Blue Chips

William Friedkin’s superbly crafted Blue Chips tells the story of college basketball and how the game has been corrupted with below the table dealings for top high school prospects. Nick Nolte plays the part of Pete Shell, the basketball coach of the Western University Dolphins who is on the verge of the first losing season of his career. His frustration leads him to search for new talent, finding it in a trio from different parts of the country. However he soon realizes that in order to keep pace with recruiting he will have to forgo his ideals and deal in hard cash. Baseball great’s Larry Bird and Bob Cousy, who plays Western’s Athletic Director, and appearances from many different baseball college stars lend the movie authenticity, however the message is a cry for a re-turn of honesty in recruiting.