Hurray for the Nimrods
The Watersmeet school in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, which takes care of educating the local youth from kindergarden through 12th grade, calls its sports teams the Nimrods.
A Nimrod, for those nimrods out there who don't know, is a Biblical reference to a hunter. Watersmeet is a small hamlet known for its outdoorsmen, hunters and fishermen who enjoy the local forests, rivers and lakes.
It's become, in fact, Nimrod Nation.
Brett Morgen, who produced and directed documentaries such as "On the Ropes" and "The Kid Stays in the Picture," also directed commercials featuring the Nimrod Nation for ESPN. It got him more in tune with what goes on in Watersmeet beyond its love for its local school's athletic programs.
The result is an eight-part series called "Nimrod Nation" that the Sundance Channel will begin airing tonight at 9 p.m. with Episode 1 and 9:30 p.m. with Episode 2. Two episodes air each Monday night through Dec. 17.
“Nimrod Nation” starts during the 2005-2006 season of Watersmeet’s high school basketball team. Watersmeet has its own issues to deal with. There's tension between the Anglo population and the Native Americans who live on the Potawatomi Iand Lac du Flambeau indian reservations near by. It has drug and alcohol abuse, and teenage pregancy problems.
“Though the main focus of ‘Nimrod Nation’ is on the high school basketball team, the series provides a riveting narrative that delves deeply into issues of identity and culture," said Laura Michalchyshyn, the executive VP and GM of programming for the Sundance Channel, “Watersmeet, like many towns, is anything but typical, and Brett has created an objective and compelling portrait.”
Here's a YouTube.com 1:30 clip introduction:
Another clip below that's also on YouTube featuring the Zelinski brothers came with this comment from someone who viewed it: "I knew this crap would happen when this show came out. They put the extreme retarded people in the show, and made it look like we are all like that. F you Sundance channel."
Here's the lineup for the series from a Sundance Channel release:
Tonight:
Episode 1: The school year begins for the Watersmeet Nimrods, who won the 2005 District Finals in the team’s best season ever. Coach George Peterson III is also the principal of Watersmeet Township School. The team’s star members include senior guard George Peterson IV, the coach’s son. Center Nathan Vestich is student council president. Junior center Brian Aimsback is a Native American. The season opener pits the Nimrods against a tough opponent, the Bessemer High School Speedboys.
Episode 2: The uneasy nature of relations between Watersmeet’s white and Native American communities is highlighted when Aimsback and Peterson reach the same career milestone of 1,000 points. But basketball is not the only subject stirring up local passions: word is out that a large housing development has been proposed for Bond Falls Park, a scenic wilderness area that is a popular spot for fishing, cookouts and other activities. Determined to save the land for future generations, ardent outdoorsman Jeff Zelinski begins a petition drive against the Bond Falls development.
Monday, December 3:
Episode 3: Motivational speaker Karl Randall visits Watersmeet Township School to talk to students about smoking, drinking, drugs and sex, and offers his own cautionary tale of teenage drinking and driving. Meanwhile, George and Suzanne Zelinski have taken in Suzanne’s pregnant niece, Anna, a studious high school junior emerging from a rocky period in her life. As the Nimrods prepare to take on the undefeated Forest Park-Crystal Falls Trojans, pressure mounts on Brian, whose once-mighty shooting average has declined since he and cheerleader Hope Yablonski began dating.
Episode 4: Student council president Vestich heads up the planning for Homecoming Week activities, including dress-up days. A critical game against Ewen-Trout Creek turns ugly in the fourth quarter as players become physically aggressive, and Nathan’s excellent showing is overshadowed by personal fouls in the game’s closing minutes. After a Bessemer student threatens to retaliate against Nathan, Coach Peterson takes extra steps to ensure that the Nimrods’ upcoming match against the Bessemer Speedboys stays clean.
Monday, December 10:
Episode 5: Drama teacher Suzanne Zelinski tries to inject the arts into the school’s extracurricular programs as she mounts a musical production, “Toys-R-Alive.” Some Nimrod players join the cast, but rehearsals hit a bump when the athletes are claimed by basketball practice. Parent-teacher conference day brings some discussion about the tension between school sports and academic work. Sloppy playing by the Nimrods gives Coach Peterson cause for worry as the team nears the end of the regular season.
Episode 6: Coach Peterson delivers an emotional speech on Senior Night, bidding farewell to six graduating players, including Nathan and George IV. Only one of the team’s star players, Brian, will be returning the Nimrods next season. Watersmeet citizens and businesses get into the spirit of March Madness, and college coaches begin making inquiries about some Nimrod players. Bolstered by their 18-2 record, the Nimrods head into the first game of the post-season and face one of their fiercest rivals.
Monday, December 17:
Episode 7: As the Nimrods advance to the District Finals, Coach Peterson brings in former NCAA basketball coach Norman Ellwood for expert advice and strategizing – and to help get slacking center Nathan to perform up to his potential. While Nathan acknowledges the need to shape up, Brian is eager to redeem himself after a poor showing against Bessemer. Encouraged by his grandmother, Wanda, and his girlfriend Hope, Brian meets with a Chippewa tribal member about returning to one of his earliest loves, traditional Native dancing.
Episode 8: Nimrod fans are nervous but hopeful as their team gets ready to play the No. 1 Forest Park-Crystal Falls’ Trojans in the Regional semifinals. Taking the court against the fast and formidable Trojans, the Nimrods are challenged not only to keep up, but also to keep their cool. With the snow melting and the basketball post-season winding down, it is time to turn to spring outdoor traditions.
The series will be available for download on iTunes on the Tuesday after they air.
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