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Jim Brown: Mostly good, but bad and ugly, too

Just caught the superb Spike Lee documentary "Jim Brown: All-American" while channel-surfing.

The film does an admirable job of chronicling Brown's accomplishments as an imdomitable football player and a beacon of hope to prison inmates and street gang members through his nonprofit, Amer-I-Can.

It also does not flinch in recounting episodes in which Brown allegedly assaulted women in his life.

Incidentally, the film includes interviews with Brown's children, to whom he was bigger than life ... and at times frustratingly distant.

One of those children was Jim Brown Jr., who began an athletic career in football but changed to basketball to escape his famous father's shadow. Jim Jr. started his college career at Southern Cal, but he transferred to N.C. A&T in Greensboro, where he was a star on an Aggie team that made repeated trips to the NCAA Tournament.

Comments (2)

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ajax said:

The Jim Brown documentary was interesting. I found it wierd that he pretty much denied all of the allegations of abuse towards the women in his life. However, I believe where there is smoke there is fire and all of the women in his life could not possibly be lying. It's ironic how such a strong, seemingly man's man could possibly have this abusive behavior as a weakness.

Allen Johnson said:

That was disturbing, especially his categorical denial.
Even his current wife didn't deny that he had been abusive. She just didn't like his being arrested.

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