Published in Washington, D.C.     Thur., June 10, 1999     www.washtimes.com

Film to tell familiar tale of 'Sentinel' super scabs By Rick Snider THE WASHINGTON TIMES      They were classic underdogs. They were strike-breakers who crossed a picket line to live a fantasy. They were a team stranger than fiction.      Now the 1987 Washington Redskins strike team that went undefeated is the basis for an upcoming movie. Warner Bros. begins filming "The Replacements" locally in August with the film expected to be released in January.      Gene Hackman as coach Joe Gibbs? Well, almost.      Screenwriter Vince McKewin, a University of Maryland graduate and a Redskins fan, said the NFL refused to let Redskins trademarks be used. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league decided the movie "wasn´t in its best interests." However, the story line greatly resembles that of the '87 Redskins without using specific names.      So, Hackman will play the coach, and Keanu Reeves is the concussion-prone quarterback of the Washington "Sentinels."      RFK Stadium and PSINet Stadium in Baltimore will be used during the 60-day filming, and 10,000 extras will be needed to simulate games. Memorial Stadium in Baltimore is also being considered. Actors will arrive in mid-July to begin workouts at the stadiums.      "There are lots of inferences for people to realize it´s the Redskins," said McKewin, whose car once bore the "I Like Sonny" and "I Like Billy" bumper stickers from the '70s rivalry of quarterbacks Sonny Jurgensen and Billy Kilmer.      "It´s a broad comedy based on the strike, and I´m taking a shot at professional players who walk off for a bigger salary cap. The owner is dying, and when the strike happens he decides to bring back this legendary coach like George Allen. Hackman puts together this ragtag bunch of guys. They ultimately start playing as a team."      But fiction can't match the bizarre "SubSkins." A former prisoner, a 7-Eleven security guard and a lineman so out of shape that climbing the stairs proved too taxing were among those quickly signed to replace the striking regulars.      "I thought the guy had just finished taking his treadmill test," said Redskins general manager Charley Casserly, who was then assistant GM. "He could barely breathe and had only come up the steps. Still, we had to sign him."      The Redskins went on to win Super Bowl XXII after the strike ended. They were helped by having the home-field advantage in the NFC championship game, which was gained in part by the 3-0 replacements. The film version may have four games with the same outcome.      "This is the all-time underdog success story in life," Casserly said. "It was a bunch of guys that never played in the NFL that beat two teams -- St. Louis and Dallas -- that played a number of veteran stars. In the ultimate game, they beat the Cowboys with Randy White and Danny White."      Reeves will earn $12.5 million for portraying a replacement player who earned $450 during one preparation week and less than $10,000 per game. However, the SubSkins also each received a Super Bowl half-share of $35,000.      But it wasn't money that lured the strike players, who devoured free food with such passion that Gibbs once remarked on how he loved to watch them eat. The strike-breakers just wanted to play pro football, if only for 24 days.      "You could ask them to do anything and they would do it. They only wanted to play," Casserly said.      The standards were loose. Drug testing was just a simple question: Did they take drugs? Conditioning was so poor that offensive line coach Joe Bugel put his fist in an overweight player's stomach during a blocking drill and said he couldn't get it back out. Plays were nearly written in the dirt.      But Washington beat St. Louis 28-21, even though the Cardinals played 13 regulars. The 27,728 fans at RFK chanted, "Stay on strike." Redskins receiver Anthony Allen, who arrived only three days earlier, set a franchise record with 244 yards and three touchdowns. The Redskins then defeated the New York Giants 38-12 before just 9,123 at the Meadowlands.      But the SubSkins became legendary against the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium on Monday Night Football. The "Rhinestone Cowboys" included starting quarterback Danny White, defensive tackle Randy White and running back Tony Dorsett. Gibbs delivered a pregame talk to rival Mel Gibson´s rousing pre-battle speech in "Braveheart": Where would you rather be than right here, right now? The Redskins responded with a 13-7 victory.      Even striking players, who picketed Redskin Park, harassed replacements and broke a bus window, were impressed. Guard Mark May said during the game, "If they beat the Dallas Cowboys, I might give them all a slap on the back."      Two days later, the strike was over. Only 17 replacement players were retained briefly. Just two played for the Redskins again. Still, many believed the short stay was worthwhile, even if they weren't sure where they had been staying.      "I´m proud to represent the state of Washington," safety Charles Jackson said.      Fade to black. Cue the music. Roll credits.