S01.E01: Pilot

[radishcake]

After the unexpected demise of a friend and former teammate, retired football superstar Spencer ramps up his efforts to build a post-football career in Miami, and feels pressure from Joe, his boss at a financial firm, to “monetize his friendships.” Meanwhile, recently retired player Charles, copes with the realities of finding a new job. Talented wide receiver Ricky is forced to put his pride aside to find a new home. Vernon, a player on the rise, finds himself in a tight spot and reaches out to Spencer for help.

 

[Primetimer]

The Rock plays a financial manager for pro athletes. Is it worth your investment?

Read the story

[ratgirlagogo]

This review makes me sad. I think I am one of the few posters here who are fans of professional wrestling - and I will just tell the rest of you - if you think Dwayne Johnson has done a lot to salvage deeply questionable movies - you have no idea how much  heavy lifting he was required to to do in order to salvage much of the period of professional wrestling in which he was involved. I adore him and think he really is all that and a bag of chips and a triple order of guacamole. I want nothing more for him than to find that project where people other than me (wrestling and action movie fans) will be able to respond to his considerable charms. He has always been what they call in wrestling a Good Hand, in fact I'd say a Hoss --somebody you can rely on to sell the unsellable on the force of his charisma.

Edited June 18, 2015 by ratgirlagogo

[gibasi]

If it makes you feel any better not all reviews have been so negative. I have not seen it yet so I cannot say one way or the other. I think it would be worth checking out.

[Lorimac]

Dwayne Johnson actually made "The Hero" watchable. Talk about heavy lifting! There is nothing I will not watch if The Rock is in it. He leads my list of "Celebrities With Whom One Could Have a Beer/Cocktail And They Would Not Condescend To You."

[marcee]

But I DID love Entourage... so we're golden right?

[radishcake]

ratgirlagogo - I think even if this is an unwatchable show Dwayne is made of solid gold and will be fine. Plus even the reviewer says he makes his scenes shine. He seems to be one of those actors who are never affected by the bad movies or shows he does. He's just delightful and that shows even if he's elevating major dreck! <3

[rab01]

This may be really shallow of me but ... in what way is the Rock's line about leasing bad *financial* advice for an athlete? (morally wrong maybe) For so many athletes who went bankrupt, child support payments and buying crap like cars for the hangers-on figure prominently in their downfall. I'm not seeing how saying that in a club suggests he "he must have missed a few introductory classes".

[thuganomics85]

Considering some of the stuff I've seen in the theaters for "The Rock" (even Doom and The Game Plan.  Only The Tooth Fairy pushed my limits), there is no way I won't be checking this out, and probably watch the entire thing.  That said, I'm not surprised about the content in the review.  The previews basically make it look like Entourage only with sport stars instead of actors.  Certainly not surprised about the lack of good female characters.  Still, it's Dwayne Johnson.  I think he will be enough to at least make it watchable.

[bilgistic]

You had me at Dwayne Johnson. You lost me at "Spencer Strasmore". That sounds like a clothing and stationery store for petulant 11-year-old boys.

[gik910]

I am another one that pretty much worships at the alter of the Rock- but I was not a huge fan of Entourage so this also makes me sad. Obviously, I am going to watch it anyway and see if I can just work through it.

[scrb]

Mark Wahlberg is one of the executive producers, as he was for Entourage.

Maybe he'll learn from his mistakes or he doesn't care as long as he makes money.

[benteen]

I enjoyed it.  I'll come back to watch it again.  The Rock always has had a great screen presence.  The rest of the cast was fun too.

 

Didn't realize that was Shula and Csonka on the boat.

Edited June 22, 2015 by benteen

[portfino]

I will watch it because it's fluff and on after True Detective but what a bland, boring show this was. No one was compelling except for The Rock. I understand that they want to be Entourage but for athletes but it failed to reach even that low bar.

[MrWhyt]

The Rock's charisma has me for the full season unless they take a really really really sharp turn towards shitty. Like they'd have to have him kicking puppies and slapping women in every scene for me to give up early.

[thuganomics85]

It was about what I expected.  Dwayne Johnson will be enough to keep me watching, but it seems like it's just going to be about a bunch of guys being stupid, wasting money, and partying, while the one-dimensional female characters, try to get through to them, but come off like shrews.  Meh.

 

Had no idea Peter Berg was directing this, and I'm pretty sure that was him as the Coach.

 

I'm sure it happens all the time in real life, but it still amazes me that these guys can get millions of dollars, but still be in debt after their run is over.  Where does all that money going?!

 

Had to check the credits to be sure, but that was Taylor Cole (from the so bad, it's so good The Event) as Spencer's girlfriend. Since we barely saw her, I wonder if she's going to be cut out of the rest of the series.

 

I think the opening credits actually used real footage of Dwayne's time in college football, which was cool.

[Muffyn]

The Rock can carry some weak material as he has shown so many times.  One thing that kept pulling me out of this show was the size difference between the Rock and these supposed pro football players.  Dwayne is a big man and similar in size to many pro ball players.  Many of these actors looked tiny next to him.  It's not so much their height as it is there musculature.  They just don't look beefy enough to take a hit.  

[Whitley Trillbert]

I liked it. Felt like a mix of Entourage and Any Given Sunday. I'll stick around. I wonder if this lightens up a bit or it stays closer to the drama side of it.

[DrSpaceman]

This may be really shallow of me but ... in what way is the Rock's line about leasing bad *financial* advice for an athlete? (morally wrong maybe) For so many athletes who went bankrupt, child support payments and buying crap like cars for the hangers-on figure prominently in their downfall. I'm not seeing how saying that in a club suggests he "he must have missed a few introductory classes".

 

 

He was actually repeating an often stated adage that has more to do with life advice than actual financial advice.  He added in cars, but I have always heard it as "If it Flies, floats or (has sex), rent it, don't buy it", which actually, from a PURELY financial perspective, is good advice.  You can lose a fortune on a boat or a plane that you don't really need.  Those are total luxuries, not necessities.  Women....well, different debate, but if you can't live up to the vos you lose half your stuff or more, so it has some basis in truth

 

Cars are a different story, they can be a luxury or a necessity.  Most of these guys though are buying them as a luxury, so while in general I think buying rather than leasing is a good idea, I tend to agree with you, if its a huge expensive luxury its the exception and leasing may be better. 

 

I think the show was decent.  It is much like Entourage with football players.  Actually what suprised me is the NFL seemed to be fine with the use of their team names and image.  Usually with shows like this it will be obviously the NFL but they make up fake names so its not officially the NFL., which makes it seem phony.  Here, they aren't denying the league origins at all, referring by name to the teams. 

 

There is nothing ground breaking here.  Its everything you expect about a show based on life in the NFL and afterwards.  Somewhat entertaining though. 

[Gwen-Stacys]

This may be really shallow of me but ... in what way is the Rock's line about leasing bad *financial* advice for an athlete? (morally wrong maybe) For so many athletes who went bankrupt, child support payments and buying crap like cars for the hangers-on figure prominently in their downfall. I'm not seeing how saying that in a club suggests he "he must have missed a few introductory classes".

Nah, what he said was accurate enough and the downfall of many of these millionaire pro football players. Child support is no joke (and, as a female I hate to say this, but there are plenty of women who hang out in the pro-sports bracket that will purposely get pregnant because they know they'll get paid. Extra too if the player's married and wants her to stay quiet.) and why buy a boat/plane full out when you can rent it when you need it for much cheaper? And while cars can be a necessity, 10 cars are not.

Edited June 25, 2015 by Gwen-Stacys

[Skyfall]

Apparently Dule Hill is in this? Must've been in the second half since I turned it off after 10 minutes.

[Constantinople]

It was about what I expected.  Dwayne Johnson will be enough to keep me watching, but it seems like it's just going to be about a bunch of guys being stupid, wasting money, and partying, while the one-dimensional female characters, try to get through to them, but come off like shrews.  Meh.

For some reason I thought this would be an hour long, so I was so thankful when it was over after 30 minutes. As it is, they barely had enough for half an hour.

I don't know how they get an entire season without things getting very dull very fast.

[Aliconehead]

While i believe leasing is generally a bad idea, if you are in to getting the latest and the greatest car every couple of years, leasing makes sense.  A lot of pro athletes are looking for the status symbol versus the transportation aspect. 

 

The size thing did not bother me because there is a huge size difference between guys on football teams.  I am a SD Chargers fan (as long as they are in SD :) ) we have King Dunlap an offensive tackle that is 6'9 and 330 pounds but we also Danny Woodhead a running back who is 5'8 and 200.  I was in an elevator one time with these two and it was the funniest thing I had seen in a while.

 

Dule was in it after the 10 minutes.  He played a scout for the Dolphins.  I did enjoy it but then any chance to gaze at the Rock is alright in my book.

[Empress1]

I'm sure it happens all the time in real life, but it still amazes me that these guys can get millions of dollars, but still be in debt after their run is over.  Where does all that money going?!

Watch this. It lays it out very clearly - and in my opinion it's fascinating. There's the lifestyle - clothes, cars, houses, women, gambling. Shady business deals. And then there's the practical side of things. Football careers are very short - most guys retire by 35. (I think the best pro athlete money is in basketball.) And you hear about the huge contracts but most of them aren't that big. If you make $5M over the course of your career and you retire by 35, that's not "never have to work again" money in this day and age - particularly when you're left with this or that injury from working a career where you're taking hits all day long. It can be if you invest it, but a lot of these guys don't know how to do that and there are a lot of shady "financial advisers" out there (which the documentary talks about). I highly recommend that documentary.

 

ANYWAY. I watched this entirely because I have a giant crush on The Rock. (I might see San Andreas a second time.) I watched Entourage some and liked it fine, and this was that with athletes. If The Rock weren't in it I wouldn't watch, but I will since he is.

[Irlandesa]

 Actually what suprised me is the NFL seemed to be fine with the use of their team names and image.  Usually with shows like this it will be obviously the NFL but they make up fake names so its not officially the NFL., which makes it seem phony.  Here, they aren't denying the league origins at all, referring by name to the teams.

I don't know if the NFL is "fine" with it but HBO is going to go ahead with it.  Here's an article on how HBO is getting away with it without stepping on copyright.  The NFL doesn't usually give permission which is why most films/pieces of fiction avoid using real teams.  HBO ain't asking.  They're just doing.

[kayma]

I liked it. The show was entertaining enough and looks to be set up enough to stay entertaining enough for a while. I love The Rock and just about everything he's done post-wrestling. I think he was great in this, so I'm hoping it sticks around as long as he wants to do it.

[Ottis]

I liked it. And it reminded me a lot of the show ESPN had a few years go that the NFL pressured ESPN to end because it showed the reality of the dumb choices and actions of pro football players and organizations. It actually got to be pretty good and then was cancelled.

 

Anyway, if people don't like this show because of the stupid actions of the athletes in it, you are missing the point. I assume we will get to know these players through The Rock's eyes as an agent, and depth will be added, as well as humor and yes, some characters will just be a-holes. But that's what the show is about.

 

I chuckled several times at some lines. In some ways, I think The Rock might be *too* pretty and shiny for this role and show. Someone more desperate and clearly more needy might have been a better choice. But let's see what happens.

[Curio]

I was hoping to like this more since I'm a football fan and The Rock is fun to watch no matter what role he's playing, but I was a little disappointed. I might give it a few more episodes to find its voice, but it's like they're trying to straddle the line between being a comedy and a drama, yet they haven't decided which one they want to be. You can be both, but right now, I'm not laughing a lot or feeling emotional over the characters.

 

The only parts that got a few chuckles out of me were the jokes catered to the football nerds. As a big Packers fan, the scene where the receiver (I don't know his name, yet) called to apologize to the Packers board room rang totally true to me because the Packers don't mess around with players with bad reputations off the field. (I think the writers might have taken a little inspiration for the character from Greg Jennings—he had a decent receiving year at the Packers, but he still got cut once he got a little too mouthy off the field.) So I had to grin when the president said, "Cut him" immediately after he hung up the phone. The only other line that made me laugh was the part about not wanting to be on special teams. Oh yeah, and "fuck Twitter."

[scrb]

Maybe they need more of an Ari Gold character to carry the show.

[DrSpaceman]

I don't know if the NFL is "fine" with it but HBO is going to go ahead with it.  Here's an article on how HBO is getting away with it without stepping on copyright.  The NFL doesn't usually give permission which is why most films/pieces of fiction avoid using real teams.  HBO ain't asking.  They're just doing.

 

 

Thanks, that is helpful

 

I will be shocked if the NFL doesn't start a lawsuit over this at some point.  It seems like a fine line they are walking.  I am sure they have all sorts of lawyers working for the show looking over the scenes to try and prevent being sued, but I would also bet the NFL is watching closely for any chance to step in.

[DrSpaceman]

Watch this. It lays it out very clearly - and in my opinion it's fascinating. There's the lifestyle - clothes, cars, houses, women, gambling. Shady business deals. And then there's the practical side of things. Football careers are very short - most guys retire by 35. (I think the best pro athlete money is in basketball.) And you hear about the huge contracts but most of them aren't that big. If you make $5M over the course of your career and you retire by 35, that's not "never have to work again" money in this day and age - particularly when you're left with this or that injury from working a career where you're taking hits all day long. It can be if you invest it, but a lot of these guys don't know how to do that and there are a lot of shady "financial advisers" out there (which the documentary talks about). I highly recommend that documentary.

 

ANYWAY. I watched this entirely because I have a giant crush on The Rock. (I might see San Andreas a second time.) I watched Entourage some and liked it fine, and this was that with athletes. If The Rock weren't in it I wouldn't watch, but I will since he is.

 

 

Average NFL career is only 4 years.  35 is generous.  No guarranteed contracts like in some other leagues.  And rookie contracts that most of them spend those 4 years playing under don't pay a ton.  Most of these players are out of the league by the time they are 30 or by the time they get a second contract.  In the NFL more than MLB or NBA I can see why they would be broke.  And the league tries there best to warn them about all of these things, most still don't listen. And many don't think or have a plan on what to do after they can't play. Will watch the documentary, though I can imagine what it shows. 

[Empress1]

Average NFL career is only 4 years.  35 is generous.  No guarranteed contracts like in some other leagues.  And rookie contracts that most of them spend those 4 years playing under don't pay a ton.  Most of these players are out of the league by the time they are 30 or by the time they get a second contract.  In the NFL more than MLB or NBA I can see why they would be broke.  And the league tries there best to warn them about all of these things, most still don't listen. And many don't think or have a plan on what to do after they can't play. Will watch the documentary, though I can imagine what it shows. 

You're right - I remember all the fuss about Kurt Warner in 2008, when he was 37 - everyone was calling him old. In the documentary a few players give their retirement ages and many retired in their late 20s.

 

Maybe they need more of an Ari Gold character to carry the show.

A little Ari Gold goes a long way. I do agree that there aren't any really dynamic personalities, at least not yet.

[Ottis]

Average NFL career is only 4 years.  35 is generous.  No guarranteed contracts like in some other leagues.  And rookie contracts that most of them spend those 4 years playing under don't pay a ton.  Most of these players are out of the league by the time they are 30 or by the time they get a second contract.

 

 

And I think that is the best opportunity for this show to succeed. Focus on both sides of that equation ... the players in the league who think it will last forever and act like idiots at times, and the guys who are done who now have to figure out who they are and what their lives are about after hearing the cheers of thosands for so long. There is plenty of room for humor in both. And I saw some of it last night. I think the fact the show is only 30 minutes hurts it. You can't develop much in 30 minutes at a time, especially after only one episode.

[Irlandesa]

In the NFL more than MLB or NBA I can see why they would be broke.  And the league tries there best to warn them about all of these things, most still don't listen. And many don't think or have a plan on what to do after they can't play.

The league can warn them but this info is almost always coming from people who are older and who have learned through experience.  Imagine how you would be at 22 and suddenly earning more money than you could possibly imagine.  I remember an economics teacher once telling me that the best way to save is to not upgrade your lifestyle even when you income is upgraded.  But the tendency for people of almost all ages is to do the opposite of that.  If someone earns $100,000, they may purchase a house for $250,000. But, if their household income suddenly increases to $200,000, instead of staying in that $250,000 house, they upgrade to a $500,000 house...or at least a more expensive house. 

 

That's the behavior of adults who have been working a while.  These football players are so young starting out.  And financial habits are often things that are learned over time.  A quick session from the league can't trump the influence football players get from their families (some who may have been taught about saving and others who may have grown up where their parents lived paycheck to paycheck). 

 

Boats, houses, cars and child support can be a drain on a player's bank account but it's also so often the entourage that leads them to making poor decisions.  These kids are looked upon as being a provider for the families.  And the families want a say in how the money is spent.  It's not always malicious.  They think they're giving good advice.  And when it comes down to who a 22 year old is going to listen to, familiarity will likely always trump someone they just met even if that person knows what they're talking about.

 

And there's the after-football career.  Even in college when they're supposed to be getting an education with their scholarship, football is pretty much their life.

 

As a big Packers fan, the scene where the receiver (I don't know his name, yet) called to apologize to the Packers board room rang totally true to me because the Packers don't mess around with players with bad reputations off the field. (I think the writers might have taken a little inspiration for the character from Greg Jennings—he had a decent receiving year at the Packers, but he still got cut once he got a little too mouthy off the field.)

With every team, it's a talent/cost equation.  Good teams have the luxury of being able to give a little more weight to character whereas bad, desperate teams feel like they have to give more weight to talent.  But all teams have that equation where they have to decide how many character issues they'll tolerate for each player's talent level.  Take Adrian Peterson, for example.  He's a running back so even the team that suspended him wants him back even though he hasn't really shown any remorse.  And if they didn't want him, he'd easily land a lucrative deal because he's crazy talented.  Now if he were a punter?  He would've been cut.  (Heck, advocating for gay marriage could put your career in jeopardy if you're a punter.)

 

Green Bay is my team as well but they do it too. How do you think they would handle a Ben Roethlesberger-type situation with Aaaron Rodgers?  Cut him?  Doubtful. They also didn't cut Greg Jennings. GB offered him an extension before the 2012 season. He turned it down hoping to earn more. He spent some of the 2012 season injured and when his contract was about to expire, Green Bay looked  at their receiver team in Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb (who they knew more about after the season) and decided they were good.  the Vikings offered Jennings more. He left and that's when he became "mouthy" which he now regrets---likely because he may realize there's more financial upside in being a beloved ex-Packer rather than a reviled one.

 

So there are so many interesting angles this should could explore. After my experience with Entourage, however, I don't think I can expect some of this.  I'll keep checking in to see if it developes into something more interesting than it is.

[OhIKnow]

I chuckled several times at some lines. In some ways, I think The Rock might be *too* pretty and shiny for this role and show. Someone more desperate and clearly more needy might have been a better choice. But let's see what happens.

 

BLASPHEMY!! The Rock is *never* too pretty for anything. :) 

 

I liked it as well. I remember that ESPN show you were talking about and yes, the NFL was very quick to shut that down. But it's a different time - SO many instances of bad behavior have played out in real time in the press and through social media that the league can't sweep it all under the rug. Hopefully this show won't be all d-bag players and bad behavior, though.

 

Also, props to the powers-that-be for getting Don Shula and Larry Csonka!! GREAT cameos. I hope to see more like that over the course of the season. 

Edited June 24, 2015 by OhIKnow

[Curio]

Green Bay is my team as well but they do it too. How do you think they would handle a Ben Roethlesberger-type situation with Aaaron Rodgers?  Cut him?  Doubtful. They also didn't cut Greg Jennings. GB offered him an extension before the 2012 season. He turned it down hoping to earn more. He spent some of the 2012 season injured and when his contract was about to expire, Green Bay looked  at their receiver team in Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb (who they knew more about after the season) and decided they were good.

 

You're right about the Jennings situation—I summed it up a bit more vague for the non-Packers posters here, but you're spot on. And yes, the luxury of cutting players definitely depends on the position, the amount of talent on the team, and money. I don't know when this show is supposed to take place (2015? 2016? Later?), but right now, the Packers have an embarrassment of riches at the receiving position (Nelson, Cobb, Adams, Janis, Abbrederis, etc.), so that's why it rang true to me that this fictional Packers board was so nonchalant about cutting their productive receiver. But if he were a defensive player, I wouldn't have bought them cutting him so easily. (Look at Letroy Guion's offseason shenanigan's this year and how he's still being given a chance to fight for his position.)

[Dejana]

Playmakers was the show that the NFL leaned on ESPN to cancel. They had leverage in that ESPN also showed NFL games, which isn't an issue for HBO (even Inside the NFL moved to Showtime years ago). The NFL has a thousand bigger problems but they like to get on a high horse about the integrity of the league, so it wouldn't surprise me if they made known their unhappiness about the unauthorized use of the shield.

 

I wonder if there's more to the story with that player in The Rock's flashback. Did the hit lead to some sort of permanent injury to the other guy, sending The Rock into a tailspin of bad play that ended his career?

 

I cringed when he started to eulogize that teammates of his as a great family man, then thought of Steve McNair.

Edited June 24, 2015 by Dejana

[Irlandesa]

(Look at Letroy Guion's offseason shenanigan's this year and how he's still being given a chance to fight for his position.)

True...but Guion is also loved in the locker room and it was marijuana.  Had it been coke....

 

Playmakers was the show that the NFL leaned on ESPN to cancel. They had leverage in that ESPN also showed NFL games, which isn't an issue for HBO (even Inside the NFL moved to Showtime years ago).

HBO airs Hard Knocks but yeah, it's nowhere as important to them as the NFL is to ESPN, NBC, CBS and FOX.

[mojoween]

I loved Playmakers SO much. And the main guy seriously injured a player in a hard hit at the beginning of that series too, so not cool HBO.

I'll watch it, because I love football and while The Rock isn't so much my cup of tea, I cannot deny his charm.

[DrSpaceman]

The league can warn them but this info is almost always coming from people who are older and who have learned through experience.  Imagine how you would be at 22 and suddenly earning more money than you could possibly imagine.  I remember an economics teacher once telling me that the best way to save is to not upgrade your lifestyle even when you income is upgraded.  But the tendency for people of almost all ages is to do the opposite of that.  If someone earns $100,000, they may purchase a house for $250,000. But, if their household income suddenly increases to $200,000, instead of staying in that $250,000 house, they upgrade to a $500,000 house...or at least a more expensive house. 

 

That's the behavior of adults who have been working a while.  These football players are so young starting out.  And financial habits are often things that are learned over time.  A quick session from the league can't trump the influence football players get from their families (some who may have been taught about saving and others who may have grown up where their parents lived paycheck to paycheck). 

 

Boats, houses, cars and child support can be a drain on a player's bank account but it's also so often the entourage that leads them to making poor decisions.  These kids are looked upon as being a provider for the families.  And the families want a say in how the money is spent.  It's not always malicious.  They think they're giving good advice.  And when it comes down to who a 22 year old is going to listen to, familiarity will likely always trump someone they just met even if that person knows what they're talking about.

 

And there's the after-football career.  Even in college when they're supposed to be getting an education with their scholarship, football is pretty much their life.

 

With every team, it's a talent/cost equation.  Good teams have the luxury of being able to give a little more weight to character whereas bad, desperate teams feel like they have to give more weight to talent.  But all teams have that equation where they have to decide how many character issues they'll tolerate for each player's talent level.  Take Adrian Peterson, for example.  He's a running back so even the team that suspended him wants him back even though he hasn't really shown any remorse.  And if they didn't want him, he'd easily land a lucrative deal because he's crazy talented.  Now if he were a punter?  He would've been cut.  (Heck, advocating for gay marriage could put your career in jeopardy if you're a punter.)

 

Green Bay is my team as well but they do it too. How do you think they would handle a Ben Roethlesberger-type situation with Aaaron Rodgers?  Cut him?  Doubtful. They also didn't cut Greg Jennings. GB offered him an extension before the 2012 season. He turned it down hoping to earn more. He spent some of the 2012 season injured and when his contract was about to expire, Green Bay looked  at their receiver team in Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb (who they knew more about after the season) and decided they were good.  the Vikings offered Jennings more. He left and that's when he became "mouthy" which he now regrets---likely because he may realize there's more financial upside in being a beloved ex-Packer rather than a reviled one.

 

So there are so many interesting angles this should could explore. After my experience with Entourage, however, I don't think I can expect some of this.  I'll keep checking in to see if it developes into something more interesting than it is.

  I agree with what you saying about the players basically not being mature enough to handle that kind of money.  I understand coming from poor backgrounds and then everyone having their hand out when they make it big

 

However then I hear stories like Vince Young's, where at one point, he was spending $5000 a week at the cheesecake Factory (yes, a week) and he once bought every single ticket on a commercial airline flight so he and his friends could travel somewhere.  No, he didn't just charter a flight, just bought all commercial tickets on a flight.  Spending like that is hard to explain or justify

[Dejana]

HBO airs Hard Knocks but yeah, it's nowhere as important to them as the NFL is to ESPN, NBC, CBS and FOX.

 

Oops, I forgot that was still even on!

 

Premiere numbers: 2.162 million viewers, 1.1 18-49 rating.

[ToukieSmith]

 

I cringed when he started to eulogize that teammates of his as a great family man, then thought of Steve McNair.

I thought about Steve too, especially when the wife (Latoya Luckett) said that her husband did not have a will or life insurance. 

[marys1000]

LOVED Entourage so after reading here I watched the Ballers pilot.  Eh.  Its not awful but it doesn't have an Entourage feel IDT, not sure why the comparisons.  No group of friends for one.  I felt really bad for Rocks character.  He helped out that one guy big time and said so I represent you now and the guy just completely blew him off.  IDK, I hate to think I'm too old for this (I did love Entourage) or too white.

Entourage had a close group of blue collar friends enjoying the materialistic lifestyle but somehow or the materialistic lifestyle didn't seem quite as skeezy and over the top as this Miami crowd. 

 

I will watch the second show and try not to compare, but I just don't think that is my scene and there isn't anything to feel good about. 

Edited June 29, 2015 by marys1000

[Mozelle]

I ended up watching the second episode first before the pilot, and that was only because around 9:45 last night I happened to be listening to a podcast about Denzel Washington. So, I had no time to check out the pilot before episode 2 aired. The hosts in the podcast talked about Denzel's son being in this show (he was the baller who punched out the dude bro in the club), so I was interested only for that reason. I just wanted to see it he had any of Denzel's acting mannerisms or his voice inflection. 

 

I don't watch football so I thought the show was kind of whack. I do like Dwayne Johnson (and his gorgeous smile), though, but I don't know if he's enough to keep me tuned in. I also thought that Denzel's son, John David, was very attractive (but then again, I'm very much a lover of (not too over the top) beards, and John David's beard is swoonworthy).

[MsVixen]

Can someone explain why the widow is broke?  She was upset because her husband didn't have insurance and hadn't left a will.  Wouldn't everything come to her if there's no will?  Does this mean that he didn't have any assets at all?  How were they living?

[Marianne]

Late reply; I just watched the pilot.

I was mystified also by the widow's comments.  There is a common misconception that if you die without a will, your property "goes to the state."  That is false.  Intestate laws in every state specify who inherits when there's no will.  The heirs are always spouses and blood relatives. Even with no will, if he had any property in his name, his property almost certainly would all be split between his wife and children, with the wife/mother probably being guardian of the minor children's property. Maybe they had no equity in any of the property, like the house, so there might not be any real estate to inherit. But checking or savings accounts, furniture, personal property, jewelry, etc. would be hers/the kids'.  

But it's also hard to believe the guy didn't have any life insurance, even if just through his employment with the team.

Edited July 12, 2015 by Marianne