The Replacements is a fairly derivate football film about a group of underdogs overcoming the odds.

It takes elements of Major League, Necessary Roughness, and even the kid-centric Little Giants and throws them into a blender, producing a jumbled blend of bits done better in other movies.

Despite all that, The Replacements somehow still works. That is due in large part to the sheer charisma of Keanu Reeves as quarterback Shane Falco and Gene Hackman as old timey coach Jimmy McGinty. Without them, this would just be another hackneyed entry in the sports film pantheon.

Even with them, The Replacements struggled to hit its mark upon release. Critics lampooned it as "cliched," penalizing it with 41% on Rotten Tomatoes. And a on a budget of $50 million, it grossed just $50.1 million.

But, as I mentioned, it is impossible not to root for Shane Falco—the unlucky lefty who's been given one last shot to conquer his on-field demons.

So, sit back, hold onto a Public Pale Ale from DC Brau Brewing with some stickum, and don't cross that picket line! I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Chumpzilla, Capt. Cash, and Bling Blake are hoping all this pain heals. If it does, the glory will last forever!

This Week’s Segments:

• Introduction/Plot Breakdown – Pros on strike. Everyday guys get to play! (00:00)


• Lingering Questions – The Double Turn Podcast commits several personal fouls, and then we discuss what we love about The Replacements. (32:49)


• The "Chicks Dig Scars" Trivia Challenge – Bling Blake challenges the field to trivia about the movie. (46:42)


• Recommendations – We offer our picks for the week and next up: We continue Hops and Gridiron Flops with the high school stoner classic, Dazed and Confused! (54:09)

And, as always, hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to check out all the interesting factoids—the  actual Year of the Scab and more—from this week’s episode!

You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Podbean, Spotify, Acast, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Vurbl, Amazon Music, and more!