I made a trip to Bloomington one day and recorded three shows. I stopped by Pizzo’s home first, then went to George Taliaferro’s home and then stopped in to see Bob Hammel in his cubicle at the Cook, Inc. headquarters.

Hat trick! Trifecta! Boom Baby!

Pizzo wrote the scripts for “Hoosiers” and “Rudy,” two of the greatest sports movies ever made. But it’s not like he was a prodigy destined for greatness. He floundered for awhile during and after his time as a student at IU before finding his way. You’d think Hollywood producers would be hanging from tree limbs in his yard today, trying to get his attention and sign him to his next movie deal, but it doesn’t work that way. He had several unsold scripts when I talked with him, as many as 18 if I remember correctly.

We sat across from one another in his dining room for an informal and informative conversation, one that should give hope to aspiring screenwriters. He also gave me a tour of his upstairs office, filled with sports memorabilia. Indiana University tends to get lucky having a connection with guys like Pizzo, who bring a world of sporting attention to the university.

First aired 2011

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Tagged with: Angelo Pizzo, Hoosiers, Indiana University, Rudy, screenwriter