ESPN Films - Unguarded

good story to listen to

I love this film - I've seen it half a dozen times now, and it always gets to me. I saw it again today (twice!) with two different groups of people, and everyone loved it - at least two people said it made them cry, I kid you not! This is a great movie for people in recovery, or for family member trying to figure out "how did this happen?" It shows that this disease doesn't respect anyone, anywhere, no matter what. It tells the story of a young, amazingly talented kid who was told, "Hey, you are going to be the 'savior' of the whole town!" because of his skill at sports - at 18 years old - and he couldn't handle it - who could? His brother succinctly puts it, "it was drink, drug, fight, that's what you do!" And for the "normal guy" who wasn't supposed to "save the town", maybe he could put down the beer, put down the joint, put down the pill, and walk away, but not the kid who was supposed to "break out" and be more, and "save" everyone from their hum-drum lives. So he gets into BC, hurts himself bad, and loses his scholarship - it's all over. But wait! No, it's not! He gets a 2nd chance! And his poor drug-addled self is sent 3,000 miles away, no friends, no family, and best of all, no TREATMENT, to Fresno, where he's immediately told, hey, now you get to play the most important game of the year, against Boston, lets strut your stuff. And that's the way life keeps going for this kid. He keeps getting lucky breaks, and more drugs, dragged down, and down, and down, until he has 4 overdoses, and a cop is waking him up one day by breaking the glass on his car window to get him out, saying "Hey buddy, you've been dead for the last 30 seconds!" When he finally does get a chance at the NBA and he's traded to the Celtics, is he thrilled? No, not really. His childhood dream come true? Should be! His wife is ecstatic! He's going to be so close to family and friends! All he can think of is that, dammit - he knows right where all the dealers are in that area... he's leading a secret life. Chris is brutally honest. He tells in very honest terms of the nightmare of his complete downfall, the nightmare rollercoaster ride, and yes, what it took for him to recover, and "finally look at myself in the mirror again". This is a great film. Watch it. He's funny, he's poignant, he's real.

Chris is a brave man to share this heartfelt account of addiction and the nightmarish existence of being a world renowned athlete whilst being addicted to heroin and other substances. Having been addicted to opiates for many years I can understand his struggle to maintain a career and family and am pleased to see that he realises that he couldn't have done it without the support of that beautiful wife of his. What a wonderful thing it is for him to share his history with us in order to try and help others to overcome what is a monumental battle for anyone that achieves sobriety. I thought the best part of this doco was the fact that the footage was in a chronological order and we were able to see him "doing well" when he wasn't really doing well but doing lots of drugs! I think it is important for people that struggle with such things to realise that it is easier to share and be honest after the nightmare has passed and the addiction no longer exists. Many people say that there is no problem when there are huge issues, Chris did the same. Money isn't everything and Chris and his wife certainly prove that it was to their detriment to be in receipt of a massive pay packet. All the best to him and his family for the future, I hope that I only hear positive things about this beautiful man in the future, for his families and his own sake.

If you didnt get a chance to catch this on ESPN than you need to watch this. This documentary is very well put together. About a guy who was a high school basketball star in the Boston area and was recruited by all the big name coaches and decided to play locally at Boston College. He left after just a few months at BC due to an injury and than his downward spiral into drugs and alcohol began. He went back home and got a second chance to play basketball at Fresno State for Jerry Tarkanian. He continued to have problems with drugs and alcohol while at Fresno but was able to play well enough and eventually got drafted and played a couple of seasons in the NBA and overseas. It chronicles his struggles throughout his journey and it will make you laugh, cry and experience all types of emotions. This is one of the best documentaries I have seen up to this point and chronicles his problems with addiction as well as how he got clean and sober and got his family and life back on track. You will like this documentary whether you have issues with drugs or not. This would be a great movie for anyone, including kids, teenagers and or people with or without drug and alcohol problems. It's that good. It has a lot of video footage from his past and does a great job keeping your engrossed in the movie. Can't brag enough about this documentary.

BIG LOVE TO JONATHAN HOCK FOR THIS MASTERPIECE OF A DOCUMENTARY,,I BELONG TO AN ORGANIZATION AND WE MEET IN "FALL RIVER" EVERY TUESDAY NITE..WE ALL RELATE AND KNOW CHRIS HERRONS PAIN AND SUFFERING AND LOTS OF US KNOW HIM PERSONALLY TOO!FALL RIVER HAS GREAT PEOPLE AND SOME SOLID RECOVERY!!I AM GRATEFUL THAT CHRIS HAS FOUND HOPE AND VINDICATION AND HIS TRUE PURPOSE WHICH IS TO LET THE WORLD KNOW THAT RECOVERY IS REAL!! "AND IF YOU CAN LOOK UP YOU CAN GET UP"... MUCH LOVE TO HIS FAMILY WHO STUCK BY HIM ESPECIALLY HIS WIFE, MAY GOD KEEP CHRIS ROOTED IN SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES ON HIS JOURNEY. EVERYONE WHO IS ALIVE WHETHER YOU LOVE THE GAME OF B-BALL OR DOES OR DOESN,T HAVE AN ADDICTION ISSUE CAN DRAW TREMENDOUS HOPE AND INSPIRATION AND MOTIVATION TO BETTER THEMSELVES IN SOME CAPACITY OR ANOTHER. CHRIS IS A POWERFUL SPEAKER AND LETS YOU KNOW THE TRUTH WITHOUT SUGARCOATING ANYTHING!!IN ORDER TO REACH THE HEART YOU HAVE TO COME FROM THE HEART..CHRIS HERRON TOUCHED MINE..GET THIS DVD "NOW" AND WATCH IT DO THE SAME TO YOU!!! THE GUYS IN DARTMOUTH HOUSE OF CORRECTIONS ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT IT..AND LOOK FORWARD TO CHRIS COMING IN AND SHARING THE HOPE WITH THEM IN PERSON.."A MUST HAVE DVD"!AS I SPOKE TO SOMEONE IN THERE 2 DAYS AGO!

Best sports documentary I have ever seen. Almost as good as The Last Dance.

this is a great film, and an incredible story. I first saw parts of it on ESPN this year, and found it for purchase on Amazon.I bought 3 copies so I could keep one and give two away. I learned a lot from watching it and will continue to share it as a reminder to be compassionate towards others, and to remind myself to never be someones "bad day". Shipping was relatively fast, and the product was packed nicely.I would highly recommend this film.

Great story and DVD.I use it to teach students about Drug and Substance Abuse. Would recommend this story to any educator teaching substance use and abuse.

Great movie! A very fascinating story. DVD arrived on time and in excellent condition, would recommend

This was one of my favorite basketball team...they never realise their potential...the story is unbelievable

Great True story