Movie Review: BS High (2023)

Synopsis: In August of 2021, the Columbus, Ohio-based Bishop Sycamore High School football team was blown out by IMG Academy in front of the nation on ESPN. Shortly after an investigation of the school and the team's coach, Leroy Johnson, revealed BS High wasn't a real school and its players weren't even high school students.


Review: I came across this documentary a few days ago and thought it was intriguing enough to add to my library. Since it was raining this morning, I decided to give it a try and it proved to be as interesting as I thought.

There were a couple things that really stood out for me regarding this movie's discussion of the scandal. One of the main ones was how Johnson's point of view about the scandal differed greatly from his players and those who investigated him. The latter considered him a con artist while Johnson thought of himself as someone who was trying to help disadvantaged youth use football as an opportunity to get into college.

What was even more interesting was some of his arguments kind of made sense. After all, his efforts did get his players national exposure, even though the game itself was a blow-out and some of his tactics (like misleading players about where they would be practicing and having the team play multiple games in 48 hours) were questionable.

I also liked how the documentary didn't just focus on Johnson but on the world of high school sports in general, specifically on how nothing Johnson did was technically illegal and is even a tactic used by other private charter schools. It's one of those things that really made me think, which not all documentaries manage to do. Oh, and the part about Ohio officials being suspicious of the school even before it played that big game on ESPN but not doing anything to stop it until they were embarrassed really stood out as well.

Final Opinion: It was an interesting documentary that I think attempts to portray Johnson as a villain but also gives him just enough balance to make that assessment somewhat disputable from a certain point of view. Plus, it paints a picture of how certain people can use high school sports to their financial advantage without breaking any laws. Overall, I'd say it's worth taking the time to watch.

My Grade: A

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kwik Trip Kitchen Cravings Tailgater Pizza

Image
  When my wife and I decided on pizza for dinner last night, I stopped at Kwik Trip with the intention of just buying a cheap, frozen, cheese pizza for our daughters since we already had another pizza in our freezer. However, as I was walking up to the checkout counter, this particular pizza caught my eye and, even though I wasn't crazy about spending $8.99 when I already had another option at home, I was intrigued enough to make the purchase anyway. We ended up making the pizza in the oven when I got home. After trying it, I have to say it is one of my favorites. One of the things, in particular, that really stood out for me when it came to this pizza was the toppings. The combination of sausage and cheese curds was both unique and delicious, especially since the curds were fresh enough to still squeak when we were eating them. The pizza also proved to be surprisingly filling, both because of the thicker crust and the generous amounts of toppings and cheese.  Normally, when my wi
Read more

Movie Review: Damsel (2024)

Image
Synopsis: Elodie, the oldest daughter of Lord Bayford, reluctantly agrees to an arranged marriage with Prince Henry in the far-off land of Aurea because her bride price will provide much-needed relief to the starving residents of her homeland. When they arrive for her wedding, Elodie quickly warms up to the idea after seeing Aurea's beauty and even falling in love with Henry. However, soon after the wedding, she discovers it has all been a farce and she instead is thrown into a cave as a peace offering for the dragon living inside. Who's in it? The movie stars  Millie Bobby Brown ,  Ray Winstone ,  Angela Bassett ,  Robin Wright  and  Nick Robinson Review: My wife and I decided to watch a movie late yesterday evening and after striking out on horror films lately, ended up changing things up a bit with the fantasy adventure, Damsel . My wife thought it looked good from the trailer and I enjoyed Millie Bobby Brown in the Enola Holmes movies, so we had cautiously optimistic ex
Read more

Movie Review: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

Image
Synopsis: Three years after saving the world in Summerville, Oklahoma, Callie Spengler, her two children, Trevor and Phoebe, and her boyfriend, Gary, have relocated to New York City resurrected the Ghostbusting business her father helped found in the 1980s, much to the chagrin of NYC mayor and long-time Ghostbuster antagonist Walter Peck. They soon find themselves once again needing to save the world when an ancient artifact containing an ancient god looking to wipe out the human race by freezing them to death is accidentally opened. Who's in it? The movie stars Paul Rudd , McKenna Grace , Carrie Coon , Finn Wolfhard , Dan Aykroyd , Annie Potts , Bill Murray and Ernie Hudson . Review: I had some serious doubts when Hollywood decided to reboot the Ghostbuster franchise in 2021 but I enjoyed Ghostbusters: Afterlife more than expected and was excited to see this movie as a result. I didn't get an opportunity to see it at the theater as I had hoped but did watch it last night
Read more