The Fellowship Has the Ball

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=200 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="005dba33.gif"> <div> <A HREF="id67.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Wanderin Star"><U>Wanderin' Star</U></A></div> <div> <B>The Fellowship Has the Ball</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id71.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Top 10 Comeback Lines from LotR"><U>Top 10 Comeback Lines from LotR</U></A></div> <div> <IMG SRC="1e6a34a0.jpg" border=0 width="163" height="74" ALT="Elijah Wood as Frodo and Sean Astin as Sam in The Lord of the Rings/The Fellowship of the Ring" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Sam's football-style crying</B></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="005dba33.gif"> <div> <A HREF="http://www.frodolivesin.us" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.frodolivesin.us"><U><IMG SRC="006ef530.jpg" border=0 width="239" height="83" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div>  |    <A HREF="http://www.frodolivesin.us/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.frodolivesin.us/"><U> home</U></A> |  back to  <A HREF="id69.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Lighter Side"><U><B>The Lighter Side</B></U></A></div> <div>  or back to<B> EJW: Words</B></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=390 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="1e450503.gif"> <bR> <div> <B>[from early 2002]</B></div> <div> <B>The Fellowship Has the Ball as the Game Goes into a Timeout</B></div> <bR> <div> To those who will wonder why this is being posted when it's not [American] football season:  1. I live in Nebraska, where it's <I>always </I>football season.  2. The idea came from a similar essay which dealt with soccer during the World Cup.  The question being addressed was how to get men more involved in the <I>LotR-FotR </I>movie (since a lot of women are tired of their repeat viewings being solo) by showing how it relates to a popular sport. Of particular concern was convincing sports fans that Frodo is not a wuss (technical sports terminology).  For the following to make sense (?), keep in mind that although most of my <I>LotR</I>-related essays concentrate on the book, this one is based on the movie.  Also keep in mind (if you're American) that this was originally written for a primarily non-American readership, so football has to be explained a bit as we go along.  </div> <bR> <div> Since Frodo is the top concern here, let's look first at what position he would play.  It would have to be quarterback, for which EJW happens to have the perfect build - as the person playing that position is usually kind of small and has to have other players protecting him.  The quarterback decides what plays to run, usually with the advice of the coach (think of Gandalf as the head coach and Aragorn as the assistant who steps in when the head coach isn't available).  The quarterback usually throws the ball a lot, but because Frodo can't seem to find any open receivers for the Ring, the Fellowship has to concentrate on their "ground game" or "running game," in which the ball is run with instead of being thrown downfield to be caught by another player. </div> <bR> <div> How do football tactics help our side?  The use of teamwork is essential.  I've been impressed with how all the hobbits run around in a seemingly random pattern (I'm sure it's only <I>seemingly</I>) on the way to the Bucklebury Ferry so the Black Rider gets confused and doesn't know whom to follow.  In football, this would be called "running interference," which is done to let whoever's carrying the ball get as far as possible before he's knocked down.  Anyone who's ever seen a play diagram with all the little X's and O's representing individual players, and arrows showing who runs where during a specific play, knows that these patterns can <I>look </I>random simply because they're so complex. </div> <bR> <div> An even more specific example is when Merry and Pippin distract the Uruk-hai so Frodo can escape with the Ring. This is what would be called a "quarterback sneak," in which the quarterback keeps the ball but the rest of the team acts as if he's given it to someone else, so <I>that </I>player gets chased instead of the quarterback. </div> <bR> <div> Because quarterbacks are usually on the small side, fans tend to admire ones who can get knocked down a lot - even get seriously injured - and still get back up and keep playing.  So "looking dead" several times during the game wouldn't necessarily be a drawback - as long as he gets back up.  The negative side to this is that there's not much admiration for a quarterback who tends to fall down a lot <I>on his own</I>, so the fact that most of Frodo's falls are actually caused by the Ring would need to be emphasized.  The mithril shirt would fit right in, though, because use of the best protective gear available is seen as common sense rather than wussiness (and football fans are very familiar with people getting the wind knocked out of them, so they're likely to have <I>less </I>trouble with the skewering scene - which is actually quite realistically done - than some other viewers who don't understand how a blow to the chest could make someone pass out <I>gradually</I>).</div> <bR> <div> It's kind of disappointing that Frodo drops his sword at Weathertop, but most football fans would realize there's not much a quarterback can do if all his offensive linemen have already been tackled.  The important thing in that situation is to <I>hang onto the ball</I>, which he does very well and - to increase the admiration factor - at the cost of personal injury; when the next play is set up, the Fellowship would still have possession of the ball, because Frodo never let go of it.  Football fans would probably greet Aragorn's arrival at that point with, "Well, it's about <I>time</I>!"  A quarterback who can hold his own against the opposing team with no help from his own teammates is pretty remarkable. </div> <bR> <div> I haven't quite figured out how to justify being carried on a horse by a female elf.  The suggestion has been made that Arwen basically plays the part of a trainer taking an injured player off the field.  If so, the Nazgul exhibit extremely poor sportsmanship by continuing to pursue them; no wonder they get called for a penalty at the ford. </div> <bR> <div> It's been pointed out that hobbit hugging can be compared to soccer players' group hugs and physical outbursts of affection when a goal is scored.  This would also be true of football players, although to a lesser extent, and they tend to accompany such behavior with a lot of grunting (see below).  Frodo's pat on Pippin's butt when they're hiding under the tree root would be perfectly acceptable, though.</div> <bR> <div> The Fellowship's greatest asset in winning the hearts and minds of football fans is Sam.  Although SA played a smallish football player in <I>Rudy</I>, compared to the other hobbits he's a Mack truck.  Definitely a lineman and, since the Fellowship doesn't have a defensive unit (if the other team gets the ball, the game will be over, so there wouldn't be much point to it), he'd be an offensive lineman - whose most important job is to protect the player carrying the ball.  See, the entire Frodo-and-Sam relationship can be explained in football terms!</div> <bR> <div> And the best thing about Sam - which I recognized immediately the first time I saw the movie - <I>is that he cries exactly like a football player!</I>  [See left frame of this page.] I get a kick out of it each time I watch the scene in the boat. That face all mushed up against the other teammate, and the wet hair (usually from sweat) hanging down, and even his kind of sad little  puppydog look are <I>perfect</I>!  If a football fan hasn't fallen in love with Sam by the end of this movie, there's probably no hope.</div> <bR> <div> The point has been made that an interest in soccer might have helped the Uruk-hai lessen their destructive attitude.  Now, this could be a negative when it comes to American football, but I think we can turn it into a positive.  The problem is that most football fans <I>want </I>"their" players to have a destructive attitude - at least to a certain extent (limited by penalties and expulsions from the game).  And, if you want to see a football team preparing for a game, all you have to do is watch the Uruk-hai getting ready to leave Isengard.  The head-butting, slapping each other around, jamming on the helmets and other protective gear, and - especially - the grunting and growling, are just what you'd see and hear in a pre-game locker room.  Those white hands painted on their faces are classic football attire (although usually worn by the fans).  And, compared to some coaches' pre-game pep talks, detailing what the team should do to their opponents, Saruman's "You shall taste man-flesh" is just plain <I>weak</I>. </div> <bR> <div> So, the Uruk-hai are primal football players.  The reason I think we can make this an asset for "our side" in the eyes of fans is that Americans love an underdog.  The high point for an American sports fan is when a team that's expected to lose whups the behind (technical sports terminology) of a team that's seen as more powerful and having all the advantages (unless the fan's team is the one expected to win).  This is why almost all American college football fans are on the side of whatever team happens to be playing Nebraska a particular week.  Nebraska's always expected to win, so if an underdog can whup their behind it's great sports entertainment for everyone but Nebraska fans.</div> <bR> <div> At the end of <I>LotR-FotR</I>, the Fellowship still has control of the Ring - er, ball - which is good for an underdog.  But it's only a timeout.  If, at the end of this first movie, football fans think the Fellowship has "played a close game" and still has a chance to win, they'll come back to the really-big-screen TV after their year-long bathroom and snack break.  And I think our team is in good shape at this point.  For one thing, we've just seen the classic sports melodrama of the assistant coach finally accepting his responsibility after the tragic loss of the beloved and admired head coach.  In addition, football fans will have just been teary-eyed over Boromir getting back up and fighting after he's been shot, will probably admire Merry and Pippin for charging in for the sake of the team even though they don't have a chance to make any yardage on the play, and then we get Sam's beautifully football-styled crying in the boat.  It's all wrapped up nicely after the hug when Frodo looks Sam in the eye and says, "Come on, then!"  You can't stay all sappy; you have to get back into the game, which is just what the two of them are doing when the movie fades out.  In fact, at the end of the last drive before the timeout, they seem to be crossing the 50-yard line into the opponent's territory.  No wonder some Tolkien virgins can't figure out why they need two more movies to score.  But, as all football fans know, if the win's too easy it'll never be considered a "good game." </div> <bR> <div> But, you know, guys, timeouts are a great opportunity to watch instant replays...</div> <bR> <div> __________________________________</div> <bR> <div> Copyright 2002 by Trudy G. Shaw</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="16f7d3c0.jpg" border=0 width="125" height="60" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.frodolivesin.us/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.frodolivesin.us/"><U>Home</U></A></div> <div> Back to  <A HREF="id69.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Lighter Side"><U>The Lighter Side</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>