what if boobie hadn't broke his knee ?

I've thought about that too, but I really don't know... In the bonus material on the DVD, where you can watch "The history of the 1988 Permian Panthers", there's an interview with Boobie that just breaks my heart to be honest... He talks about how after he couldn't play anymore he started getting ready for college but then noticed that no colleges were writing him anymore. He talks about how you've got to have a plan B, if plan A doesn't work out, that you've got to have an education. And that he wonders how things would have been if he hadn't busted his knee, he says something like "Maybe I wouldn't have had my two daughters. Maybe I wouldn't have been as good a father as I am now. That's how I have to think. It keeps me from going crazy."
I can only imagine his pain, when he says that last sentence; "It keeps me from going crazy."
Maybe he would have become a legend, rich and famous. But as he said maybe he wouldn't have had his daughters. But would children have even been important to him if he had had that other life?
I don't know, I just really wish he's happy now...

"Miles attended Ranger junior college for a year and played as a fullback before flunking out and has since had trouble holding jobs. He then spent some time playing semi-pro football in Culpepper, Virginia though he was never able to regain his high school form or confidence in his ability. He regrets trying to play on his injured knee before having surgery to repair it.[4]

He has two children who live in Midland with their mother. As of August 2009 Miles lives in Dallas and is not working. In May 2009, he was charged with aggravated assault. Police said he struck his stepbrother repeatedly in the head with a beer bottle. He received a sentence of five years' deferred probation in district court. The charge will be dismissed if he successfully completes probation." From wikipedia.


Critics suck. Go see what they hate

In terms of the team in the movie, they prolly win State. The real team prolly beats Dallas Carter and advances to state, possibly winning.

For him as a person, who knows. He would've turned out to be a completely different person I think.

Also the guy never had to worry about anything because he was so dam good at football. It was his ticket to success. When he got hurt, he and his uncle made a stupid decision to play without having surgery and letting it heal. It was a dumb decision that shattered his dreams. Do we have to try and tear down a guy who has prolly lived a life full of regret because of that choice? His dream, hell his future was shattered that day. I'm not trying to defend his choices after that, but try to put yourself in his shoes for a minute. Thats all I'm saying.

I've noticed that a few folks have answered this with the movie as their frame-of-reference... and some have used the book. Those using the movie need to know that LV's character is portrayed a bit differently than the real thing. From my recollections, he was not a cocky/arrogant man.

In reality, the only answer anyone can come up with is: "Who knows?"

He might have been hurt the very next play for all we know. He might have gone on to glory in the NCAA ranks and the pros. We'll never know.

I knew that team and the man, and can tell you this... assuming he would've stayed healthy, I still think the season would've ended the same. Comer was a more-than-adequate replacement, and surprised the coaches/players/fans with his season (and the season after, where they did indeed win the state title). Permian was never known for being a "one man show", and this team was no different. Boobie was a special talent, but so was Comer.

Anything said beyond this is just speculation.

who knows? thats the real answer. probably he would of done great as a player and go to NFL become rich and famous. probably would of played about 5 seasons then retire move back to odessa and be a car salesman. the team probably would of went all the way to state and won. the book written about the team would of came out and the only difference would be the end of the book where the team wins and i dont think a movie would of came out. if it did the whole feel to it would be so different. i dont think peter berg would of did it. so many ifs.

What I don't understand is why the coach let him play soo soon. I mean the kid was out for approx 2 weeks due to an injury and hadn't even practiced before the coach let him back in the game. And he was sitting on the bench that whole game. No warm up drills, nothing. Am I the only one who thought that was odd?

He got hurt. He had surgery. It was discovered there was more damage and that he needed additional reconstructive surgery. Or he could try rehab and play with a brace. He chose the brace and playing.

What I wonder is if he'd chosen to have the second surgery (reconstructive, the initial surgery was only an arthroscopy) immediately rather than playing on the injured knee, would he have made a full recovery. I suspect the chances for that recovery would have been better if he'd chosen to get the surgery right away. We'll never know for sure.

He was clearly a gifted player. Odds are good he would have gone to a Division I college and possibly on to the NFL. But there are no guarantees in life. He might have gotten injured later on. He put all of his eggs in his football basket, choosing not to study or try to get an education. The ultimate tragedy of his life not amounting to what it might have been is as much the result of the choice to ignore education as it is the injury.

He hurt his knee in a way that ended your career(1988). Tearing your ACL, actually if you tear all 3 ligaments in your knee you can come back with surgery nowadays. If he didn't injure his knee he would've at least played Division I football in college and their team would've won State in High School. I don't know about the pro's but at least a top flight college.

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