Review of Catching Hell (2011) by Melvin W — 26 Sep 2011

First off, I have to say that this is the best of the ESPN films presents that I have seen. It's directed by one of the better documentary directors out there, Alex Gibney. This guy could take just about any topic and make it entertaining. He made Enron and he did a fabulous documentary about Hunter S. Thompson called Gonzo. So given this guys skill and the subject he was going to present; there was nothing holding this film back. I remember the Bartman play well. I was 9 years old and I was watching on tv. I'm not a Cubs fan, but an Indians fan, so I know how it feels to not win too. Being a Cleveland fan, you better get used to it. .

The Cubs have a rich history of losing. Fans say it's the curse of the billy goat. Their not the only fans to use a curse for a reason why their team can't win. The Sox had the Curse of the Bambino which was lifted after they finally won the World Series. Here in Cleveland we have a curse. It doesn't just cover one team; it covers them all. We don't really know what to call it, so we just put names to them. There's The Fumble, The Drive, The Last inning Melt Down, Blowing a 3-1 series lead against the Red Sox and most recently The Decision. So like my experiences with the curse, there is the same presence in Chicago with their beloved Cubs. Many fans thought this was going to come to an end in 2003. They had a great team. They had Sosa, Alou was on fire. They had the best shortstop going in Alex Gonzalez. They had the best pitching staff in Major League Baseball. This was their year. The year the curse of the billy goat could finally be lifted and Cub fans could finally celebrate.

Game 6 of the NLCS looked promising. Going into the 8th inning, the Cubs led 3-0. After the first man of the inning flew out to Moises Alou in Left Field, there were only 5 outs until the Cubs were going to the series. The next man up, Luis Castillo, hit a pop fly foul down the Left Field line. Alou gave chase and leaped at the wall in an attempt to make a spectacular catch. Fans in a haste to catch the foul ball, which is precious to every baseball fan made a leap at the ball. Among those fans was Steve Bartman and he deflected the ball, making it impossible for Alou to make the catch. Alou frustrated threw his fist and yelled at the fans. After the Marlins went on to score 8 that inning, the fans of Chicago turned on Bartman. He just sat there, eyes forward, headphones on. Beer is thrown, the stadium chants "Ass Hole, Ass Hole." People yell that they are going to blow his brains out. Security is forced to escort him out because the situation is growing dangerous. The game is no longer going on in the fans minds. This was inevitable, so they turn their attention to Bartman.

The film does a great job at evoking sympathy for Bartman. I have always felt bad for the guy. No one wouldn't have reached for that ball and if they say they wouldn't they are lying. That moment changed his life, in that he has to hide from everyone now, lest some nut job see him on the street and maybe kill him. Fan is short for fanatic. That's exactly what a true fan is. We bleed for our teams. People who aren't sports fans look at us as crazy, and we are. This is a perfect example of this. It's not so much that these fans hate Bartman, but that anger in realizing we still aren't going to win caused so much tension in that ballpark that it just came spilling over the top. To the common person not into sports; this story seems ludicrous. To fans who know the torment, it seems bad, but also we can understand it. If I was a Cubs fan at that game, I probably would have been chanting along with everyone because the emotions are high. When Lebron came back to Cleveland this last year, I was one of the guys yelling "Akron Hates You" and "Fuck You, Fuck You." Emotions are part of sports, but here it was just taken to an extreme level. People waited outside his house. The guy got death threats. When it gets to that point it's gone too far. I know your fanatics, but you got to let it go. I'm sure there are still Cubs fans who haven't let it go. I know I'll never let Lebron leaving go.

This documentary is so well done in evoking those emotions and really making us feel for Bartman. Also they talk about Buckner, who is famous for an error in the World Series. Those two were scapegoats for their cities. You feel bad for both and hope that in time the Cubs can win a World Series and maybe the fans will forgive Bartman; even though he did nothing wrong and welcome him back like the Red Sox fans did in Boston after they won the series. But most of all Bartman would have to forgive them. .