thejcowboy22 I remember my days at college in the Boston area doing a sports prognostication show every Friday called Pro Profit. It was 15 minutes long radio show emanating from my college radio station WMLN. My partner and myself would predict the winners of the NFL games played that Sunday. We would write a two to three line reason why our particular team would win that day and predict the spread as well.( Gambling in it's purest form.) Anyway, my friend one Friday on the air predicted the Bears would beat the Vikings despite having terrible team with a eight game losing streak at hand. It also happened to be the anniversary of the death of Smokey the Bear who passed away in a Washington D.C. Zoo two years earlier. My partner closed his prediction as follows, "Except for the great running back Walter Payton the Bears have no offensive line and no defense but their motto is simple, "Win One For Smokey!" I lost it! Uncontrolled laughter filled the air-waves. Now what does this story have to do with this review? Absolutely nothing! Brian Song was introduced on Monday Night football by the brash pompous Howard Cosell during halftime. Mrs. Joy Piccolo was interviewed by promoting the made for TV film about her husband who was tragically taken by Cancer at the age of 26. Joy also was raising money for Cancer research. This movie was shown on the ABC network the following week. The movie starts in Chronological order as an errant punt heading past black running back Gale Sayers (Billy Dee Williams) is picked up by white rival running back Brian Piccolo (James Caan) who give him bogus advice that Coach Halas (Jack Warden) has hearing problem in one ear. Sayers was called into Halas's office Sayers keeps moving around to try to speak into Halas's good ear. Revenge on teammate Piccolo comes quickly as the tradition in NFL training camps is for all the rookies to stand up during dinner and sing their College fight song. It's Piccolo's turn to sing his fight song from his Alma Matter Wake Forest University. As he sings Gale put and extra helping of mash potatoes with gravy on his chair. To the as he finished to the displeasure of the Bears players, Brian plops down on the chair in disgust. This cements their bond, relationship as Black player and White set a precedent rooming together as both men make NFL history in that regard of racial unity. One reporter asks Gale if he objects to having a white roommate and he replies, He won't let me use the bathroom. Racial jokes fly throughout the movie in good spirit as Brian who is rehabbing/training Gale after a knee injury to motivate him tries to call him the N word. James Caan does a fine job with the southern drawl although the real Brian Piccolo looks more like Burt Reynolds, I had no problem with the chemistry between Williams and Caan. Jack Warden who always seems to a play a sports coach to some capacity plays the legendary Poppa Bear with compassion and warmth. A heartrending scene when a little girl in the hospital wanted an autographed ball from Brian as Joy Picollo (Shelley Faberes) asked the nurse which room she was convalescing in? The Nurse said that the girl died this morning. The movie had the feel of a Marcus Welby MD episode with the same sets and music. Stock footage of the real Gale Sayers shows his dynamic running style of misdirection fooling opposing defensive linemen. Despite the inaccuracies and continuity issues of the actual places these events were held, it's still a great Television experience winning several EMMY Awards. To Quote Gale Sayers in one of his speeches, "I love Brian Piccolo and I hope all of you love him too."

SmileysWorld When this film began production,Brian Piccolo had only been gone for six months.As a result,most of the film takes on the atmosphere of being rushed to production.It has an obvious look that they were given a very small time frame to get this film made.They rushed it.Also,you have real,honest to goodness football players trying to act.They are trying to come across as though they are not reading their lines as they speak,but it's obvious that they are.All of that being said,Brian's Song is still an enjoyable film because of it's story.You are watching a friendship develop,evolve,and flourish into a brotherly love.This is the hook that keeps you watching,and ultimately brings you back to see it again.

waynec50 "Brian's Song", the 1971 version was the rarest of things, an excellent TV movie. Great cast of stars on their way up such as Billy Dee Williams, James Caan and Shelley Fabares, augmented by Jack Warden, Bernie Casey and David Huddleston, with several actual Chicago Bears. This movie is full of actual conversations between the players, who are real people with prejudices and human weaknesses. Yes, those are racial stereotypes and epithets, just like were used in that time, not the sanitized, soulless P C drivel of this day. The story is powerful, the friendship that builds between two men about as different as Americans can be. James Caan is Brian Piccolo, the overachieving, loudmouthed Italian boy. Billy Dee Williams is Gale Sayers, a gifted, shy African-American All-American, high profile running back who is pestered and ridiculed by Brian in the early stages of the story, but who becomes the ideal friend. Jack Warden portrays coach George Halas. Bernie Casey is the savvy and practical veteran player, J. C. Caroline, one of the Bears who mentors young Black players in the NFL/Bears way. As Brian and Gale help each other through training camp, injuries and ultimately death, the actors mesh perfectly, conveying the joy, excitement,camaraderie, practical jokes, triumphs and tragedies of life in the spotlight. Don't miss this movie, it has humor, sports, romance, dedication, vintage football clips and an inspiring message. Don't confuse this 1971 version with the weak remake. An unquestionable 10 that will be enjoyed by just about everyone, football fan or not. An added bonus is the great score. Buzz Kulik did a great job directing this movie, getting fine performances out of not only the real actors, but also the real Bears players and coaches.

jmorrison-2 I saw this when it first came out. I was a kid of about 14. I was stunned how emotional seeing this was, and how affected I was by it. I am not ashamed at all to say I cried watching this. The moment in the film when Billy Dee Williams (as Gale Sayers) stands up at a banquet, and states simply "I Love Brian Piccolo"...Well, I don't know. It completely stunned me and blew me away. A simple line, delivered so poignantly, with so much meaning behind it. In a world with so much racial animosity, especially in this country, to see what is possible and what we are truly capable of is moving.This was truly a heart-wrenching story, delivered beautifully by Billy Dee Williams and James Caan. It's a tragedy what happened to Brian Piccolo and his family, yet he now lives on in all of us, because of these heartfelt performances, and the thoughtfulness and dignity that this movie portrayed. It may be dated, and it may have aimed at the heartstrings, but I felt the performances by the 2 actors was genuine, and they did a great job bringing this friendship to life for us.A tragic, overwhelmingly sad story, yet uplifting. You get the feeling that this is the way Brian Piccolo would have wanted it.Thank You, Billy Dee and James, and to the filmmakers for a fine job.