JimBob
01-12-2009, 08:58 AM
Eaton generous with large movie collection
Teammates like to visit to borrow one of his 500-plus movies.
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
Published: 1/12/2009 2:24 AM
Last Modified: 1/12/2009 3:02 AM
STILLWATER — Byron Eaton is the only basketball player in Oklahoma State history to accumulate 1,000 points, 400 assists and more than 500 movies.
"I'm like a little Blockbuster," Eaton said. "Everybody comes to my house to get movies."
Immediately after a Saturday game against Texas A&M, Marshall Moses said he was headed to Eaton's place to borrow a flick.
"I'm probably going to get a comedy tonight, so I'll just go to his little comedy section and look in there and pick one out," Moses said.
Eaton isn't majoring in film. He didn't stock up because he plans to open a video store. He just thinks watching movies is a great way to occupy time and stay out of trouble. Friends and teammates are welcome to his inventory.
"I'm finally in the process of making a list so when they take something out I have a checklist so they will bring it back," he said.
Frequent "customer" Obi Muonelo trusts Eaton's movie recommendations so much that he believes Eaton could be a film critic.
Eaton scanned the American Film Institute's list of 100 greatest movies and counted 15 he has seen. But the films he cherishes most aren't the kind that win Oscars. He favors action and comedy over Citizen and Kane. He can't pick a favorite movie because it's too hard to choose.
"Comedy-wise, I think probably the first 'Friday' is one of the best movies because it is just nonstop," he said. "Every scene, something funny is going to happen."
Does Eaton own any romantic movies or so-called chick flicks? "None," he said. "If I have got some of those, I never watched them."
Doesn't the highest-grossing movie ("Titanic") of all-time fall under the romantic category? "I liked it," he said. "It was just too long for me. My attention span is not that long to be sitting there worrying about whether they are going to live or not."
Has any film motivated Eaton? "Big Shot: Confessions of a Campus Bookie" was a based-on-real-life TV movie about a point-shaving scandal at Arizona State. Eaton's cousin, former Sun Devil guard Stevin "Hedake" Smith, was a central figure.
"Before I watched it, I heard a lot about it," Eaton said. "You get a better understanding once you get older and you see some things for yourself and I read some things about it. I promised myself I wouldn't make the same mistakes he made. It made me a better person and made me play better and I think about it every day."
Because of Eaton's movie encounters, he "met" Travis Ford before Ford became OSU's coach. Ford played Danny O'Grady in a 1997 basketball comedy, "The Sixth Man." Eaton owns the movie.
When Ford arrived in Stillwater, Eaton thought the new coach looked familiar. "Then I found out he played in 'The Sixth Man.' I had to re-watch it. I liked it. He was one of the funniest dudes on there."
Teammates like to visit to borrow one of his 500-plus movies.
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
Published: 1/12/2009 2:24 AM
Last Modified: 1/12/2009 3:02 AM
STILLWATER — Byron Eaton is the only basketball player in Oklahoma State history to accumulate 1,000 points, 400 assists and more than 500 movies.
"I'm like a little Blockbuster," Eaton said. "Everybody comes to my house to get movies."
Immediately after a Saturday game against Texas A&M, Marshall Moses said he was headed to Eaton's place to borrow a flick.
"I'm probably going to get a comedy tonight, so I'll just go to his little comedy section and look in there and pick one out," Moses said.
Eaton isn't majoring in film. He didn't stock up because he plans to open a video store. He just thinks watching movies is a great way to occupy time and stay out of trouble. Friends and teammates are welcome to his inventory.
"I'm finally in the process of making a list so when they take something out I have a checklist so they will bring it back," he said.
Frequent "customer" Obi Muonelo trusts Eaton's movie recommendations so much that he believes Eaton could be a film critic.
Eaton scanned the American Film Institute's list of 100 greatest movies and counted 15 he has seen. But the films he cherishes most aren't the kind that win Oscars. He favors action and comedy over Citizen and Kane. He can't pick a favorite movie because it's too hard to choose.
"Comedy-wise, I think probably the first 'Friday' is one of the best movies because it is just nonstop," he said. "Every scene, something funny is going to happen."
Does Eaton own any romantic movies or so-called chick flicks? "None," he said. "If I have got some of those, I never watched them."
Doesn't the highest-grossing movie ("Titanic") of all-time fall under the romantic category? "I liked it," he said. "It was just too long for me. My attention span is not that long to be sitting there worrying about whether they are going to live or not."
Has any film motivated Eaton? "Big Shot: Confessions of a Campus Bookie" was a based-on-real-life TV movie about a point-shaving scandal at Arizona State. Eaton's cousin, former Sun Devil guard Stevin "Hedake" Smith, was a central figure.
"Before I watched it, I heard a lot about it," Eaton said. "You get a better understanding once you get older and you see some things for yourself and I read some things about it. I promised myself I wouldn't make the same mistakes he made. It made me a better person and made me play better and I think about it every day."
Because of Eaton's movie encounters, he "met" Travis Ford before Ford became OSU's coach. Ford played Danny O'Grady in a 1997 basketball comedy, "The Sixth Man." Eaton owns the movie.
When Ford arrived in Stillwater, Eaton thought the new coach looked familiar. "Then I found out he played in 'The Sixth Man.' I had to re-watch it. I liked it. He was one of the funniest dudes on there."