espn's 30 for 30

[lmb]

I highly recommend you check out these documentary films that ESPN is producing for their 30th anniversary. I've seen 2 so far and they've both been awesome. One was telling the story of the Colts leaving Baltimore from the perspective of the marching band and the second one was about the USFL. It made Donald Trump look like a total douchebag.

The link below provides a listing of the movies along with a schedule. Set your dvr's and if you miss one, you can catch it multiple times on their other networks.

A movie on Len Bias is coming up in a few weeks. Should be great!

http://30for30.espn.com/

[Bostondevil]

Glad to hear some have been good. I was excited for this series until I watched the first one. Bored to tears with the Gretzky story. And I like both Gretzky and the filmmakter Peter Berg. But together, boring.

[A-Tex Devil]

Glad to hear some have been good. I was excited for this series until I watched the first one. Bored to tears with the Gretzky story. And I like both Gretzky and the filmmakter Peter Berg. But together, boring.

The second one was fairly boring two, but I thought both were well done and told the same story on many levels. Haven't seen the USFL one yet.

The one that's coming and grabbed my attention because a lot of people forget about it is the one on Iverson's bowling alley fight in Hampton VA when he was in high school.

THe Ali-Holmes one should be good too, if a little sad. Hopefully there are a few humorous ones in there because most of them seem to have a bit of a depressing edge/unhappy ending kinda feel to them.

[lmb]

I didn't think the Colts one was boring at all. Maybe because I lived along the Mason Dixon line and watched that stuff happen. Seeing the old news footage was cool to me too.

[juise]

I'm going to start looking like a Bill Simmons shill, but... he has done a podcast with each of the directors of the documentaries. The podcasts spend some time talking about the documentaries and some time on other things (specifically the directors' other work). The USFL one is pretty interesting because it talks about everything that went on behind the scenes with the Trump interview and how trump sent a letter to the director that ended with "P.S. - You're a loser."

30 for 30 Podcast (http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/podcast/archive?id=4531638)

[lmb]

I forgot to mention that there's also going to be one on Hank Gathers, Bo Kimble and the coach at Loyola Marymount. Sounds interesting.

[pfrduke]

I forgot to mention that there's also going to be one on Hank Gathers, Bo Kimble and the coach at Loyola Marymount. Sounds interesting.

I'm looking forward to that one - I'll admit to getting goosebumps/choking up every time I see the footage of Bo Kimble shooting the left-handed free throws.

[Olympic Fan]

Tastes vary, but IMHO, ESPN is batting .667 on this series.

Hated the Gretsky documentary ... poorly done and focused on a subject I don't give a rat's behind about. That's just me, I hate ice hockey (although Slap Shot is my favorite sports movie and the Miracle on Ice is the No. 1 non-Duke sports moment of my lifetime).

Loved the Band That Wouldn't Die. So little sports journalism focuses on the impact that sports has on the community ... and what little is done in that area tends to point at the few idiots who do crazy things (like the father-son team that beat up the White Sox coach).

Loved the USFL story ... just some great stories, great interviews and a great hatchet job on Donald Trump (that never gets old).

I'm very much looking forward to some of the stories mentioned, especially the Len Bias story and the Bo Kimble story. Obviously, a few more will be clunkers, but you gotta love that batting average.

[lmb]

The Ali/Holmes one last night was okay. I thought the stuff about his medical tests before the fight was interesting. The idea that there were some people who saw warning signs of his decline and yet still couldn't stop him from fighting is a definite cautionary tale. It was also sad to see that Holmes has never really gotten his fair share of acclaim. So-so documentary. My least favorite so far, although I didn't see the Gretzky one.

[Bostondevil]

Watched the one on the USFL. Loved it! Donald Trump, what a wanker.

[greybeard]

"The Boys of 2nd Street Park," a Showtime documentary that still shows and is available on DVD, is not to be missed if you like a story of the 60s: sex, drugs, friendship, and rock and roll, in the context of childhood friends in Brooklyn's Coney Island who lived originally to play basketball. Compelling.

"The First Basket" is reputedly a winner of a documentary (2008) that has several of the guys featured from whom me and my boyz learned the game--they either coached and/or played with us. Now who would want to miss that.:rolleyes:

[lmb]

So did anyone watch Without Bias? Impressions?

What stuck with me the most is that it blew away the idea that he only tried coke once. That was the prevailing idea at the time immediately after his death. Doesn't appear to have been that way. But it sadly underscores how naive people were about it.

Very tragic. Very sad.

[Tom B.]

So did anyone watch Without Bias? Impressions?

What stuck with me the most is that it blew away the idea that he only tried coke once. That was the prevailing idea at the time immediately after his death. Doesn't appear to have been that way. But it sadly underscores how naive people were about it.

Very tragic. Very sad.


I missed it and forgot to set the Tivo. Is ESPN going to re-air it? I'd really like to see it.

[lmb]

I missed it and forgot to set the Tivo. Is ESPN going to re-air it? I'd really like to see it.


All of the films are being aired multiple times on their various networks. I posted a link in one of my posts up above. It has a schedule for all of them.

I feel like a shill for ESPN, but I really am impressed so far and have enjoyed the ones I've watched. There's something about sports that is so compelling and I've always like documentaries. I'm so glad they're doing these.

[Billy Dat]

I've seen the first 4 and think only the Gretzky one was underwhelming....they say that an hour is not a lot of time to cover all angles of a story, but Peter Berg repeated the same shot of Gretzky walking in the empty LA Forum about 7x...he could have used that extra 1-2 minutes to mention that Edmonton won another cup without the Great One and to cover that angle a little.

I thought the Colts, USFL and Ali/Holmes ones were all excellent.

The USFL one is certainly light-hearted. I was a kid when the league existed and therefore didn't realize, remember that the year the league folded and all those players wound up in the NFL, something like 20 of them made the Pro Bowl! There are more than 10 guys from the USFL who wound up in the Hall of Fame...that's insane!

I have enjoyed Ali/Holmes the most, largely, I think, because I am a huge fan of Ali and, though it was tough to watch, I basically get into any topic about him. I also really liked Larry Holmes and was glad to see that his post boxing life seems so happy and normal.

Can't wait to see the Lenny Bias one (am taping it soon) and am also looking forward to the following; Iverson trial, LMU, Univ. Miami football in the 1980s, Knicks vs Reggie Miller, Jordan playing baseball, Steve Bartman and the Cubs, Terry Fox marathon across Canada...basically all of them!

[Olympic Fan]

I watched the Bias documentary last night and I have to admit, I was just a bit disappointed. Don't get me wrong, it was an excellent summary of Bias' life and tragic death and the impact that death had on the sports world and the nation at large. But I pretty much knew the story and didn't learn anything I didn't already know.

I guess my expectations were just too high. I was hoping for a little insight, a little new infirmation.

Still, it was a solid piece of sports journalism ... and if you are new to the Bias story, I'd strongly recommend it.

Grading the series so far:

A -- The Band That Wouldn't Die; Who [Donald Trump] Killed the USFL?

B -- Without Bias

C -- The Ali-Holmes Fight

D -- The Gretsky story

That's just my opinion, of course. It's a good enough average that I'll keep watching.

[blazindw]

I thought the Len Bias one was amazing. I agree that I was blown away that they just outted the fact that it wasn't his first time using cocaine. A very sad story, and that family, with Len's younger brother getting killed a few years later...jeez they've been through a lot.

I thought the USFL one was the best one so far. The Ali-Holmes one was hard to watch, especially for people who admire Ali. I missed the first 2 and need to catch up. But overall, it's been a great series so far.

[roywhite]

I thought the Len Bias piece was pretty well done; amazing amount of video, family pictures and access to teammates, friends, and family members.

I lived in Maryland at the time of Bias's death, and can remember what a shock it was, and what a huge reaction the public had.

What a unique combination of strength and a soft shooting touch Bias had...perfect form on his jumpshot, great leaping ability, and great instincts for the game. Would have been very interesting to see how he developed as a pro.

What an amazingly strong person his mother was/is.

Kudos to ESPN for this series; it's some of their best work.

[calltheobvious]

Just wanted to bump this, if only for a moment. Tomorrow night at 9pm, the next edition will premiere entitled "The U," a two-hour production about the 1980's Miami Hurricanes fb team.

I'm extremely excited about seeing this one. I remember exactly how I felt about those teams as a young teenager, and I suspect that I'm going to see them quite differently as an adult.

[DukieBoy]

Watched "The U" last night and thought it was an awesome movie. I had heard, but not seen "The U" teams of the 80s. It was a great documentary.

[blazindw]

Watched "The U" last night and thought it was an awesome movie. I had heard, but not seen "The U" teams of the 80s. It was a great documentary.

As a U Law alumnus, I loved the documentary...definitely the best one yet. Being at school there, I knew about a lot of the stories mentioned in "The U", but it was very well done and put together.

[Tom B.]

On the whole, I thought it was an entertaining and well put-together film. That being said, I thought there were a couple of notable omissions. I realize the film was supposed to be more about the evolution and cultural impact of the Miami program in the 1980s and early 1990s, rather than just a chronicle of big games in which Miami played, but.....

They really glossed over the 1984 season, Jimmy Johnson's first year at the helm. That was an up-and-down year for the Canes -- they started 8-2 but lost their last three games to finish 8-5, just one year removed from their first national championship. From Miami's perspective, it was a step backwards and probably wasn't that noteworthy. But that season included some games that, while Miami fans might want to forget them, remain some of the most memorable of that decade, if not all of college football history.

There was Miami blowing a 31-0 halfitme lead against Maryland and losing 42-40. There was a 39-37 loss to UCLA in the Fiesta Bowl, a wild seesaw game that saw the teams trade the lead back and forth multiple times.

And of course, there was the Doug Flutie Game. Aside from its iconic final play, the sheer numbers of that game were just ridiculous. The two quarterbacks combined for over 900 yards passing. The two teams combined for over 1,200 yards of total offense and 92 points. Miami's Melvin Bratton scored four touchdowns.

The film included footage and discussion of other notable Miami losses during that ten-year span -- Penn State in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, Notre Dame in 1988, BYU in 1990, Washington in 1994. I'd think that the Flutie game was as big a deal as those, but it wasn't mentioned.

[calltheobvious]

On the whole, I thought it was an entertaining and well put-together film. That being said, I thought there were a couple of notable omissions. I realize the film was supposed to be more about the evolution and cultural impact of the Miami program in the 1980s and early 1990s, rather than just a chronicle of big games in which Miami played, but.....

They really glossed over the 1984 season, Jimmy Johnson's first year at the helm. That was an up-and-down year for the Canes -- they started 8-2 but lost their last three games to finish 8-5, just one year removed from their first national championship. From Miami's perspective, it was a step backwards and probably wasn't that noteworthy. But that season included some games that, while Miami fans might want to forget them, remain some of the most memorable of that decade, if not all of college football history.

There was Miami blowing a 31-0 halfitme lead against Maryland and losing 42-40. There was a 39-37 loss to UCLA in the Fiesta Bowl, a wild seesaw game that saw the teams trade the lead back and forth multiple times.

And of course, there was the Doug Flutie Game. Aside from its iconic final play, the sheer numbers of that game were just ridiculous. The two quarterbacks combined for over 900 yards passing. The two teams combined for over 1,200 yards of total offense and 92 points. Miami's Melvin Bratton scored four touchdowns.

The film included footage and discussion of other notable Miami losses during that ten-year span -- Penn State in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, Notre Dame in 1988, BYU in 1990, Washington in 1994. I'd think that the Flutie game was as big a deal as those, but it wasn't mentioned.


I would add to the list of omissions of big games the 1992 MNC game against Alabama in which they were thumped by three touchdowns as near-double-digit favorites.

Overall, though, I appreciated the fact that the director (a Miami alum) presented things in such an even-handed manner. There was plenty of room to believe that many of the players were fairly unsavory characters led by overly permissive coaches, while still recognizing that a lot of the coverage of the program was racially tinged.

[Tom B.]

Watched "The U" last night and thought it was an awesome movie. I had heard, but not seen "The U" teams of the 80s. It was a great documentary.


One thing that struck me during the documentary was how rough Bernie Kosar looked and sounded. I ran across this article (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09194/983561-66.stm) from July about Kosar -- sounds like things have gone really downhill for him. Sad that his life seems to have unraveled like this.

[pfrduke]

Watched "Winning Time" this weekend on the Miller-Knicks showdowns from the mid-90s. Fantastically enjoyable. Reggie Miller is a perfect screen personality for this kind of format.

Does anyone know if the Kimble one is coming soon?

[Verga3]

Watched "Winning Time" this weekend on the Miller-Knicks showdowns from the mid-90s. Fantastically enjoyable. Reggie Miller is a perfect screen personality for this kind of format.

Does anyone know if the Kimble one is coming soon?

Ditto.....Winning Time was classic and highly entertaining. Reggie, Spike, Pat Riley....plus the personal anecdotes from sister Cheryl were priceless. Worth watching.

[lmb]

I particularly liked the editing in Winning Time. I forget who directed it, but he did a great job of matching the video up with what was being discussed. I know that sounds basic, but when they talk about Spike Lee's wife sitting on the sidelines for the choking motion, I want to see it. And thankfully this film did that. Sometimes sports films/documentaries don't use the video vaults that are available to them.

[allenmurray]

I pretty much watch no television other than live sports. Wolfpackdevil convinced me to watch the Reggie Miller one with him the other night. I was impressed with the quality of the film-making and really enjoyed the story. If that one was an indication of the quality, I'll be watching more.

[Reisen]

Anyone know if they'll be showing it again? I had been meaning to DVR "Winning Time", but forgot.

[Verga3]

Anyone know if they'll be showing it again? I had been meaning to DVR "Winning Time", but forgot.

Looks like it's on for last time TONIGHT at 10:30pm EST on ESPN Classic. You don't want to miss it.

[Verga3]

On now....worth flipping back and forth to NCAA's, believe me.

[Billy Dat]

As a Knick fan, it was bittersweet. Having been born the year before the last title, that era is obviously the golden years for me (with a shout out to Bernard King for giving us a few brilliant years in the mid 80s).

Those Pacer series were amazing, but you could have easily made a similar doc about the Knicks/Bulls series of the early 90s...but there was no persona like Reggie Miller...the Garden crowd was more in awe of Jordan, he wasn't as classic a bad guy.

That missed Patrick finger roll still hurts.

I thought that part about John Starks' Mom threatening Patrick Ewing was pretty funny.

For those with HBO, be sure to also watch the excellent Magic/Bird doc that's airing now.

[pfrduke]

"Guru of Go" the 30 for 30 on Hank Gathers, airs Saturday at 4 Eastern (note, it's on ABC, not ESPN). Watch to distract yourself from the Duke pregame. I guarantee chills, tears, or both when Bo Kimble steps to the line to shoot the first free throw left-handed. I'm getting choked up right now just thinking about it.

[juise]

The next film in the series, "No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson" premiers tomorrow night. As I have stated earlier in the thread, Bill Simmons does a podcast (http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/podcast/archive?id=4531638) with the directors that sometimes gets into interesting territory.

I was disappointed that there was no podcast for the Hank Gathers story, but I thought the Iverson podcast with Steve James was pretty interesting. They spend some time discussing his most famous film, Hoop Dreams (which I'm sure many of us love). It might be worth listening to.

[Billy Dat]

I thought the Iverson doc was great. Because Iverson did not participate, the story was broadened a bit to use Iverson's 1993 arrest, when he was a high school junior, as a focal point for a larger discussion of race relations in a southern coastal community where white and black communities, both rich, middle class and poor in differing ratios, appear to exist amicably but where a racial incident can set off tensions simmering just below the surface. In that way, it was sort of similar to the Duke Lacrosse incident but not on the same scale. Of course, 1993 was a lifetime ago in terms of 24/7 news cycle and media saturation. It's well worth watching.

[JasonEvans]

I liked the Iverson story. My kids sat down to watch it with me and it was a good education for them about what racism means in this country.

I am dying to see Guru of Go. It will be on ESPN again the first week of May. The story of LMU is simply too amazing and moving.

-Jason "when ESPN releases the 30 for 30 DVD set (probably 30 disks) it will be a must-own for me" Evans

[blazindw]

-Jason "when ESPN releases the 30 for 30 DVD set (probably 30 disks) it will be a must-own for me" Evans

Me too, Jason. I wasn't able to see the Reggie Miller one, but I got it on DVR when it comes on again this weekend. I'm about to watch the AI one now...I've thoroughly enjoyed all of them in the series.

[OldSchool]

I thought the Iverson doc was great. Because Iverson did not participate, the story was broadened a bit to use Iverson's 1993 arrest, when he was a high school junior, as a focal point for a larger discussion of race relations in a southern coastal community where white and black communities, both rich, middle class and poor in differing ratios, appear to exist amicably but where a racial incident can set off tensions simmering just below the surface. In that way, it was sort of similar to the Duke Lacrosse incident but not on the same scale. Of course, 1993 was a lifetime ago in terms of 24/7 news cycle and media saturation. It's well worth watching.

I agree, that was a fascinating documentary.

All I had remembered is that Iverson was involved in some kind of brawl. I didn't know until watching the documentary that Iverson's part including striking a teen-aged girl in the skull with a chair.

She might have died or suffered serious brain damage from such an act. While in theory the extent of the injury shouldn't affect the sentence imposed, had that been the result, Iverson would have done a lot more time than three months in a low-security prison farm.

I give him credit for saying that each of his times in prison were deserved, including the one for the high school brawl.

[A-Tex Devil]

I agree, that was a fascinating documentary.

All I had remembered is that Iverson was involved in some kind of brawl. I didn't know until watching the documentary that Iverson's part including striking a teen-aged girl in the skull with a chair.

She might have died or suffered serious brain damage from such an act. While in theory the extent of the injury shouldn't affect the sentence imposed, had that been the result, Iverson would have done a lot more time than three months in a low-security prison farm.

I give him credit for saying that each of his times in prison were deserved, including the one for the high school brawl.

While the documentary was fairly Iverson sympathetic, I didn't think it really pressed hard enough into how much he was truly railroaded:

1. His defense attorney waived a jury trial. No one questioned it because he was such an esteemed law professor (or better said, people questioned it, but not out loud, until it was too late).

2. The judge believed one set of eyewitness testimony over another - and that's how he made his ruling. That was truly mindboggling to me. It's "without reasonable doubt" regardless of whether it's judge or jury. I've read up on this previously, and I never understood how this judge came to this conclusion based only on the evidence presented. There was no video evidence of Iverson throwing the chair. You can't even find him in the video.

3. Pretty much everyone admitted that this would have been a simple A&B had Iverson not been involved. If Iverson was a normal teenager in a bowling alley brawl, even IF there was video evidence of him throwing a chair, the 5 year, 10 years suspended sentence he received would never have happened.

Anyway, I appreciate how hard Iverson plays, but hate his game. There is a reason that players with that style of play don't win championships. That being said, I couldn't help but feel for the kid in the documentary.

[OldSchool]

A case of young men in a bowling alley name-calling, pushing, shoving and some fisticuffs would be one thing.

For a powerful athlete to pick up a chair and strike a young woman in the head with it, that is a more serious crime, in my view.

Perhaps I am being sexist, but attacking a girl like that is really, really low.

[roywhite]

A case of young men in a bowling alley name-calling, pushing, shoving and some fisticuffs would be one thing.

For a powerful athlete to pick up a chair and strike a young woman in the head with it, that is a more serious crime, in my view.

Perhaps I am being sexist, but attacking a girl like that is really, really low.

Did he in fact do that? Did AI throw a chair?

I didn't see anything in the ESPN show last night that indicated that for sure.

Don't think AI got a fair shake with the legal system.

Excellent show, and the 30/30 in general has been some of ESPN's best work.

[A-Tex Devil]

A case of young men in a bowling alley name-calling, pushing, shoving and some fisticuffs would be one thing.

For a powerful athlete to pick up a chair and strike a young woman in the head with it, that is a more serious crime, in my view.

Perhaps I am being sexist, but attacking a girl like that is really, really low.

If he hit her with a chair, I agree. If a jury of his peers had convicted him, I would be fine with it. But....

.... several witnesses said he did it (including the victim), several witnesses said he didn't. He isn't in the video. The judge simply believed one side of the story. Unless you can completely impeach the witnesses for the defense, though, isn't this almost the definition of reasonable doubt?

[OldSchool]

Did he in fact do that? Did AI throw a chair?

I agree with you that that is the key question of fact.

If AI picked up a chair and struck a woman in the head with it, then 5 years is an appropriate sentence. If he didn't hit anyone in the head with a chair, then the sentence was excessive and it would appear Iverson was singled out unfairly.

In the typical physical altercation, there is not a videotape of the event (and in this case, there is video of only a few seconds). You have physical evidence (such as medical descriptions of injuries) and eyewitness testimony. Often, the person accused gives testimony contrary to that of other witnesses. That does not mean that ipso facto there is "reasonable doubt." It all depends on the credibility of the testimony.

Iverson's account is that as soon as trouble started, he immediately left the bowling alley. On the other hand, numerous witnesses testified that Iverson stayed and was in the middle of the brawl.

So right off the bat there is a contradiction of testimony. If you believe the numerous witnesses who say that Iverson was in the middle of the brawl, then his credibility is shot. If you believe Iverson, then you have to believe that all of the numerous witnesses are mistaken.

I think it is important to note that the key witnesses who identified Iverson as the one who struck the woman (who was a college student, not a teenager as I posted earlier) were not part of either Iverson's group or Forrest's group (Forrest was the white guy who apparently had an altercation with Iverson sparking the brawl).


Another snack bar worker, Monica Hughes, had been in the kitchen when ``the next thing I knew, the whole bowling alley was in an uproar.''

She said she looked out and saw, plain as day, Allen Iverson fling a chair at a woman. She watched the woman fall in a heap. Later, she would tell detectives she hadn't seen much, fearing the repercussions of becoming involved.

But, Hughes said, ``I saw her get whacked with that chair.'' And Iverson was the assailant, she said. ``I'll never forget that face.''

link (http://articles.dailypress.com/1993-09-19/news/9309190026_1_bowling-alley-iverson-case-allen-iverson/3)


Smith, the bowling alley employee, sees Iverson hit a woman over the head with a chair, according to his trial testimony. Smith says he tries to help the woman, but Iverson hits him in the face with a chair, breaking his glasses.

link (http://articles.dailypress.com/1993-09-19/news/9309190026_1_bowling-alley-iverson-case-allen-iverson/5)

The fact that the witnesses who testified that Iverson struck the woman were not part of the Forrest group with whom Iverson was arguing would tend to support their credibility. Further, the woman herself who was struck was not part of the Forrest group, but was just a bystander bowling in another lane with friends.

So, like so many of these types of cases, it turns on the credibility of the various witnesses. If you believe Iverson and his friends, it was an injustice. If you believe the other witnesses, he deserved a serious punishment.

[roywhite]

Seems like a good recap and a fair post, OldSchool.

I'm not a legal eagle, but it seems likely to me that a jury would have had trouble finding AI guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Nice job putting this film together by Steve James. I thought his hometown background and first-hand knowledge of some of those appearing on camera added to the production.

[JasonEvans]

I just got done watching "Silly Little Game" about the founding and creation of Rotisserie League Baseball.

Consider that there is zero video to tell this story. There are no game highlights to show, no cameras filming the action -- nothing but a few old nerds talking about how they came up with this numbers-laden idea. It should have been incredibly dull.

But it rocked. They did a great job and had fun re-creating some of the key moments. The people who invented it for the first time were delightful interviews. My favorite fact-- Dan Okrent, the man who invented the whole thing has never -- not once -- won in a fantasy league. That's awesome!!

If you missed it, this sucker is worth watching.

-Jason "really good directing-- even if you are not a Fantasy fan, watch it to appreciate how the show was done" Evans

[JohnGalt]

Anyone else getting pumped for 'Run Ricky Run'?!?

"I still don't know as I sit here talking to you whether this is a product of him being bipolar or mentally ill; or it's a product him being the only sane person out there and the rest of us all worshiping the wrong things."

interesting quote in the trailer from Dan LeBatard...

[arydolphin]

Anyone else getting pumped for 'Run Ricky Run'?!?

"I still don't know as I sit here talking to you whether this is a product of him being bipolar or mentally ill; or it's a product him being the only sane person out there and the rest of us all worshiping the wrong things."

interesting quote in the trailer from Dan LeBatard...

I will definitely be watching. As you can tell from my screenname, I was a Dolphins fan even before I became a Duke fan. When Ricky suddenly retired, I was really upset with him like a lot of other Dolphins fans. However, since he's come back to the Dolphins, he's been a model citizen and an important part of the team. I'm really interested to see this to learn more about why he made some of the decisions he did in his life.

[blazindw]

I will definitely be watching. As you can tell from my screenname, I was a Dolphins fan even before I became a Duke fan. When Ricky suddenly retired, I was really upset with him like a lot of other Dolphins fans. However, since he's come back to the Dolphins, he's been a model citizen and an important part of the team. I'm really interested to see this to learn more about why he made some of the decisions he did in his life.

I'm going to be watching too...we were living in Texas when Ricky started out there, and he remains among mine and my dad's favorite players ever to play in college. When he went to the Dolphins, my dad got an authentic Ricky jersey and it absolutely gutted him when he retired. When he came back, probably few fans happier to see him do well than my dad and I. Run Ricky Run!

[David]

I just got done watching "Silly Little Game" about the founding and creation of Rotisserie League Baseball.

Consider that there is zero video to tell this story. There are no game highlights to show, no cameras filming the action -- nothing but a few old nerds talking about how they came up with this numbers-laden idea. It should have been incredibly dull.

But it rocked. They did a great job and had fun re-creating some of the key moments. The people who invented it for the first time were delightful interviews. My favorite fact-- Dan Okrent, the man who invented the whole thing has never -- not once -- won in a fantasy league. That's awesome!!

If you missed it, this sucker is worth watching.

-Jason "really good directing-- even if you are not a Fantasy fan, watch it to appreciate how the show was done" Evans

Very much agree with Jason's assessment of "Silly Little Game" - given the subject, I didn't think it would be very entertaining, but it turned out to be my favorite '30 for 30' thus far.

[A-Tex Devil]

I'm going to be watching too...we were living in Texas when Ricky started out there, and he remains among mine and my dad's favorite players ever to play in college. When he went to the Dolphins, my dad got an authentic Ricky jersey and it absolutely gutted him when he retired. When he came back, probably few fans happier to see him do well than my dad and I. Run Ricky Run!

I can't wait, and I hope it represents Ricky well. Proclivities for the "green" notwithstanding, Ricky wanted to do other things in life as a young man other than football. In many ways, he's no different than a Robert Smith, who also retired in his prime.

People (like Mike Ditka) who say he "threw it all away," just don't understand Ricky, and others like him, for whom football wasn't the end all be all.

[NashvilleDevil]

I can't wait, and I hope it represents Ricky well. Proclivities for the "green" notwithstanding, Ricky wanted to do other things in life as a young man other than football. In many ways, he's no different than a Robert Smith, who also retired in his prime.

People (like Mike Ditka) who say he "threw it all away," just don't understand Ricky, and others like him, for whom football wasn't the end all be all.

I remember being in the stands in Memorial Stadium as Ricky and the Longhorns ended the Huskers 47 game home winning streak in 1998. I am not a Texas fan but to watch a Heisman winner in the best college stadium in the country was special.

[David]

This is kind of funny given ABC and ESPN are part of the same family:

http://topics.abcnews.go.com/photo/0e6tajggl98rz?q=ESPN

[roywhite]

"Run, Ricky, Run" was terrific. What an interesting guy.

This whole 30/30 series has been excellent.

[JasonEvans]

"Run, Ricky, Run" was terrific. What an interesting guy.

This whole 30/30 series has been excellent.

Run, Ricky, Run was like many of these films -- they have only a tangental relationship to sports.

ESPN is really to be praised for doing this. I dunno what they spent on these but it has been some extremely high-quality programming.

-Jason "Philip Simmons had a really great idea!" Evans

[pacificrounder]

"Run Ricky Run" was the first 30 for 30 I watched. I was hugely impressed and will definitely be tuning in for future episodes as well as catching up on what I missed.

[houstondukie]

I watched many of the episodes, but have to say that "Run Ricky Run" is the best one I've seen. Terrific documentary on a very interesting person.

[Olympic Fan]

The fact that the witnesses who testified that Iverson struck the woman were not part of the Forrest group with whom Iverson was arguing would tend to support their credibility. Further, the woman herself who was struck was not part of the Forrest group, but was just a bystander bowling in another lane with friends.

So, like so many of these types of cases, it turns on the credibility of the various witnesses. If you believe Iverson and his friends, it was an injustice. If you believe the other witnesses, he deserved a serious punishment.

Sorry to rehash this episode, but there was one thing about it that left me feeling uncomfortable.

The filmmaker framed the entire episode over the racial divide in Hampton and painted the brawl as a battle between a bunch of white red-necks and bunch of blacks. The documentary made it seem like the verdict came down the way it did because the judge believed the white witnesses and disbelieved the black witnesses.

What bothered me is that I am almost certain that at least one (and maybe both) of the bowling alley employees identified by Oldschool that testified against Iverson were black.

Normally, that's not relevant, but in this case -- when you frame your entire film on the black/white divide and paint the entire case as blacks vs. white -- that's got to be a relevant fact.

I'm not saying the verdict wasn't just or that Iverson's lawyer didn't botch the case or that the sentance was or was not excessive. I'm only saying that if I'm right (not 100 percent sure, but I'm almost certain that I've read this is the past) that a dis-interested BLACK bowling alley employee testified against Iverson, I would have to say that it would have a major bearing on the story-line.

And the failure of the filmmaker to provide that fact (again, if it is indeed a fact) would seem to be a bit of subtle dishonesty.

[theAlaskanBear]

I have seen two 30 for 30s: Winning Time (about Reggie Miller vs the Knicks) and Run Ricky Run, but wow! I have been (and still am) one of ESPNs harshest critics, but this programming has been GREAT.

[Dukeface88]

Sorry to rehash this episode, but there was one thing about it that left me feeling uncomfortable.

The filmmaker framed the entire episode over the racial divide in Hampton and painted the brawl as a battle between a bunch of white red-necks and bunch of blacks. The documentary made it seem like the verdict came down the way it did because the judge believed the white witnesses and disbelieved the black witnesses.

What bothered me is that I am almost certain that at least one (and maybe both) of the bowling alley employees identified by Oldschool that testified against Iverson were black.

Normally, that's not relevant, but in this case -- when you frame your entire film on the black/white divide and paint the entire case as blacks vs. white -- that's got to be a relevant fact.

I'm not saying the verdict wasn't just or that Iverson's lawyer didn't botch the case or that the sentance was or was not excessive. I'm only saying that if I'm right (not 100 percent sure, but I'm almost certain that I've read this is the past) that a dis-interested BLACK bowling alley employee testified against Iverson, I would have to say that it would have a major bearing on the story-line.

And the failure of the filmmaker to provide that fact (again, if it is indeed a fact) would seem to be a bit of subtle dishonesty.

Indeed. Followers of Duke athletics should know better than most that both racial and legal narratives are offten much more complicated than they are portrayed in the media.

[pfrduke]

On the West Coast, watching June 17, 1994 right now. It's fantastic. Really neat style. Not at all a documentary, in the traditional sense of the word, as there is no "talking head" commentary. It's just clips from the news showing all the other moments in sports that day (which were huge - Arnold's last US Open, the NY Rangers Stanley Cup victory parade, Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Griffey setting the record for fastest to 30 home runs in a season (off of David Cone, no less), and the opening of the '94 World Cup in the US) interspersed with news coverage of Orenthal James and his white Bronco escapade. It's really quite captivating. I highly recommend catching this on replay if you didn't see it on first showing.

[pfrduke]

On the West Coast, watching June 17, 1994 right now. It's fantastic. Really neat style. Not at all a documentary, in the traditional sense of the word, as there is no "talking head" commentary. It's just clips from the news showing all the other moments in sports that day (which were huge - Arnold's last US Open, the NY Rangers Stanley Cup victory parade, Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Griffey setting the record for fastest to 30 home runs in a season (off of David Cone, no less), and the opening of the '94 World Cup in the US) interspersed with news coverage of Orenthal James and his white Bronco escapade. It's really quite captivating. I highly recommend catching this on replay if you didn't see it on first showing.

By the way, I have a very specific memory of the OJ chase. I was in middle school at the time, and a bunch of friends and I were playing ping pong in the garage with the OJ coverage on the radio (a yellow, battery powered Sony boombox). As middle schoolers, we didn't appreciate the full import of the OJ chase, but it was captivating nonetheless.

[blazindw]

I remember them cutting into the NBA Finals to show the chase in split screen. I was in Texas at the time and I remember just sitting there and watching the whole thing in my living room with my family.

I haven't watched the 30 for 30 yet...it's recording tomorrow since I forgot to set the DVR for tonight.

[pfrduke]

I remember them cutting into the NBA Finals to show the chase in split screen. I was in Texas at the time and I remember just sitting there and watching the whole thing in my living room with my family.

I haven't watched the 30 for 30 yet...it's recording tomorrow since I forgot to set the DVR for tonight.

Yeah, I grew up in Southern California, so there was a bit of a special connection to the whole OJ situation. Didn't stop us from playing ping pong, though. ;)

[sue71, esq]

I was in the hospital, recovering from surgery. My choice of channels was limited, to say the least, so the only thing I could get was 3-4 stations of a white Bronco.