30 for 30/Sports Documentaries Discussion

[chuck415]

I wish they would do a 30 for 30 on the Unforgettables, the seniors on the 1992 UK basketball team that stuck around when the sanctions hit and who were the nucleus of the team (minus Jamal Mashburn) that took Duke to the limit in the regional final. Fox Sports did a small one a few years back, but I imagine ESPN could do a better job.

This would be really interesting now considering Mr. Basketball Richie Farmer's political rise and fall in Kentucky.

 

[Bored]

The latest one about John Spano frauding his way into owning the New York Islanders in 1996/1997 is absolutely fascinating in a holy fuck at every party way.

I actually followed hockey fairly closely back then and watched Sportscenter ad nauseam but I had no memory of this. It's a great story but Kevin Connolly's narration and putting himself on camera were annoying as hell.

 

[strummer]

yeah I have no recollection of the Spano story at all. That would be huge today. The guy from the league office (I think) was the smartest one of them all after being suspicious after Spano didn't pick up the lunch tab during their meeting

 

[Bored]

Highest recommendation for Youngstown Boys which is about Maurice Clarett and secondarily Jim Tressel. It was done by the same directors of The Two Escobars.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Watched the Olympic one on Kerrigan/Harding. Not bad but not great either. Doesn't help that the main key interviewee was Harding so the portrait seemed a bit one-sided towards sympathy for her (and the Kerrigan side was basically, "We suspect she did it/was involved just because they were top competitors").

I'm not sold Tonya is entirely innocent. I think she overheard stuff and never intervened but I also don't think she was the ringleader. The "bodyguard" screamed dumb fuck moron and I'd readily believe that her husband & the "bodyguard" rolled on her simply to save their own skin whether she was involved or not.

 

[MFer]

Highest recommendation for the Big East 30 for 30.

 

[KOAB]

Highest recommendation for the Big East 30 for 30.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Thirded. Absolutely fascinating documentary, especially for anybody who is/was a fan of any Big East teams.

 

[MFer]

Yeah...this Bad Boys one is up there too.

 

[Incandenza]

It was a trip seeing Dennis Rodman back when he still looked like a human being.

 

[909]

Anyone watch the 30 for 30 about Hillsborough? What did the people who watched it think?

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

I'm watching the Bad Boys one now and it's awesome. I've always been a huge Rodman fan, I own his Pistons jersey, and John Salley has always been a favorite of mine.

 

[alkeiper]

Anyone watch the 30 for 30 about Hillsborough? What did the people who watched it think?

I did. I thought it was very good. Only criticism is that there are things about soccer and sport that are obvious to people in England, but probably could have been spelled out to Americans. I don't think they did much to adequately describe the layout of the Hillsborough grounds. I was surprised they didn't mention Heysel, but I can see why.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Good, solid episode about the BC Point Shaving scheme during the '79-'80 season.

 

[MFer]

The U Part 2 just as good if not better than Part 1.

 

[hyperchord24]

Absolutely. Certainly educated me about the program. That poor equipment manager. All he wanted to do was be one of the cool kids.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Agreed. I actually preferred Part 1 just because it "built up" the program but Part 2 was equally solid for the first 3/4ths (I didn't care too much for the Shapiro/Shannon/Golden pieces myself).

 

[Damaramu]

The only thing I took issue with on Part 2 was all the Miami players saying they would've smoked OU in 2000. That may be so but we were the only undefeated team that season and we deserve that national title.
I remember Miami fans at the time telling me OU wasn't the true champions and they didn't deserve the title because they didn't play #2. So what? #2 should be the champions?

 

[HarleyQuinn]

That's just typical what if hypotheticals to drum up arguments... what's your point? Record Book shows Oklahoma as the National Champs. All you need.

Also all players who lose a tight game/get passed over say that. Even fans pull that card.

 

[Damaramu]

That's just typical what if hypotheticals to drum up arguments... what's your point? Record Book shows Oklahoma as the National Champs. All you need.

Also all players who lose a tight game/get passed over say that. Even fans pull that card.

I'm just venting my annoyance listening to them.

 

[KingPK]

ESPN2 has an all day marathon going today.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Anybody else watch the Buffalo Bills 4 Super Bowls one? It was okay, kind of felt like the Raiders one a little bit in that it didn't really 'cover' ground that was new or really thought provoking.

 

[Bored]

Yeah it was disappointing, very much a paint by the numbers recap of those years. Only interesting thing was Bruce Smith insisting the Bills had a better team than any of the teams they lost to in the Super Bowl. Yeah...

The '85 Bears as the next 30 for 30 is a pretty uninspiring choice. Is there really anything we don't know about that team at this point?

 

[CanadianGuitarist]

Anybody else watch the Buffalo Bills 4 Super Bowls one? It was okay, kind of felt like the Raiders one a little bit in that it didn't really 'cover' ground that was new or really thought provoking.

Interesting. Everyone I've talked to about it has told me it was excellent....but everyone I've talked to about it is a Bills fan, so it's nice to have a neutral take.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Watched The Four Falls of Buffalo on the DVR this morning and I thought it was better than the 30 for 30 episodes that are produced by the league that's being discussed. Usually when you see NFL/NBA/MLB Films Presents, you're in for a lesser episode but this was pretty solid. Not one of the best but solid. My only complaint is it felt really padded out at two hours and would have been much better at 90 minutes.

I think the Bears 30 for 30 could be great if handled well. But again, assuming that this is an NFL Films Production, they're gonna sort of whitewash how depressing a lot of the guys' lives were post-retirement (even though the trailer did allude to Jim McMahon & Fridge's health problems).

 

[Ed Wood Caulfield]

Will Mongo's rasslin' days be looked at as one of those depressing post-retirement lives?

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Mongo was featured prominently in the trailer but no shoutouts to his rasslin days.

Honestly, Mongo's probably been one of the more successful Bears post-retirement. As much as his WCW run sucked, he got out of it with a lot of $$$ and didn't really get injured. Outside of Hollywood Hogan throwing bleach in his eyes.

 

[Baby Shoes]

Charlie Ebersol made a 30 for 30 on the XFL. It is premiering at DOC NYC tomorrow and then will air on ESPN in February.

 

[Damaramu]

Charlie Ebersol made a 30 for 30 on the XFL. It is premiering at DOC NYC tomorrow and then will air on ESPN in February.

Did they interview anyone from WWE?

 

[Baby Shoes]

No idea. Just read a little snippet about it being at that film festival tomorrow.