Requiem for a Thought

Quadriplegia (kwodra-plee-jee-a): A condition of having partial or full paralysis of all four limbs.

Rugby (rug-bee): A game played by two teams of 15 players each on a rectangular field 110 yards long with goal lines and goal posts at either end, the object being to run with an oval ball across the opponent's goal line or kick it through the upper portion of the goal posts, with forward passing and time-outs not permitted. (American Heritage).

Murderball (Mur-der-bal): Quadriplegics playing rugby.

I watched the new documentary, Murderball, yesterday with my brother. Honestly, going into it I didn’t really know what to expect. Was the doc going to focus on the sport? The players? I wasn’t sure. As it turned out, it focused on both, but not in the way you might think.

Don’t walk into the movie expecting it to be a feel good movie about men overcoming great odds. It’s not that kind of film. Instead, expect a rather graphic discussion of sex as a quadriplegic; a trophy-collecting father who probably abuses his son; winning rugby games and losing rugby games; dealing psychologically with being in a wheelchair; and a lot of laughs.

Here’s a quote that I think sums up the movie: Scott Hogsett recounts how he was at a wedding and most of the people there knew he was about to play in the Paralympics in Athens (2004). Well, a woman comes up to him and says, “I understand you’re playing in the Special Olympics.” He said to himself, “Right then I went from being the man at the party to being a f*^&ing retard.”

Now I realize that’s cold, and he does qualify the remark by expressing admiration for the athletes in the Special Olympics. But, let’s face it, the Special Olympics aren’t about winning. They are a competition for children and adults with disabilities; participating is the biggest reward. The Paralympics, on the other hand, are about winning. And these guys work their ass off to make sure they do just that.

If you have the time, check out Murderball. It will be eye-opening to say the least, and if you are like most people, it will broader your understanding of quadriplegia and exactly what does and doesn’t mean to be disabled.

www.murderballmovie.com