SO last year, “American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez” was launched. People have been offering up suggestions on what the next series should be about. It’s nearly unanimous that the next iteration of this series should involve someone equally nefarious, a story as dark.
But in these times, where there’s so much division and pessimism, maybe the story we need is one of hope, optimism, and believing in yourself. So why not the story of Doug Flutie proving everyone wrong?
He’s a super athlete in high school, but nobody scouts him because he’s too short. He goes on to set the record for all-time passing yards and wins the Heisman after the famous Hail Mary against Florida. (High point)
He signs the biggest contract in football history with the USFL, which goes bankrupt the next year. His rights are traded to the defending champion Bears, where he isn’;t given a great chance, and is shipped to the Patriots (low point)
He comes into a 1-3 Patriots game trailing 10-0, and leads them to a come from behind victory on a naked bootleg. He leads the team to the brink of the playoffs. (High point)
On the brink of the playoffs, he’s replaced as starter because the team “needs a shake-up”, the team loses the last game of the season, failing to qualify. Flutie is relegated to backup the following season, after which he’s released (low point)
In a last effort to play pro football, he signs the biggest deal in the CFL with BC, but his first season is a losing won. But the following season, he rebounds setting several CFL records along the way to his first of 4 consecutive MOPs. The following season, he signs with Calgary, where he augments his success, leading the Stamps to a Grey Cup victory (high point)
He continues to dominate the CFL, but somehow keeps gaining detractors, who claim he can’t win because he isn’t a cold-weather QB suitable for the weather of the CFL playoffs. Pexmi wasn’t a great owner in BC, and Ryckman in Calgary seems shady. Injured in his 4th season with Calgary, his streak of MOP wins ends, and he loses the Grey Cup for the only American team to ever win it. (low point)
He goes to the Argos. He goes to Toronto, where he cements his dominate play with consecutive MOPs and Grey Cups. Contemplating retirement given his unprecedented success, but is contacted by the NFL’s Buffalo Bills to sign with them. (high point)
FLutie is surprised when the Bills sign Rob Johnson 3 weeks later, and anoint him as starter. But after Johnson is knocked out while trailing late in the first game, Flutie comes in and leads the Bills to victory. As starter the following week, he scored on a 4-th-and-goal botched naked bootleg from around the 15, endearing himself to the Buffalo crowd. (highest point in story arc (Try and watch the drive in that and not get goosebumps - if you don’t get goosebumps, you’re a robot).
Flutie leads the Bills to the playoffs, and in spite of a valiant effort, loses to Miami. But his play makes it evident he’ll be the starter next season, which he is. With the standings locked up, Flutie is given the week off to rest in the final season. Johnson plays very well in a meaningless final game, and the Bills’ owner orders the coach to play Johnson in the playoffs over Flutie, because they’re paying a ton of $ to Johnson. Johnson’s play is terrible, but it takes the Music City Miracle to end the Bills’ season. Flutie is relegated to backup for no apparent reason. (low point)
FLutie is released from the Bills and signs with the worst team in the league, the Chargers. A;though his successes are minimal, he does beat the Bills on a (surprise!) naked bootleg after evading a sack. He mentors a young Drew Brees, and then returns to New England where he mentors Tom Brady. He ends his career with a drop-kicked point scored, something that hadn’t been done since 1941. (high pint)
A complaint about the Hernandez series was that it was “too gay” - the merits of that critique aside, Flutie is the opposite of that. Overlain on his professional accomplishments will be his personal life - he could’ve been a Rhodes Scholar, he married his high school sweetheart, and his Flutie Flakes come from his desire to have a charity for autism, since his son developed autism.
So what do you say?
- Nope. This wouldn’t resonate. Bad idea.
- No, because a happy message can;t generate enough buzz.
- I don;t care about this series
- No, but a Flutie bio would be good elsewhere
- Yes - this is the way