"Unguarded"

[Mayor McCheese]

Anyone else watch this ESPN Film about the life of Chris Herren?

Thoughts on the special, I thought it was one of the best ones done by ESPN - very good... Award winning good.

[wadesworld]

Meant to tape it but forgot to and regretted it right away when I got home.  Anybody know when it's scheduled to be back on?  Saw him talk on ESPN earlier today.  Crazy.

[nyg]

Very moving story on a former McDonald's All American whose life when down the drain for substance abuse.  Recruited by everyone, he decided to stay at home and attend Boston College.  Still hangs out with his hometown buddies and the partying/drugs catch up to him.  Tark the Shark takes him at Fresno State, some of his hometown buddies move out to Fresno and it starts all over again.  Still don't understand why the buddies moved 3,000 away to stay with a college athlete and the feature never followed up on that.  Herren went 15 more years with substance abuse problems.

Herren was an excellent presenter of his story and the director utilized his skills by having Herren basically narrate his problem as opposed to a "storyteller" voice.

His wife standing by his side throughout the years for the sake of the family was unreal.

The real backside of the feature is the fact Herren was a white kid from the suburbs and not from an urban setting.  There have been numerous other basketball phenoms who have faced the identical, if not worse, substance abuse and or criminal problems then Herren, but this feature showed it could happen to anyone.  

Was worth watching and the one thought that keeps coming back to me is whether things would have been different if Herren had went away to a different college than BC, away from his buddies.  Like he said in the film, "I wish I had 1994 all over again".  I believe he would have not stayed home. 

[MUfan12]

He spoke to the athletes at MU about a month ago I think.

[nyg]

One other MU note.  At the end, Herren is holding a b-ball practice in a gym and one of the kids has a gold MU b-ball shirt on. 

[Blue Horseshoe]

He spoke to the athletes at MU about a month ago I think.

I hope he did better than Peter King.
-Media and technology was different 15 years ago
-Media and technology will be different 15 years from now

[Thomas' Danish Delight]

I don't have cable but it seems I'll have to get around to watching this online sometime...great story, from reviews I've read.  I wikipedia'd him and it's crazy that he got arrested at the Dunkin' Donuts I used to get coffee at after school (I was a Navy brat, went to Portsmouth High School in Portsmouth RI, very close to where he went to high school).

[GGGG]

If memory recalls, UW was in his final few schools coming out of high school.  That was during the Stu Jackson era - I think he would have been in the same class as Sam Okey.

[lab_warrior]

I hope he did better than Peter King.
-Media and technology was different 15 years ago
-Media and technology will be different 15 years from now

Excellent! 
Other PK talking points:

-Citrusy beer is tasty.
-Starbucks: great coffee, or GREATEST coffee?
-Can't believe no one has signed Tiki Barber yet
-Rude passengers on the Acela train
-The campus needs more Nard-dog and Funkhauser.

http://kissingsuzykolber.uproxx.com/tag/fun-with-peter-king

[Blue Horseshoe]

- Marquette might be the 5th best team in the Big East. Maybe.
- The Milwaukee Hilton has a delightful indoor water park.
- I asked Bob Uecker about the Brewers' chances of keeping Prince Fielder.
- Part of me misses Packer games at old county Stadium.

[We R Final Four]

Very moving story on a former McDonald's All American whose life when down the drain for substance abuse.  Recruited by everyone, he decided to stay at home and attend Boston College.  Still hangs out with his hometown buddies and the partying/drugs catch up to him.  Tark the Shark takes him at Fresno State, some of his hometown buddies move out to Fresno and it starts all over again.  Still don't understand why the buddies moved 3,000 away to stay with a college athlete and the feature never followed up on that.  Herren went 15 more years with substance abuse problems.

Herren was an excellent presenter of his story and the director utilized his skills by having Herren basically narrate his problem as opposed to a "storyteller" voice.

His wife standing by his side throughout the years for the sake of the family was unreal.

The real backside of the feature is the fact Herren was a white kid from the suburbs and not from an urban setting.  There have been numerous other basketball phenoms who have faced the identical, if not worse, substance abuse and or criminal problems then Herren, but this feature showed it could happen to anyone.  

Was worth watching and the one thought that keeps coming back to me is whether things would have been different if Herren had went away to a different college than BC, away from his buddies.  Like he said in the film, "I wish I had 1994 all over again".  I believe he would have not stayed home. 

Who?  Which bball phenoms have had a worse substance abuse problem?  The guy was on heroin and playing games on oxycodone.  Alcohol sure....plenty of guys but Herren is in a league of his own.  Okey and Herren could have scored big at UW.

[lab_warrior]

One other MU note.  At the end, Herren is holding a b-ball practice in a gym and one of the kids has a gold MU b-ball shirt on. 

Yeah, I noticed that too, tweeted a screen grab:

[wyzgy]

Very moving story on a former McDonald's All American whose life when down the drain for substance abuse.  Recruited by everyone, he decided to stay at home and attend Boston College.  Still hangs out with his hometown buddies and the partying/drugs catch up to him.  Tark the Shark takes him at Fresno State, some of his hometown buddies move out to Fresno and it starts all over again.  Still don't understand why the buddies moved 3,000 away to stay with a college athlete and the feature never followed up on that.  Herren went 15 more years with substance abuse problems.

Herren was an excellent presenter of his story and the director utilized his skills by having Herren basically narrate his problem as opposed to a "storyteller" voice.

His wife standing by his side throughout the years for the sake of the family was unreal.

The real backside of the feature is the fact Herren was a white kid from the suburbs and not from an urban setting.  There have been numerous other basketball phenoms who have faced the identical, if not worse, substance abuse and or criminal problems then Herren, but this feature showed it could happen to anyone.  

Was worth watching and the one thought that keeps coming back to me is whether things would have been different if Herren had went away to a different college than BC, away from his buddies.  Like he said in the film, "I wish I had 1994 all over again".  I believe he would have not stayed home. 

hey thanks for highlighting this story-i'm online right now buying the book.  i hope they re-run the documentary again soon.  can only find snippets of it online-great story.  hope he hangs in there and from the sounds of it so far, he has the right attitude-ya never really win, but you find more rewards in staying sober than you do high and they can continue to get better.

[77ncaachamps]

Yeah, I noticed that too, tweeted a screen grab:

Doesn't that kid look like a young Allie McGuire?

[4everwarriors]

Allie's right handed. Kinda looks like a well built Riley.