"It's more than just a bike," Eric said to the lens, wiping a smudge from the now-gleaming tank. "It's a time capsule. It represents that moment when cinema felt real, raw, and full of glorious bad behavior".
He was referring to the AMF/Harley-Davidson Z90 ridden by Kelly Leak in the 1976 classic, The Bad News Bears.
After nearly five decades lost to time and various owners, Eric Nyenhuis and Tom Synderguaard tried tracking it down, , and have it fully restored to its cinematic glory: bright and shining, ready for the upcoming 50th anniversary of the film in April 2026.
The documentary, an independent labor of love tentatively titled The Bad News Bears 50 , would center on this quest and its emotional conclusion. Miles and months away, in his home, Jackie Earle Haley would be interviewed for the same documentary.
He reminisced about his time on set: the fun, the natural performances, and Walter Matthau's kindness. "Everyone talks about the way we were able to act," he chuckled, "the reality was, we were just a bunch of kids being ourselves".
The interviewer gently steered the conversation toward the bike, a prop that became an iconic symbol of his character, Kelly Leak, the local troublemaker and best player in the neighborhood. Jackie shared his regret that the original had disappeared long ago.
The climax of the documentary will bring Eric and his team to Jackie’s home.
The cameras rolling, capturing the actor's genuine shock as the restored Z90 was wheeled out, a piece of his youth gleaming in the light. "Wow," Jackie whispered, running a hand over the cool metal, the scent of fresh paint and tune-up oil filling the air. "It's like... it's a beautiful time capsule". The moment was pure, unscripted nostalgia.
It wasn't about Hollywood endings or big studio reboots; it was about preserving a memory, a tangible link to a film that had influenced a generation.
As Jackie Earle Haley climbed onto the seat at Monster Mania, as the bike was drained of all fluids to enter the convention hall November 21, 2025 We hope to start the engine and hear it roar to life at Jackies Earle Haley home, a sound that brought the spirit of the original Bad News Bears charging back, just in time for the big 5-0.
The documentary, when released, wouldn't just be about a movie; it would be about coming home