GameDay: Moneyball - Winning At Art Howe's Expense
CBS 5 Sports Director Dennis O'Donnell hosts "Gameday" every Sunday night at 11:30pm and offers his unique sports analysis here.
San Francisco (CBS 5) - Hollywood is a slimy place. Apparently, so is Oakland. They rolled out the red carpets for Brad Pitt and the rest of Tinseltown as they forced their fake smiles while giving canned answers to the drooling media. And there was Pitt, who, with all apologies to Billy Beane and Michael Lewis, had more to do with the film's success than the analysis of saber metrics.
The world's most famous movie star had an interesting explanation for his decision to take the movie. (Well, aside from all the millions) "I couldn't let go of this story of these guys who were trapped in this unfair game, this unfair situation," said Pitt.
Unfair? Tell that to Art Howe who was portrayed as a money-hungry stooge of a manager. Howe went on the offensive this week venting his disappointment on local radio stations and newspapers. He said he was never called by the director, the writers, the actor, or Beane himself to check the accuracy of the script or his portrayal. He said he wants an apology from Beane who has previously stated he had no input on anyone's portrayal in the film.
Of course, no one is taking responsibility for Howe's character assassination. "That's Hollywood," is how it's being explained to me.
In the years covering Howe I knew him only on professional level. Billy and Michael Lewis had far greater insight than me. But I knew him to be a true gentleman, stand-up guy, and one who seemed to have the respect of his players.
But what kind of movie would that make?
See you on TV.
