This quirky little documentary is ample proof that people are stupid...and a bit crazy...and greedy. While I am sure some die-hard sports fans would disagree, the film shows that there is something wrong with how people react to sports. And, you wonder, have we changed all that much since the times of the Roman Coliseum....other than the introduction of lawyers into the mix?!
The film is about the controversy that surrounds the person who claimed to have caught the 73rd home run ball hit by Barry Bonds after he broke the single-season record in 2001. But, before going there, the film shows a nice little history of record-breaking home run balls--starting with the 61st ball hit by Roger Maris. It was interesting how the previous record-breaking balls were CLEARLY caught by one person and how times changed. The Maris ball was apparently bought for $5000--and the Mark McGwire ball went for $2.7 million four decades later! Insane? You betcha!
The 73rd ball knocked out by Barry Bonds in 2001 is a bit of a different story. Although it seemed like a certain guy caught the ball, further review of film footage show that there was a mêlée--folks practically stomping on each other to get that #%$@ ball. Two guys claimed they caught the ball and, not surprisingly, lawyers and a legal battle ensued. Then, witnesses supporting BOTH sides began to speak out and it was a huge news story as well. Yes, this truly story is about the worst aspects of human nature--and as the film progressed, I grew to strongly dislike BOTH these fellows and I wanted to see them get nothing!
So is the film worth seeing? Yup. It was well constructed, fascinating throughout and would make great viewing by a psychology or sociology class. However, I hope that this film is never viewed by folks from other planets (if they even exist). If this does happen, they'll no doubt have a very, very low opinion of our species. And, who knows, perhaps we'll all face liquidation thanks to these idiots.
By the way, I loved the comments by the reporter Wayne Freedman when he tried to put the whole case into perspective! Also, after all the MANY legal fees, I wondered how much these folks actually made on that stupid ball as the film progressed. I was strongly rooting for them to get nothing...or perhaps STILL owe their lawyers after all was said and done. See this film to find out exactly how it all turned out when the auction ended...but rest assured, sometimes Karma really does seem possible!
