Traina Thoughts: 'Sopranos' All-Time Best Sports Scenes
After a complete re-watch, SI's Jimmy Traina ranked the best sports-related scenes throughout the entire run of "The Sopranos".
Read the full video transcript:
Robin Lundberg: When I think of The Sopranos, I generally don't think sports. But our Jimmy Traina does. Jimmy, I feel like you have a way to to tie sports into The Office and The Sopranos whenever you can. But when you went back and ranked the best sports themes in Sopranos history, what stood out to you the most?
Jimmy Traina: Well, there's a famous scene where Tony explodes on Uncle Junior about Tony not be having the makings of a varsity athlete. It's an all time scene where they're trying to have like a peaceful Sunday dinner. And Junior is in his stages of dementia after Tony asks him not to say it. He says it again and Tony explodes and leaves the house. And that's a really great scene where Gandolfini shows off the rage of Tony. But there's lighthearted ones as well. There's a great scene where I mean, if you're a gambler, Tony, and one of the seasons goes on a bad run gambling. And there's a lot of good stuff there where they lose a game on a last minute, like fumble recovery, which all gamblers can relate to. And they've you know, over the years, they've had guest athlete appearances. Lawrence Taylor was part of the executive poker game and Tony Siragusa was on as like a bodyguard type. And there was one scene where Tony was eating dinner in Vesuvio and Eric Mangini was in the restaurant. Tony gets up at that time, he was the head coach of the Jets and Tony gets up to acknowledge his presence.
Robin Lundberg: Now, after re-watching the entire series, did Tony get killed at the end?
Jimmy Traina: I used to think he did. And then we watched during the quarantine. And now I'm no, I changed my mind on this about 4000 times. So don't listen to anything I say. But when I watched it, there's nothing there that makes me think he got killed. And now there's like this famous theory that David Chase killed the audience, not Tony, in that scene. So now I lean towards that one.
Robin Lundberg: Jim, we appreciate your time, as always, maybe they can end this video by cutting to black.
Jimmy Traina: Don't play "Don't Stop Believing", we can't afford it.
For more of Traina's Thoughts on media and sports:
