And Harrelson does have a strong sports movie pedigree, having been in "White Men Can't Jump."
Why first-time director Kent Alterman didn’t make better use of Harrelson’s previous basketball experience (“White Men Can’t Jump,” anyone?) is beyond me, but it was definitely an opportunity wasted.
Movie geeks will appreciate the casting, as Harrelson, himself a semi-pro at playing benign lunatics in competitive sports (see White Men Can't Jump, Kingpin, Play It to the Bone) more or less invented the type that Ferrell has spent a career parodying.
The same cinephiles will note on their scorecard the presence of Woody Harrelson, 16 years after his prior B-ball gig as the white man in White Men Can't Jump.
To prove his point, he beefs up the team by trading a washing machine for an NBA benchwarmer named Monix (Woody Harrelson, last seen dribbling in "White Men Can't Jump"), who leads them on a winning streak.