Keeth and Erinn Smart story featured on Showtime

[Craig]

Some may find this interesting - How the story actually get to be featured when the film crew was there for a totally different story.

Keeth and Erinn Smart - How the story got into Bud Greenspan Presents

The documentary premiers on Showtime this Monday night at 7pm Eastern and Pacific.

Craig

[zéphirin]

Some may find this interesting - How the story actually get to be featured when the film crew was there for a totally different story.

A very interesting story indeed and for many reasons--the human interest angle of Erinn and Keeth, Errin holding off Aida Mohammed and bringing then the first silver in Beijing with the team, Keeth's and Podz epic bouts in Athens and Beijing with mirror end results. Even the points entering the last bout were the same but in reverse order and the one starting behind finished ahead. And what about the contested point which could have closed the bout and the dream 45-43 and wasn't? And who caught that violation of the rules? Can't wait to see it on TV and thank you for giving us the background. It makes even more interesting to watch.


It also makes you think about why and what "movie" people/MAD Men see as an interesting story. Two consec gold medals by our only Olympic fencing champion? Nothing special for them, no drama, they say...because yes you swept the individual podium (could someone explain to the outsiders how difficult and rare it is to get 1,2,3 in a DE competition? We are almost talking triple crown stuff but nobody knows) but oh shucks, you missed the gold in team! Sorry, no story for you! You begin to appreciate how hard it really is to come up with a successful commercial campaign even if you think you hold all the aces.


I also think that behind all this Jeff Bukantz with his persistence and the fact that he was there both times was the catalyst for this story to be told and I hope others will recognize his contribution. Admittedly, to be lucky in life 90% of the time all you've got to do is to be there, but Jeff not only was there, he did something, he reacted, he persevered and never let go, and this is what made all this happen.


I always wondered why has Jeff disappeared from the USFA scene? Yes he's abrasive and has stroked some people the wrong way, so I hear, but the guy is one of the few who's done something as US Team Captain and to get US fencing known. Why is he gone? Who took over what he did? Who will be in London in his place for the next winning story which may be not about winning but competing?


And for those who wonder why I ask these questions, I never even met the guy. I just read his book about his dad (who passed away just before Beijing), Closing the distance or something... Maybe he's not a nice guy for some, but he did good things and this story is a good story. Thank you Jeff.


And thank you Craig for telling us the story behind the story. And of course thank you Erinn and Keeth: without you, no showtime movie this time...


It's a good thing, as my good friend Martha would say...

[heretic]

Kudos to Bud Greenspan's classy group of documentarians on a great job. Two regrets: first, that Yury didn't have a sound byte included (maybe in place of Westbrook's apocryphal "Gatorade" story); second, that Tom and Liz weren't around to see this. When I expressed this sentiment to Erinn upon her return from Beijing, she maintained she was certain they had seen everything that happened.

And yes, Bukantz (who is solely responsible for the selection and inclusion of the Smart's story) is persona non grata, but thank goodness the future of our teams and Organization is nestled in the talented hands of Andrea Lagan, Ro Sobalvarro, Derek Cotton, Greg Dillworth, and a legion of Nancy Anderson holdovers waiting in the wings with all their profound wisdom and experience; all in all, proven leadership we can count on. ;-)

[Jedi Knight]

Some may find this interesting - How the story actually get to be featured when the film crew was there for a totally different story.

Keeth and Erinn Smart - How the story got into Bud Greenspan Presents

The documentary premiers on Showtime this Monday night at 7pm Eastern and Pacific.

Craig

I don't have Showtime. Is the story available somewhere online (i.e. youtube or vimeo)?

[heretic]

I'm surprised to see no feedback on the show. Did the fencing community simply not pay attention?

[flechewounds]

I'm surprised to see no feedback on the show. Did the fencing community simply not pay attention?

Really, it was f*cking awesome (and I'm not joking)... the best fencing piece I've ever seen (even if it was somehow polluted by heretic's and bukie boy's ugly mugs )... Eric - fix your collar!

Seriously, as with most Greenspan productions, it made you want to laugh, cry and really brought you closer to the athletes.

[Jedi Knight]

Really, it was f*cking awesome (and I'm not joking)... the best fencing piece I've ever seen (even if it was somehow polluted by heretic's and bukie boy's ugly mugs )... Eric - fix your collar!

Seriously, as with most Greenspan productions, it made you want to laugh, cry and really brought you closer to the athletes.

Agreed! For those that do not have Showtime, the entire story has been uploaded to YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA10tqDwh78

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffOP6...eature=related

[Purple Fencer]

Thanks! A typical Greenspan production....excellent from top to bottom!

I remember cringing while watching Erin's bout with Aida...I couldn't even begin to watch Keeth's with Poz....

[Craig]

Really good piece.

[gladius]

Agreed! For those that do not have Showtime, the entire story has been uploaded to YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA10tqDwh78

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffOP6...eature=related

Thank you Jedi for posting the links for me and all those without a Showtime connection. I felt a thrill going up my leg...while watching.

Did anyone else ever feeel this way or am I the only one?

[zéphirin]

I felt a thrill going up my leg...

Gladius reference to the thrill got me inspired (sort of) and I dug out the actual transcript of Chris Matthews live commentary on MSNBC. Having some idle time (always bad to be idle) I sort of put together this spoof to describe my take on this movie and the story behind.

Here is good ol' me as Chris on Greenspan's documentary.

"I have to tell you, you know, it's part of reporting this case, the sport of fencing, the feeling most people get when they see Bud Greenspan's documentary. My, I felt this thrill going up my leg. I mean, I don't have that too often. No, seriously. It's a dramatic event. He speaks about America's fencing in a way that has nothing to do with politics. It has to do with the feeling we have about our sport. And that is an objective assessment."

And about the other side, USFA leadership, a rather pessimistic assessment (here I took more poetic license):

"But I just think that the USFA leadership's problem is that this is way over their head for them: they are mentally old they stand with the old clichés and cliques and ways of doing business which have never changed. They "stand" by Mike Pederson who has resigned as HP Director but wants to be considered for the position of WF national coach after the coach he selected could not last more than 48 hours. They look like an army in retreat hunkered down in Colorado. That's what it looks like. US fencing used to be right up there above the French almost next to the Italians in Beijing where they could get two medals other than the four in WS. They could do this without an HP organization. Now that they had an HP Director he couldn't last 7 months!"

an adaptation of Chris Matthews rant on MSNBC live coverage during the primary elections after the speeches of Obama and McCain had aired)