The Band That Wouldn’t Die, a documentary

by thebossuzzi on Oct 14, 2009 11:58 AM EDT

As part of its series of 30 films to commemorate its 30-year anniversary, ESPN tonight is presenting The Band That Wouldn’t Die, a documentary by Oscar-winning director and Baltimore native Barry Levinson. The film is about the Baltimore Colts marching band, which didn’t skip town when the rest of the team moved to Indianapolis in 1984. The band kept on playing for the dozen years their city was football-less.

It should be a fascinating story of interest to people who might not even like football. Almost everything Levinson makes is great (see: Rain Man), and his films about Baltimore are top-notch (Avalon, Liberty Heights).

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Stampede Blue's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Stampede Blue's writers or editors.

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I watched this yesterday and found it enlightening...

I mean, there were alot of things that went on behind the scenes to make Irsay leave, but I still felt sorry for the city. And then I imagined how people would feel if the Colts picked up and left Indy.

The funny thing is that I was in high school in Europe when I heard that the Colts left Balitmore and I remember very clearly thinking: I will never root for that team. In fact, I will root against them…funny how things work out, isn’t it?

It was an entertaining and somewhat informative piece. I enjoyed it.

"I throw, you catch. It's NOT that hard!"
Peyton Manning, SNL, 2007

by peytonsthebest on Oct 14, 2009 12:18 PM EDT reply actions

I watched it last night

and I felt really bad for the people of Baltimore, I even said to my dad that I didn’t want to be a Colts fan anymore for leaving Baltimore like that, but I changed my mind real quick when I thought about how Baltimore took the Browns out of Cleveland. lol I guess the way Irsay took the Colts away from Baltimore was very sleazy.

"Do I believe in aliens?" Stephon Marbury asked. "I don't know, because I've never seen one. But I believe in Jesus because I saw him in the shower the other day."

by KMR24 on Oct 14, 2009 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions

.....you've got to be kidding

Seriously?!? scroll down the list of Fanposts and read one entitled – “I hate Baltimore….the city”. Those band memebers and whiny citizens need to shut their damn mouths, it’s been long enough. Lest we forget that they stole the Cleveland Browns!! All that stupid short movie was trying to do was slander the Irsay family as ssa bunch of alcoholics, and somehow Art Modell is a damn saint for moving the Browns. The city of Baltimore did that to themselves, THEY MADE THEIR CHOICE, and tried to take the team, and it’s profits away from Irsay….

by harbaughmyhero on Oct 14, 2009 1:41 PM EDT reply actions

This film is just gonna stir some bad feelings again that are just starting to settle down.

Some who were getting over it will get stirred again, some who never knew will hate now, whether or not they are Baltimore fans. Perhaps that is not the point of the film, but it will be the result.

by coltsfanawalt on Oct 14, 2009 1:51 PM EDT reply actions

And now that we've stolen their kicker

imagine the emotion! ;-)

How can you not love a team that does this?

by LovinBlue on Oct 14, 2009 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions

LOL

I was just about to post the same kind of statement.

I wonder if there will be hard feelings in twenty-five years if we go on to win a super bowl with a kicker that played for them last season. More reasons to hate the Irsays!

by coltsfanawalt on Oct 14, 2009 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Not only going to the superbowl with a kicker who played for them,

but, it would be even more ironic if that kicker made the game winning field goal to win the superbowl.

by Ayrshire on Oct 14, 2009 8:56 PM EDT up reply actions

I also watched last night and found it interesting and entertaining.

Although it was interesting to see how the band continued on after the team left during the second half of the show, I actually was more interested in the first half that dealt with the move to Indy.

I also realized while watching it that we’re nearing the point when the Colts will have been in Indy longer than they were in Baltimore. They spent 31 seasons in Baltimore, and are now in their 26th season in Indy.

Harry Caray: Marshall is going back to LA to get cocaine for his injured foot.
Steve Stone: Harry, that’s Novocaine.

by Julio Zuleta's Voodoo on Oct 14, 2009 3:29 PM EDT reply actions

exactly

as I’ve said, enough is enough from this whiners, the PA announcer still introduces The Indianapolis Colts as, “That team from Indianapolis” at the Baltimore home games. It just so happens that “That team from Indianapolis” went into Baltimore’s house and beat them down on the road to the Super Bowl.

by harbaughmyhero on Oct 14, 2009 9:06 PM EDT reply actions

Who’s whining? It was a documentary about history. It was actually really fair as Irsay Jr. had a chance to speak. Our old Mayor Shaefer even said that Bob was a good guy for the most part. It’s business and I just enjoyed the show for the “movie” of it. It’s been 25 years so your right that the huge majority of those attending the RAVENS games don’t really have the attachment.

I think it’s neat to see the old players regardless of jerseys but the old guys are slowly fading away. We now have retired Ravens which is more emotional and new for me. I see McCrary, Burnette and Goose mingling with the fans and that is becoming my history.

by raven on Oct 14, 2009 11:09 PM EDT reply actions

the best part of that whole thing was Johnny Unitas nothing else just his magic

"You only get intercepted when you don't know what your doing, I knew what I was Doing".
Johnny Unitas

by 805 on Oct 15, 2009 12:10 AM EDT reply actions

The piece was a total hackjob

Irsay sr. may have been a drunk, but Baltimore all but forced him to leave. The voters passed a law forbidding any new stadium be built, and for a decade the stadium wasn’t improved even when the City’s own group said it was terrible. I mean the teams had to share locker rooms! THEN, the legislature starts passing a law to seize the team with imminent domain. Anyone with a brain cell would have moved immediately when that happens.

Of course the documentary is just “lol dude was a drunk so who knows why he would abandon these great fans!”

A good accounting of the situation is on the Baltimore Colts wikipedia page.

by Eltoasto on Oct 15, 2009 2:38 AM EDT reply actions