A Distance Tale!
When I used to enjoy the Dallas Cowboys excitement duo of Deion Sanders (inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011) and Michael Irvin (inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007), I thought about how televised sports is indicative a new age interest in human derring-do.
Like the gladiators of the Colosseum (Roman Empire), athletes of the modern-age represent a society celebration of competitive 'wrestling.'
However, in the modern-age, we are also intrigued by public endorsements and media marketing (e.g., Jerry Maguire).
Since Any Given Sunday is a perfect example of cinematic explorations of the 'universe' of competitive sports (specifically, football), here's a comic book stylized 'media-savvy' fan-fic I wrote about Sanders and Irvin (inspired by this surprising Oliver Stone film --- in which Al Pacino was terrific!).
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The Dallas Gazette read that the Cowboys' victory over the San Francisco 49ers in the first week of the NFL season indicated that the coaching changes made in the Cowboys staff had given the team a newfound sense of teamwork diligence. However, two of the team's stars, Deion Sanders and Michael Irvin, had remained steadfast to their 'old ways' of 'flashy individualistic play' and celebrity-guzzling bravado. The Cowboys coach believed this would hurt the team in the long run.
Sanders and Irvin had become best friends, and they were both fans of the American comic book superhero the Flash (DC Comics), a mutant whose incredible speed made him nearly impossible for villains to tackle. Sanders and Irvin were enjoying beers and BBQ at Sanders' house on the Sunday of Week 3 of the NFL season (when the Cowboys had a bye), and Sanders started talking about the negative press the two were receiving about their 'flashy play.'
Irvin explained to Sanders that the American audience wanted a 'convenient balance' between bravado and dependability, especially since this made for great endorsements and marketing continuity. Sanders felt the tinge of peer pressure frustration and suggested to his team-mate and buddy that the two become 'on-field vigilantes' like the Flash (DC Comics). Irvin agreed with him and told Sanders he should call himself the Green Imp (signifying a skill for adaptation and transformation) and that Irvin would call himself Yellowbeard (signifying Machiavellian surgery).
After the Cowboys defeat of the #1 ranked New Orleans Saints in Week 5 of the NFL season, the Dallas Gazette printed the following report:
"The Cowboys crushed the highly-favoured Saints in Week 5 behind the unbeatable (but 'flashy') play of the excitement-duo Sanders and Irvin who combined for 25 of the Cowboys' 35 points en-route to their 35-10 victory. Sanders went to the cameras after his TD and stated loudly 'I am the magnificent Green Imp, and I'm simply too ugly to stop!' while Irvin went to the cameras after his TD and stated loudly, 'I am the unruly Yellowbeard, and I'm simply too wild to control!' The Cowboys coach was very upset with this derring-do showcase but felt thrilled at the Cowboys' winning ways. Will Green Imp and Yellowbeard prevail this season as the NFL's new 'devilish duo'?"
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Deion Sanders:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deion_Sanders
Michael Irvin:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Irvin