Gridiron Gang Page #2

Not now, no.

But if they were a football team...

Oh, come on, Sean. It's impossible.

Then let's try the impossible,

because the possible just ain't workin'.

Paul, we've got to give these kids a target

and we've gotta fill that void.

You played football, didn't you?

Defensive end. Second Team All League.

All right, we'll give it a try.

But your neck is way out on this.

Mom, they have wheelchairs, ya know.

- I'm okay.

- Thank you.

Now, see, I've been tellin' you for years

you should coach.

I know. I know, Mom, but I just think

with you sick, maybe it's not a good time.

I completely agree.

Why should you do something you love

when you could be sittin' around

watchin' me fade away?

So, what kinda offense you gonna run?

I don't even know

if enough kids'll wanna play.

Are you kiddin'?

Teenage boys'll kill to play football.

That's what everybody's afraid of.

Throw it in. Over here. Down low.

Hey, yo, fetch me that ball, man.

Yo, nigga, you deaf? I said gimme the ball.

What, you can't talk neither?

Yo, Junior.

Take that ball, dawg.

This cat think he king of Samoa 'cause

he killed some Mexican with a baseball bat.

Yo, Junior, come on, man.

Catch you on the fly, homey.

Ball in, man.

Whatchu looking at me foul like that for?

I know you.

You a goddamn 88.

Yeah, that's right.

You lucky we up in here.

'Cause on the outs

you'd be dead.

I'll kill you right here, right now.

All right, gentlemen, let's line it up.

Owens, that's you too.

Come on, hurry up. Everybody.

Hurry up. Move it.

You wanna play football with this team,

you're gonna live with the team,

eat with the team and work with the team.

Is practice gonna be hard?

It's a lot harder than five homeboys

beatin' up a security guard, Perez.

Then I'm in.

How 'bout you, Bates?

I don't know.

- Don't be scared.

- I'm not scared.

You're on the team.

Yo. I'll play quarterback.

You got any experience, Leon?

Man, I got so much experience

I could give some away

and still have more than I could use.

All right.

I'll play.

- I can't use you, Junior.

- Why not?

'Cause you got no discipline. You'll be tryin'

to start fights every time I turn my back.

You ain't even gonna give me a chance?

You've had plenty of chances.

Who else?

How 'bout you, Owens?

You played defensive back, didn't you?

For Washington?

You wanna check your calendar

and get back to me?

Or maybe you got

another liquor store to rob.

Yeah, I'll play.

How 'bout you, Evans?

I mean, I played Pop Warner when

I was younger but that's about it, though.

You're on the team.

I got experience.

I played for, like, three years.

- What position'd you play?

- Out to the side.

Was that out to the side on offense

or defense?

If the ball's thrown from...

Man, I don't know what I'm talkin'.

All right, Bug. How 'bout you be water boy?

- Cool.

- All right.

Yo, Mr. Porter. Can I play?

You're getting out in a week, Madlock.

I wanna stay in.

You wanna stay in jail?

Yeah, man.

South Central in summertime gets hot.

Gets crazy.

People start shootin' each other and stuff.

I'll talk to your case worker.

- All right?

- All right.

New booty? What's your name?

Willie Weathers.

Get vertical when you talk to me.

You any relation to Roger Weathers?

He was my cousin, man.

I want you to play on this team, Willie.

Naw, man, it's a'ight.

You're playin'.

Why?

'Cause I want you to live longer

than your cousin.

Hey. Who we gonna play against?

We'll let ya know.

All right.

I'm gonna do my stuff, boy.

Well, it's not a jail.

It's a juvenile detention center.

But they're criminals?

Yeah. Technically.

Sorry, I can't.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Coach.

Our players will be closely supervised,

no problems.

Sounds fine,

as long as there's no gang members.

See, that's the thing.

We don't have our own home field.

So you expect to bring 'em here.

Yeah, that's a great idea. We love your field.

I'll come tomorrow.

Sorry, guys, I don't think it's gonna work.

Most of our starters

have been in this program for three years.

You have four weeks to prepare your team.

Do you really wanna go up

against those kinda odds?

I'll bet ya $100 we win.

We're a Christian school,

we don't gamble. I...

Look, I have to be honest with ya.

I don't think it's in the best interest

of my kids to play you.

Well, what about our players?

Don't they deserve a chance to play?

Well, frankly, no. They lost that chance

when they broke the law.

Well, maybe we shouldn't let 'em eat, either.

How 'bout that?

Sean.

Mr. Torrance, let me ask you.

You a Christian, right?

Yeah.

Now, I'm not that familiar

with the exact words,

but didn't Jesus say somethin' like,

"Be merciful, just as your Father's merciful,

"don't pass judgment

and you won't be judged"?

It's the book of Luke.

"Give and it'll be given in good measure.

"For whatever measure

you deal out to others,

"it'll be dealt to you in return."

You're not too familiar with it, huh?

No, look, Bob and Mel said it's fine

with them if it's fine with you.

I didn't know you were religious.

I ain't religious, but we need

all the help we can get for this program.

Wouldn't hurt for you to pray some yourself.

Well, scheduling games

on Saturday afternoon,

it isn't easy,

but I think I just got you a full schedule.

- Thank you.

- Welcome to the Camino Real League.

Hey, thanks a lot.

Take a knee, half-circle.

Everybody take a knee.

Gentlemen, we ain't got all day.

Bring it in.

All right, everybody, listen up.

Whatever neighborhood you came from,

whatever gang you claim,

whatever hood you're from,

this is your hood now.

You're no longer a Blood, no longer a Crip,

no longer an es.

You're Mustang.

This football program will be three-pronged.

Number one, the dorm.

You're gonna have to learn to get along

with people from other neighborhoods.

Different backgrounds.

Number two, school.

You're gonna have to apply yourself.

Become a better student.

And number three, the gridiron.

Hey, Coach. What's the gridiron?

You're standin' on the gridiron.

The gridiron is a football field.

On the gridiron, we play football.

On the gridiron, we do it my way.

Not your way, my way.

Your way got you here.

And you're here 'cause ya lost.

Right now, you're losers.

Mustangs are winners.

And if you accept this challenge,

when it's all over come December,

you're gonna be winners.

All right, let's go. Let's have

a good first day of practice. Jumpin' jacks.

Everybody ready? Get set!

Begin.

M-U-S-T-A...

- T!

- A!

A-N-G-S!

You've got to be shittin' me.

You don't know how to spell "Mustangs"?

This is gonna be a long-ass day.

Evans, what in the blue hell is that?

Get up, Evans!

I bet ya there's a piece-a chicken down there

you'd go for it, wouldn't ya?

Hell, yeah, Coach. I love chicken.

Then get your ass down there

on my whistle.

On my whistle, get that chicken.

You're gonna make it, you're gonna make it.

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