At SXSW2017: DISGRACED

Last updated on: March 15, 2017 at 11:33 am by J. Ryan Parker

At SXSW2017: DISGRACED 2017-03-15T11:33:18-07:00 J. Ryan Parker

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

You know you’ve got a problem, if you’re a university, when people lose track of the sports scandals plaguing your institution. The new documentary, Disgraced (directed by Pat Kondelis) traces the 2003 death of Baylor basketball player Pat Dennehey and the ensuing attempts by head coach Dave Bliss and members of the University to cover it up. In the process, it sheds light on the corruption of much of college athletics, the hypocrisy of Christian institutions like Baylor, and the ways in which the fervent devotion to sports and faith contributes to a toxic environment that has allowed further abuses to take place.

From the SXSW description: Only one time in the long history of U.S. intercollegiate athletics has an athlete murdered a fellow athlete. Solving the murder would normally be the end of the story, but the murder of a Baylor basketball player at the hands of a teammate is where the mystery begins. In 2003 the world’s largest Baptist university had the worst team in a power house Big 12 division. To build a more competitive basketball program and thinking he would be a perfect fit, Baylor hired renowned coach Dave Bliss. Just as the entire Waco community was optimistic about the 2003-2004 season, quietly and suddenly, a Baylor player vanished without a trace.

Carlton Dotson and Dennehey were not only teammates, they were apparently fast friends. Which made Dennehey’s disappearance and Dotson leaving school all the more bizarre. After authorities spent three weeks search for Dennehey’s body, Dotson finally admitted to killing his friend, claiming it was in self defense. This is problematic for three reasons: players and friends say they never saw them argue or fight, Dennehey’s wounds show an execution-style killing, and Dotson exhibits increasingly erratic behavior (claiming to be a prophet and suddenly breaking into demented laughter). Dotson is currently in jail for Dennehey’s murder, but by the end of the film, no one watching can be quite sure that he is or that, at least, key parts of the story are missing and may never be uncovered.

Dennehey, Bliss, and Dotson

Disgraced takes what seems like an open-and-shut case–on the surface–and weaves a complex narrative that leaves viewers unsure of what or who to believe. But two things are completely clear. The first is that Dave Bliss is a reprehensible person–and probably mentally disturbed. His behavior during Dennehey’s disappearance is negligent at best. After Dennehey’s body is found, his behavior is nothing less than evil. He attempts to frame Dennehey for his own death, repeatedly referring to him as a rampant drug dealer, something he still clings to even now, without any evidence to support that claim.

Second, Baylor University–like many many other Division 1 collegiate athletics programs–is unwilling to take the hard, necessary actions to clean up their program. Given the recent sex abuse scandal with the Baylor football team, it is clear that theirs is a toxic environment that prides athletics over anything else. This is all even more troubling given Baylor’s Baptist Christian heritage.

And Bliss has used that same Christianity to rebuild his career. Suspended from coaching for 10 years for paying players, he is now the head coach for the Southern Christian University men’s basketball team. Bliss even wrote a book called Fall to Grace, which is another example of scandal-ridden influencers using Jesus to boost their PR campaign.

On the other hand, Disgraced witnesses another side of Christianity, one that speaks truth to power, or at least is grave enough to expose the powerful’s acts of corruption. Bliss’ former assistant coach Abar Rouse, stood up against Bliss and recorded his unraveling, did so from a place of deep faith and moral conviction.

Finally, Disgrace doesn’t address the reality that so many abuses–and Dennehey’s death–could be avoided if the NCAA would get its act together and clean up the rules that govern these athletes’–and coaches’–lives. Men like Bliss take every available angle and advantage to succeed, and if there’s one honest comment from his mouth, it’s his feeling of getting sucked further and further into that “darkness” in his pursuit to win.

Disgraced will air Friday, March 31st on Showtime.

Previous Post

March 14, 2017

At SXSW2017: PORNOCRACY

Next Post

March 16, 2017 At SXSW2017: May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Classics DVD Film Music News Pop Culture Events Print Sports Television Uncategorized Video Games

Select a Month March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

In the Parable of the Sower, what does the seed represent?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The Law Judgment Money The Word of God