The Rewatchables: ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin

Published 2024-12-31; 1:56:48 by the feed.

As extracted (engineer-sonnet-2026-10-13)

The extraction calls the show “The Rewatchables (The Ringer)” and the episode “'Friday Night Lights' With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin”.

Hosts: Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin. Guests: Craig Horlbeck (producer, joins for the tiebreak and the end-of-show take).

Subject films: Friday Night Lights (2004).

On the transcript: No speaker labels; the host split relies on cues like Ravens fandom (Mallory) and who reads out the categories. Many ad reads and a Landman digression are mixed in.

Awards and segments (92)

Double feature

pick Varsity Blues: It is the obvious pick, but pairing the two gives the fun Texas high school football version and then the serious one.
“Varsity blues is too easy, but I'm going to do it anyway.”
Bill Simmons · 1:42:36
pick Varsity Blues: She lands on the same pairing, the two films being relatively contemporary and showing both sides of Texas football.
“That's my pick as well.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:42:38

Most rewatchable scene

pick Halftime speech through the second-half comeback against Dallas Carter
“By the way, this whole, from halftime on is my most rewatchable.”
Bill Simmons · 0:48:02
pick Halftime and the second half of the championship game
“But yeah, it's got to be, it's got to be halftime in the 2nd half of the game.”
Mallory Rubin · 0:50:43
runner-up The Billingsley family car scene and the morning-after ring conversation
“It's either halftime and the 2nd half of the game, or I do really like the Billings League family car scene.”
Mallory Rubin · 0:50:14
floated The opening credits and the first day of practice camera cruise, with Coach Gaines's "we will win state" speech
“I really like the opening credits.”
Bill Simmons · 0:32:35
floated The first game, the music leading up to it and Boobie getting hurt up 42-7
“The, uh, the 1st game where we get some incredible music leading up to it.”
Bill Simmons · 0:35:00
floated Coach Gaines telling Winchell he has to step up
“Billy Bob tells Winchell that he has to step up.”
Bill Simmons · 0:35:47
floated Winchell's bedroom visit from Coach Gaines, with the toy car in his hand
“The thing I love best in that scene is, Mike is holding like a toy car.”
Mallory Rubin · 0:36:34
floated Chris Comer's breakout game leading into the season montage
“Chris Comer's breakout game?”
Bill Simmons · 0:37:07
floated Charlie Billingsley throws his championship ring out of the car, and the morning-after conversation
“Don's dad throws his ring out of the car.”
Bill Simmons · 0:37:21
floated The team bus to the Astrodome with Boobie on crutches and Explosions in the Sky
“Uh, next thing I have, everyone gets on the bus for the Astrodome.”
Bill Simmons · 0:42:02
floated The first scene at the burger joint
“I think the only like, the only things that you didn't have that I would even put in the consideration list or like that 1st the 1st scene at the burger joint.”
Mallory Rubin · 0:50:22
floated The inter-cutting of the booster dinner and the party
“The inner cutting of the booster dinner and the party, I really love that stretch.”
Mallory Rubin · 0:50:36

Ebert review · Reading Roger Ebert's review of the film.

pick Friday Night Lights: Ebert gave it 3.5 stars; Bill reads it and agrees completely.
“You're goddamn right, Roger Ebert.”
Bill Simmons · 0:31:31

Most 2004 thing · The thing about the movie that most belongs to the year it came out.

winner The brutal, video-game-style football hits: Borderline beheadings and clotheslines that he doesn't think would be filmed that way now.
“This is the EA sports, Madden, like just people getting crushed.”
Bill Simmons · 0:51:24
nominee The Astrodome
“The Astrodome.”
Bill Simmons · 0:51:10
pick A movie set in 1988 and released in 2004: She agrees, finding the pairing of period and release year the rich part.
“It's the combination of it being set in 88 and released in 04.”
Mallory Rubin · 0:51:47

What's aged the best · The things about the movie that have held up or improved.

pick The frantic, quick-cut filming style: Dizzying in 2004, now it reads as normal and he likes the movie more.
“I got to say, I like the movie even more than I did when it came out because, and I think part of it is because I was going to do this in what's age the best.”
Bill Simmons · 0:13:16
pick The editing, montages and close framing: Documentary-like proximity that now feels appropriate.
“I also had that in what's age the best, just the, the like editing and cutting and and honestly, the just like the movies in some ways a series of montages, like nature of the, of the film.”
Mallory Rubin · 0:13:51
pick The good guys losing in the end: Rare for a sports movie, and great from a rewatchable standpoint.
“This is a top tier, what's age the best.”
Bill Simmons · 0:16:46
winner High school football as a religious text, with Slamming Sammy and Ratliff Stadium: Includes the pressure on kids who are gods but crumbling, and the "I don't feel 17" line.
“High school football is a religious text in in a Texas story.”
Mallory Rubin · 0:52:33
pick The theme that this is as good as it will ever get at 17
“It's never going to get better than right here, and we've seen it in some sports movies”
Bill Simmons · 0:53:16
pick Boobie gives Donnie his nameplate: The payoff of the tension between the two.
“Booby gives Donnie his nameplate and he's like, I think it's going to be worth a lot of money and you're waiting for Donnie to tell him to fuck off.”
Mallory Rubin · 0:55:55
pick Dallas Carter never punting or kicking, going for it on fourth: A modern, analytics-driven approach.
“They go for it on fourth.”
Bill Simmons · 0:56:33
pick The coach coming home to the for-sale signs on the lawn
“I love when it goes badly for the coach and he gets back home and there's all the for sale signs front lawn.”
Bill Simmons · 0:57:10

Great Shack Award · Most cinematic shot (also billed as the Fortune 3 Clap Award for most giftable moment).

winner Don and Mike slumped at the one yard line: Total despondence at the end of the championship game.
“Okay. Don and Mike slumped over the one yard line.”
Bill Simmons · 0:58:01

Den of Thieves Benihana Award · Best scene-stealing location.

nominee The Astrodome: Put up as a question, as an important sports-movie location.
“Would you go Astrodome?”
Bill Simmons · 0:58:51
winner The undisclosed truck stop for the coin toss
“I'm going undisclosed truck stop for the coin.”
Mallory Rubin · 0:58:56

Big Kahuna Burger Award · Best use of food and drink.

nominee Mike's burger at the start
“Probably Mike's burger in the beginning because it may be hungry.”
Bill Simmons · 0:59:16
nominee Chocolate milk cartons and breakfast burritos outside the 7-Eleven
“One would be the car, uh, chocolate milk cartons and breakfast burritos in front of the 7-Eleven, and then the cop pulls up and he's like, you're going to win state.”
Mallory Rubin · 0:59:26
winner Karen's Rice Krispy treat model of Billingsley
“Karen's Rice Krispy model of Billingsley.”
Mallory Rubin · 0:59:43

The Mallory Rubin Award for did this movie need a better sex scene · Which sex scene (or missing one) the movie most needed to do better; only done when Mallory is on.

winner A sex scene between Coach Gaines and his wife Sharon: She says the marriage became the best portrayal of a marriage in TV history and the movie gives none of it.
“It's Coach Gaines and his wife, Sharon.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:00:51
nominee The Mike and Melissa sex scene, the Donny and Karen payoff, Flippy and Charlie Billingsley, Preacher taking someone to church
“Could it have been opening earlier on the Mike Melissa sex scene instead of just cutting to Lucas Black panting into the bathroom mirror, maybe.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:00:19

What's aged the worst · The things about the movie that have aged badly or feel off now.

winner Connie Britton's nothing role as the coach's wife as Sharon Gaines: Compared with Tammy Taylor, the movie just punted on the coach-wife marriage. He reads Berg's oral-history quote about it.
“So I had that in what stage the worst, how they, I wrote, the coach wife marriage, they just punted on it.”
Bill Simmons · 1:01:52
pick Anything labeled based on a true story: He then says the movie actually stays pretty close to the true story.
“Anytime I see based on a true story.”
Bill Simmons · 1:11:19
pick Connie Britton's 1980s hair
“But I just am watching her like, oh, man, I just can't wait till she's Coach Taylor's wife with a more modern hairdo.”
Bill Simmons · 1:11:44
pick Derek Luke as Boobie Miles: Great in the part but was 30 playing a high school kid.
“Derek Luke was 30 years old during the filming.”
Bill Simmons · 1:11:55
pick Don's dad interrupting the hookup
“My last one is Don's dad interrupting the hookup.”
Bill Simmons · 1:12:41
pick The medical treatment of Boobie's knee: In 2024 you'd have surgery right away; reconstructive surgery wasn't unthinkable even in 1988.
“Not immediately having surgery, trying to play again on the knee.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:13:05
pick No instant replay: Notes the dropped fourth-quarter catch and whether Winchell broke the plane, which the film does use for tension.
“No instant replay because there are like really a number of plays where...”
Mallory Rubin · 1:13:48
pick Lucas Black as Mike Winchell: Argues the performance is a level below Hedlund and Luke, and that J. Hernandez seems too small as Chavez.
“I feel like Garrett Hedlin and Derek Luke are like at a just a different level in the movie.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:16:13

Butch's Girlfriend Award · The weak link of the film.

winner Not establishing other high school students in the movie: She grants there was no room, but says the girls and other kids are what make the show a high school story.
“My weakest link is... Not establishing other high school students in the movie.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:10:25
nominee The coach's wife role as Sharon Gaines: Says it easily could have been her pick.
“that easily could have been for me, the Butch's girlfriend award for week week in the film.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:04:05

Hottest take · A spicy opinion about the movie or the people in it. (Mallory's was framed as the Vincent Chase Award: are we sure this character was good at his job.)

pick Coach Gaines as a possibly bad coach as Gary Gaines: Backed with a long list of questionable coaching decisions: the Boobie injury, lying to the team, not playing Preacher at tight end.
“Coach Gaines, maybe just a bad coach. This is my hottest take, but maybe it's not that hot.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:04:26
pick Billy Bob Thornton as Coach Gaines: He should have played Coach Taylor in the TV show; Bill argues it would have been better for Thornton's career. Mallory objects on behalf of Kyle Chandler.
“I think Billy Bob should have played the coach in the TV show.”
Bill Simmons · 1:17:08

Can You Dig It Award · Most memorable quote.

pick Nothing but babies and memories
“It's probably nothing but babies and memories, right?”
Bill Simmons · 1:16:42
pick Billingsley at the burger joint: get laid, get drunk, win state, but not tonight
“We're going to get laid.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:16:49

Casting what ifs · Almost-castings and directors who were attached before the film was made.

pick James Hetfield as Charlie Billingsley: Per a text from Peter Berg, he tried to cast the Metallica singer as Don's dad before Tim McGraw.
“The person that he tried to get was James Hetfield from Metallica.”
Bill Simmons · 1:19:24
pick Richard Linklater as director: Linklater wrote a script and was all in, but it was too expensive, before Peter Berg got it.
“Richard Linklater.”
Bill Simmons · 1:18:45
pick Matt Damon as Mike Winchell: The part would have suited a mid-90s Matt Damon, who was too old by 2004.
“this would have been an amazing mid 90s Matt Damon part.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:21:52

Best that guy · Best that guy / actor you'll recognize from elsewhere.

winner Brad Leland as John Buddy Garrity
“I think Buddy Garrity is the best that guy because I see him in anything.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:20:38
nominee Timothy F. Crowley as the official in the championship game: He is Coach Crowley on Eric's staff in the TV show.
“I went with Timothy F. Crowley, who is the official in the championship game, but is, of course, coached Crowley on Eric's staff in the TV show.”
Bill Simmons · 1:20:48

Dion Waiters Award · Small role with a big impact.

winner The burger joint guy who takes a picture with his baby: Mallory's burger-joint pick; Bill agrees it wins.
“I like your uh, burger joint guy idea.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:21:27
nominee The girl who seduces Mike Winchell, Flippy, and the girl about to have sex with Don Billingsley
“Girl who seduces Mike Winchell.”
Bill Simmons · 1:21:09

Announcer for the director's commentary · Who would best do the director's commentary or call the game.

pick Chris Collinsworth: She can hear Collinsworth when Boobie gets hurt.
“I think I, I was able to really like clearly feel, and hear Collinsworth when Booby got hurt though, like, oh, Mike, you just hate to see it.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:22:40
pick Chris Collinsworth: He imagines Collinsworth talking about Preacher.
“I was thinking, Chris Collinsworth talking about preacher would have been really fun.”
Bill Simmons · 1:23:02

Apex Mountain · Whether this is the peak of someone's career or of a property.

winner Friday Night Lights as a property, the TV series: The movie is not the apex of the franchise; the TV series is.
“Yeah, the property.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:27:19
winner Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris in Landman: The apex is Landman, not the movie, Sling Blade or Monster's Ball.
“With apologies to this and sling blade and monsters ball, let's just let's just carve out the necessary turf here for lamb man.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:25:34
winner Michael B. Jordan as Vince Howard: His apex is the TV show.
“I still, I would think he would agree that the show is the apex.”
Bill Simmons · 1:27:08
winner Garrett Hedlund as Don Billingsley: His peak is Country Strong, which they covered on the show.
“I think his Apex Mountain was the country's strong rewatchables.”
Bill Simmons · 1:28:40
winner Lucas Black as Mike Winchell: His apex is Tokyo Drift, not this movie.
“It's probably Tokyo Drift, yeah.”
unknown · 1:29:18
winner Sports movie coin tosses: The movie's coin toss scene takes the apex of all sports movie coin tosses.
“I'm gonna say yes.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:29:13

Cruise or Hanks · Who plays the lead (Coach Gaines) better, Tom Cruise or Tom Hanks, with the running tally.

winner Tom Hanks as Coach Gaines: A tie with Mallory; producer Craig breaks it for Hanks.
“The answer's Hanks, but unfortunately, because we have a tie, we have to bring a producer Craig Early.”
Bill Simmons · 1:30:46
nominee Tom Cruise as Coach Gaines: She sees Cruise as deranged but mesmerizing, going toe to toe with the boosters.
“I think the cruise version of this would be deranged, but kind of mesmerizing.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:30:35
winner Tom Hanks as Coach Gaines: Tiebreaker; says Cruise is too small and wouldn't be believable in Texas. Hanks wins and the tally is 21-16 Hanks.
“The answer is Tom Hanks.”
Craig Horlbeck · 1:30:56

Racehorse, rock band, wrestler, fantasy team name · Which name from the movie she would borrow for a racehorse, band, wrestler or fantasy team.

pick Mojo: Chosen over Booby Miles and Babies and Memories.
“My race horse is mojo.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:31:54

Picking Nits · Nitpicks of a film they love.

pick The coin toss, including the undisclosed truck stop: Everything about the coin toss belongs here, though it happened that way in real life.
“Every frankly, everything with the coin toss belongs in picking nets, all of it.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:32:48
pick The 1969 Buffalo nickel as the coin
“It has to be at least a half dollar.”
Bill Simmons · 1:33:06
pick The score going from 18-7 to 26-7 before the half
“Last game goes from 18 to 7 is 26 to 7 right before the half.”
Bill Simmons · 1:33:18
pick Timeline wonkiness around Boobie's MRI and the standings
“There's not only some scorekeeping wonkiness, but there's some just general timeline wonkiness.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:33:27
pick No penalties on late hits on the quarterback: Wild in the concussion-protocol era to see him kicked in the face and stay in the game.
“I'm positive that was always a penalty.”
Bill Simmons · 1:34:21
pick Winchell being Will Levis, then Russell Wilson, depending on the score
“I guess I'll just say, like, Winchell basically being Will Levis the entire movie.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:34:47
pick Preacher not playing tight end on third and short
“And I would add preacher at tight end on any 3rd in short.”
Bill Simmons · 1:34:36

Is this movie better with… · Whether the film would improve with an added actor, and what scene they would play.

pick Danny Trejo as Chavez's dad: A bar fight scene, then Coach Gaines comes to see him.
“We get one bar scene with him.”
Bill Simmons · 1:35:32
pick Wayne Jenkins: She says Jenkins fits every scene, best as a dirty cop pushing a player to throw a game or at the coin toss.
“As a daughter of Baltimore, I'm always going to pick Wayne Jenkins here.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:35:57

Unanswered questions · Open questions the movie leaves hanging.

pick What stops two of the three coaches from rigging the coin toss
“What's the stop 2 of the 3 coaches from just like, we're in cahoots.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:36:54
pick Why didn't Don move out of his abusive dad's house
“Why didn't Don move out?”
Bill Simmons · 1:37:53
pick Preacher's rank among sports movie football legends as Preacher Billy Ray: He puts Preacher a solid 9 against Forest Whitaker in Fast Times at a 10.
“Preacher's a solid 9 nine.”
Bill Simmons · 1:38:33
pick Where Friday Night Lights ranks among football movies: Says The Longest Yard is number one, with FNL somewhere from 2 to 6 alongside North Dallas 40, Remember the Titans, Rudy and Any Given Sunday.
“But Friday Night Lights is somewhere, number 2 to number six.”
Bill Simmons · 1:40:52
pick Permian's preseason odds and the championship line against Dallas Carter: Speaker unclear; the answer was around +350 with Boobie and roughly 16.5-point underdogs without him.
“Dallas Carter, probably like 16 and half point underdogs.”
unknown · 1:41:47

Just one Oscar · Who should have won or been nominated for one Oscar.

winner Explosions in the Sky (the score)
“Probably the explosions in the sky.”
Bill Simmons · 1:37:23
winner Best adapted screenplay: Stands out more than the acting performances.
“I think the best adapted screenplay would, would be the one now, like, for me that stands out more than the acting performances, honestly.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:37:34

Zihuatanejo Award (what happened the next day) · What happened to a character after the film's events.

pick Gary Gaines: He became a college assistant in various programs and returned to Permian in the late 2000s, which Mallory says inspired the show's season 2. She calls the category almost impossible for a true story.
“Gary Gaines went to college after they won the title in the next year, became an assistant in a bunch of different programs, bounced around a little bit, and then came back to Perman in the late 2000s.”
Bill Simmons · 1:43:05

Memorabilia · A prop or piece of the movie they would own.

pick Charlie Billingsley's championship ring: Chosen for the emotional attachment.
“I want, I think Charlie Billingsley's championship ring, given the emotional attached to that one.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:43:46
pick One of the player lawn signs: He would frame it indoors.
“You know what would be really fun to have is one of the lawn signs.”
Bill Simmons · 1:43:56

Coach Finstock Award · Best life lesson from the movie.

pick You may never matter again in your life as much as you do right now
“You may never matter again in your life as much as you do right now.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:44:13
pick Always keep your helmet handy
“I'm going with always keep your helmet handy.”
Bill Simmons · 1:44:20

Who won the movie · Who came out ahead from making the movie.

winner Peter Berg: Because it led to one of the best TV shows ever. She also praises Derek Luke and Garrett Hedlund.
“This leads to one of the best television shows in the history of television, so I think it has to be.”
Mallory Rubin · 1:44:27

Producer's first-time watch · The take from the producer who had never seen the movie or the show.

pick Friday Night Lights: Much better and more serious than expected, closer to Moneyball than The Replacements; admired the subtle details and the loss.
“This movie was way, way, way better than I thought it was going to be.”
Craig Horlbeck · 1:46:20
pick Tim McGraw watching his son hook up with Maria: Called the most harrowing scene of the 2000s.
“I think that is a fucking horrific moment.”
Craig Horlbeck · 1:48:57

Overacting award · Best (worst) overacting in the film.

nominee The Dallas Carter coach: Raised during Craig's takeaways as too slapstick; earlier the main segment went without a winner.
“Maybe he should have won the overacting award.”
unknown · 1:47:46

Films that came up

Claims (66)

lineage (lineage): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → MASH. Friday Night Lights is a movie that led to a TV show, like MASH, Buffy and Parenthood.
“there's been really good movies that led to better TV shows.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:04:01 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Another movie that led to a TV series, named as precedent.
“Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:04:13 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → Parenthood. Another movie-to-TV precedent; there is an argument the show is better.
“I think parenthood, there's a really good argument.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:04:15 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → Friday Night Lights (TV series). The TV show's excellence overshadowed the film, which has become underrated.
“And then this one, which I think the TV show kind of overwhelmed the movie, and now the movie has become weirdly underrated.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:04:23 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → Friday Night Lights (TV series). The reboot will use the title as a bucket for different stories about Texas high school football.
“use the title as a bucket to tell different stories about high school football in Texas.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:06:46 · Mallory Rubin (0.80 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Explosions in the Sky → Friday Night Lights (new series). Mallory says the new Peacock series is fine as long as Explosions in the Sky are on the score.
“As long as they have explosions in the sky, we're probably good.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:07:28 · Mallory Rubin (0.60 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Friday Night Lights (TV series) → Cheers. A franchise concept like Cheers could have been run back in another city; so could Friday Night Lights.
“Just take cheers, move it into a different city and go.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:07:57 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → Against the Grain (NBC show). Earlier Texas football entries that Friday Night Lights outdid; the NBC show failed.
“there was against the grain, an NBC show with Ben Affleck as the quarterback that failed.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:09:40 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → Varsity Blues. Both took viewers into the Texas football world; Friday Night Lights nailed it and the TV series went further.
“Then this movie nailed it?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:10:01 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Peter Berg → Friday Night Lights (2004 film). Berg reread the rejected scripts and the book and realized the story is about what football means to the community.
“Peterburg read all of them and reread the book and he was like, what did they get wrong?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:12:49 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → Friday Night Lights (TV series). The film's quick cuts and documentary feel read differently now than they did in 2004.
“It has that kind of like documentary footage quality to it where the camera is right there inside of the play on the bench”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:14:34 · Mallory Rubin (0.80 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → Tin Cup. Tin Cup (1996) belongs to the 3.0 era of sports movies that preceded Friday Night Lights.
“Tin Cup was 96.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:15:49 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → Moneyball. The film points toward the next wave of dramas that happen to be about sports.
“And Friday Night Lights is moving us toward this kind of next iteration of whatever that was, and it's leading to stuff like money ball and win-win and like dramas that also happen to be about sports.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:16:15 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
theme (comparison): Preacher → Miles Garrett. Preacher is like an 18-year-old Myles Garrett.
“He's basically Miles Garrett as an 18 year old.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:17:37 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → The Bad News Bears. Bad News Bears and Rocky, the same year, were the first time good guys did not win.
“Bad news bears and Rockies, same year.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:19:17 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → All the Right Moves. A good version of the good guys not winning, with a devastating rain touchdown.
“All the right moves is a really good version of this where they, they, they messed around in a couple ways.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:19:23 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → Tin Cup. Ron Shelton's twist ending in Tin Cup is another example of the good guy not winning.
“And Ron Shelton Twist said it in the ending in Tin Cup.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:19:55 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → A League of Their Own. Whether the good guys won depends on your viewpoint in A League of Their Own.
“A league of their own, which is earlier than Tin Cup”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:19:58 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → Rocky. Other than Rocky, Friday Night Lights is probably the best film where the good guys do not win.
“That's probably the other than Rocky, probably the best one.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:20:13 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
career (career): Billy Bob Thornton → Monster's Ball. Monster's Ball is probably his highest-end film, but not a rewatchable.
“Monsters ball is probably the highest end.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:22:28 · Mallory Rubin (0.50 sure it was them)
career (career): Billy Bob Thornton → Bad Santa. Some would pick Bad Santa, but not over Friday Night Lights as his most rewatchable.
“Some people might go with Bad Santa.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:22:49 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
career (career): Billy Bob Thornton → Sling Blade. Friday Night Lights was the peak of the run that started with Sling Blade.
“but this was kind of the peak of that whole run that starts with sling blade.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:22:58 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
career (career): Billy Bob Thornton → Landman (TV series). His Landman role puts Mallory back in a Coach Gaines headspace.
“It does put you in a coach gains, Friday night lights, headspace.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:25:05 · Mallory Rubin (0.60 sure it was them)
career (career): Coach Gaines → Tommy Norris. The two Billy Bob roles share the problem-solving calm amid chaos, though Tommy is more overt and darker.
“It's the same kind of thing where there's chaos going all around him.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:25:21 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
career (career): Peter Berg → 30 for 30. The film's success made Berg a big enough star to be one of the first two directors for 30 for 30.
“he was a big enough star that he was one of the 1st 2 directors we got for 30 for 30.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:27:01 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Explosions in the Sky → Tangerine Dream. The score is one of the finalists for best movie score, alongside Tangerine Dream.
“Them and Tangerine Dream in the finals for movie scores.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:27:26 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → Friday Night Lights (TV series). The film score and the TV score are in conversation with each other.
“I love the way that the movie and the television scores are like in conversation with each other.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:27:52 · Mallory Rubin (0.80 sure it was them)
career (career): Garrett Hedlund → Tim Riggins. Hedlund's Billingsley prefigures Riggins, the TV role Taylor Kitsch made his own.
“In the TV show, he becomes Riggins.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:28:44 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
career (career): Garrett Hedlund → Country Strong. Hedlund was in Country Strong, which the podcast did for Liz Kelly.
“we did country strong ones on the rewatchables because it's her favorite movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:29:16 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
career (career): Lucas Black → The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Black went on to Tokyo Drift.
“He ended up in one of the fastest actress movies.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:29:32 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
career (career): Tim McGraw → 1883 (TV series). His 1883 role is one of the best Taylor Sheridan performances.
“his starring role in 1883 is like one of the best Sheridan verse performances to date.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:29:48 · Mallory Rubin (0.80 sure it was them)
people (people): Buzz Bissinger → Peter Berg. The author was Berg's cousin, which helped get the film made.
“He was also cousins with Pete Berg, which is part of how this all happened”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:30:57 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Roger Ebert → Friday Night Lights (2004 film). Ebert gave it 3.5 stars and praised the power of sports to involve us.
“The movie demonstrates the power of sports to involve us.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:31:22 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Varsity Blues → Friday Night Lights (2004 film). Varsity Blues ripped off the Boobie Miles injury beat with its Lance Harbor injury, and the TV show flipped it with Jason Street.
“I love varsity blues we've done on the rewatchables, but they rip it off with the Lance Harbor injury.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:35:23 · Mallory Rubin (0.50 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → Hereditary. In the ring-search scene the fear of a Hereditary-style horror turn flickers by.
“I like, 0 my god, is this hereditary going to happen again?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:38:40 · Mallory Rubin (0.50 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Explosions in the Sky → Kid Cudi. Rates the Explosions in the Sky bus-ride cue as the best needle drop, setting it beside Kid Cudi's 'Pursuit of Happiness'.
“I have that as kid cutty pursuit of happiness where best needle drop.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:42:14 · Bill Simmons (0.45 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → Friday Night Lights (TV series). The bus-ride sequence before the Astrodome game influenced the TV series' team-bus tradition.
“I feel like this is the TV series. I think was the most influenced by this sequence.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:42:24 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
career (career): Friday Night Lights (TV series) → Landman (TV series). Grandma Saracen's actress now plays Ethel on Landman.
“who is currently just thriving as Ethel on Landman.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:42:34 · Mallory Rubin (0.80 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → Friday Night Lights (TV series). The halftime speech contains the ingredients later assembled into clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.
“the ingredients for clear eyes, full hearts can't lose are present here”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:45:50 · Mallory Rubin (0.80 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Kyle Chandler → Billy Bob Thornton. Coach Taylor's speeches beat Coach Gaines, who only gets one good speech in the film.
“It's only Coach Gaines in the climax and I think that tips it forever to Coach Taylor.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:47:49 · Mallory Rubin (0.80 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → The Longest Yard. Football scenes are great, though The Longest Yard is still Bill's favorite.
“They're about longest yard is still my favorite for football stands, but this is way up there.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:52:02 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → Dazed and Confused. The this-is-the-peak-of-your-life theme also drives Dazed and Confused.
“But even like movies, other, like days been confused. It was a theme for the for that movie too.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:53:42 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → All the Right Moves. All the Right Moves earlier dug into the idea that the mill is waiting if you do not get out, so this is as good as it gets.
“If you beat these guys, you're a mortal in this town.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:55:10 · Bill Simmons (0.50 sure it was them)
people (people): Billy Bob Thornton → Lucas Black. The two were together in Sling Blade before this film.
“Billy Bob and Lucas Black, they were together in Sling Blade.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:57:01 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
people (people): Peter Berg → Connie Britton. Berg promised to build her a real character to win her over for the TV show.
“I told her, I promise we'll create a character.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:02:38 · Mallory Rubin (0.60 sure it was them)
career (career): Connie Britton → Friday Night Lights (TV series). Her thankless wife role in the film gave no hint of the great TV character Tammy Taylor.
“You would never know that from this movie that that was going to happen.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:02:52 · Mallory Rubin (0.80 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → Friday Night Lights (TV series). Character map from the 88 team and film to the TV show.
“Winchell's mom, Sarah's grandma, Booby is smashed, Billingsley is Riggins, John is Buddy, Gary's Eric, Sharon's, Tammy, et cetera.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:15:37 · Mallory Rubin (0.60 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Billy Bob Thornton → Friday Night Lights (TV series). Billy Bob should have played Coach Taylor, as a better career move.
“I think Billy Bob should have played the coach in the TV show.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:17:08 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Alan J. Pakula → Friday Night Lights (2004 film). Pakula planned to direct the film in the mid-90s before dying in 1998.
“was planning to direct this film in the mid 90s.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:18:35 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): James Hetfield → Charlie Billingsley. Berg wanted the Metallica frontman for Don's dad before Tim McGraw landed the part.
“The person that he tried to get was James Hetfield from Metallica.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:19:24 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Richard Linklater → Friday Night Lights (2004 film). A Linklater version would have been personal and Texan, like a football take on Everybody Wants Some.
“link leader version of this is really interesting to think about.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:20:03 · Mallory Rubin (0.60 sure it was them)
career (career): Richard Linklater → Everybody Wants Some!!. Linklater's Everybody Wants Some is the benchmark for what his football version might have felt like.
“think of how you feel about everybody wants some.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:20:21 · Mallory Rubin (0.60 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Matt Damon → Friday Night Lights (2004 film). A mid-90s Matt Damon, as in School Ties, would have been ideal for Winchell, but he was too old by 2004.
“And what I realized was that this would have been an amazing mid 90s Matt Damon part.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:21:52 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
career (career): Matt Damon → School Ties. School Ties is the model for the young Matt Damon part.
“Like a 1993 school ties there, Matt Damon, as Winchell, but he was too old by the time they made this movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:21:58 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
career (career): Michael B. Jordan → Friday Night Lights (TV series). Jordan's best work is arguably the TV show, which he would agree is the apex.
“I would think he would agree that the show is the apex.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:27:08 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): The White Shadow → Friday Night Lights (TV series). The White Shadow failed its graduate-and-replace third season; FNL had learned how to do it right.
“they had enough evidence of how to not do this, that they did it correctly”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:28:22 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Tom Cruise → Friday Night Lights (2004 film). A Cruise Coach Gaines would be deranged but mesmerizing, mixing calm and mania.
“I think the cruise version of this would be deranged, but kind of mesmerizing.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:30:35 · Mallory Rubin (0.80 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Tom Hanks → Friday Night Lights (2004 film). Producer Craig breaks the tie: Hanks can pull off the southern personality; Cruise is too small.
“The answer is Tom Hanks.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:30:56 · Craig Horlbeck (0.80 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Danny Trejo → Friday Night Lights (2004 film). Trejo as Chavez's dad, in one rowdy bar scene.
“he ends up fighting 2 guys in the bar and just does Danny Treyo stuff”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:35:34 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Explosions in the Sky → Friday Night Lights (2004 film). Picks the Explosions in the Sky score as the one Oscar the film should win.
“Just one Oscar who gets it. Probably the explosions in the sky.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:37:20 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Forest Whitaker → Preacher. The Fast Times Whitaker character is the 10/10 benchmark; Preacher is a solid 9.
“The Forest Whitaker character, just demolishing everybody.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:38:28 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → Everybody Wants Some!!. Sports movies where there is clearly a best guy, as in Everybody Wants Some.
“I like when sports movies, there's also like clearly a best guy.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:39:05 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → The Longest Yard. Bill's football-movie ranking: Longest Yard first, then Friday Night Lights, North Dallas Forty, Titans, Rudy and Any Given Sunday in some order.
“I think longest yard is just number one.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:39:56 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → Varsity Blues. Best double feature: the serious Texas version after the super fun one.
“We get the super fun Texas version, then we get like the serious version.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:42:43 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → Remember the Titans. Craig's favorite movie is Remember the Titans, which sits between ridiculous and serious.
“I remember the Titans is my favorite movie.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:47:03 · Craig Horlbeck (0.90 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Friday Night Lights (2004 film) → Remember the Titans. Craig finds the film closer to Moneyball than The Replacements, with no Hollywood ending like Titans.
“So it's definitely closer to Moneyball than it is, like the replacements by a long shot to me.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:47:15 · Craig Horlbeck (0.90 sure it was them)

Fun items (24)

fun, about Friday Night Lights (2004 film): Mike is holding a toy car in the Coach Gaines visit, a reminder these are kids.
“The thing I love best in that scene is, Mike is holding like a toy car.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:36:34 · Mallory Rubin (0.70 sure it was them)
fun, about Friday Night Lights (2004 film): Halftime speech was improvised the night before.
“And he does his big speech, which apparently was improvised the night before.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:44:38 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about Friday Night Lights (2004 film): The most 2004 thing is the football hits, which look like borderline beheadings now.
“There's like 45 borderline beheadings.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:51:32 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
fun, about Friday Night Lights (2004 film): Dallas Carter never punts or kicks, always going for it on fourth: a modern analytics approach.
“they never punt, they never kick. They go for it on fourth.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:56:23 · Mallory Rubin (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about Lee Jackson: The actor who played Preacher has only the one IMDb credit.
“Only IMDB credit ever.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 0:56:49 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about Friday Night Lights (2004 film): Mallory's pick for a better sex scene: Coach Gaines and Sharon, because the show is the best portrayal of a marriage.
“What it really is is like the best portrayal of a marriage and the history of TV.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:01:11 · Mallory Rubin (0.90 sure it was them)
fun, about Connie Britton: Berg called her film part the shittiest job an actress could have before talking her into the TV series.
“Connie Britton's role in the movie was sort of pretty wife clapping in the stands, which is about the shittiest job an actress could have.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:02:11 · Bill Simmons (0.55 sure it was them)
fun, about Friday Night Lights (2004 film): Coach Gaines lying that Boobie will be fine, never getting an MRI: the hottest take is that he is a bad coach.
“Coach Gaines, maybe just a bad coach.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:04:26 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about Derek Luke: Luke was 30 during filming, put forth for the old-actor-playing-teen award.
“Derek Luke was 30 years old during the filming.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:11:55 · Mallory Rubin (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about Billy Bob Thornton: Bill as Billy Bob's career strategist: the TV show would have served him better than the post-2004 run.
“I am speaking sure, uh, purely as Billy Bob's career strategist”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:17:52 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
fun, about James Hetfield: Berg's secret casting what-if: the Metallica frontman for Don's dad; Bill texted Berg to get a fresh nugget.
“So I texted Peter Berg and I was like, can you give me one casting what if from the movie that nobody knows?”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:19:13 · Bill Simmons (0.85 sure it was them)
fun, about Friday Night Lights (2004 film): Jokes about Chris Collinsworth narrating Boobie's injury.
“I think I, I was able to really like clearly feel, and hear Collinsworth when Booby got hurt though”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:22:40 · Mallory Rubin (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about Friday Night Lights (2004 film): Real Boobie Miles plays an assistant coach in the film.
“The real Booby Miles plays a permanent assistant.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:23:27 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about Friday Night Lights (2004 film): Charlie Billingsley's loss in the finals in 1968 means the ring he throws is a number 2 ring.
“Don Billingsley's father, Charlie, lost the finals in 1968.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:23:44 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about Brian Chavez: Played by Jay Hernandez; the real Chavez went to Harvard, moved back to Odessa, and later had a felony and license trouble.
“And then there's a kind of a bummer of a story about Brian Chavez because he went to Harvard”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:24:49 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
fun, about Friday Night Lights (TV series): Bill nearly missed the show: he stopped watching, then caught up on Japanese DVDs one summer.
“a friend of mine got me these Japanese DVDs that I watched that summer, caught up”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:26:31 · Bill Simmons (0.90 sure it was them)
fun, about Tom Hanks: Craig breaks the Cruise/Hanks tie and the running tally goes to 21-16, Hanks.
“So if Hanks wins, it's 21 to 16, Hanks.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:31:36 · Bill Simmons (0.80 sure it was them)
fun, about Friday Night Lights (2004 film): The coin toss scene is rife with picking-nits.
“Every frankly, everything with the coin toss belongs in picking nets, all of it.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:32:48 · Mallory Rubin (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Friday Night Lights (2004 film): Coin toss at an undisclosed truck stop, with Coach Gaines flipping a 1969 Buffalo nickel.
“1969 Buffalo nickel.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:32:59 · Bill Simmons (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Friday Night Lights (2004 film): Odds: with Boobie, near +350; in the title game Carter is a huge favorite.
“Dallas Carter, probably like 16 and half point underdogs.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:41:47 · Bill Simmons (0.70 sure it was them)
fun, about Friday Night Lights (2004 film): Best life lesson pick: keep your helmet handy.
“I'm going with always keep your helmet handy.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:44:20 · Bill Simmons (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about Craig Horlbeck: Producer Craig has seen neither the show nor the film before this.
“I don't know the characters.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:44:54 · Craig Horlbeck (0.90 sure it was them)
fun, about Friday Night Lights (2004 film): Gaines' 1978 nickel is the best unintentional comedy in the coin toss.
“Coach Gaines has a 1978 nickel.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:45:59 · Craig Horlbeck (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about Friday Night Lights (2004 film): Craig: Tim McGraw watching his son hook up is the most harrowing scene of the 2000s.
“I think that is a fucking horrific moment.”
The Rewatchables · ‘Friday Night Lights’ With Bill Simmons and Mallory Rubin · 1:48:57 · Craig Horlbeck (0.90 sure it was them)

Who's talking

Bill Simmons (host): Loves football, sports movies and the long run of sports books and shows; likes nitpicks and ranking lists. Fond of Billy Bob Thornton and the TV show, with a Grantland-era sense of history. Enjoys odds, lines and fantasy-football talk.
Mallory Rubin (host): Devoted to the Friday Night Lights show and cares most about its marriage, character work and Texas setting. Loves a high school football film, small-town Texas and Billy Bob; a sucker for Kyle Chandler, Tammy and Eric. Can't stand the film leaving Sharon unused.
Craig Horlbeck (guest): Producer Craig Horlbeck loves football and story and has seen neither the film nor the show. Was moved by the realism and surprised by the grim, serious tone; Remember the Titans is his favorite film.

The show's recurring bits

Apex Mountain: The moment a star peaks; where on the mountain a performance sits.
Who Won the Movie: The hosts name the person who came out of the film best off.
The Ebert review: Roger Ebert's original review and star rating read aloud. Ebert is cited, never on the show.
Casting what-ifs: Who was almost cast, or who should have been.
Most rewatchable scene: The scene each host would stop on while flipping channels.
Aged best / aged worst: What holds up and what does not.
Picking Nits: The little things in a film the hosts love that they don't think totally work: the nits.
Double feature: The film each host would pair it with; a programming pick.

Names the transcriber got wrong

Todd McShea → Todd McShay (ad read)
Peterburg / Pete Berg → Peter Berg
Booby Miles → Boobie Miles
Garrett Hedlin / Headlin / Headland → Garrett Hedlund
Derek Lucas → Derek Luke
Buzz Bizinger → Buzz Bissinger
Alan J. Picula → Alan J. Pakula
John Abnett → John Avnet
Taylor Kitches → Taylor Kitsch
Mika Kelly → Minka Kelly
Allie Larder / Lerner → Ali Larter
Tally Shire → Talia Shire
Bradley Lind → Brad Leland
Danny Treo → Danny Trejo
Our guy Raj → likely Roger Ebert
Craig Early → Craig Horlbeck?
Coach Gabe / Games / Gains → Coach Gaines
Fortune 3 Clap / Indian Red Zawatane → garbled award names
Dion Waiter's / Ruffalohana rubenic partridge → garbled award names
Although I moves → All the Right Moves (guess)
days been confused → Dazed and Confused (guess)
Slam rush / ghost nuts → unclear
Liz Kelly → Craig's wife (name as said)