Sport and Cinema.com

For football fans growing up with the New York Giants comes this treasure trove of insightful anecdotes and personal experiences covering some of the biggest games in this storied franchise’s history.

Authors Baker and Corbett adroitly let those who played, coached and watched these pivotal thirteen games create a riveting collection of mind’s-eye details from each of the games selected. (Interestingly the authors chose NOT to cover the so-called ‘greatest game ever played’, the Giants vs. Colts in the 1958 NFL Championship, saying it has already been given ‘plenty of attention’.)

While on assignment writing a football story for the Los Angeles Times Down Under in Melbourne, Australia, I had the good fortune to catch up recently with noted Aussie director, Fred Schepisi.

With credits like The Russia House, Barbarosa, Empire Falls and Roxanne and busily editing his latest picture, The Secret River, the native of Victoria spent some time in his Melbourne high-rise to discuss his well-received fish-out-of-water sports comedy Mr. Baseball. The picture features Tom Selleck as a fading baseball player traded to a Japanese team and has trouble fitting into that culture.

The 14-2 Colts, ending their fine year with a 31–17 Super Bowl XLIV will use the same formula for success this year, despite some personnel changes. Behind the arm and mind of four-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning is a feeble running game of Joseph Addai and Donald Brown (32nd-ranked).

But it is through the air Indianapolis makes their mark. Led by Pro Bowl center Jeff Saturday, the offensive line allowed a franchise-low 13 sacks and management picked up some younger and bigger bodies to continue in that mode. Manning’s receiving corps of Reggie Wayne, one of the game’s best, and youngsters Pierre Garçon and Austin Collie is a talented trio. Of course, tight end Dallas Clark is highly productive.

The first time Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova stepped onto a tennis court together, the world scarcely noticed. Only a few hundred spectators saw the pert 18-year-old beat the scrappy 16-year-old Czech in 1973.

“I remember that she was fat,” Evert recalled. “She was very emotional on the court, whining if she didn’t feel she was playing well. But I remember thinking, if she loses weight, we’re all in trouble.”

Wow, flying around in the off season and bringing in wide receivers Donte Stallworth and Anquan Boldin to go with veteran possession receiver Derrick Mason is a huge score for a team that many feel will represent the AFC in the next Super Bowl.

On the evening of September 7, 1996, Mike Tyson, the WBC heavyweight champion, attempted to take Bruce Seldon’s WBA title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

At this point in his career, Tyson’s fights had become somewhat of a cultural phenomenon, where the ever present hype of the professional boxing scene would come face to face with the worlds of big business, Hollywood, and hip hop.

The Jets look to go even deeper in the playoffs and have added some big names to their roster. On defense Miami end Jason Taylor and Chargers defensive back Antonio Cromartie add depth and veterans LaDanian Tomlinson and Santonio Holmes bring some punch to the offense.