Goofs for
The Express (2008) More at IMDbPro »

• Factual errors: During the West Virginia football game Ernie Davis gets hit out of bounds and is lying on the sideline. The football announcer states Davis is hurt lying PRONE (face down) on the field when in fact the scene shows him lying in a SUPINE (face up)position.
  
  
• Factual errors: The night game played versus West Virginia University is a fictional account. West Virginia's stadium did not have lights until two years after the movie took place. Additionally, in the year that the movie takes place the West Virginia vs Syracuse game was played at Syracuse.
  
  
• Factual errors: In the 1960 Cotton Bowl game, the movie showed Texas pulling within one point of Syracuse, 15 - 14. While this added drama, the game was never that close in the second half. Syracuse was up 23-6 when Texas scored their second and last TD with 7:39 remaining in the game. Being up 9 points also means that the climatic scene at the end of the game would have been a moot point. Texas was not in a position to tie Syracuse even with a TD and 2 point conversion.
  
  

• Anachronisms: Before the 1961 Heisman Award ceremony, there is stock footage of Broadway with Stalag 17 on a movie marquee. Stalag 17 was released in 1953, 8 years earlier.
  
  
• Anachronisms: In the big bonus check Art Modell presents to Davis, as well as the letter Davis mails to the editor at the Saturday Evening Post, the addresses contain ZIP codes. ZIP codes were not introduced to the public until 1963, a few weeks after Davis died. Prior to July 1963, the Post Office used zone numbers (for example, Cleveland 14, O.).
  
  
• Factual errors: The National Championship in 59 was awarded prior to the Bowl Games, so the speech about "whichever bowl we accept we will be National Champions if we win" was a moot point. It was just about defending the pollster's choice at that point. It was the final regular season game against UCLA (which just beat #4 USC) that earned them the National Championship. The movie pays no attention to this game (which was broadcast on national TV) except to show the post game celebration.
  
  
• Factual errors: The movie shows the team being notified outside the Cotton Bowl that the hotel where the banquet is held will not allow the team's black players to attend and the team decides to skip the banquet and go for Barbeque. Fact is the team attended the banquet awards ceremonies (including the three Black players). Once the awards were over, the team was informed that the three black players could not stay for the dinner or dance festivities. The team then stood up and left the banquet before dinner began. They actually were hosted dinner at two different establishments after leaving.
  
  
• Factual errors: Ernie Davis did not sit out the 3rd quarter of the game as shown in the movie.
  
  
• Factual errors: After Ernie Davis comes back into the game in the movie, Syracuse then pulls away for the win on an 87 yard touchdown catch and run by Davis. Fact is the 87 yd catch and run occurred on the 3rd play (from scrimmage) of the game on 2 down and 27 after a holding penalty on Syracuse.
  
  
• Factual errors: Floyd Little was being romanced by Army, not Notre Dame when he chose to go to Syracuse.
  
  
• Anachronisms: During the Syracuse V. West Virginia game the Flying WV logo is pictured on one of the props in the back of the end zones was not actually created until Don Nehlan's term as Head Coach at WVU. Don Nehlan created the icon in the early 70s after a few years into his tenure. West Virginia's symbol in those days were the letters WVU diagonally through the state on a gold ribbon.
  
  
• Errors in geography: At the end of the movie when Davis runs out on the field at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, he is actually running out onto a computer generated version of Wrigley Field in Chicago. The movie uses a computer generated stadium for the games at Syracuse, but did not computer generate Cleveland Stadium.
  
  
• Anachronisms: When Jim Brown was first introduced in the movie the scene showed him receiving his Cleveland Browns jersey from Art Modell in 1957. Art Modell didn't buy the Cleveland Browns until 1961.
  
  
• Factual errors: At the very start of the movie, in the huddle of the first play the audience witnesses during the Texas game, you can clearly hear the quarterback say the play and he says it is a Shovel Pass, but when the play is run it is in fact a direct hand off to Ernie Davis not the shovel pass that was called.
  
  
• Factual errors: Ernie's family is shown watching the 1960 Cotton Bowl on their porch in Elmira, NY. On January 1, 1960 the high temperature in Elmira was 33 degrees F.
  
  
• Factual errors: At the end of the movie when Ernie is introduced with the team in Cleveland's August 18th, 1962 preseason game, the opposing team shown is the Chicago Bears. In reality it was the Pittsburg Steelers and was the second game of a doubleheader, the NFL's first. The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys played in the first game of the doubleheader.
  
  
• Factual errors: At the end of the movie when Ernie is introduced with the team before Cleveland's preseason game (with the Pittsburgh Steelers), he is shown wearing his Cleveland Browns uniform. In reality, Davis was introduced to the crowd and was not in uniform. According to John Brown, his former Syracuse and Browns teammate and best friend, "That night, he had on his skinny tie, tweed jacket, and nice shirt". Owner Art Modell wanted Ernie introduced in his uniform. But, Coach Paul Brown wouldn't allow it because Ernie wasn't officially on Cleveland's roster and therefore not entitled to wear it.
  
  
• Anachronisms: In the scene where Ernie and Jack are running through town, there is a maroon customized 1953 Ford two-door wagon. the rear windows are tinted black and the wheels are a '90s-era billet design. Obviously a modern custom vehicle.
  
  
• Anachronisms: In two shots of the Syracuse University campus, Eggers Hall is clearly visible, to the right of Hendricks Chapel. Eggers Hall did not open until 1994.
  
  
• Continuity: When Ernie first sees the stadium at his college, the sky is filled with cumulus (fair weather) clouds. By the time he gets there, the sky is nearly cloudless, and much duller; obviously the scene was shot on a different day.
  
  
• Anachronisms: When Davis first walks into the Syracuse stadium, the goal posts are at the back of the end zone. In reality, in the 1950s the goal posts would be on the goal line. They were moved to the back of the end zone in the 1970s.
  
  

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