Murderball documentary

A couple nights ago I watched the documentary, Murderball. It was really good. Recommended. I got so caught up in the movie that I way overcooked my supper.

The game was formerly called 'murderball', but is now called quad rugby, or sometimes wheelchair rugby. I guess 'murderball' is too harsh and companies didn't want to be sponsors.

The story is part sports movie, especially the competition between the U.S. and Canadian teams, and part life story on how these very young men were injured and how they are dealing with life now. They are quadriplegic, not paraplegic.

These guys do not wallow in pity, nor is this movie some "feel good after school special". They are all interesting people and are using sports as an outlet in dealing with their life now that they need wheelchairs. And their girlfriends and wives are hot, especially Zupan's girlfriend and Hogsett's wife. Wow! Are they good looking!

The plot:

Quad rugby as played by the US team, between 2002 games in Sweden and the 2004 Paralympics in Athens. Young men, most with spinal injuries, play this rough and tumble sport in special chairs, seated gladiators. We get to know several and their families. They talk frankly about their injuries, feelings in public, sex lives, competitiveness, and love of the game. There's also an angry former team member gone north to coach the Canadian team, tough on everyone, including his viola-playing son. We meet a recently injured man, in rehab, at times close to despair, finding possible joy in quad rugby. After Athens, the team meets young men injured in war: the future stars of Team USA.