'The Cost of Winning' Review: HBO scores a touchdown with promising high school football documentary series
'The Cost of Winning' is promising. It has every ingredient that makes for a good sports documentary. It is fast-paced, the narrative is crisp, and is action-packed. It could have done with a bit more depth, much like Netflix's 'Last Chance U' or Amazon's 'All or Nothing', but in 30 minutes, there's enough hook.
Co-directed by Rob Ford and Maurice Holden, the HBO docu-series explores the nationally-ranked football program of Baltimore's St. Frances Academy and the lives of some of their finest players.
There's every reason why St. Frances as a school grabs eyeballs. The Catholic school has a prison in its backyard and a violent neighborhood that makes kids coming to school everyday achievement. And despite all this, they have one of the top quality football units, the Panthers led by Biff Poggi as the head coach. Poggi's background is examined as well as he becomes the school's investment fund manager and takes care of all expenses from his own pocket. This, in addition to recruiting some of the best young talents.
The four-part docu follows the team's journey in 2018 as they embark on a national schedule to play against the country's best football school. There are some 'Never Back Down' memories as the line, "To be the best, you got to take out the best," comes into the picture. However, the actual story is the fact that the side is kicked out from the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) conference owing to that roster they have. The official reason states "player safety" as a reason, coupled with terms like "competitive disadvantage."
That some of the players in the side are LSU and Michigan commits shows the quality of the side. While the fact that they would not be played raised questions and theories of racism playing a factor, the two episodes shed light on the school's history of teaching black students. The focus is on the football they play irrespective of the MIAA's views. Episodes 1 and 2 take the viewers through the three games that the Panthers play losing just one to the Monarchs.
There are a few players in Demon Clowbey and Chris Braswell along with Blake Corum who are all destined for greatness and they share their thoughts on being a panther and life in Baltimore where homicides are dime-a-dozen. Messay Hailemariam and Poggi with the rest of the coaching and support staff are likable and that adds to the reason to watch the series. Ford and Holden pick out the points that need explanation and wrap up the storylines pretty quickly. Safe to say, HBO has scored a touchdown with this one.
With two episodes left, there's more about the Panther's we'll know when they premiere on Wednesday, November 11 at 9 pm ET on HBO.