[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 27]
[Senate]
[Page 36362]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           ``NIMROD NATION''

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, the Sundance Channel recently aired a 
documentary entitled ``Nimrod Nation.'' This eight-part series explores 
the world of small-town American life through the lens of the town of 
Watersmeet, MI, and their local high school basketball team.
  Small towns have always been an important part of our country's 
cultural heritage. The communities and institutions that make up small 
towns are an essential and enduring aspect of the political, economic 
and social fabric of our nation. Nearly one quarter of all Americans 
live in rural areas, approximately the same percentage as live in 
central cities.
  With only 1,400 residents, Watersmeet is a rural town in Michigan's 
Upper Peninsula. The town is surrounded by the Ottawa National Forest 
and the Cisco Chain of Lakes. It is located in a region with a high 
concentration of Nordic descendants and Native Americans. In an area 
with not a single movie theater, the residents turn to, among other 
things, pastimes such as hunting, fishing, and cheering on their local 
athletic teams.
  Director Brett Morgen traveled to Watersmeet in 2004 to film three 
commercials for an ESPN promotional campaign. There he discovered the 
Watersmeet Nimrods basketball team. The nickname came from the Biblical 
king Nimrod, a mighty hunter, fisherman and outdoorsman. The 
commercials highlighted the team's unusual name, and they sold close to 
$550,000 worth of Nimrod-brand merchandise as a result of this 
publicity. Mr. Morgen later returned to Watersmeet to document the 
Nimrods' 2005-6 basketball season while creating a series about the 
rural town.
  ``Nimrod Nation'' uncovers one of the many diverse cultures we have 
in Michigan. The residents of Watersmeet have expressed enthusiasm 
about the series. It explores the making of head cheese, talks with the 
town's older citizens at a local cafe, and covers the community's 
passion for the Nimrod basketball team. These events are woven together 
to create a portrait of what life in the Upper Peninsula is all about.
  I know my colleagues in the Senate join me in recognizing the 
importance of small towns to our country, as well as the congratulating 
residents of Watersmeet, MI, as their town is showcased in the 
documentary ``Nimrod Nation.''

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