It's time for Stars on Sports, a

podcast radio show dedicated to sharing stories about our athletic program at Lansing Community College.

LCC athletics has a strong tradition.

23 national championship wins, over 170 all Americans, 19 MCCAA all sports trophies.

Stars on Sports will introduce you to individuals that have contributed to our program success and give you the backstory on what it takes to develop it.

We'll also dive into and break down the topics and issues facing athletic departments across the nation.

And here at lcc, this is Starz on Sports.

Hello and welcome to another episode of Stars on Sports.

I am joined by our assistant AD and baseball coach, Steven Cutter, and our producer, Dadalion Lowry.

And today we have so many good conversations before we even start.

But I'm not going to digress.

Or today, you know, we're recording this podcast as we come close to the holiday seasons.

And there's, you know, a couple of things when you think of the holidays and you think of traditions.

But the thing I kind of wanted to talk about today is movies because, you know, the holiday season, I think is one of the times of the year where a lot of movies come out.

And we're not just going to talk any movies.

I think we need to talk sports movies.

So do you normally go to the movies?

Movies?

You know, it's funny, I don't.

I'm not a big movie person.

Why.

But just time, no time.

I mean, finding time to spend two to three hours to go.

I like going to the movies.

I, I enjoy it, but I just don't go often.

And when I do go, I do enjoy it.

And I am at a stage where our family is older.

So a recent tradition for us is our two youngest kids.

We do take to the movies on Thanksgiving.

So yesterday with a big conversation in our house of are we going this year and what we're going to see.

And, you know, the last couple of years, we've let one of our kids pick and they've done a horrible job.

I think we found the worst movie on Thanksgiving to watch.

But it's still fun to be together because our older kids are with their families and hanging out.

We celebrate at a different time.

But.

And we'll talk about, you know, I like popcorn.

And, you know, it's kind of like a concession stand at an athletic event.

So that's probably my favorite part is unlimited popcorn in slushies or, or soda.

So somebody, somebody recently got me into popcorn with M and M's thrown in there.

Okay.

Yeah, it gets a little messy because it gets Kind of melted.

Melted and stuff.

But it's.

It's.

It's pretty tasty.

It's worth it.

That's tough.

In our family, my kids like putting all this, like, ranch or cheddar on it.

I prefer just butter.

I don't know.

I don't mind caramel.

Yeah.

It's so strong.

I love ranch.

But no.

Well, you mentioned sports movies, but I don't know that there's been any good sports movies made in a long time.

I'm going to disagree with you on that one, Creed.

Okay, see, I agree.

That's.

Have you had a chance to watch them?

Okay, I have not seen it either.

But that is.

When you search sports movie, that is a top one for being one of the better sports movies.

And the whole Rocky series is, you know, up there when you think of sports movies.

So they just remade something about Rocky.

Yeah.

So it was Creed.

It was supposed to be the son of Apollo Creed, and I don't remember his first name, but yeah, they had three different movies that were made.

The first two featured Sylvester Stallone.

I didn't get to watch all the way through the third one, but I believe that is where he is supposed to have passed away at that point.

Don't ruin it for everyone.

Spoiler alert.

Yeah.

Okay.

Well, there's probably gonna be a lot in here because I am not very good about giving that preference of letting people know.

Spoiler.

Al Coach.

One down.

Have you seen the Rocky series?

The originals?

Yeah, yeah, I. I have watched those, for sure.

I'm not a big movie person, so.

No, you're not a big movie person.

More the type that drop the kids off at the movie theater.

Okay.

Go get something to eat.

So your kids do like the movies, though?

I think that's normal.

But so if you do go to the movies, is it a sport movie or is it a different movie that you prefer to see?

I really don't go to the movies.

Not even a sit around the house and got to watch some Netflix or something.

Not a ton.

Okay.

Not.

Not really a ton, but.

But I do believe there was some really good sports movies that were made, you know, prior to, you know, the last 20 years or so.

But when you talk sports movies, baseball is a.

A big theme in sports movies.

Is it?

Yeah.

There's Looking Out, Field of Dreams.

Cut.

You know what?

I'm.

Did you see it?

Yeah.

Okay.

I was just in Iowa for our women's volleyball national tournament, and it was an hour and 15 minutes away, and I didn't make it to it, but that's disappointing that I could have gone to Dryersville, Iowa and seen Field of Dreams.

I'm not sure there's a lot there to see.

So that's why we chose to go to the University of Iowa in Kirkwood.

But I think that would have been cool because Field of Dreams was more than a sports movie.

I mean, some good messages in there, which again that's, I think why sports movies resonate with our society.

You know, one of the big questions is do you need to be a sports fan to watch sports movies?

No, not at all.

You don't?

No, because they're, you know, they're typically underdog movies which we've talked about in the past.

They're, they're movies of teams overcoming odds.

Most of sports movies are family oriented teams that achieve throughout the year.

So I think that's why they resonate with our society.

And many people like going to see sports movie than that.

There were so many out there.

But back to the baseball movie.

Do you have a favorite baseball movie of all time?

Yeah, there was a movie where Dennis Quaid played Jim Morris and it was called the Rookie.

And Dennis, or Jim Morris was a high school baseball coach and had been a pretty prolific pitcher at one point.

But I think some injuries derailed him and became a husband, father, whole nine yards and made a, made a promise to his high school team that if they won a district or whatever it was that he would go to a tryout, a pro tryout.

And they actually, you know, to this day they still have that kind of stuff and at the minor league level.

And he went and he made the team and worked his way up and you know, pitched in pro ball for a couple years for the Rangers.

So it was based on a true story, pretty good story.

And I can, I could really relate to that because I really got into like, you know, chasing my dreams and stuff at a, at a later age.

It wasn't something that I, you know, did right out of high school.

So I could have, I could align with most of that.

And again, that's where sports movies resonate because you can align.

That's, that's a baseball movie I didn't even have on my list.

But I had seen, you know, another baseball movie I think that hits home that's not much more sports related is Moneyball.

You know, I enjoyed that one.

Just the statistical stuff behind it.

What about kids movies?

Do your kids sing in?

Did you like?

Growing up we used to throw sports movies in for our kids to watch.

Bad news Beer bears.

Could you count Sandlot in that?

Sandlot's a great one.

Very popular movie for kids and adults, I think.

One where parents can watch with, with the kid.

Did you see the Sandlot?

I did a review here at LCC last year, but yeah, my daughters have enjoyed League of Their Own.

Yep.

So that was about the, there's American

there, there was a, it's not a movie, but there was the tv.

They did it on Netflix.

I believe it was a new version of League of Their Own.

Very cool, but a series.

And they did a great job.

Really updated it, gave it a lot more thematic.

Really cool.

I coached baseball in a stadium where they played at one point there.

Really?

Yeah.

Really, really cool stuff.

My grandfather, one of the ladies that had played in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League was a neighbor of his.

So he, he would talk about her like, you know, just fairly recently or over the last 10 years or so we'd talk about it and talk about how, you know, what she did and so pretty cool stuff.

That is cool.

And that's why I think sports movies are popular because of those things you can relate.

And some of it is the settings of them, where they take place and the history that's involved.

The other thing is the music.

I mean sports music in movies has been a very popular, the soundtracks from sports movies has been very popular in our society and you know, a lot of warm up music is pulled probably even from some of the movies that have strong soundtracks.

How about you?

What do you like to look back on?

I really like the sports movie top three.

I have so many, but Rudy and Hoosiers are two that stand out to me is some of my favorites.

Big underdog guy.

Rudy especially.

Wow.

Yeah, Classic underdog.

Yep.

Of course someone that kept trying and then hard work and then the team rallied behind them.

So those two, you know, I, I, I'm a Cleveland fan and there's been a lot of movies made about Cleveland teams.

So I'm kind of partial to those Major League draft day, you know, that just pick on the Cleveland team.

But they're, you know, in the movie they win and you know, in real life they don't.

But you know, I don't think, you know, there's a lot of sports teams that have been made movies about, but I don't think you're, you have to be your favorite team to go root for them.

I think people like major league even though it was a team that, you know, many people don't root for.

So I think that's Another part of it.

And the other interesting thing is there's been movies about almost every sport.

You know, hockey, boxing has been more prominent than we've known.

Dodgeball, you know, cool.

Running the Olympic bobsled team.

Golf.

Golf has been another big top.

Those are always my favorites.

Caddyshack is one of my all time favorite movies ever.

Adam Sandler and Tin Cup.

I love Tin cup, where, you know, he just keeps hitting the ball.

Another one, another one, another one, you

know, you know, and that sport, dude, I can see people doing that in real life.

Like I'm hitting it over now.

I've got this.

Oh, I, I have definitely, I have definitely golfed with some guys that have

becomes competitive and it cost him a tournament, you know.

Is it realistic?

I don't know, but most stories are realistic.

Some of them are challenging issues.

Remember the Titan, the Blind side.

You know, things that have challenged our society.

That these movies are based on true stories that, that share those stories.

Horse racing is another one.

I mean, I didn't think I'd like horse racing movies, but you know, Secretariat and Seabiscuit.

Seabiscuit, you know, another underdog, you know, a horse that.

Too small, that, that can win.

So.

Yeah, so I've, I've seen a lot.

I haven't seen many.

I took a class in college where we had to study movies and books.

So I, you know, pool, the color of Money, Hustler, you know, were some, you know, really dark and you know, telling stories that I don't think get enough attention, but they're, they're, you know, make you think and you watch.

So you know, a lot of comedy.

Big Lebowski, you know, Talladega Nights, which I'm not.

Yeah, I haven't really like studied, but a lot of people use lines from that movie.

Have you seen Talladega Nights?

Yeah, well, earlier when we were talking about the sandlot, I still to this day.

You're killing me, Smalls.

Yeah, yeah, that's a common line.

And you know, back to baseball.

Bull Durham with one that, you know, when I.

Another college reference is when opening day of baseball started.

Me and my roommate would watch like four baseball movies.

The Natural.

Trying to think of the couple other.

That might have been Summer Catch.

Okay.

Now, I'm not as familiar with that one, but.

Okay.

Baseball movie about the Cape Cod summer collegiate baseball league.

Okay.

Based on a true story or just.

Yeah, no, I don't think so.

Okay.

Huh.

But again, there's a lot.

Well, that's as we talk about with sports.

There's a lot of stories there that you can draw and pinpoint from and make money off.

So.

Okay, I think I have.

Looks like a rom com.

Yeah, I like rom com.

That looks like one that the dallian Doing an excellent job of doing our research right here while we.

Yeah, that's Freddie Prinz Jr.

There, isn't it in Summer Catch and Jessica Beal.

Okay, okay, okay.

All right.

Well, I got a list though to watch when I get home.

Like in school, I remember when we were young, we watched Brian's Song, which was about the Chicago Bears.

Brian Sayers.

Yeah.

That had got cancer, I believe, before it was, you know, topic.

So I don't know why we watched that in school, but I remember watching that and then.

Really?

Okay, yeah.

So, you know, even our educational system is supporting this.

But, you know, it just good entertainment.

You know, it's back to going to movies.

I watch probably more real sports, live action sports.

So that, you know, probably more entertaining for me.

Again, I consider it the best reality.

But you know, sports movies is that second layer.

Nothing brings people together like music and sports.

So that is just one of those things.

A common topic.

And in sports movies, you, as we talked, you usually get both the music.

I mean, I didn't know this, but when I reached Search for this podcast, some of the soundtracks out there.

The Rudy soundtrack is pretty popular.

The, the Natural soundtrack is pretty popular.

The theme from the Natural, like, it's just pretty cool.

It's like instrumental and you know, just, you know, just like that brings, that

brings to mind Chariots of Fire.

Cheers of Fire was another one classic song right there.

Yep, yep.

Still use center field from one of the movies of the big song that's out there.

But, but yeah, I, I was a runner, so I watched Chariots of Fire and that was a soundtrack that I had, you know, growing up.

So again, it's all sports.

We think of the most popular sports in our society, but movies have done a nice job of capturing every sport.

And again, it's more than movies.

We've talked about TV shows on this.

We've talked about all the documentaries coming out that have, you know, we've learned from.

What's the one on Apple Ted Lasso?

Yeah, yeah, that, that is.

I'm sorry, I gotta agree with Greg on this one.

It's, it's, it's an awesome show.

And you still haven't watched any of it.

There's so many good messages.

It's almost coach cut like.

Yeah.

As a soccer coach.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Football Right, right.

So.

And again, the soccer movies out there, and maybe not as many, but, you know, I haven't probably seen as many, but it's, you know, that's a world sport.

But yeah, Ted Lasso has really brought that up and brought it out to the general public more than just a sports audience because of the themes and the messages and the positivity.

So I know you're going to watch it at some time, but that'll be a whole nother podcast because the messages from Ted Lasso Weekend really dive into.

But

even the, the silliest ones, I think sometimes have a good message underneath them.

Yep.

Bad News Bears, you know, Mighty Ducks is another one.

Happy Gilmore, you know, some of these silly ones.

Dodgeball.

Dodgeball.

Yeah, yeah.

What was the Will Ferrell one with where the.

The Flint Tropics.

Oh, right.

Yeah, yeah.

I'm trying to remember the name of that.

I can't think of it.

I can't either.

But I did see that one.

Somebody out there.

Somebody out there is yelling at our podcast right now.

Good.

We like audience participation, even if we

can't hear them at the moment.

Varsity Blue, some say.

I think that was like even made after the University of Michigan, so.

And even like how many movies or show just have sports as a side topic, you know, that, you know, going to a sporting event as part of the scene or, you know, like I think of the.

Some of the TV shows, like who's the Boss that, you know, he was a former baseball player.

Cheers.

You know how the baseball theme was there, so it's hard to get away from sports.

Karate Kid, that's another one.

That's.

That's a franchise that has gone on to do a TV show as well.

Yep.

My kids watched it.

Interesting to watch the new series that was on one streaming platform.

But Karate Kid was themed when we watched growing up and you know, what a great movie where a lot of it wasn't even sports specific at first.

And the kid, Ralph Macho, didn't wonder why, you know, I'm waxing a car that's helping me for karate.

And we do a lot of that with our practices that sometimes the kids don't understand.

True.

That message.

What about worse movies?

Any bad sports movies you've seen?

I was trying to stay away from the negative there, Greg, but way to go.

Let's dive into it.

Both of them.

Look at it.

Were the sequels, you know, those ones that were, you know, sometimes just like in any movie industry, when there's one that the big hit, then they Start making two and three, and they're.

They're not as good, you know, I don't know of any bad movies off the top of my head.

That's not one.

Yeah.

Slap Shot two listed there.

Yeah, a lot of sequels, so.

First one was good, though.

Yeah, it was excellent.

Great one.

Candy Shack, too.

That was a pretty bad one.

Yeah, that's fair.

The sequel, Mr. 3000.

Yeah, that was another big one.

Mighty Ducks 3.

Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah, they're.

They're.

All right.

Let's.

Let's dive into the negativity a little bit.

Air bud.

Yeah, a lot of sports movies that were specific to kids, and our kids watch them.

I have a handful here that are unsung, like little giants.

I don't know if you ever saw that one.

That was one that our kids watched regularly about youth football.

And, you know, one guy is a famous football player and his brother doesn't know football, but they end up.

The one guy doesn't take his son on his team, so he coaches his son's team, and then they end up meeting in the championship and you can figure out who won hardball with another one.

My kids really enjoyed a baseball court.

Keanu Reeves, who, you know, gets in trouble for gambling.

So his community service project is to coach a youth baseball team of misfits.

And, you know, he doesn't like it, but they end up, you know, I

bet they start winning.

They do.

They do.

Amazing.

They are going to the ship.

Jackie Moon, semi pro.

Okay.

Okay.

As you were saying that, I was kind of trying to think of one of the sports movies where.

Where it doesn't come out the way you think it's gonna.

Oh, good question.

Yeah.

I can't think of anything off the

top of my head.

Usually.

Usually you're looking at that underdog coming back.

Yeah.

Yep.

Yeah.

Yeah.

That's a good question.

I should have done a little more research, so.

And I'm not aware of any sports movies coming out in the next little time here, but holidays coming up, any tradition that you.

No, just time with family.

And that's good.

That's good for sure.

Give the team a little time off.

Right.

All of our teams do a little bit, so that's.

Do you find that regrouping when you come back around?

Is it.

Is that.

But pretty easy to roll back into it again.

Yeah, yeah, Yep, yep.

Very much.

Yeah.

And that's a nice thing.

It's not a long break, so just a little.

Just some rest.

I mean, the longer breaks, it is a little harder to come Back from, I think.

But most of our student athletes are playing pretty regular.

Even when they're on break.

They might play catch or you know, go to a facility and get some reps in it, which stinks.

You know, that's our society now that, that's, that's kind of what they do in their downtime.

Athletics is a full time thing and

they're open on holidays.

You know, it's fine for people to get in, but it's nice to get a break from some of the other things.

You know, the, the pressures, the, the daily routine that they, they do.

You're like your rituals and habits are really important.

So if you build good ones, it doesn't matter if it's Thanksgiving or if it's a midwinter break or anything else.

But what you did hit on is some of the social media that some of those pressures and stuff.

It is nice to get away from that kind of stuff.

Yeah.

And it helps.

I mean doing something full force every day for a long period of time.

I mean our body does need to, you need to take care of yourself and you and I have had those conversations and something you need to do, you know, to make sure, you know, some of our best coaches that do need to do that and that's maybe where the holidays help a little bit.

At least something to a lesser degree that, and the focus is different more hopefully to family, but it never stopped.

I'm sure you're probably going to think about baseball on some of these holidays and our other coaches too.

And some have to practice because they have games coming up.

Not specifically the holiday itself but, but right around there.

So it is a good time.

It's a good time for us to, you know, reflect and we got a lot to, to be thankful for and a lot, you know, Thanksgiving be thankful and Christmas, the spirit of giving.

You know, hopefully we can do those two things in our athletic department.

You know, a lot of community service projects coming up for our student athlete during this holiday time.

They've already started with Silver Bells this last week and I'm running the turkey trot on Thursday with our family.

That's another tradition we started and you know, our cross country and softball teams will help out at those events.

I know your team to help with the bell ringing this holiday season.

So again, it doesn't ever completely stop for us, but hopefully, you know, it slows down a little bit the refresh and regenerate because once we get back at it, we're all in to be successful.

So anything else, Dan?

No, not at all.

All right.

As always, good conversation and good Go Stars.

Stars on Sports is recorded live at the WLNZ Studios.

Engineering and production assistance are provided by Dadalion Lowry.

You can listen to this episode and other episodes of Stars on Sports on demand@lccconnect.org to find more information about our athletic program, visit lccstars.com thanks for listening.

Go Stars Calm down and celebrate with me tonight we'll all go wild after our victory Calm down Go.