"OK," says ESPN

I guess if you have ever watched any of ESPN's original movies--you know, Tom Sizemore as Pete Rose in Hustle, or Barry Pepper as Dale Earnhardt in 3--you could probably go the rest of your life without ever tuning into the network for any portion of your cinematic fill. However, Variety's John Dempsey reports that ESPN just picked up the rights for Jonathan Hock's Tribeca sensation Through the Fire, a documentary looking at basketball star Sebastian Telfair's decision to leap from his Brooklyn high school straight into the NBA.

It seems a little surprising that Hock--whose film drew about a zillion comparisons to Hoop Dreams last May--did not land a theatrical distribution deal, especially with Cinetic Media in his corner. While Dempsey writes that ESPN may pursue "limited theatrical release," he adds that Hock produces ESPN's series Streetball--which makes me wonder if the six-month waiting period indicates more "last resort" than "natural fit." I mean, it is a natural fit, and the deal includes a home video release next March, but still.

Whatever. People will see it, and ESPN paid for it. And it beats watching Tom Sizemore is that god-forsaken Pete Rose get-up. Mission accomplished, I suppose.