long gone summer review

Showing how Sosa had put that team on his back offensively to carry them to the postseason would’ve put his accomplishments that season in an even better context. (He claims to have only taken them to help with recovery.) window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { The doc also didn’t give enough attention to the month of June that Sosa had. (Not to mention that Barry Bonds topped McGwire’s record anyway.). Review: This weekend closes the book on ESPN’s COVID-19 documentary push, which saw the network air two hours of new documentary content every Sunday (typically on both ESPN and ESPN2). Interviews with leading film and TV creators about their process and craft. ESPN whiffs at a fastball low and outside in the unfortunately feel-good documentary Long Gone Summer, recapping the riveting historic home run chase of 1998 between Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals and Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs. ET on ESPN. The ’90s were wild. 'The Last Dance' set the bar. This was disappointing to me. The biggest question that plagued fans on Twitter: "Why make this?". For his part, as he has done in interviews since his retirement, Sosa deflected the question and did not answer it directly. Despite (or because of) both athlete’s participation, McGwire’s admission to juicing isn’t mentioned until there are only 10 minutes left, and Sosa’s corked bat isn’t mentioned at all. Samma Sosa being interviewed for “Long Gone Summer”. In ESPN and AJ Schnack's defense, this was meant to be the fond recollection of the 1998 baseball season that saw records being shattered — one game at a time. McGwire admitted to using steroids in 2010 and trots out similar talking points today. But is Long Gone Summer able to recapture the magic of that ’98 season? All Rights reserved. In no way do you walk away feeling like you have a better understanding of Sosa or McGwire, which was something that was achieved in both Lance and The Last Dance. Nothing would make me happier than to remember that summer as pure, uncorrupted, childhood fun, or to see my favorite player the same way I did then. The Ringer’s Review: TRUE linkswear LUX Pro, The Bubble Games Finale: FTS Picks the Champ, Russell Wilson showed why he’s one of the leagues best in Week 1, Making a Case: How Each Remaining Team can win a ‘Ship, Lakers looking for their 17th Championship, The Dodgers are two losses away from another October disaster, National League Championship Series Preview & Prediction, American League Championship Series Preview & Prediction, Dodgers Prove against Padres that this year may be different, National League Division Series Preview & Predictions, How a Colorado Avalanche Fan is Feeling This Off Season (So Far), Taylor Hall to Buffalo… Yes, You Read That Correctly, Jamie Benn is a dirty player, and the NHL lets him get away with it, Gambling with greasy – stanley cup finals, Here Comes The Money: From The Campus Bets Week 4, We made it! This may raise an eyebrow or two, given recent events, but it’s just a shot of a bar in St. Louis where Black Lives Matters became a very prominent cause following the 2014 death of Michael Brown in nearby Ferguson. While watching towering shots threaten to shatter the lights of the stadium makes for fleeting entertainment, the problem with the Home Run Derby is that the grandest of long balls only occur in the wild. The sport’s best(-ish) sluggers step to the plate and launch long ball after long ball into stands of “ooo”-ing and “ahh”-ing spectators. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. So it’s a bit disheartening not to see him have a fair share of the spotlight in the documentary. “Long Gone Summer” wants viewers to appreciate a feat of the past without considering if it was fabricated — just watch the balls soar and don’t ask too many questions. Ominously starting with Todd McFarlane trying to justify his million-dollar collection of McGwire and Sosa baseballs (as well as a throwaway shot of St. Louis’ tourist staple, Ted Drewes Frozen Custard), “Long Gone Summer” never escapes such superficial engagement with the story at hand, as it’s disproportionately focused on the race itself. Hitting a baseball at the major league level is often hailed as the hardest task in all of sports, and it’s not purely a matter of strength. Sosa, who has never admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs — but was caught in 2003 using a corked bat mid-game — still refuses to go there. MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of Enter Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. ESPN whiffs at a fastball low and outside in the unfortunately feel-good documentary Long Gone Summer, recapping the riveting historic home run chase of 1998 between Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals and Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs. It’s not just that we didn’t get into the topic of PEDs much, because there are plenty of features and documentaries about steroids in baseball. Another broadcaster has been kicked to the curb by the Phillies. Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. MEAWW is an initialism for Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide. But by the end of the season, "Slammin' Sosa" was a hero. eventAction: 'render' He simply asks, “Why do they focus on me when everyone in that era [took steroids]?” Is that a self-serving question? ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); 'Long Gone Summer'... well, people will be glad it's gone. Home runs are best appreciated in the context of a game, which often gains added meaning from a season-long marathon, or even a 100-year championship drought. Schnack, barely bothers to explain the relevance to modern fans, framing its remembrance through rose-colored nostalgia. I hope you’ll help me settle this one. These guys hit some home runs and it was really exciting. McGwire is the chosen one. ET on ESPN. I imagine that will go down smoothly for most interested folks, as it’s hard to argue that ’98 home run chase wasn’t a magical time in sports, and one that has been forgotten about since. Sosa, who has never admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs — but was caught in 2003 using a corked bat mid-game — still refuses to go there. He kept pace early on before fading and finishing the year with a mere 56 homers…10 shy of Sosa, and 14 off McGwire’s record-breaking pace. },false) Maybe because the steroid scandal soured many fans’ relationship with the long ball? I lived through it. Long Gone Summer Review. }); The first is that he’s passed out and his son is trying to wake him up. }); Emphasizing each player’s development as a hitter, as well as their natural talent, could’ve provided valuable context — especially when viewers will spend 90 percent of the doc wondering why the ’98 race matters so much when both men were (almost certainly) cheating their way to the top of the record books. That may be true, but, even if you set the scandal aside, it doesn’t mean much in hindsight: 2019 saw ongoing complaints about too many home runs, contrasted by a record-setting drop in attendance. Still, it’s perplexing to see how little “Long Gone Summer” cares about their lives, or even their basic athletic attributes, outside of the ’98 season. It took me back, and I’m sure it will take you back as well. We don’t really learn more about their relationship, what life was like behind the scenes, if they felt any guilt at the time, how they felt about Bonds surpassing them in 2001, and their thoughts on how that summer helped baseball in general. Unfortunately, not in the way that you probably wanted. “Long Gone” did a good job showing the 2 days in early September when the Cardinals and Cubs played each other when McGwire hit home runs 61 and 62.

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