Josh Shoberg

What is the Fake World of Real Sports?

It’s a blog inspired by the suspension of disbelief in sports movies where we (myself and Matt Hinnenkamp) analyse events in the films and apply them to real life scenarios.  We use period-specific rules that would have been in place at the time of the event – since rules are constantly changing – and we determine what would happen if those things had actually taken place during a real sporting event.  Primarily the focus is on family films and comedies, things that tend to push the envelope in terms of the suspension of disbelief.  For example:

• In the film Major League, there is a scene where Willy Mays Hays (Wesley Snipes) runs up to a fielder and yells “I got it! I got it!” which causes him to drop the ball.  Is that legal?
• In The Replacements, there is a play called “Kick Ass” wherein the team simply attacks the opposing team with a multitude of personal fouls.  What are the real world repercussions?
• Can a werewolf really play high school or college basketball (Teen Wolf and Teen Wolf Too respectively)?  Can a zebra race in the Kentucky Derby (Racing Stripes)?  Could intangible beings participating be grounds for cheating (Angels in the Outfield)?

Follow along as we take the suspension of disbelief far too literally and turn the Fake World of Real Sports upside-down and inside-out.  Enjoy!