I've been advocating for a sports movie weekend to anyone who will listen as long as I've been going to the Mahoning. We got one this year, and it was a hell of a double feature. I really hope that this becomes an annual.
First up was the 1976 baseball classic The Bad News Bears. This movie is a product of its time. If they were to remake it in 2025, it couldn't be anything at all like the original. Could you imagine some of Tanner Boyle's lines in a modern movie? Although it's the furthest thing in the world from being politically correct by modern standards, it's an absolute classic and a must-see for any baseball fan. I saw it for the first time when I was about the age of the younger kids on the Bears, and it's a movie that I've never forgotten.
The second film is another time capsule of the late seventies, the 1977 ice hockey classic Slap Shot. I watched this for the first time during the pandemic. At first, I didn't really get what all the hype was about, but it landed with me this time. I've come to learn that I really struggle with movies when I watch them at home. I allow myself to get distracted by too many things, and I end up missing a lot of the dialogue. Seeing it on 35mm on the big screen helped me to appreciate this movie for the comedic masterpiece that it is.
The secret feature was a baseball-themed comedy from the mid 90's. I don't want to say too much about it, but I saw it on the big screen for the first time during its original theatrical run. I was living in South Florida and playing baseball at the time, so I absolutely loved it. Seeing it again on the big screen was a real treat, and I'm happy to say that it still holds up over thirty years later.
