In Sports Movies, Execs Play Hero

“Every battle is won before it is ever fought.” So reads a plaque on the wall of embattled Cleveland Browns General Manager Sonny Weaver Jr.’s (Kevin Costner) office in Draft Day. Athletes may often be told that anything can happen on the field, but director Ivan Reitman’s film, a fictional sports drama that takes place in a single day of NFL Draft horse-trading, suggests that the front office is where the real action happens. It’s an executive vision of football glory: You don’t need to put on a helmet and throw a game-winning touchdown. Just put on a tie and make a franchise-saving deal.