What really could have been an interesting expose on what goes on behind the scenes regarding college football teams and the men who bet on who will win the big games turns into a meaningless series of scenes where character actor Charlie Ruggles shamelessly overacts in several drunk scenes.
The setup of the film is quite good; one of the college star football players, Phillips Holmes, is asked by his brother to slip a drug to fellow teammate and best friend so they can lose the game. Holmes of course refuses, aghast at the suggestion. But after his brother continues to badger him, he takes the pill simply to pacify his brother and obviously not use it.
However, Holmes' brother is too smart and crooked to text a chance, and has the fellow player drug irregardless, leading to his collapse on the football field and sudden death from heart failure. This leads to Holmes being questioned and some truly gripping scenes of his trying to defend himself without pinning it on his brother. Ruggles plays the rather aggressive announcer, and during the game actually is very convincing.
But all of a sudden, it goes from a tale of crooked sports betting, sinister manipulation of the game, and a deal gone wrong, turning into the Charlie Ruggles show, and by that time is way off track, never to return. The lack of continuity in its writing is to blame, not the dependable scene stealer Ruggles who is simply doing his job as directed.
The setup of the film is quite good; one of the college star football players, Phillips Holmes, is asked by his brother to slip a drug to fellow teammate and best friend so they can lose the game. Holmes of course refuses, aghast at the suggestion. But after his brother continues to badger him, he takes the pill simply to pacify his brother and obviously not use it.
However, Holmes' brother is too smart and crooked to text a chance, and has the fellow player drug irregardless, leading to his collapse on the football field and sudden death from heart failure. This leads to Holmes being questioned and some truly gripping scenes of his trying to defend himself without pinning it on his brother. Ruggles plays the rather aggressive announcer, and during the game actually is very convincing.
But all of a sudden, it goes from a tale of crooked sports betting, sinister manipulation of the game, and a deal gone wrong, turning into the Charlie Ruggles show, and by that time is way off track, never to return. The lack of continuity in its writing is to blame, not the dependable scene stealer Ruggles who is simply doing his job as directed.