FirstCuts: Athletes, celebrities meet on ‘Framed’

By Tricia Garner
Sports don’t start and end with a referee’s whistle. FirstCuts, a blog dedicated to sports culture, will cover everything outside the lines, from the games to the gear.
Picture this: Warriors guard Baron Davis, cruising down the street, lean and
ripped, wearing a tank top that shows off the results of hours of
conditioning. He’s got on shades, his trademark headband ... and short-short
canary yellow shorts. And, oh yes -- did we mention he’s cruising down the street on roller skates?
Davis’ pimptastic look (“That’s how we used to rock our stuff when we were
little,†he says) isn’t the least bit out of the ordinary on Framed, a
half-hour series on the Independent Film Channel (available on most digital
cable plans, as well as DirecTV and Dish networks). The setup: A Hollywood
celebrity has two days to create a short film starring an athlete. Previous
athletes include Davis, Nuggets guard Allen Iverson and Titans quarterback
Vince Young.
Lest you think it’s all about the art, the show lends itself to some classic exchanges between director and star. Actress Regina King discovers Young can be a bit of a diva when kept waiting, while Iverson vents to rap star Nelly about the enigma wrapped in a riddle wrapped in a former accused killer that is O.J. Simpson.

Iverson: O.J. just acts ... you know what I’m saying? You make people mad
at you, man. ... He got a mug shot where he’s smiling. What the hell is
funny?
Nelly: O.J. keeps finding himself in some of the wildest predicaments.
Iverson: Yeah! You’re 60 years old -- sit your ass down, O.J.
Nelly: His head big as hell, too.
Iverson: Hell, yeah.
New episodes of Framed air Friday nights at 10:30 ET on IFC, and you can
catch reruns throughout the week. Careful watching at night, though--you
don’t want to have nightmares about Davis’ shorts.↵