Robert De Niro in Vince Lombardi Biopic

The Real Glory Is Being Knocked to Your Knees and Then Coming Back.

By TK | Posted Under Trade News | Comments (18)

I can already hear the talk radio guys boning themselves over this one. Vince Lombardi, the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, is one of the most iconic figures in sports history — certainly so in football lore. Honestly, it’s high time someone made a biopic about him (it will be produced by ESPN Films). I’m a little excited about it — Lombardi took over the Packers in 1959 and coached them to five championships in nine years. I’m excited because I love football movies, even though the gameplay is ridiculously over-dramatized — every hit and tackle looks like, were it to happen in real life, it would literally disintegrate the other player, and every catch is the stuff of legend. But fuck it, I love ‘em anyway. I also love movies set in that era — it’ll be full of men in trenchcoats and hats, which is badass.

Lombardi

Particularly since the film will also cover Lombardi’s intense rivalry with Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry, and there was a man who knew how to wear a hat. So much so that “The Simpsons” dedicated an entire subplot to his hat.

Landry

In any event, the big news is that none other than Robert De Niro has signed on to play Lombardi, which is actually great casting. De Niro’s looking pretty old and grizzled, and Christ knows he could use a decent movie. He’s been sliding downhill steadily since… well… for a long time. Other than a decent part in Stardust, I can’t think of a truly great movie since Ronin, or I guess maybe… Analyze This? Yeesh.

The part that’s a little worrying is that it’s being written by Eric Roth, who previously penned two of the biggest shmaltz-fests of all time — Forrest Gump and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

(h/t to Dark Horizons, via ESPN.com)

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*Phone rings* "Hi, this is Robert DeNiro and I'm playing the role of Vince Lombardi. I can't make it to the set today so I'm just going to say all my lines on your answering machine and we'll go with that. Ok?"

Posted by: admin at March 11, 2010 10:00 AM

"And Bear Bryant wore a cool-lookin' red-checkered hat and won football games, and there's few things more loved in Alabama than football and the men who know how to win at it. So when the Bear would come to town, there'd be a parade.

"And me, I was one of them pussy boys, cause I hated football. So I got a guitar. But a guitar was a poor substitute for a football with the girls at my high school, so my band hit the road. We didn't play no Skynyrd either. I came of age rebelling against the music in my high school parking lot."

-- Patterson Hood

That's the first thing I thought when I heard too, TK: DeNiro? Lombardi? That's GREAT casting. And I don't think a little schmaltz would hurt this. Lombardi DID die of cancer, too soon, after all.

But more because, while he's remembered mostly as an arrogant sonofabitch who inspired fear in his players, he MUST have had a soft side that made them love him, too.

And you're absolutely right: Few men can wear a hat and look good in it (cowboys excluded).

Posted by: , at March 11, 2010 10:07 AM

I loathe Landry, the Cowboys and even that stupid star, but if ever there was the perfect role for an actor, Ed Harris was born to play Tom Landry.

Posted by: Tracer Bullet at March 11, 2010 10:22 AM

This just makes me excited. Yes, I am a football whore. And I need something to scrub Invincible out of my brain.

Posted by: Nicole at March 11, 2010 10:25 AM

Ed Harris? I saw Harrison Ford in that picture, TB.

Posted by: Optimus Rhyme at March 11, 2010 10:35 AM

Tracer nailed that one. Landry was stoic as fuck and Harris is like his goddamned clone.

Posted by: gunnertec at March 11, 2010 10:44 AM

Me too, Optimus.

GET OFF MY FIELD!

Posted by: ThunderSacTriumph at March 11, 2010 11:01 AM

And I need something to scrub Invincible out of my brain.

Bonus, this movie will be about a team that actually wins titles.

(I kid, I kid... oh please don't kill me!)

Posted by: branded at March 11, 2010 11:04 AM

Bonus, this movie will be about a team that actually wins titles.

Hey! It'll happen...someday.

Posted by: Nicole at March 11, 2010 11:06 AM

*snicker*

Posted by: admin at March 11, 2010 11:13 AM

I think Brian Cox or maybe Albert Finney would be better choices.

Assuming they could perfect the Brooklyn accent.

Posted by: John W at March 11, 2010 11:45 AM

I think Robert Duvall would make a perfect Landry. Except that I like Robert Duvall.

Posted by: EricD at March 11, 2010 12:32 PM

Great casting indeed. One problem...ESPN movies BLOW. Maybe being on the big screen will lend itself to higher production values and a good quality movie, but if you've ever watched one of the ESPN movies on the channel...UGH.

Posted by: Riles at March 11, 2010 12:45 PM

Am I the only person who wants to see General Adama as Lombardi? I think he has the exact grizzled look you are going for! http://www.imdb.com/media/rm853055488/nm0001579

Posted by: Brandon Rapp at March 11, 2010 2:25 PM

Now I feel funny in the pants. I grew up near Dallas and idolized Landry (well, as much as a little girl who only watches football because her big brothers force her to can idolize a coach) but he was always a grandfatherly image to me. Now you people are mentioning that Ed Harris could play Landry. But I find Ed Harris sexy. Hence funny in the pants.

Oh yeah, De Niro as Lombardi makes sense to me.

And I love men in hats.

Posted by: lainiefig at March 12, 2010 9:55 AM

Oh, and I now hate the Cowboys, but I still hate the Redskins even more--as I was brought up to do.

Posted by: lainiefig at March 12, 2010 9:56 AM

xgbbggfx

Posted by: chnjhgcnh at October 2, 2010 7:03 AM

a great HI FOR robert de niro , all algerians love and appreciat the BEST OF the Cinema , plz robert One day you are invited to ORAN algeria " :)

Posted by: SOFIANE at November 16, 2010 1:40 PM

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The Real Glory Is Being Knocked to Your Knees and Then Coming Back.

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