Quote :

"'Dale' footage is unbelievable, unbelievably moving Smith By Marty Smith ESPN.com Archive Dale Earnhardt is one of the most intriguing personalities in American history, let alone American sports history. "I'd made up my mind, I was going to quit racing. That's what I wanted to do." -- Richard Childress Folks are captivated by his life and death whether or not they respect or understand what he did. He was Elvis and John Wayne and Steve McQueen and Christa McAuliffe all melded into one bad SOB. Hence, doing justice to his story is no simple task. Producing a movie on his life that gives a true indication of who he was, and why, is all but impossible. (See: "3"). But it now has been done. "Dale," a collaboration between CMT Productions and NASCAR Images, is the American dream in documentary form. It is the life story of Dale Earnhardt, the rough-around-the-edges ninth-grade dropout from a Nowhere, N.C., mill town who fought all manner of hardships to become the greatest stock car driver of all time and, in turn, an international icon. Told with forgotten footage -- much of it never before seen -- and through interviews of Earnhardt and of those who knew him best, "Dale" is a most revealing look at an oft-mysterious individual. Non-race fans will be moved. Race fans will be moved to tears. This movie -- which opens in February all over Florida, then, like a concert tour, basically rolls across the the country with the Nextel Cup Series -- is not fiction. Nor is it based on a true story. It is fact; start to finish, from the hearts and minds of those who lived it. The quotes are eye-popping. "Racing was his mistress. Being able to buy soap and toothpaste was a luxury." -- Marshall Brooks, Earnhardt's good friend. "He was a chunk of coal. We all figured he'd be a diamond someday, but it was going to take a lot of polishing." -- three-time Winston Cup champion Darrell Waltrip. "If you're a badass and you can back it up, it will intimidate people. Dale could look at people, and just by looking at them, Dale could make them doubt themselves." -- Teresa Earnhardt. "He was the first real live-action superhero my son had gotten to know. For that matter, he's the first one I'd ever gotten to know, too." -- NBC news anchor Brian Williams. And that's just the one-liners. The interviews with, and stories told by, Richard Childress, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, Kerry Earnhardt, Teresa Earnhardt and Taylor Nicole Earnhardt, plus Dale's four siblings, former crew chief Doug Richert and former crew members Chocolate Myers, Will Lind and Danny Lawrence, and NASCAR on Fox personalities Waltrip and Steve Byrnes, among others, are simply priceless. Emotional doesn't start. Insightful doesn't start. Childress told of the time he and Earnhardt were riding horses up a mountain in New Mexico and Earnhardt's horse slipped on a rock. Down the mountain they tumbled, collecting Childress and his horse along the way. They could have been killed. When they returned to camp that night, Childress told Earnhardt that if he'd died that day, he'd want Earnhardt to keep racing. Without flinching, Earnhardt nodded. "Yep, same here," he said. That conversation is why Childress is still racing. "I'd made up my mind, I was going to quit racing," Childress said later in the movie, discussing the dark days after Earnhardt's death. "That's what I wanted to do. Then I went back to my conversation on the mountain that day. We knew that's not what Dale would've wanted." The interviews in this film are so good, so insightful, it'd be best just to print the transcript. And the footage, gems from the annals of NASCAR Images, is stunning. The movie opens on Earnhardt driving a mid-'80s Chevy Blazer, the familiar black and silver, across his property at sunup, a rare glimpse of him deep in personal thought. His love for that farm is apparent throughout the film. There are shots of him moving dirt and trees with a bulldozer, shots of him throwing hay and just sitting in a barn sipping Gatorade. There is footage of Earnhardt as father, water-skiing with a preteen Dale Jr. and doting on Taylor Nicole as a toddler. And for the first time, viewers see how badly Dale Jr. yearned for attention his father couldn't give. You can see the want on Junior's face, how much he admired his father and yearned for acknowledgment. It's quite sad, really. And the progression in confidence as Junior matures into a successful driver is readily obvious, too. He'd gotten his father's attention, earned his respect as man and competitor. That's cool to see. The personal life footage could stand alone as a film. But integrate the reason Earnhardt was beloved in the first place -- the racing -- and this is a landmark production. The Daytona 500 provides a key platform throughout the film. For 19 years, it haunted him. In 1986, he ran out of gas late. In '90, he led the field into the next-to-last corner of the race, only to suffer a flat right-rear tire, handing the race to unheralded Derrike Cope. In '97, he went on his roof, prompting legendary announcer Ken Squier to say "And for the 19th time, Lady Luck deals a bad hand to Earnhardt." I love that voice. Goose bumps. Then, 1998. Before the race, Earnhardt met with a young girl who required a wheelchair to move about. She gave him a penny, said it would bring him good luck in the Daytona 500, help him win the race that had so long eluded him. He hugged her, kissed her cheek. And sure enough, he won the Daytona 500. Again, hair-raising. Three years later, he would die on the last lap of the Daytona 500 in NASCAR's highest-profile tragedy. Earnhardt was on the cover of Time, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated. Suddenly, NASCAR was seared in mainstream American consciousness. Childress, Teresa Earnhardt and Steve Park all speak about the immediate aftermath in the film. It is gut-wrenching. Despite having dropped out of school in the ninth grade -- a decision he considered his life's biggest regret -- Earnhardt was a very smart man. And he was a ruthless competitor. Waltrip says as much in the film while commenting about his legendary run-in with Earnhardt at Richmond in 1986. To this very day, that race still gets to DW. This film makes it obvious. But equally obvious is the joy their 1998 partnership brought Waltrip. Park had broken his leg in a crash at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and Earnhardt summoned his ol' buddy to fill in. It meant their relationship had come full circle. Waltrip gave Earnhardt his first Busch Series opportunity 20 years before, and now it was Earnhardt who had the car and Waltrip who needed the opportunity. It was Waltrip's chance to silence the doubters who said the sport had passed him by. He took full advantage. Earnhardt was a man's man. The alpha in every setting. Wrangler executive Jack Watson explains that as the reasoning when the jeans company chose him as poster boy for its "One Tough Customer" program. Didn't take long to validate it. Earnhardt broke his leg in a wreck at Pocono and was slated to have surgery the next day. Watson got the call informing him of the situation but was forbidden to pass the information further. If NASCAR had known about the injury, it would have disallowed Earnhardt's participation the next week. He raced. And on and on and on. The stories don't stop. And most of them, we'll never see. Lead writer Ryan McGee told me it easily could have been four hours long. The wildest one of all, though, came from Earnhardt himself. He is fishing on the shore of Lake Norman, discussing his inner drive, what it is that makes him so successful. Fear. Fear of failure. Fear of losing his ride. Fear of losing his legendary ability. Are you kidding me? Priceless. This movie is worthy of the man. He would be pleased. You will be, too -- race fan or not. "

I want to see this so bad......I know its about a movie but its a movie about one of America's biggest sports icons, so thats why i put in Sports Talk

1/24/2007 1:19:16 AM

Quote :

"a collaboration between CMT Productions and NASCAR Images"

I'm there!!!!

1/24/2007 1:27:57 AM

hasnt this same thing been done before?

1/24/2007 1:30:04 AM

no

1/24/2007 1:40:11 AM

DONT TALK SHIT ABOUT #3 GOD DAMMIT!!!!

#3!

1/24/2007 1:41:00 AM

1/24/2007 1:58:09 AM

having grown up one town over from Kanappolis (dales hometown) it was very cool to see "3" being filmed here, but i think this is going to be so much better. "3" was good and all, but this seems to hit closer to home for me anyways. i had the prevelage of meeting dale a few times and he was always the nicest guy ever. i hope anyone who is a fan of his or a fan of NASCAR gets to see this.

1/24/2007 2:29:35 AM

all's i wanna do is race daddy

1/24/2007 7:11:33 AM

i too drive a car, why not make a movie about me.

1/24/2007 8:05:12 AM

Quote :

"all's i wanna do is race daddy deddy"

1/24/2007 8:06:35 AM

oh sweet - since it's about sports, it can be in sports talk? good! i've been waiting to start threads on hoop dreams, hoosiers, bull durham, major league 1, 2 and 3, baseketball, invincible, rocky, etc

but then i remembered nascar isn't a sport, so you done fucked up twice

1/24/2007 9:25:13 AM

Dale drove around a race car around a race track at 200 MPH, and although that takes skill to do I don't call it a sport. He was a mild celebrity of his time for some people....but that is all. Plus he was dumb enough to drive his race car into a wall....and now he is taking a dirt nap. End of story....who cares ?

[Edited on January 24, 2007 at 9:36 AM. Reason : .]

1/24/2007 9:35:59 AM

please don't start that shit in here... move it to entertainment, fine. but dont start the nascar isn't a sport shit. you will ruin a perfectly fine thread.

1/24/2007 9:40:08 AM

its not a sport,,, its a hobby that pays well

1/24/2007 9:40:47 AM

what do dale earnhardt and pink floyd have in common?

their biggest hit was the wall

/2001

1/24/2007 9:56:55 AM

LOL

1/24/2007 10:40:03 AM

Quote :

"having grown up one town over from Kanappolis (dales hometown) "

Which town?

My pops used to hang out at Dale's shop back before he was anyone.

1/24/2007 10:47:14 AM

this isn't a good thread, so your worries of one getting ruined is moot

1/24/2007 11:00:22 AM

Hey get the fuck out, just ignore the thread.

1/24/2007 11:02:13 AM

I like Awesome Bill from Dawesonville.

1/24/2007 11:05:05 AM

Quote :

"Which town? My pops used to hang out at Dale's shop back before he was anyone."

Concord......yeah my dad used to work at a service station back in the day right near dales house and they used to hang out way back when

1/24/2007 1:42:09 PM

I also agree that this is a worthy thread of sports talk, and that if you don't like it, ignore it.

Sounds like a good movie, I always grew up watching him race every sunday, but seeing all this footage will fill in a lot of gaps.

1/24/2007 3:12:32 PM

It might be a good movie....but it won't be a sports movie. It will be a movie about someone who was a race car driver, and a redneck. If you talk about Hoosiers, or Rudy...now they are they are sports movies....

1/24/2007 4:02:01 PM

Ok genius, define for us what a sport is.

1/24/2007 4:40:47 PM

Quote :

"What constitutes a sport, by definition? Well, we don’t get much help from the Webster’s Dictionary. From that, sport, the noun, is defined as “a source of diversion”. From some strange reason, I looked up ‘blood sport’ because it appeared on the same screen, just to see what it would say. The definition for that was “a sport or contest”. So, Webster’s says that ‘sport’ and ‘contest’ are essentially the same. So, how is the word ‘contest’ defined? “A struggle for superiority or victory.” So, if you don’t mind my re-wording this, the definition of SPORT could be “an event in which contestants struggle in an attempt to win.” What happens in NASCAR, and how does NASCAR fit into the above definition of sport? Well, each of 36 weeks, 43 racers get into their cars and drive around a track a predetermined number of times with the ultimate goal of being a victor, of crossing the finish line first. So, the only part of the definition we need to explain is the “struggle”. Is there a struggle involved? Well, this is where we will attempt to answer the second question. Are these car drivers athletes? One argument against NASCAR actually being a sport is that anyone can drive a car (anyone who can drive a stick shift, at least.) in a big oval; anyone can turn left. Anyone can sit on their butts for 5 or 6 hours at a time. Let’s take a minute to look at what this struggle involves. First of all, imagine for a minute that you are driving down a busy highway, in a metropolitan city, going the 55 mph speed limit as rush hour is approaching. Cars are swerving in front of you from either side. You’re frequently alternating between the brake pedal and the gas pedal. Now, imagine this same scenario, however, at three to four times that speed. Then, add in hellacious corners where the g-forces are ripping away at your innards. Realize that these cars have no air conditioning, and the temperatures are usually well over 100 degrees. There are physical stresses as mentioned to go along with the mental stress knowing that any wrong move made by you or any other racer on the track could cause serious injury, even death. There are no time outs, no halftimes, no second chances, and no challenges. To me, an athlete is one who endures physical and mental stresses throughout the course of any sanctioned event. So, are NASCAR drivers athletes? In one word, YES."

http://www.sethspeaks.net/062703.htm

1/24/2007 5:18:38 PM

I'm from Concord and hate nascar. But friends of mine that are into nascar say that the movie #3 had a few historical errors. I don't know, I didn't see the film.

1/24/2007 5:18:49 PM

^^

I agree. I dare any one of you faggots who say racing is "just left turns" or "not a sport" to drive a car at 200 mph on a straight road with no cars around you. you will be scared shitless. let alone inches from a wall and 43 other cars with a helmet on that limits your visibility. Nascar drivers are some of the most skilled competitors in the world. If you consider this not a sport then curling, archery, any form of shooting should not be considered sports. but that is stupid. no one is going to strip those athletes of their Olympic medals. Quit being a dick and be respectful of an american icon who has made millions of people happy and died doing what he loved.

[Edited on January 24, 2007 at 5:37 PM. Reason : .]

1/24/2007 5:37:41 PM

^great post, thanks

1/24/2007 5:39:10 PM

^^gg

1/24/2007 6:00:08 PM

cool

when's it coming to NC?

1/24/2007 6:13:04 PM

Quote :

"i wanna go fast"

1/24/2007 6:28:22 PM

Quote :

"I agree. I dare any one of you faggots who say racing is "just left turns" or "not a sport" to drive a car at 200 mph on a straight road with no cars around you. you will be scared shitless. let alone inches from a wall and 43 other cars with a helmet on that limits your visibility. Nascar drivers are some of the most skilled competitors in the world. If you consider this not a sport then curling, archery, any form of shooting should not be considered sports. but that is stupid. no one is going to strip those athletes of their Olympic medals. Quit being a dick and be respectful of an american icon who has made millions of people happy and died doing what he loved."

all im seeing here is bitch bitch whine moan bitch bitch bitch

1/24/2007 6:40:23 PM

Yall go check out my movie, k?

1/24/2007 6:41:04 PM

Nascar racing is a sport?

1/24/2007 6:41:33 PM

1/24/2007 6:41:37 PM

Quote :

"So, if you don’t mind my re-wording this, the definition of SPORT could be “an event in which contestants struggle in an attempt to win.”"

COOL! The lottery is a sport!

1/24/2007 6:48:39 PM

hershculez - Just because something is difficult does not make it a sport....if that was the case then being a brain surgeon would be a sport. Race Car driving is cool (to some people - not me) and it is very difficult....but is not a sport !!! Football, Baseball, Basketball etc, etc etc....but not race cars....

1/24/2007 7:01:18 PM

^^ so is putting in for a construction contract! Shit, I compete with other firms to get clients too.. I guess I play a professional sport too...

[Edited on January 24, 2007 at 7:03 PM. Reason : x]

1/24/2007 7:03:07 PM

so the movie isn't coming to NC until the first race at Lowe's ?

1/24/2007 7:48:43 PM

Quote :

"I agree. I dare any one of you faggots who say racing is "just left turns" or "not a sport" to drive a car at 200 mph on a straight road with no cars around you. you will be scared shitless. let alone inches from a wall and 43 other cars with a helmet on that limits your visibility. Nascar drivers are some of the most skilled competitors in the world. If you consider this not a sport then curling, archery, any form of shooting should not be considered sports. but that is stupid. no one is going to strip those athletes of their Olympic medals. Quit being a dick and be respectful of an american icon who has made millions of people happy and died doing what he loved. "

1/24/2007 8:29:08 PM

Racing is just left turns.....oh with the exception of that right turn that ole Dale made into the wall.....The end !!

1/24/2007 9:09:01 PM

^ What about road coarse races??

1/24/2007 9:38:25 PM

Look, it's not a traditional Olympic sport, but it's either here or the garage. If you don't want to discuss Nascar related stuff, just don't click on the thread, simple as that.

1/24/2007 9:45:19 PM

Quote :

"The interviews with, and stories told by, Richard Childress, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, Kerry Earnhardt, Teresa Earnhardt and Taylor Nicole Earnhardt, plus Dale's four siblings, former crew chief Doug Richert and former crew members Chocolate Myers, Will Lind and Danny Lawrence, and NASCAR on Fox personalities Waltrip and Steve Byrnes, among others, are simply priceless."

was the dude trying to fill a word quota or something? he could simply said, "the stories told by his wives, mistresses, children, bastards, coworkers and friends are priceless."

Quote :

"Childress told of the time he and Earnhardt were riding horses up a mountain in New Mexico and Earnhardt's horse slipped on a rock. Down the mountain they tumbled, collecting Childress and his horse along the way. They could have been killed. When they returned to camp that night, Childress told Earnhardt that if he'd died that day, he'd want Earnhardt to keep racing. Without flinching, Earnhardt nodded. "Yep, same here," he said."

wtf?! for one, why would either quit racing if the other had died from falling off a horse? secondly, "yep, same here" isn't the most sincere sounding respond. it's like saying, "ditto" after your girlfriend says, "i love you".

Quote :

"Then, 1998. Before the race, Earnhardt met with a young girl who required a wheelchair to move about. She gave him a penny, said it would bring him good luck in the Daytona 500, help him win the race that had so long eluded him. He hugged her, kissed her cheek. And sure enough, he won the Daytona 500. Again, hair-raising."

so? how is the penny supposed to good luck? i'm sure there were thousands of things that could've been said to be a good luck charm and he succeeded in any one of his previous 19 failures. where was his penny in 2001? and how is it hair raising?


stop saying stock cars go 200 mph. they're capable, but they rarely hit 200 mph. more common top speeds on the tracks are 180 mph. nascar's stock cars only average 160 mph to 170 mph.

[Edited on January 24, 2007 at 10:19 PM. Reason : ]

1/24/2007 10:07:49 PM

http://www.thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=457859

1/24/2007 10:31:55 PM

^^ Jesus Christ, I thought I was bad, but you just complained about the most retarded shit I have ever seen. Seriously, are you just bored and looking to get a reply?

1/24/2007 10:34:32 PM

that's not complaining. that's criticism.

1/24/2007 10:36:18 PM

You're complaining about someones good luck charm. For fucks sake dude, think about that.

[Edited on January 24, 2007 at 10:40 PM. Reason : a]

1/24/2007 10:40:02 PM

how many times do i have to say, "i'm not complaining"?

1/24/2007 10:47:12 PM

Quote :

"stop saying stock cars go 200 mph. they're capable, but they rarely hit 200 mph. more common top speeds on the tracks are 180 mph. nascar's stock cars only average 160 mph to 170 mph."

actually, at certain tracks they very easily could sustain 200 mph, but its considered unsafe. Hence restrictor plates.

Most places the speed is restricted not by the car, but by the turns. Its like saying my car cant go above 90 because I drive close to the speed limit.

1/24/2007 10:50:01 PM