Gatorade REPLAY Series Offers Redemption/Cure For Bad Breaks & Heart Aches
In "Any Given Sunday" Al Pacino's character said "when you get old in life things get taken from you. But, you only learn that when you start losing stuff. You find out that life [and sports] is just a game of inches. The margin for error is so small. One half step too late or to early you don't quite make it. One half second too slow or too fast and you don't quite catch it. The inches we need are everywhere around us. They are in ever break of the game, every minute, every second."
In sports the smallest of differences can make a world of change. Contests in which a heartbeat of time or a fingernail of length mean everything to a lifetime's worth of work. All the preparation, dedication and determination are reduced to one moment in time.
"If only" are probably the most depressing words ever said.
Countless people walk amongst us saying those words to themselves everyday. They wonder of what could have been had one bounce gone their way. How differently everything would have unfolded if they'd just made that play.
In the movie the "Best of Times" Robin Williams and Kurt Russell portray two such individuals.
Despite 13 years having passed Williams character can't get over "what he considers the most shameful moment in his life. The moment that he dropped a perfectly thrown pass (from Russell's character) in the final seconds of the 1972 high school football game between Taft and their arch-nemesis, Bakersfield.
Determined to rewrite history Williams coerces both teams to replay the game.
Everyone that has played sports probably wishes they could do the same.
You don't think that Gordon Hayward will always wonder what if his buzzer beater had gone in. Pretty sure Chris Webber wishes he hadn't called for timeout. There's no doubt that the 2002-03 Miami Hurricanes think why couldn't Terry Porter have been refereeing on the other side of the field.
Usually these players went pro and the pain may have faded a bit. Still what about the athletes who didn't move on to bigger and better. The ones who were living their sports "Glory Days?"
For these unfortunate souls a lifetime of self torment usually ensues. One in which your confidence, legacy and peace of mind are forever altered.
With that sort of personal redemption in mind Gatorade came up with their "REPLAY" series.
The concept is one which allows participants of a controversial finish to get together and settle things once and for all. It's their opportunity to either correct history or cement it.
Mind you these guys are usually far removed from their playing days. Thus the conditioning is predominantly not what it once was. To assist them in their comeback Gatorade provides the participants with a great training program.
The contestants are put through an eight week training and nutrition plan. They are assisted with and monitored in their workouts by members of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute.
To spice things up even more, Gatorade brings in professionals for the games to serve as honorary coaches. In the first Gatorade REPLAY, they brought in Peyton and Eli Manning. For “REPLAY 2″ they had Scotty Bowman and Brendan Shannahan as the coaches for a hockey rematch.
REPLAY 3's showdown will feature Dwyane Wade and Dwight Howard serving as coaches for the opposing rivals. Carlos Boozer will also be on hand, playing the role of "Honorary Commissioner". How great would it be if with five seconds left in a one point game Wade calls a timeout to sub himself in? It won’t happen, but that would be classic.
The game will pit two former Illinois high school basketball powerhouses (Brother Rice and Bloom Township) against one another.
Their 2000 Super Sectional game ended in controversy after a questionable last second tip-in at the buzzer which gave Bloom Township the victory.
After seeing the video it appears evident that the shot probably should not have counted. But thanks to the referees call Bloom moved on and Brother Rice has lived with ten years of "If Only".
It may have been 10 years since the game was originally played, but that hasn’t deterred either side from taking this rematch as a legitimate challenge.
"We’ve been taking our training and nutrition regime very seriously because we know Bloom will bring it on the 10th and we need to be ready to perform at a high level,” Mark Telander, Brother Rice guard, said. “We hope fans of both teams come out and cheer us on, but I won’t lie, I hope there is more maroon and orange than blue and white in the bleachers at St. Xavier on game day.”
The rematch will take place at Chicago’s St. Xavier University’s Shannon Center on Friday, Sept. 10 at 7:00 p.m. Bleacher Report will be on hand to cover the game as part of an interview with both Wade and Howard.
The game will also be streamed live on the official REPLAY website (link for the game).
