It’s really been a busy couple of weeks, so we’ve just recently had the opportunity to fully soak in Errol Morris’ sublime Electric Football documentary “The Subterranean Stadium.” We’re not even sure where to start — it gets better with each viewing.

There are so many layers to the story, and Mr. Morris captures them all thoughtfully and with total respect. That’s probably what strikes us more than anything. The respect Mr. Morris had for every piece of the story. John DiCarlo, Cindy DiCarlo, the “eccentric” group that plays in the league…everyone has a story. From Wayne Palumbo’s time in Sing Sing and Attica, to the hippie past of the free spirited “Hotman,” to the poignant back story of John himself — these are all stories worth hearing.

And that’s pretty much how we all feel about Electric Football. The game has a fantastic story that is worth telling and cherishing (not to mention writing a book about). It seemed that Errol Morris felt the same way and respected our hobby in much the way that we do ourselves.

It’s just an amazing work. And it is a “work” — it was art, both in how the film looked and how the story was told. It was the work of a great filmmaker taking our hobby, with great care, to the mainstream.

The Subterranean Stadium

We don’t think anyone could have done it better. As we said in our post previewing the documentary, we hoped it would be something that we’d talk about for a long time. It lived up to that and then some. The story of The Subterranean Stadium is now a living breathing part of Electric Football. It’s part of Electric Football history — part of our history.

So…many, many thanks to Errol Morris and his entire staff for creating this amazing work. Thank you John DiCarlo for your dedication to Electric Football, and your ability to share the game with equal parts passion and humility. And thank you to the entire Charlotte Crew for letting us into your Electric Football universe. You’re what Electric Football is all about!

Earl, Roddy, & MK

If you haven’t watched the documentary yet, here’s a link: The Subterranean Stadium