A poster for Necessary Roughness
Film,  Podcast

Hops and Box Office Flops: ‘NECESSARY ROUGHNESS’

Welcome to Foot … Balls

A poster for Necessary Roughness

Necessary Roughness is very much just Major League on the gridiron, featuring a ragtag group of footballers who must rise to the occasion in the face of great adversity. And it’s 100% a 90s gem.

Necessary Roughness is sort of the sequel to The Program we never got. In it, the Texas State Armadillos are mired in scandals.

As a result, their team has all had their scholarships revoked, leaving the university to cobble together a team of never weres. Enter, Paul Blake, played by the remarkably handsome Scott Bakula. He’s a long forgotten QB who sacrificed his shot at glory to tend to the family farm.

Alongside a crew of literal misfits—including a ninja, a war enthusiast, and guy who couldn’t catch a cold—Blake must defy the odds. Oh, and since it’s the 90s, he also has to fall in love. That’s just science.

You’ll laugh; you’ll cry; and I’ll make you a promise: If TSU gets into that end zone, you’re going to feel no pain.

Now, sit back, root for your team with a Holiday Cheer from Shiner, and always go for two! I, the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK), Chumpzilla, and a special guest are throwing bows at Billy Bob’s with the a-holes from the Texas Colts!

This Week’s Segments:

  • Introduction/Plot Breakdown – This gang of loners, loonies, and losers is about to become something they’ve never been before … a team! (00:00)
  • Lingering Questions – After a word from our brothers in beer at Hop Nation USA, we debate who the greatest fictional QB of all time is. (24:51)
  • The “Iron Man Football” Trivia Challenge – The Double Turn Podcast commits several personal fouls, and then I challenge the field to trivia about the movie. (48:09)
  • Recommendations – We offer our picks for the week and next up: We continue “Hops and Heartthrob Flops” with the comic book disaster, RIPD! (1:02:48)

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

You can find this episode of Hops and Box Office Flops on Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsStitcherPodbeanSpotifyAcastTuneIniHeartRadioVurblAmazon Music, and more!

Thomas Kelly

Writer, Superman aficionado, lover of odd and underperforming sports teams, and co-host of the film adoring podcast, Hops and Box Office Flops