Myth of the Miraculous Turnaround Priest

Itâ??s one of our favorite movies: the sports turnaround saga. If youâ??ve seen the recent Disney production MacFarland, USA, then you know the genre well. It has a predictable but well-beloved story arc: a team or school is in the depths of despair over its poor performance. Various dysfunctions are evident. Then, a new coach arrives, whips the team into shape, and makes the players believe that they can win. To motivate them, the coach connects with the players outside of normal practices, usually at the expense of his own family life. The team begins, against all expectations, to win and win and win. Then appears the predictable music montage of highlight plays and winning scoreboards that helps us zip through the season until the team has made it to the playoffs. Both team and coach begin to realize how their performance draws a wider community together, and this motivates them to succeed at the championship game, which comes down to a last-second point. The intrepid underdogs are victorious. Everyone rejoices, and the camera focuses on the miraculous turnaround coach who made it all happen.