SportsTracing Kobe Bryant’s journey from his childhood in Italy to NBA stardom and later, his roles as a storyteller and father. This film explores his rise, controversies, and evolution; capturing the duality of his alter ego, the Black Mamba.
SportsTracing Kobe Bryant’s journey from his childhood in Italy to NBA stardom and later, his roles as a storyteller and father. This film explores his rise, controversies, and evolution; capturing the duality of his alter ego, the Black Mamba. Part 1 of 3.
SportsTracing Kobe Bryant’s journey from his childhood in Italy to NBA stardom and later, his roles as a storyteller and father. This film explores his rise, controversies, and evolution; capturing the duality of his alter ego, the Black Mamba. Part 2 of 3.
SportsDubbed “The New York Sack Exchange,” the Jets’ record-setting defense was led by the dynamic and brash quartet of Marty Lyons, Abdul Salaam, Joe Klecko, and Mark Gastineau. Together, they unapologetically took the football world on a rollercoaster ride, experiencing both great highs and unimaginable lows on and off the field. The film delves into the triumphs, betrayals, and enduring feuds that characterized this iconic unit, offering a cerebral and emotional exploration of a brotherhood that barely survived the intense spotlight under which they once shined.
SportsFormer Raiders owner Al Davis and former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle were two of the most influential figures in the history of pro football. And for a quarter of a century, their long-running feud was a central storyline in the NFL's evolution into the most popular and successful league in sports. Beginning in the 1960s when Rozelle was the NFL's young commissioner and Davis led the rival AFL, and continuing through the 1980s when Davis waged a lawsuit against the league to allow him to move the Raiders from Oakland to Los Angeles, the two titans were constantly and very publicly at odds. This is the story of the colorf
SportsBarry Sanders was a defender's worst nightmare -- a blend of speed and elusiveness that made him impossible to catch and tougher to tackle. His career in Detroit was celebrated with MVP award and pro-bowl appearances, but the greatest wonder was why he left the game abruptly at the height of his career. A Football Life: Barry Sanders goes into the quiet man behind the breathtaking highlights.
SportsIn November of 2007, Michael Vick began serving what would be a nearly two-year sentence for crimes related to his involvement in a dog fighting ring. Vick had gone from superstar athlete to national pariah; from one of the most popular players in the NFL to a man as ostracized as virtually any public figure in America. The full story is chronicled in “Vick,” the two-part 30 for 30 directed by the award-winning documentarian Stanley Nelson. A comprehensive look back at each chapter of Michael Vick’s saga: the incredible rise, shocking fall, and polarizing return.
SportsThe 1990 New York Giants season is remembered on two major incidents. First, backup quarterback Jeff Hostetler had to replace an injured Phil Simms. Second, Hostetler guided the Giants to another Super Bowl victory in one of the most exciting Super Bowls of all time. Giants legends Ottis Anderson, Carl Banks, and Hostetler himself discuss these topics and more on how the 1990 Giants ended up being Super Bowl champions.
SportsMeat Handlers vs. Cartoon Voice Actors (AKA Network Boss). MXC makes its debut with this classic confrontation of the Meat Industry and the Cartoon Voice Actors. Games - Sinkers and Floaters, Log Drop, Wall Buggers, and Boulder Dash.
SportsLos Angeles Dodgers 4 at New York Yankees 8, F -- Reg-gie! Reg-gie! Reg-gie! Mr. October is born. In a performance as legendary as any Yankee great before him, Reggie Jackson blasted three consecutive home runs on three pitches against three different Dodger hurlers (Burt Hooton, Elias Sosa and Charlie Hough) into the frenzied Stadium throng. It was his defining moment in pinstripes; a dramatic performance that won over the fans, his teammates, (including captain Thurman Munson, with whom he'd had a tumultuous relationship since Reggie claimed he was "the straw that stirred the drink" even before he arrived in New York)
Sports1979. Businessman Jerry Buss stakes his fortune on the purchase of the NBA's lackluster Los Angeles Lakers. Meanwhile, the team's head coach, Jerry West, bristles at the prospect of drafting college phenom Earvin Johnson – who must decide if he's ready to live up to the mantle of his nickname: Magic.
SportsGot 10 minutes? Then you have time to get started on your health goals! If you want to lose weight, increase energy, slim legs, tone arms, trim waistline, and manage stress Fitness Walking can help!
SportsGrowing up a skinny kid in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Derek Jeter dreamed of becoming the starting shortstop for the New York Yankees. Little did he know that dream was only the beginning. Making his debut in pinstripes on May 29, 1995, Jeter’s career of firsts began when he became the first Yankee to win Rookie of the Year honors by unanimous vote in 1996. Thereafter, his path is littered with spectacular achievement: a dozen All-Star Games, five World Championships, the Captaincy of the New York Yankees. Iconic, legacy-defining moments such as “The Jeter Flip” and “Mr. November” are too numerous to catalog. In 200
SportsSeau was a legend long before he retired from the NFL — surrounded by a passionate fan base, deep respect from his peers and a loving family, he experienced a unique sense of purpose that extended beyond the playing field. Despite appearing to have everything, his decision to end his own life at 43 remains both deeply disturbing and largely unexplained. This revealing account of the Hall of Famer’s life and death seeks answers, exploring the remarkable path from an immigrant Samoan family to NFL stardom, and the many obstacles faced throughout two decades spent as an American football icon at the heart of a brutal and
SportsThe New York Giants returned to championship glory during the 1986 season. Giants legends Bill Parcells, Phil Simms, and Lawrence Taylor discuss the season, from Simms' rough start as New York's quarterback, to Bill Parcells motivating his team to a championship, to Lawrence Taylor leading one of the toughest defenses in the NFL.
SportsIn Super Bowl III, the Baltimore Colts lost to the New York Jets in one of the biggest upsets in sports history. Determined to shake off that embarrassing loss, the 1970 Colts not only found themselves at Super Bowl V, but they won against 'Next Year's Team' the Dallas Cowboys. Baltimore Colts legends Bill Curry, Bubba Smith, Mike Curtis, and former public relations ace Ernie Accorsi recount the 1970 season from trying to shake off the demoralizing upset, to playing in one of the most grueling and mistake-filled Super Bowls in history.
SportsMore than three decades after its television debut, American Gladiators remains a cultural phenomenon not quite like anything else that ever aired on screen. The American Gladiators Documentary, a two-part 30 for 30 ESPN film, tells the series' entire epic tale, with director Ben Berman tracking down many of the show's most charismatic figures, and along the way embarking on an odyssey to uncover the truth behind its improbable creation.
SportsEl Dragon Azteca Jr. vs. Fenix, The Mack vs. Mil Muertes in a Death Match, Johnny Mundo vs. Matanza, Pentagon Dark vs. Marty “The Moth” in a Cero Miedo Match. The Order sets their plan in motion to destroy the Seven Aztec.
SportsThere is another, unchronicled side to the "Miracle On Ice." The so-called bad guys from America’s ideological adversary were in reality good men and outstanding players, forged into the Big Red Machine by the genius and passion of Anatoli Tarasov. There was a reason they seemed unbeatable, especially after routing the Americans in an exhibition the week before the Winter Games began. And there was a certain shame in them having to live the rest of their lives with the results of February 22, 1980. Director Jonathan Hock ("The Best That Never Was" and "Survive and Advance") explores the scope of the “Miracle on Ice”
SportsOn March 13, 2006, a group of Duke University lacrosse players threw a team party that ended up changing lives, tarnishing a university's reputation, and jeopardizing the future of the sport at the school. A look at the party that ignited a national firestorm and resulted in a highly-charged legal investigation with its underlying themes of sex, race, class, and violence.
SportsHe made perhaps the most dramatic shot in the history of the NCAA basketball tournament. He's the only player to start in four consecutive Final Fours, and was instrumental in Duke winning two national championships. He had looks, smarts and game. So why has Christian Laettner been disliked so intensely by so many for so long? Go beyond the polarizing persona to uncover the complete story behind this lightning rod of college basketball. Featuring extensive access to Laettner, previously unseen footage and perspectives from all sides, this film is a “gloves-off” examination of the man who has been seen by many as the
SportsBill Cowher had waited a long time for his first Super Bowl title. After failing to win a Super Bowl for the Steelers in 1995, Cowher continued to push his players to someday reach the pinnacle of professional football once again. He got his chance in 2005 and it turned out to be one of the most challenging seasons of his coaching career. Joey Porter, Jerome Bettis, and Bill Cowher himself discuss the 2005 season and the challenges they faced to the franchises fifth World Championship.
SportsWhen the night of October 6, 2004 came to a merciful end, the Curse of the Bambino was alive and well. The vaunted Yankee lineup, led by ARod, Jeter, and Sheffield, had just extended their ALCS lead to three games to none, pounding out 19 runs against their hated rivals. The next night, in Game 4, the Yankees took a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning, then turned the game over to Mariano Rivera, the best relief pitcher in postseason history, to secure yet another trip to the World Series. But after a walk and a hard-fought stolen base, the cold October winds of change began to blow. Over four consecutive days and
SportsThey were arguably the most dominating defensive team in the history of the NFL – and perhaps the most entertaining club that pro football has ever seen as well. A behemoth on the field that turned into, literally, one of the classic shows of the reality television era. Now, a little more than two decades after one extraordinary season etched their legacy for all time, the new ESPN 30 for 30 film Bullies of Baltimore tells the story of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, a Super Bowl champion for the ages. Directed by Ken Rodgers of NFL Films, the documentary is a lively and colorful look back at the team’s magical season frame
SportsIn 1984, 17-year-old Ben Wilson was a symbol of everything promising about Chicago: a beloved, sweet-natured youngster from the city’s fabled South Side, and America’s most talented basketball prospect. His senseless murder the day before his senior season sent ripples through Chicago and the nation.
SportsGenerational football talent, bigger-than-life personality, forever devoted to his faith… Reggie White was a man of conviction. From his younger days in Tennessee to his standout NFL career in Philadelphia and Green Bay, he lived with his beliefs in a public and unflinching way. And this conviction impacted the lives of all those who passed through his orbit, leaving a complex legacy along the way. THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE chronicles White’s life in all its glory and humanity, from the highs of football stardom and stirring sermons to the lows of discrimination and heartbreak. It details the contradictory ways White emb
Sports"Welcome to the Temple." In the series premiere, owner and promoter Dario Cueto opens his "Temple" to the best fighters from around the world, to compete for a 100k bonus. Watch as the masked heroes and villains battle it out in the Temple.
SportsThe Tuck Rule. An otherwise obscure entry in the NFL rulebook that evokes one of the most controversial plays in all of sports history because without the Tuck Rule, Tom Brady wouldn't have won his first playoff game -- and who knows where destiny might have gone from there. But whether what happened on January 19, 2002 was divine providence, a terrible call, the right call, or a deeper conspiracy, one thing is certain: the life of Tom Brady, as well as the life of the Hall of Famer who hit him on the play, Brady's former college teammate Charles Woodson, were forever changed by their collision on that snowy night. Now twe
SportsHe was the Beatles of soccer - a handsome, charismatic lad from Belfast, Northern Ireland who worked wonders with the ball and thrilled Great Britain. But George Best was also the lead in a Shakespearean tragedy fueled by drink and excess and depression.
SportsIn the midst of boxing’s contemporary golden age - the 1980’s - stood two fighters who established a captivating rivalry. Their pair of bouts within a span of just over 5 months in 1980 had all the trappings of instant classics. Sugar Ray Leonard, an American hero, who had become a household name after a Gold Medal-winning performance at the 1976 Summer Olympics that led to numerous corporate sponsorships, versus the Latino champion, Roberto Duran, the toughest - some said meanest - fighter of all time. It was not just the drama and action of these fights that would endure, but those two words uttered in the se
SportsIn 1996, the once-dominant New York Islanders were in serious trouble. Lousy performance and poor management were driving away the hockey franchise's loyal fan base. The team hit bottom. Then along came a Dallas businessman named John Spano, who swooped in and agreed to buy the team for 165 million dollars. Things began to look up for the Islanders - way up. But it was all smoke and mirrors. Big Shot goes inside an extraordinary scandal that engulfed the Islanders. Featuring the only interview Spano has ever given about the Islanders deal, this film is an unforgettable tale of a dream that became a lie -
SportsFew teams in professional sports history elicit such a wide range of emotions as the Detroit Pistons of the late 1980s and early 1990s. For some, the team was heroic– made up of gritty, hard-nosed players who didn’t back down from anyone. And for others, it was exactly that trait – the willingness to do seemingly anything to win – that made them the “Bad Boys”, the team fans loved to hate. Sandwiched between the Lakers’ and Celtics’ dominance of the 1980s and the Bulls' run in the 1990s, the Pistons’ two titles in 1989 and ’90 are often viewed as a transitional period in NBA history, rather than a dy
SportsWhile rival drug cartels warred in the streets and the country's murder rate climbed to highest in the world, the Colombian national soccer team set out to blaze a new image for their country. What followed was a mysteriously rapid rise to glory, as the team catapulted out of decades of obscurity to become one of the best teams in the world. Central to this success were two men named Escobar: Andrés, the captain and poster child of the National Team, and Pablo, the infamous drug baron who pioneered the phenomenon known in the underworld as "Narco-soccer." But just when Colombia was expected to win the 1994 World Cup and t
SportsOne was a kick-boxer, the other a wrestler. One looked like he’d been in a few too many fights, the other could have stepped off a movie poster. They were Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, frenemies from SoCal who brought millions of fans to mixed martial arts and supercharged the UFC. In this brutally honest 30 for 30 documentary about a brutal sport, director Micah Brown recaptures their glory days while chronicling MMA’s unlikely history and success. Their legends became frayed in subsequent years, but their mark on the sport will live on forever.
SportsIn 1989, the Buffalo Bills were a talented team featuring four future hall of famers. Dysfunction and in-fighting ran deep in the locker room, but the team soon transformed into an elite force on the way to an unprecedented run of four AFC Championship victories, and four straight Super Bowl appearances. Of course, that isn't what the Bills are remembered for. This is the story of a team that went down in history for making four straight Super Bowls, and losing them all.
SportsOn October 17, 1989, at 5:04 p.m. PT, soon after Al Michaels and Tim McCarver started the ABC telecast for Game 3 of the World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics, the ground began to shake beneath Candlestick Park. Even before that moment, this had promised to be a memorable match-up: the first in 33 years between teams from the same metropolitan area, a battle featuring larger-than-life characters and equally colorful fan bases. But after the 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake rolled through, bringing death and destruction, the Bay Area pulled together and baseball took a backseat. Through archival
SportsFrom birth, Todd Marinovich was raised with a defined purpose of creating the perfect athlete. Trained by his father Marv, a former pro football player, the young Marinovich was meticulously engineered and nurtured into a star quarterback. But three short years later he was out of the NFL. The “test tube athlete” was a full-blown drug addict; a cautionary tale of epic proportion. Now, almost two decades removed from the national spotlight, Marinovich tells the unvarnished story of his unique ascent to stardom and the dark descent into drugs and oblivion that followed. First-person accounts from Marinovich and
SportsBill Belichick is one of the best coaches in NFL history. During the 2009 season, NFL Films was given unprecedented access to the sideline, the practice field, the meeting rooms, and his home -- providing a rare glimpse of a what makes a great football mind. Part 1 of 2.
SportsThe New England Patriots continued their dynasty in 2003 by winning their second Lombardi Trophy. New England players Willie McGinest, Rodney Harrison, and Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis discuss their 2003 season and the major storylines going into their championship win. Charlie Weis discusses his health issues during the season and McGinest and Harrison discuss the Patriots victory over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII.
SportsThe Kansas City Chiefs look to break their two-game skid and place themselves at the top of the AFC West as they take on the dangerous Denver Broncos. Find out what happens when two of the AFC's elite battle it out in this Week 13 thriller.
Sports“Aztec Warfare.” Dario Cueto holds first ever Aztec Warfare! Much like the ancient Aztecs had to fight for their survival… the champion will have to survive 19 other Luchadores. Who will earn the title of the first ever Lucha Underground Champion?
SportsTampa Bay Rays 0 at Seattle Mariners 1 | F -- Felix Hernandez was untouchable, fanning 12 in the first perfect game in Mariners history and the third one of 2012. He got all the run support he'd need in the third, when Brendan Ryan scored on Jesus Montero's single.
SportsThe Dodgers blew a lead in the eighth. They made a seemingly deadly defensive gaffe in the 13th. They watched the first of Max Muncy's would-be walk-off winners hook just right of the right-field foul pole in the 15th. But they somehow survived the wildest game of this postseason -- indeed, the longest game in postseason history -- and have salvaged their stake in this World Series. Muncy connected on Nathan Eovaldi's 97th pitch of relief to swat an 18th-inning solo shot that gave the Dodgers an exhilarating-but-exhausting 3-2 victory over the Red Sox in Game 3 early Saturday morning. That cut their deficit down to 2-1 in
SportsA controversial, hard slide by Chase Utley injured Ruben Tejada in the seventh and helped the Dodgers tie the game. Later in the frame, Adrian Gonzalez and Justin Turner hit back-to-back RBI doubles to put the Dodgers up for good and even the best-of-five NLDS at one.
SportsClayton Kershaw started a must-win Game 4 at Citi Field on short rest and held the Mets to one run on three hits over seven innings, Justin Turner had two RBIs and Kenley Jansen worked a four-out save as the Dodgers sent the National League Division Series back to Los Angeles for a showdown that will decide who moves on.
SportsColorado Rockies 4 at Atlanta Braves, 0 | F -- Ubaldo Jimenez brought his 96+ mph fastball all night long (three officially clocked at 100 mph), striking out seven Braves en route to the first no-hitter in the Rockies' 18-year history.
Sports“Shoots and Ladders.” The Trios Titles will be defended in a Ladder Match. The first person to climb the ladder and retrieve the championships will win the titles for their team. Meanwhile, Vampiro asks Johnny Mundo to explain his actions.
SportsThe Boston Bruins needed a period-plus to shed the rust from a 10-day layoff. Once they did, they dominated in coming back to defeat the St. Louis Blues 4-2 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden on Monday.
SportsTo many observers, the story of the crime of the century is a story that began the night Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were brutally murdered outside her Brentwood condominium. But to truly grasp the significance of what happened not just that night, but the epic chronicle to follow, one has to travel back to much different, much earlier origin points.
SportsBo Jackson hit 500 ft. home runs, ran over linebackers, and—for a small window—he was the best athlete we had ever seen. You Don’t Know Bo is a close look at the man and marketing campaign that shaped his legacy. Even without winning a Super Bowl or World Series, Bo redefined the role of the athlete in the pop cultural conversation. More than 20 years later, myths and legends still surround Bo Jackson, and his impossible feats still capture our collective imagination.
SportsOne was the world inhabited by OJ Simpson: wealthy, privileged, and predominantly white. A world where celebrity was power, and where OJ - race be damned - was one of the most popular figures around. But just a few miles away from his Rockingham estate in Brentwood was a very different reality. A reality lived by millions of other black people at the hands of the Los Angeles Police Department and its chief, Daryl Gates.
SportsLong before hip hop superstars filled our airwaves and shopping malls, the Miami Hurricanes brought street values and hood bravado into America’s living room. Recruiting from some of the toughest ghettos in Florida, a football program on the verge of collapse was re-energized with some of the most controversial and brilliant players in football history. With a newly branded swagger, inspired and fueled by the quickly growing Miami hip hop culture, these Canes took on larger-than-life personalities, winning four national titles between 1983 and 1991. Filmmaker Billy Corben (Cocaine Cowboys) tells the story of how these �
SportsThe police arrived at the condo on Bundy Drive at 4:25 a.m. on June 13th, 1994. It was a gruesome murder scene, clearly the result of a violent confrontation that had left two people dead - one of whom, they'd quickly discover, was the estranged wife of O.J. Simpson. It was just the start of a chapter of American history like none other, one that would lay bare the realities of race, power, the legal system, the media, and so much more in Los Angeles, California and far beyond.
SportsBroke explores the roads to fortune in American sports and eventually, the many detours to bankruptcy. Bernie Kosar, Andre Rison and Cliff Floyd are among the athletes who talk openly about the challenges of managing their money in an era when big contracts don’t necessarily support bigger lifestyles. Sucked into bad investments, stalked by freeloaders and saddled with medical problems, many pro athletes get shocked by harsh economic realities after years of living the high life. A story of the dark side of success, Broke is an allegory for the financial woes haunting economies and individuals all over the world.
SportsThe crime of the century gave way to the trial of the century, which officially began in January of 1995. It would be like nothing before it, nor anything that's come since, and reshape the landscape of the media, and, truly, American culture along the way. It would also be the fight of O.J. Simpson's life.
SportsIt took less than four hours for them to decide. And on the morning of October 3rd, 1995, it was announced. O.J. Simpson had been found not guilty of all charges. But as the reaction in the courtroom, across Los Angeles, and across the country showed, it was also much, much more than that. Meanwhile, it was also time for O.J. to go home. But if Simpson had hoped that he could return to any semblance of the life he'd enjoyed before the murders, he would quickly learn how much had changed.
SportsWhen the 1982-83 college basketball season began, Jim Valvano and his North Carolina State Wolfpack faced high expectations with equally high aspirations. But with ten losses for the season, the Wolfpack's only hope of making the NCAA Tournament was to win the ACC Tournament and earn the conference's automatic berth. Nine straight improbable tournament wins later over the likes of Sampson, Jordan, Olajuwon and Drexler, N.C. State had "survived and advanced" its way to a national championship. Director Jonathan Hock takes a poignant look through the eyes of senior captain Dereck Whittenburg at a dream fulfilled.
SportsIn the spring of 1983, a new generation of superstars was poised to enter the NFL. Six quarterbacks were selected in the first round of that draft - still the most ever. Elway to Marino explores this landmark draft through the eyes of the players, head coaches, general managers, team owners and agents who participated - including Marvin Demoff, who represented both John Elway and Dan Marino, and kept a diary in the months leading up to the most dramatic draft day in NFL history. Learn the inside story of the draft picks, back room deals, and tension between the future Hall of Famers and the teams that selected them.
SportsReggie Miller single-handedly crushed the hearts of Knick fans multiple times. But it was the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals which solidified Miller as Public Enemy #1 in New York City. With moments to go in Game 1, and facing a seemingly insurmountable deficit of 105-99, Miller scored eight points in 8.9 seconds to give his Indiana Pacers an astonishing victory. This career-defining performance, combined with his give-and-take with Knicks fan Spike Lee, made Miller and the Knicks a highlight of the 1995 NBA playoffs. Peabody Award-winning director Dan Klores will explore how Miller proudly built his legend as "The Ga
SportsIn the fall of 1993, in his prime and at the summit of the sports world, Michael Jordan walked away from pro basketball. After leading the Dream Team to an Olympic gold medal in 1992 and taking the Bulls to their third consecutive NBA championship the following year, Jordan was jolted by the murder of his father. Was it the brutal loss of such an anchor in his life that caused the world’s most famous athlete to rekindle a childhood ambition by playing baseball? Or some feeling that he had nothing left to prove or conquer in basketball? Or something deeper and perhaps not yet understood? Ron Shelton, a former minor league
SportsProduced in 2009 for the 30 for 30 series, “The U” took a look at all that was good and bad about the rise of the University of Miami’s football program in the 1980s. But that wasn’t the end of the story. “The U Part 2″ picks up where the original film left off, with the program trying to recover from the devastation left by NCAA sanctions and scandals that had some calling for the school to drop football. The Hurricanes rose from those ashes to win another national championship, only to face new controversies when a booster used a Ponzi scheme to win favor with the program.
SportsPerhaps no family has had more influence on a sport than the Mannings. Written into the pages of football folklore is the Manning legend – a father and his sons. Patriarch Archie Manning, a star quarterback at the University of Mississippi and in the NFL, followed by oldest son Cooper, whose football dreams were cut short by a spinal condition, then sons Peyton and Eli – both of them quarterbacks, All-SEC, number one draft picks, back-to-back Super Bowl champions and MVPs. Director Rory Karpf explores how a tragedy shaped the course of not only Archie’s life, but his family’s as well.
SportsEver since he shocked the sports world by winning the PGA Championship 25 years ago, John Daly has been one of the most popular - and polarizing - figures in a sport that cherishes its traditions and minds its manners. Directors Gabe Spitzer and David Fine cover Daly's rise and fall, his redemption at the British Open in St. Andrews in 1995, and his struggles with booze, food, gambling, women, and depression.
SportsIf at its essence, the popularity of professional wrestling has always been about its characters, there's never been a performer more original and more electrifying than Ric Flair. As a pure wrestler, he was beloved. His "Woooo" showmanship was imitated by athletes from other sports, as well as the hip-hop community. But as interviews with family members and Flair himself reveal, his frenzied lifestyle masked the loneliness of a man who could never please his physician father and ran away from his own wives and children, toward an almost unbearable tragedy. It was Ric Flair who popularized the boast, "If you want to be Th
SportsOn Valentine’s Day 1993, 17-year-old Bethel High School basketball star Allen Iverson was bowling in Hampton, Va., with five high school friends. It was supposed to be an ordinary evening, but it became a night that defined Iverson’s young life. A quarrel soon erupted into a brawl pitting Iverson’s young black friends against a group of white patrons. The fallout from the fight and the handling of the subsequent trial landed the teenager, which some considered the nation’s best high school athlete, in jail and sharply divided the city along racial lines. Oscar nominee Steve James (Hoop Dreams) returns to his hometo
SportsThe documentary focuses on a legendary cast of characters, including head coach Mike Ditka, QB Jim McMahon and the inimitable William "The Refrigerator" Perry who made Chicago Bears as riveting off the field as they were on it on their way to winning Super Bowl XX.
Sports“Eddie Would Go.” It’s a phrase that has long carried deep meaning with countless Hawaiians and surfers worldwide. Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau goes beyond those famous three words and chronicles the remarkable life and power of Eddie Aikau, the legendary Hawaiian big wave surfer, pioneering lifeguard and ultimately doomed crew member of the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hokule’a. With a rich combination of archival imagery, contemporary interviews and meticulously researched historical source material, this film is a compelling exploration of the tragic decline and extraordinary re-birth of the Hawaiian cultu
SportsThe sports world was mesmerized by two athletes at the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer – Nancy Kerrigan, the elegant brunette and Tonya Harding, the feisty blonde engulfed in scandal. Several weeks prior, at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Kerrigan was shockingly clubbed on the right knee by an unknown assailant and left wailing, “Why, why, why?” As the bizarre “why” mystery unraveled, it was revealed that Harding’s ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, had plotted the attack with his friends to eliminate Kerrigan from the competition and increase Harding’s chance at a gold medal. Two decades later, The
SportsPete Carroll's football knowledge, upbeat personality and recruiting skills, propelled Southern Cal back atop the college football world as home attendance skyrocketed and the Trojans put together a 34-game winning streak. As it would be later discovered, though, the program was committing sins that would result in lost scholarships and victories. But those revelations didn't come until after the national championship game in the 2006 against the University of Texas. Featuring interviews with Carroll and others inside the USC program at the time, "Trojan War" looks at Carroll's nine-year USC reign through the prism of t
SportsIn some ways, Barry Switzer and Brian Bosworth were made for each other. The Oklahoma coach and the linebacker he recruited to play for him were both outsized personalities who delighted in thumbing their noses at the establishment. And in their three seasons together (1984-86), the unique father-son dynamic resulted in 31 wins and two Orange Bowl victories, including a national championship, as Bosworth was awarded the first two Butkus Awards. But Bosworth's alter ego – “The Boz” – was taking over. Eventually, he went on a downward spiral and became known as an NFL bust. In "Brian and The Boz," the dual identitie
SportsRequiem For The Big East chronicles the meteoric ascension of the Big East conference, and how in less than a decade, it became the most successful college basketball league in America. Told through the lens of the Big East’s famed coaches and its most iconic players, the film tells the story of an eccentric group of outsiders who rode the success of their teams on the court to become unlikely celebrities in their sport and beyond it.
SportsBefore Lance Armstrong, there was Greg LeMond, who is now the first and only American to win the Tour de France. In this engrossing documentary, LeMond looks back at the pivotal 1986 Tour, and his increasingly vicious rivalry with friend, teammate, and mentor Bernard Hinault. The reigning Tour champion and brutal competitor known as “The Badger,” Hinault ‘promised’ to help LeMond to his first victory, in return for LeMond supporting him in the previous year. But in a sport that purports to reward teamwork, it’s really every man for himself.
SportsIn the mid-1990s, Orlando was the center of excitement in the NBA. The young franchise, led by mega-stars Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway, beat the mighty Bulls en route to the 1995 NBA Finals. While it was clear Orlando was a dynasty in the making, the Magic's moment on top was never fully realized.
SportsFrom 1981-1984, a small private school in Dallas owned the best record in college football. The Mustangs of Southern Methodist University were riding high on the backs of the vaunted "Pony Express" backfield. But as the middle of the decade approached, the program was coming apart at the seams. Wins became the only thing that mattered as the University increasingly ceded power of the football program t o the city's oil barons and real estate tycoons and flagrant and frequent NCAA violations became the norm. On February 25th, 1987, the school and the sport were rocked, as the NCAA meted out "the death penalty" on a college
SportsThere are rivalries, and then there is the Celtics vs. the Lakers. In Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies Part One, director Jim Podhoretz chronicles the storied franchises' epic clashes, tracing not only the history, but also presenting a fabulous cast of characters who would change the NBA and open America’s collective mind. At the center of it all in the 1980s was a pair of brilliant players - Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.
SportsRandy Moss has long been an enigma known for his brilliance on the football field and his problems off it. “Rand University” gets to the intersection of those aspects of Moss by going back to where he came from – Rand, West Virginia – and exploring what almost derailed him before he ever became nationally known for his extraordinary abilities as a wide receiver.
SportsThe Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots are the last teams standing as Super Bowl XLIX kicks off. Winner takes home the Lombardi trophy in this thrilling battle.
SportsWhat happens when you combine "Goodfellas" with college basketball? You get "Playing for the Mob," the story of how mobster Henry Hill -- played by Ray Liotta in the 1990 Martin Scorsese classic -- helped orchestrate the fixing of Boston College basketball games in the 1978-79 season. The details of that point-shaving scandal are revealed for the first time on film through the testimony of the players, the federal investigators and the actual fixers, including Hill, who died shortly after he was interviewed. "Playing for the Mob" may be set in the seemingly golden world of college basketball but, like "Goodfellas," this is
SportsOn August 9, 1988, the NHL was forever changed with the single stroke of a pen. The Edmonton Oilers, fresh off their fourth Stanley Cup victory in five years, signed a deal and exported Wayne Gretzky, a Canadian national treasure and the greatest hockey player ever to play the game, to the Los Angeles Kings in a multi-player, multi-million dollar deal. As bewildered Oiler fans struggled to make sense of the unthinkable, fans in Los Angeles were rushing to purchase season tickets at a rate so fast it overwhelmed the Kings box office. Overnight, a franchise largely overlooked in its 21-year existence was suddenly playing to
SportsOn October 15, 1988, Notre Dame hosted the University of Miami in what would become one of the greatest games in college football history. The coaches and players open up about the fight that started the game, the highly debatable calls that are still being talked, about and the insensitive aspects of the irresistibly popular "Catholics vs. Convicts" t-shirt.
SportsIn Part Two, the Celtics and Lakers meet in the NBA Finals for the first time in 15 years. A culture clash is brewing on the hardwood and the stakes are huge. Beyond Magic and Bird, there is Abdul-Jabbar and Parish, Worthy and McHale, Scott and Ainge, Buss and Auerbach. Throw in the Forum and the Garden, Chick Hearn and Johnny Most, add a heavy dose of ill will, sprinkle in underlying racial tension, and you have a recipe for a battle royal.
SportsWith five outs remaining in Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS, a foul ball descended from the cold Chicago sky, seemingly destined for the glove of Cubs left fielder Moises Alou. But a flurry of hands reached up and one hand, belonging to Cubs fan Steve Bartman, fatefully tipped the ball away from a frustrated Alou. Most long-suffering Cubs fans, including a chorus of hostile ones in Wrigley Field, quickly became convinced that Bartman had swatted away Chicago’s chance of advancing to the World Series for the first time 58 years. The mild-mannered Bartman released a sincere public apology, but his fate was already sealed by the Cu
SportsWhen former New York Mets superstars Dwight "Doc" Gooden and Darryl Strawberry were good, they were great. They were the biggest stars on a team that captured the imagination of New York City and won the 1986 World Series. But when life spiraled out of control for both men, they broke the hearts of Mets fans. The pitcher and the power hitter look back on the glory days of the mid-80s and the harrowing nights that turned them from sure Hall of Famers into prisoners of their own addictions.
SportsAfter the thrilling 1984 NBA Finals, Part Three explores the saga from 1985 to 1987 as the teams’ disdain for each other gradually turns to respect. The Celtics and Lakers - Bird and Magic in particular - transform the fans' view of the game from simple black-and-white to full-blown Technicolor. By the end of their last battle of the 80s, while there’s still animosity, there’s also a hard-earned respect for each other. It’s a rivalry that forced America to no longer view the league in black and white.
SportsThe Two Bills traces the relationship between coaching masters Bill Belichick and Bill Parcells that spans over four decades. They first worked side by side as assistants with the New York Giants, and after Parcells took over as head coach, they won two Super Bowls together. Buttressed by what he learned from Parcells, Belichick has won five Super Bowls of his own with the Patriots. Through all the ups and downs of their careers, including some memorable games when they were on opposite sides of the field, they forged a bond that few men of their stature have ever experienced.
SportsMore than two decades after his tragic cocaine overdose, the late Len Bias still leaves more questions than answers. When Bias dropped dead two days after the 1986 NBA Draft, he forever altered our perception of casual drug use and became the tipping point of America's drug crisis in the mid-80s. Future generations continue to face the harsh punishment of drug policies that were influenced by the public outcry after his heartbreaking death. Instead of becoming an NBA star, he became a one-man deterrent, the athlete who reminded everyone just how dangerous drug use can be. Amazingly, questions still linger about his death n
SportsDo you remember where you were on June 17, 1994? Thanks to a wide array of unrelated, coast-to-coast occurrences, this Friday has come to be known for its firsts, lasts, triumphs and tragedy. Arnold Palmer played his last round at a U.S. Open, in Oakmont, Pa., the FIFA World Cup kicked off in Chicago, the Rangers celebrated on Broadway, Patrick Ewing desperately pursued a long evasive championship in the Garden and Donald Fehr stared down the baseball owners. And yet, all of that was a prelude to O.J. Simpson leading America on a slow speed chase in a white Ford Bronco around Los Angeles. Oscar-nominated and Peabody Award-
SportsIn 2001, sports entertainment titans Dick Ebersol and Vince McMahon launched the XFL. The brash audacity of the bid, combined with the personalities and charisma of Ebersol and McMahon and the marketing behemoths of their respective companies — NBC and WWE — captured headlines and a sense of undeniable anticipation about what was to come. At the center of it all was a decades-long friendship between one of the most significant television executives in media history, and the one-of-a-kind WWE impresario.
SportsWhen Jimmy Connors arrived in New York for the 1991 U.S. Open, the one-time tennis superstar was 8 years removed from his last Grand Slam singles title, ranked 174th in the world and approaching his 39th birthday. Not exactly a recipe for success. But on the verge of a quick first-round exit, Connors suddenly and unexpectedly re-captured the magic, embarking on a stirring and extraordinary run than included an epic contest with Aaron Krickstein on his way to the semifinals. This is What They Want not only illuminates this highly improbably march past a series of talented and youthful adversaries, it also explores how Conn
SportsIn 1983 the upstart United States Football League (USFL) had the audacity to challenge the almighty NFL. The new league did the unthinkable by playing in the spring and plucked three straight Heisman Trophy winners away from the NFL. The 12-team league USFL played before crowds that averaged 25,000, and started off with respectable TV ratings. But with success came expansion and new owners, including a certain high profile and impatient real estate baron whose vision was at odds with the league's founders. Soon, the USFL was reduced to waging a desperate anti-trust lawsuit against the NFL, which yielded an ironic verdict t
SportsIn their own words, the Fab Five (Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson) relive the story of one of the most famous – and infamous – teams in college basketball history: the recruitment process that got them to Ann Arbor, the two runs to the NCAA title game, the Webber “timeout” that cost them the 1993 championship and the scandal that eventually tarnished their accomplishments.
SportsLove him or hate him, there is no denying that George Steinbrenner has been one of the most colorful and successful owners in contemporary sports. Heading up a group that bought the New York Yankees in 1973 for $10 million, “King George” emphatically branded the world’s most celebrated sports franchise as his own. The Boss has boasted 10 pennants, 6 World Series trophies and a corporate net worth more than $1 billion. But for all the glory and riches, the Steinbrenner legacy is also mixed with wasteful and embarrassing spending and countless episodes of tabloid-style soap. Now with George’s health seriously failing
SportsChris Herren, Fall River, Massachusetts’ high school basketball superstar, played for Boston University, for Jerry Tarkanian’s Fresno State team, bounced around the NBA (once playing for his beloved Celtics) and around the globe. Chris failed drug tests wherever he played. Ultimately, Chris - the youngest and most talented of three generations of local heroes - has found redemption and personal fulfillment through the game, but only after it led him down a path of alcohol and drug addiction that nearly killed him.
Sports25 years ago, on April 15, 1989, the worst disaster in British football history occurred in an overcrowded stadium in Sheffield, England, 150 miles north of London. 3,000 fans flocked through the turnstiles to head to the area reserved for standing, despite a capacity of less than half of that. The result was a "human crush" that killed 96 people and injured 766. Initially the police blamed fans for the disaster, but a long investigation revealed that was not the truth. Prior to the disaster at Hillsborough, British football was known for the grime of its stadiums, hooligan fans and inadequate facilities, but great change
SportsThe 100-meter men’s final at the 1988 Seoul Games was the fastest and perhaps most thrilling sprint in Olympic history. But within 48 hours, gold medalist Ben Johnson had tested positive for anabolic steroids, and scandal reigned. This one race still haunts the eight men who took part. But what brought them to the starting line? And what happened to them since?
