flickr
videos
community photos
friends of tias
categories
contact
Feel free to contact me for anything related to TIAS, your information will not be shared with anyone.
designated players
the hollywood way (one for you; two for me)
It’s OK, Warren. You can smile.
Well that didn’t take long. Troublesome metaphors and non-existent endings won’t stand in the way of a book and movie deal. Variety is reporting that the film rights to the human interest smorgasbord down in Clarkston, Georgia, have been scooped up by Universal Pictures. According to the industry newspaper, “Part of the pic deal calls for Universal to pay $500,000 to build a soccer field for the kids. Part of the money will fund a foundation to benefit the team, and the dealmakers cut their fees so more of the coin would go to the teens.” It’s reported that a small bidding war began hours after the story was published, which has me wondering about the premeditation of all of this. Not there would be anything wrong with that, necessarily. This is the way of the world, and we can’t begrudge any of them the windfall. I just found it especially interesting that United Talent Agency (UTA) represents not just the writer, Warren St. John, but the coach. Since when did small-town soccer coaches have representation? One thing that makes a little more sense now, however, is the unusually large amount of words and space the New York Times gave to the story. It wasn’t because soccer is a big seller.
The jealousy question I have to admit: is this story that much better than MLK? Not necessarily my version, but just the quality of the story? Coach Jake isn’t going to be psyched when he hears about this.
zee
on Jan 25th, 2007 - 1:58pm
Hey listen it was a great story and both parties knew that, the coach and the writer. I knew this could potentially be a movie material so it was important to position themselves to benefit from it. Yes the writer and the coach are going to make from this and the fugees are going to be better for it. I don’t think the coach set out to gain money and fame when she decided to start this team. I am sure she is relished it but who wouldn’t.
BoB
on Jan 25th, 2007 - 3:01pm
I love these success stories but I think when we look back on all of this we’ll see how unproductive this is. As soon as that story hit the web studios were chomping at the bit for a shot at this story. I love one phrase in particular, “dealmakers cut their fees so more of the coin would go to the teens.” This may well be a viable movie and if it happens I’m sure it’ll have some success but I hope this isn’t just a PR spree for Universal.
I think the worst part of this all is how centered on one program the plan seems to be. Yes, let’s solve this problem right quick and turn the Fugees into an outstanding program. Meanwhile you ignore the countless of other programs throughout the States who are having the same problems.
Sure we’ll see progress there, maybe a few highly lauded championships over the years. But how does this help the state of numerous similar programs through the States? Are people going to see this and go on a donating spree? I fear that everyone in the mainstream will have their way with this story, pat themselves on the back, and say we did our part for that little town and that little sport. But I digress.
Paul
on Jan 29th, 2007 - 10:04am
Adam,
Thought you’d like to know that UTA also was representing A Home on the Field by Paul Cuadros–me. Got blown out of the water out in Hollywood by the bigfoot of the NYT. My book tells the story of the Jets, a team of Latino immigrants in the South that overcome terrible prejudice to go on and found a varsity high school team where football is king and win the state championship in just three seasons. I coached the team and helped form it. But the book also tells the story of Latino migration to the rural South, its reasons, life in the poultry processing plants where many of these kids’ parents work, and even some of the kids, their lives, their problems and their dreams. One year, our star goalkeeper had to go to Mexico to take of his grandmother over the summer. He had to cross the border on his own to get back in time to play. And while the book tells an inspiring story it is also sobering in that only one kid from the championship team goes on to play in college. Not a happy soccer story about little kids. Check it out. Not sure if this story will ever be made into a movie now but that doesn’t really matter. The book will stand on its own. Culture of Soccer just reviewed by David Keyes. All my best.
leave a comment items marked with * are required