Father's Day Gift if He's Already Got "The Sopranos" Boxed Set

Some movies go straight to video. Some TV shows are worthy of "boxed set" status, such as "The Sopranos" and "Sex and the City." Then there's "Playmakers", the short-lived ESPN series about life on a fictional NFL team, replete with an aging star on the verge of losing his job, an owner who combines the bad qualities of Dan Snyder, Jerry Jones and Al Davis, a rookie from the wrong side of the tracks who has trouble with crack, a linebacker who hit someone too hard once too often and a quarterback trying to hide an injury.

Good stuff? Depends on who you ask. Some of the characters are believable, some of them less so, and the question that comes up occasionally is, "Could all of this happen on one team?" The answer, perhaps, is maybe. Some critics said that the reason ESPN canceled the series is because it hit the NFL too close to home. Some critics said that the series just wasn't believable enough, and others said that it just wasn't very good.

The verdict from SportsProf: about two stars out of four (based upon having watched about half the episodes). Don't give it to dad as a gift. If he's a real sportsman, check out the newest in drivers at your local mega golf shop (and spend a little more on dad in the process).

And, instead of giving him videos about football, take the time to go to a game with him. SportsProf's father passed away a long time ago, and some of SportsProf's fondest memories are of going to games with his father. SportsProf isn't able to do that anymore, but many of you can. So make plans for that game --you'll be glad you did.