The New Trailer For HBO’s Bishop Sycamore Documentary Looks Compelling As Hell

Two years ago, during the doldrums of August, IMG Academy, a boarding school in Brandenton, Florida renowned for its athletic programs, squared off against the Bishop Sycamore Centurions in a football game broadcast on ESPN. The only problem, it turned out, was Bishop Sycamore’s entire presence was a rouse. The high school wasn’t real, despite enticing players to join the program under the guise of national exposure and eventual collegiate scholarship offers. Naturally, IMG beat the brakes off Bishop Sycamore, 58-0, in a game where the teams understandably couldn’t look farther apart in quality and caliber. Social media had a field day with the whole happenings. It took Twitter by storm and the jokes were endless for a bit.

Now, HBO is set to release a documentary titled “BS High” uncovering the truth behind Bishop Sycamore and how it all came to be, focused on head coach Roy Johnson, who says “I think I’m the most honest liar that I know” in the trailer that released Thursday morning. That quote alone is enough of a pitch to hook me in and summarize why everything spiraled, I’d say.

The story looks pretty intriguing, frustrating and disappointing. Johnson seems to be portrayed as a longstanding con man who sold kids on a nonexistent dream while chasing his own attention and publicity. It’s like Fyre Fest meets football. “BS High” debuts Aug. 23 on HBO’s streaming platform, “Max.”