Murderball

2005-08-08 23:57 ☼ post

My friend Jesse recently mentioned in an email that he had watched Murderball, a documentary about Quad Rugby and the U.S. team’s effort to win gold at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens. Murderball sounded familiar to me, but it took me a few seconds to remember that I had read about it in Sports Illustrated a few months back. It turns out that Scott Hogsett, a guy from our high school graduating class, was a member of the U.S. team and figures prominently in the movie.

Scott and I definitely moved in different circles in high school (as his bio puts it he studied sports and partying” in Spokane) I don’t remember any significant interaction with him there, although we may have been in a few classes together. I do remember playing four square with him out at recess at least one time back in fifth grade and that we both played flag footballI in sixth grade, but beyond that I can’t say that I really knew him very well. Following graduation I heard through the grapevine that he had been in some kind of accident at a party that had left him paralyzed, but I hadn’t heard any news about him since. Based on the articles I ve been able to find since get interesting in the movie it sounds like Scott didn’t let his condition slow him down a bit, graduated from ASU (Arizona State University) and has been leading quite the life down in Phoenix in the intervening years. It’s cool to hear that he’s been doing so well.

It looks like Murderball is playing at The Met here in Spokane on August 15. murderballmovie.com has showtimes for everywhere else in the U.S. if you’re interested in going and don’t live in Spokane. I wonder how hard it will be to get tickets since this is Scott’s home town and a lot of people will probably come out to see it? I’d definitely like to go if it’s not too big of a hastle.