Lesson plan
Second String
Second String is a direct-to-TV film directed by Robert Lieberman which originally aired in 2002 on TNT. The plot is about the Buffalo Bills football team who find its first string (led by real-life Bills quarterback Doug Flutie, who had left the team by the time the film was released) out for a month after a food poisoning incident, leading the team's head coach, "Chuck Dichter" (portrayed by Jon Voight), to hire an insurance salesman and former college quarterback named Dan Heller (played by Gil Bellows) as the team's backup quarterback. Teri Polo also appeared as Heller's wife; Flutie, Mike Ditka, Chris Berman, Van Miller, Bills cornerback Donovan Greer and Ken "Pinto Ron" Johnson appear as themselves. The film received praise for having been shot in genuine stadiums. Reviewer Chuck Finder drew parallels between the character of Dan Heller and former Pittsburgh Steelers backup quarterback Tommy Maddox.
Article summary
Second String is a direct-to-TV film directed by Robert Lieberman which originally aired in 2002 on TNT. The plot is about the Buffalo Bills football team who find its first string (led by real-life Bills quarterback Doug Flutie, who had left the team by the time the film was released) out for a month after a food poisoning incident, leading the team's head coach, "Chuck Dichter" (portrayed by Jon Voight), to hire an insurance salesman and former college quarterback named Dan Heller (played by Gil Bellows) as the team's backup quarterback. Teri Polo also appeared as Heller's wife; Flutie, Mike Ditka, Chris Berman, Van Miller, Bills cornerback Donovan Greer and Ken "Pinto Ron" Johnson appear as themselves. The film received praise for having been shot in genuine stadiums. Reviewer Chuck Finder drew parallels between the character of Dan Heller and former Pittsburgh Steelers backup quarterback Tommy Maddox.
Key claims
No claims recorded.
Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
No sources recorded.
Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.