VC - Behind The Glory Report
Proby45011
of Carter's life story haven't already been exposed time and again, but
probably the most extensive collection of impressive Vince Carter footage
complied into an hour long program one could only hope for. The editing alone
of all the highlight reel reminiscing was simply esthetically fantastic. I
can't overstate that enough.
This narrated program spotlighted Vince talking about his feelings on each
featured clip of his story. As you sit and watch his interviews, what strikes
you is how calm and well spoken he is. He comes across as down to earth and
mature. Totally relaxed, sincere and likable. Certainly nowhere near the
unsure of himself, stuttering rookie that came into Toronto four years ago. In
this piece, there's no mistaking he's very much a man and not boy.
It started out with footage of Vince playing organized basketball as a young
child. Interestingly enough, you can see Vince in every sequence as the only
one on the court wearing protective goggles. Vince's real father talks about
tossing a basketball back and forth with his uncle over Vince's crib the day
they brought him home from hospital. Moving on to Vince's High School years,
there's extensive footage shown from everything from the standing room only
crowds to the cheerleaders. There were dunks, and dunks and more dunks. And in
erie fashion, there were the same animated grandstanding gestures after his
spectacular plays that we would see Vince do in his first two seasons as a
Raptor. There was the agony of being defeated in the Florida State Finals one
year to the championship victory the next. Shots of the parade with Vince and
his teammates hanging of out cars. There were interviews with North Carolina
coaches remembering that their decision to offer Vince a scholarship came off
their first scouting trip to Mainland High. Something they related that was a
very unusual practice. There was a flashback shot of Vince's announcement to
attend UNC at the High School gym and the wild scene of joy that followed. And
what would a visit to Vince's High School days be without viewing Mr. Majorette
upclose. I dare say Vince looked very comfortable waving that baton and
marching around in those drum major whites.
Life at Carolina was tough. Not much playing time initially, and the
structured program that didn't allow Vince to show what he could do was
disappointing and frustrating. I had read before where Momma Michelle visited
Dean Smith three times during Vince's freshman season to discuss his role on
the team. Vince talked about Butch Carter and said he never told anyone this
before, but when he came to Toronto Butch told him that he was going to give
him the ball and let him do all the things he couldn't in college .. let him
show the world what he could do. It meant a lot Vince and he credited Butch
with his rise to stardom. He spoke of how Butch got on him when he wasn't
right and several interview clips with Butch Carter confirmed that. One honest
assessment in particular, after being swept by NY, Butch Carter simply
recounted of Vince's play .... "He stunk."
There was lots of interjection paralleling Vince's rise with his brother,
Chris' decent into the world of drugs. Arrested five time in a two year
period, Chris openly points to living in Vince's shadow as the reason he chose
to run in a downward direction. Constantly being compared to Vince and
expected to do what he could. He looks nothing like Vince and sounded more
incoherent than not. There were several clips of Michelle and ex-second hubby
Harry that emphatically rang home that they had done whatever they could to
deter Chris's behavior. Michelle recounted that the two boys were close, until
their teens when Vince's notoriety started to kick in. That when Chris began
to spin out of control, there were punishments and tough love handed out,
discipline and help of all kinds given. God, she maintained was the only one
that could change him. At the height of Vince's recruiting, Chris had quit
high school and moved out of the house to live with his unsavory friends in the
worst section of Daytona. Vince's prospective was one of understanding and
defense of his brother. He played the part of being supportive and at the same
time focused on his college career. At which point he said, he knew little
about what Chris was involved with. In an emotional moment, Vince admitted
that he never did visit his brother in prison ... that he just couldn't bring
himself to do that. You could almost read Vince's quiltas he says it. Chris'
final clip, he reveals he's on track to finishing up high school and is
committed to being drug free .. that he'd like to make his mother and brother
proud of him.
On to draft night where Vince said he had his first taste of the business side
of the NBA when he was immediately traded to Toronto. Stated as if almost it
was an unpleasant experience. Then on to the Tank Black episode. A lot of
footage of Michelle detailing how close they were to Black, how much they
trusted him and refused to believe that he would ever take advantage of Vince
and how absolutely devested they were to be the last ones to find out that
Black had taken $200,000 of Vince's money and invested it illegally. The look
on Michelle's face as she said that she would never forgive that man for
hurting "that kid" was priceless.
The McGrady issue was revisited. The incredibly close friendship they shared
in Vince's Rookie year. If Vince wasn't at Tracy's condo, Tracy was at his.
Playing video games, laughing, dancing. A clip of Alvin Williams talking about
how they pushed each other in practice and how much they each respected the
other on the court. And several clips from McGrady talking about how he and
Vince were inseparable, how they knew they had something very special on the
court together and finally how Vince believed they could both be in the
limelight and how Tracy felt they couldn't. Clear as a bell. As Vince would
comment, he wanted to be a superstar and now he is ... I'm happy for him. And
you truely believe Vince when he says it. As the program showed vintage
footage of these two on the floor, it suddenly hits you how much better a
player Tracy made Vince. Tracy's sheer passing ability and playground style
coupled with a streaking Carter and his athletic assets was pure poetry in
motion. They touched upon the hurtful comments Tracy made, his leaving as a
free agent coinciding with Butch Carter's demise as a very painful time for
Vince. Vince says of the comments Tracy was to have made .. "maybe he said
them, maybe he didn't" ... as if there were still a doubt that he didn't
believe Tracy's denials, but that it didn't matter as he chose to rekindle the
friendship.
I'm not sure it was every brought to light just how much Butch Carter's firing
pained Vince at the time. Apparently, the combination of both Tracy and Butch
leaving left him angry. Angry enough to grow his hair and head down under with
a chip on his shoulder and looking for an outlet. Butch Carter and Vince
talked on the phone while Vince was at the Olympics and still remained close.
Butch claims he tried to keep Vince focused on winning and told him .. go bring
me home my gold medal.
Graduation Day .... lots of Michelle finally getting an opportunity to answer
the critics. She stated that as educators they firmly believed that part of
the education process was the celebration that went along with it. That she
couldn't believe anyone could criticize Vince for wanting to take part in his
celebration and that she was extremely proud of him for not letting the
pressure of the media and what anyone else thought make him change his mind.
Lots of footage of the "shot" that missed from different angles ... and Vince
relaying that he asked the coach for that last shot and said to Lenny before he
went out onto the floor ...I'll get myself open and make it. As a fan, you're
happy to know that he wanted it and believed he could do it, even it didn't
work out that way.
You had the feeling that the Carters had a hand in what was covered in this
production. Several things were left out of the story. No mention of Oak and
his controversial statements that nudged Vince, no mention of Michelle's
divorce from her second husband, the brash reaction Vince received in Australia
or the Puma sneaker legal battle. Then again, it was only an hour show!
But perhaps the most compelling footage from Vince Carter - Behind the Glory
was their review of the infamous Dunk Contest. I didn't think it was possible
to see something again you've already seen for what seems like a thousand times
and appreciate it in a whole new light. Credit the incredible editing,
overvoices, and Vince Carter commentary as he described what he was feeling at
each moment. Whatever it was, it gave you chills. I'm glad I taped it.
Maddy
Mayor Tommy
That's weird. What channel did u say does the series? Seems to me they could
make more money selling it as a video/DVD for 14.95 in the States and of
course up here than from the advertising on a cable sports channel. Should
have released it on DVD first, then put it on TV.
I wanna see it. I'm a huge Vince fan. It seems as if there was nothing about
the city of Toronto from your review. What he thinks about it, why he stayed
etc etc
That year was the best. Almost as good as winning a championship. With Vince
and Tmac together, Butch coaching, Oak, the Slam Dunk contest, man we could
have owned the NBA if McGrady would have stayed.
"Proby45011" <proby...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20020331233751...@mb-mv.aol.com...
Tyrance
ip: 24.82.203.175
port: 21
login/pass: beyond/glory
Tyrance
"Mayor Tommy" <al...@inforamp.net> wrote in message
news:8KRp8.16814$dVT....@news01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com...
Scott
I saw it as well. I'm a huge fan of Beyond the Glory and this is one of, if
not THE, best of the series. I especially like how they left it to the last
scene for what has happened to the brother and his relationship with Vince
in the last year or so.
I'm constantly amazed at how relaxed he is in some situations, yet so
standoffish in others. As you say, throughout this interview he seems
completely at ease and seems almost freeflowing. Yet during other in-season
interviews it seems like he is genuinely agitated by questions.
All in all, one of the best basketball documentaries of the past few years.
RFFL,
Scott.
(1.5 back, 9 to go!)
"Proby45011" <proby...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20020331233751...@mb-mv.aol.com...
Mayor Tommy
Somebody told me Directv has been a nightmare recently for people with those
cards. I thought somebody said they were going to switch the cards of
everybody and it would make pirate cards useless until I guess the hackers
figure out how to
get around the next generation of cards.
"Scott" <t.@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:Rpbq8.4116$iU6.1...@news20.bellglobal.com...
Truong
> A grey market Directv pirate are we?
He could be a grey market non-pirate as well.
Of course in the eyes of Sheila KKKopps, pirate or not, the mere act of a
person in Canada watching non-CRTC sanctioned US television is Pure Evil.
Mayor Tommy
Directv even if u wanted to pay them. You can still get use an American
address and pay them? I thought they stopped doing that a long time ago.
Directv always knew what was going on, they were glad to have Canadian
subscribers paying them, then the Canadian government kicked up a fuss and
told them to enforce
their jurisdictional rules.
Least that's what I remember............vaguely.
"Truong" <asonth...@rogers.com> wrote in message
news:jecq8.26145$dVT...@news01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com...
Truong
> How can u be a grey market non-pirate? I thought there was no way to pay
> Directv even if u wanted to pay them. You can still get use an American
> address and pay them? I thought they stopped doing that a long time ago.
AFAIK, you still can be a grey market non-pirate. You just need a legit
address in the US.
Scott
system) that the airwaves are open and the grabbing of any signal is legit,
unless it is a pay station. Much like you can set up your old 14 inch
colour television in your bedroom and pull in, for example, CityTV for
"free".
Therefore, if you pay DirecTV for their service, it is indeed legal.
In any event, I do not have DirecTV. I do, however, have a group of good
friends who work at a local television station and if there is a satellite
feed I would like to watch, I simply drop by. Always good to have a few
techie friends.
RFFL,
Scott.
(8 to go, all tied up!)
"Truong" <asonth...@rogers.com> wrote in message
news:mktq8.39595$09u....@news02.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com...
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