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2 articles from 2008

22 December 2008 1:48 AM, PST | icelebz.com | See recent iCelebz news »

Spike TV is ready to spike the football with a new half-hour series called "Blue Mountain State." The show will tackle the crazy antics of a big-time Midwestern college football program.

Celebrity News Story is looking forward to the half-hour scripted comedy, in the vein of "Animal House," which will be produced by Varsity Pictures' Brian Robbins, known for "Norbit," "Varsity Blues" and "Smallville."

"Blue Mountain State" follows three incoming freshmen attending college football powerhouse Blue Mountain St. University. Former NFL running back and veteran actor, Ed Marinaro ("Monk," "8 Simple Rules," "Hill St. Blues") stars as the coach. "Alex." Darin Brooks ("Big Bounce") is a talented quarterback, content to ride the bench while partying with his best friend "Sammy," played by Chris Romano, who aspires to be the school's mascot. "Craig," played by Sam Jones III ("Glory Road"), on the other hand, is the school's top recruit and future »

9 October 2008 1:03 PM, PDT | avclub.com | See recent The AV Club news »

Based on the life of Ernie Davis, the Syracuse running back who became the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy, The Express raises the following rhetorical question: Was Davis' life really that by-the-numbers bland or have the filmmakers airbrushed out all the prickly, complicated details? The answer doesn't matter, of course, since the film is dull and generic any way you slice the pie, but it's hard to believe that the struggles of a black running back prior to the Civil Rights movement could rendered as such a PG-rated gloss, like the pages of a children's storybook. But then, that's become the formula of other sports movies on overcoming segregation, such as Remember The Titans or Glory Road: Long on inspiration, short on specifics. Then again, it's possible that Davis was in fact the straight-shooting hero and graceful martyr as played here by Finding Forrester's Rob Brown »

- Scott Tobias

2 articles from 2008