still is! But to the minority in society, who seem to have the louder voice, the only thing remembered are the flaws, so tear them down!

 

[Jerry]

"that's the human condition. But at the end of the day we remember them not for their flaws but for the qualities that made them great." Jerry, this used to be true, and in many of us still is! But to the minority in society, who seem to have the louder voice, the only thing remembered are the flaws, so tear them down!

Agreed, Walt.

Also, we live in a society that equates fame and celebrity with "greatness." We've got no shortage of famous people as such is measured these days but very few men or women of heroism and greatness.

 

[Waltwam]

Agreed, Walt.

Also, we live in a society that equates fame and celebrity with "greatness." We've got no shortage of famous people as such is measured these days but very few men or women of heroism and greatness.

Agreed, Walt.

Also, we live in a society that equates fame and celebrity with "greatness." We've got no shortage of famous people as such is measured these days but very few men or women of heroism and greatness.

Yep. And the worse part of it is that many are being torn apart who demonstrated greatness and heroism while "questionables" are being exalted in their stead!

 

[step.eng69]

I watched on the tv…..
So much in common for the two Brooklyn boys…Joseph Vincent Paterno & Vincent Joseph Lombardi in their approach the game

A coincidence? Lombardi and I both arrived at West Point in 1949!
GO FIGURE. 😉

If I were a Cadet, that would make me 93 yrs old today……I’m not 93!

 

[Jerry]

I watched on the tv…..
So much in common for the two Brooklyn boys…Joseph Vincent Paterno & Vincent Joseph Lombardi in their approach the game

A coincidence? Lombardi and I both arrived at West Point in 1949!
GO FIGURE. 😉

If I were a Cadet, that would make me 93 yrs old today……I’m not 93!

Yeah, the similar roots of Paterno and Lombardi struck me as well. Their overall approach to the game was, as you say, also similar in many ways, but I think their personalities and coaching styles were quite different.

Another interesting similarity is that they were both ahead of their time on racial questions. The documentary traces Lombardi's sensitivity on that issue to his own encounters with anti-Italian prejudice as a young man. In an earlier period of history, the Irish actually went through the same thing. Bigotry comes in many flavors.

Glad you cleared that up about West Point. I was, like, doing the math yesterday and thinking, oh man, Step is pretty lively for a guy in his 90's!

By the way, amazingly I convinced my wife to watch the documentary last night. She doesn't know a football from a basketball but found the film very interesting. Predictably, however, she came away from it mostly feeling sorry for Lombardi's wife and kids. But that's a chick for you...

 

[step.eng69]

Yeah, the similar roots of Paterno and Lombardi struck me as well. Their overall approach to the game was, as you say, also similar in many ways, but I think their personalities and coaching styles were quite different.

Another interesting similarity is that they were both ahead of their time on racial questions. The documentary traces Lombardi's sensitivity on that issue to his own encounters with anti-Italian prejudice as a young man. In an earlier period of history, the Irish actually went through the same thing. Bigotry comes in many flavors.

Glad you cleared that up about West Point. I was, like, doing the math yesterday and thinking, oh man, Step is pretty lively for a guy in his 90's!

By the way, amazingly I convinced my wife to watch the documentary last night. She doesn't know a football from a basketball but found the film very interesting. Predictably, however, she came away from it mostly feeling sorry for Lombardi's wife and kids. But that's a chick for you...

My father was stationed at West Point after WW II. I was born in 49' in the West Point Military Hospital next to the Parade Grounds. The original hospital has been relocated in the northern section of the property.

 

[Hugh Laurie]

Lombardi coached Saint Cecilia's to a win over JoePa's Brooklyn Prep team in 1943

Vince also coached John Travolta's father at St Cecilas's. The Travolta's were from Englewood as was my wife and they went to grade school together. I always told here if she played her cards right she might have married John instead of me. She acknowledges and laments that she messed up.

 

[harbest]

When I was a lot younger, I got my hands on a copy of "Instant Replay" a book Jerry Kramer wrote with Dick Schaap on the Packers 1967 season, a good read that I recommend. In it he tells a story of how Max Mcgee would constantly test Lombardi's patience by sneaking out during training camp. The first time he got caught, he fined him $100. The second time, fined $500 (keep in mind this was the 60's when $500 was a lot of money). He got caught a third time and really pissed Lombardi off and he said that would cost him $1000! Then after a few seconds, he thought about it and said " hell Max, if you find something going out that's worth $1000, call me, I'll go with you!" We haven't seen his like since then and never will.

 

[Jerry]

When I was a lot younger, I got my hands on a copy of "Instant Replay" a book Jerry Kramer wrote with Dick Schaap on the Packers 1967 season, a good read that I recommend. In it he tells a story of how Max Mcgee would constantly test Lombardi's patience by sneaking out during training camp. The first time he got caught, he fined him $100. The second time, fined $500 (keep in mind this was the 60's when $500 was a lot of money). He got caught a third time and really pissed Lombardi off and he said that would cost him $1000! Then after a few seconds, he thought about it and said " hell Max, if you find something going out that's worth $1000, call me, I'll go with you!" We haven't seen his like since then and never will.

Instant Replay is a fantastic and funny book...the best look from an insider at a football team and season (1967). It ended in a championship, the last for Lombardi's Packers.

Max McGee was the Packers class clown and the perfect foil for Lombardi. The most famous story about him was how he broke curfew the evening before Super Bowl I against the Chiefs, spent an entire night on the town, and reported back to the team hotel totally shit-faced at, like, 7:00 AM.

He was near the end of his career at that point, hadn't played much during the season, and didn't expect to play in the Super Bowl. But an injury to a starter, I think it was Boyd Dowler, forced McGee into the game, and he proceeded to rack up well over 100 receiving yards and two touchdowns...while playing with a major hangover.

One of the aspects of Lombardi's genius was that though he was fanatical in many ways in his approach to the game, he also knew when to look the other way at times. And Max knew how to read the coach.