SportsAfter coaching the Oakland Raiders to the AFC Championship game in 2000, Jon Gruden was traded by the Raiders to Tampa Bay in the Spring of 2002. In his first season with the Buccaneers he helped coached what was once a winless franchise into Super Bowl champions. Gruden, John Lynch, and Warren Sapp discuss their 2002 season and how Gruden's west-coast attack, combined with a stingy defense, propelled them to a Super Bowl XXXVII victory of his former players from Oakland.
SportsIn 1981, college athletic recruiting changed forever as a dozen big time football programs sat waiting for the decision of a physically powerful and lightning-quick high school running back named Marcus Dupree. Having already graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, Dupree attracted recruiters from schools in every major conference to his hometown of Philadelphia, Miss. More than a decade removed from being a flashpoint in the civil rights struggle, Philadelphia was once again thrust back into the national spotlight. Dupree took the attention in stride, and committed to Oklahoma. What followed, though, was a forgettable c
Sports“Los Demonios.” Mundo and Puma are out for revenge on Big Ryck and his crew. Chavo teams with Sexy Star and takes on Son of Havoc & Ivelisse. Blue Demon Jr. is confronted by Catrina who warns him of Mil Muertes. Chavo Guerro seeks revenge.
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
SportsThere may be no award in sports as synonymous with a game as the Heisman Trophy is with college football. And there was likely no year in the history of the award as memorable, as transformative, and as controversial as 1997. The ESPN 30 for 30 The Great Heisman Race of 1997 takes an immersive, time-capsule style approach to telling that story, going back a quarter century to chronicle a season that fans will never forget, featuring some of the greatest players ever to take a college football field at the center of it. At Tennessee, Peyton Manning had stunned the sports world by deciding to return for his senior season and
SportsOn June 15, 2011, Vancouver hosts Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Canucks and Boston Bruins. The city is a hive of nervous energy with the home team on the verge of its first-ever title. Record crowds gather in the streets in what is a joyous – if anxious – atmosphere. But when Boston stuns the Canucks to win the Cup, the mood turns dark and dangerous. The situation quickly devolves into a full-blown riot, an orgy of violence that sees cars overturned and burned, windows shattered, businesses looted, and lawlessness reign… as hundreds of cell phone cameras capture it all. The city awakens to the scene of
SportsAfter storming to the National League East Division title, the Mets and Houston Astros battled in an unforgettable Championship Series, with New York helpless against the pitching of Mike Scott, and calling on every magic trick they could summon to get to the World Series.
Sports’The Natural’ is supposed to be a blue-eyed boy who teethed on a 36-ounce Louisville Slugger. He should run like the wind and throw boysenberries through brick. He should come from California." – Steve Wulf, Sports Illustrated, 1981. So how was it that a pudgy 20-year-old, Mexican, left-handed pitcher from a remote village in the Sonoran desert, unable to speak a word of English, could sell out stadiums across America and become a rock star overnight? In Fernando Nation, Mexican-born and Los Angeles-raised director Cruz Angeles traces the history of a community that was torn apart when Dodger Stadium was built
SportsIt all started in a house in College Station, Texas in 2009. A group of friends sharing a house in college were doing what a lot of college kids end up doing with their time: messing around and coming up with ways to entertain themselves. But these guys were more creative, and when they posted a video of some trick shots on a nascent Internet platform called YouTube, well, things took off from there. More than a decade later, Dude Perfect is a phenomenon – a sports-comedy troupe with a massive media following on the internet and television, through live performances, and even an amusement park they’re building near the
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
SportsTwo weeks into the 1987 season, the NFL's players went on strike. For the first time in the history of professional sports in the United States, replacement players would take the field. Crossing the picket line to play in the NFL changed their lives, but not in the way they'd expected or hoped. The moment they crossed the picket line, they were no longer athletes; they were scabs. By the end of the strike, Washington stood alone as the only replacement team to go undefeated- ultimately setting up returning strikers for a triumphant run at a Super Bowl. For those replacements, the experience of 1987 should have been a badg
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.
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.
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.
SportsA profile of Cleveland, a city whose collective fortunes have been mirrored by their sports teams, whose very name seems synonymous with losing. Believeland is also a celebration of faith, the story of how fans support their city through their teams, when hope is an act of belief in the face of inevitable defeat.
SportsIn the early 1970s, America was being torn apart by the war in Vietnam, with racial unrest in the streets and a distrust of the White House. But there was a happier place where men of different backgrounds showed people what could happen when you worked together: Madison Square Garden. "When The Garden Was Eden" (based on the book by Harvey Araton) explores the only championship years of the New York Knicks, when they made the NBA Finals in three out of four seasons, winning two titles. Stitched together by Red Holzman, the previously mediocre Knicks might have seemed an odd collection of characters: a forward from the rar
SportsThey were the most popular fraternity on the campus of college basketball in the early 1980s. Led by Nigerian soccer player Hakeem Olajuwon and hometown kid Clyde Drexler, the University of Houston Cougars not only electrified the NCAA Final Four with three straight appearances from 1982-84, but they also transformed the game itself.
SportsIt is a world that seems to exist apart from all other worlds. And yet a world that says so much about the world we live in, and where it’s headed. For years now, the growth of esports has been one of the defining stories of entertainment – financially, socially, and culturally. And at the center of all that growth has been FaZe Clan, an organization that’s gone from the brainchild of a few gamers streaming their play on the internet to publicly traded company with teams and players all around the globe competing professionally in an array of games. Now, ESPN’s 30 for 30 is entering the esports universe with its wi
SportsMatt Cain pitched the first perfect game in Giants history and 22nd overall while also tying Sandy Koufax's Major League-record 14 strikeouts in a perfecto. Cain was aided by Gregor Blanco's dazzling catch in the seventh inning and three two-run homers by his teammates.
SportsChris Heston, making his 13th career Major League start, pitched a 17th no-hitter in Giants history, striking out 11 and hitting three batters. He also notched his first big league RBIs with a two-run single off Mets rookie noah Syndergaard, who allowed four runs in six innings.
SportsAEW World Champion Chris Jericho teams up with two mystery partners to battle Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks, the AEW Women’s Championship is decided, and Cody takes on up-and-comer Sammy Guevara.
SportsThe Rays erased a seven-run deficit to the Yankees before taking an 8-7 walk-off win in the 12th to claim the American League Wild Card on Wednesday night.
SportsSt. Patrick’s Day Slam! Kingston & Moxley v. The Good Bros. Lights Out Match: Dr. Britt Baker v. Thunder Rosa. After leaving the Inner Circle, MJF & Wardlow join FTR & Tully Blanchard to introduce their group. Cody v. Penta El 0M. Jade Cargill in action.
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.
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.
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
SportsThe 2000 Baltimore Ravens captured their first Super Bowl title behind one of the greatest defenses in NFL history. Ravens greats Ray Lewis, Brian Billick, and Trent Dilfer discuss the 2000 season and how they dominated their opponents en route to a Lombardi Trophy.
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.
SportsOn Thursday, Nov. 7, 1991, Earvin "Magic" Johnson made people stop and watch at the Forum in Inglewood, California. But this time it wasn't his basketball brilliance as a perennial NBA All-Star and three-time MVP that was captivating audiences worldwide. Instead, the 32-year-old ground-breaking point guard was holding a press conference to make the stunning announcement that he was HIV-positive and would be retiring from basketball immediately. More than 20 years after the announcement, director Nelson George gets to the core of Magic’s incredible personal journey and explores how he continues to thrive two decades later
SportsThe improbable story of Michael Chang’s rise as a young American tennis star, a child of immigrants who turned professional at 15, and then pulled off an unfathomable and unforgettable upset of Ivan Lendl at the 1989 French Open – a match that unfolded in the shadow of the Tiananmen Square massacre in China.
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
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”
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
Sports42 to 1 chronicles one of the most famous upsets in sports history: Buster Douglas’ shocking knockout of the then-undefeated Mike Tyson. Tyson was the most feared fighter of modern times. Douglas, meanwhile, was dismissed as a 42 to 1 underdog. No one thought he had the heart required of a champion. But at the Tokyo Dome on February 11, 1990, Douglas came to fight. Defying opinion, he proved to everyone that there was greatness in him. This is a film about how Douglas pulled off a victory that changed the course of sports history, channeling the absolute best version of himself, if only for one fight, when it mattered mo
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
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.
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.
SportsThere’s high school football, and then there’s Texas high school football. Oddly enough though, one of the greatest teams in state history has been lost to time… and fate. With 21 players who were offered college scholarships and a few of those who later reached professional football, they took on the best that Texas had to offer - including the Odessa Permian team that inspired Friday Night Lights - as well as the worst, a resentful bureaucracy that challenged their legitimacy because of one player’s grade in algebra. Somehow, they won it all, and somehow, they threw it all away. But thanks to searing interviews
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
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
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
SportsWhen the NBA merged with the American Basketball Association in 1976, four ABA franchises joined the more established league – the Nets, Nuggets, Pacers and Spurs. But one of the odd teams out found a different way to secure its future. Free Spirits tells the colorful story of the Spirits of St. Louis – an entertaining and at times controversial team featuring stars like Marvin “Bad News” Barnes and James “Fly” Williams with an upstart sportscaster named Bob Costas calling the play-by-play. The Spirits managed to pull off a stunning playoff upset of the defending champions in their first season, and then, on
SportsIn the summer of 1998, the St. Louis Cardinals’ Mark McGwire and the Chicago Cubs’ Sammy Sosa embarked on a chase of one of the game’s most hallowed records, igniting the passion and imagination of fans and non-fans everywhere. The drama, excitement, and results would be remembered for generations. If we only knew then just how complex our feelings about it all would eventually become. Featuring in-depth interviews with both McGwire and Sosa, talking at length for the first time in over two decades, the intimate portrait carries viewers through every twist and turn of the sluggers’ historic chase of Roger Maris’s
SportsIn 1965, at the height of the space race, Nick Piantanida launched the first civilian space program. A truck driver and exotic pet dealer from New Jersey, Piantanida had no formal training, no college degree and barely enough money to support his devoted wife and their three children. But he had a dream—to take a balloon to the edge of the atmosphere and jump out. If he succeeded, he’d set a world record as he free-fell back to earth for nearly 17 minutes. Angry Sky is the story of a man whose dream took him to the edge of space but whose obsession led to his tragic downfall.
SportsThere has never been a player like Tim Tebow, but there have been many quarterbacks that have experienced the same obstacles in reinventing the image of an NFL quarterback. From faith to fame, NFL Films reveals the five faces of Tim Tebow.
SportsIn 1985, Coach Mike Ditka brought the Lombardi trophy to the city of Chicago and made the Bears cultural icons. Bears legends Mike Ditka, Jim McMahon, and Mike Singletary discusses the 1985 season and the stories that followed their season, including their incredible '46 ' defense to having some of the greatest characters in the game.
SportsThe Oakland Raiders were a great football team throughout the early 1970s, unfortunately they could never get past the AFC Championship. But in 1976 the team finally beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship and went on to win Super Bowl XI. Raiders’ legends John Madden, Ken Stabler, and Phil Villapiano discuss the 1976 season from their dominant regular season, to defeating the Steelers, to finally receiving the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
SportsAfter only two seasons in Los Angeles, the Raiders were able to bring the Lombardi trophy to their new home. Raiders’ legends Marcus Allen, Todd Christensen, and Howie Long discuss the 1983 season and their march to the franchises' third Lombardi Trophy. Stories that have become Raider lore are discussed from Christensen’s incredible regular season, to Marcus Allen’s record breaking day in Super Bowl XVIII.
SportsIn 1988, the San Francisco 49ers continued their legacy by being 'The Team of the 80s' and winning their third Super Bowl title. Legends Bill Walsh, Harris Barton, and Roger Craig discuss the season and their championship run. Incredible stories are revealed including the team playing in one of the greatest Super Bowls in NFL history to Bill Walsh explaining his tough decision of leaving the organization after the season.
SportsThe season's schedule for major league baseball affects the lives and moods of millions of Americans. Each year executives and managers ridicule the logic, sportswriters and broadcasters question the sanity, and athletes and fans cast blame. Yet not many people know how it is that the MLB schedule is figured out, and even fewer have any idea what is involved.
SportsOct 14, 1965: LAD 2 at MIN 0, F -- With a league-leading 26 wins, 2.04 ERA and a then-record 382 strikeouts, Sandy Koufax was unquestionably the best pitcher in all of baseball. But with an advancing case of arthritis in his golden left arm, every breathtaking outing was countered by hours of treatment to keep the barely tolerable pain at bay. Once again, the light-hitting Dodgers had latched on to the most prized pitcher in baseball to carry them into the World Series, and once again, they were forced to rely on heavy innings from their ace to give them a fighting chance. After over 335 innings of labor in the regular sea
SportsThe 1980 season was a tumultuous time for the Oakland Raiders. Owner Al Davis was at war with Commissioner Pete Rozzelle after they were denied permission to relocate to Los Angeles. Then, their season started poorly after going 2-3 and losing starting quarterback Dan Pastorini for the year. However, Jim Plunkett rose up to the challenge and rejuvenated his career with the Silver and Black. Former Raiders greats Plunkett, Gene Upshaw, and Matt Millen discusses how the Raiders garnered an unlikely championship.
Sports“Crossing the Border.” Konnan brings Cueto the best talent from Mexico, sets main event Fenix vs Drago vs Pentagon Jr. El Mariachi Loco takes on Mascarita Segrada. Chavo explains his actions. Konnan warns Chavo. Ricky Mandell vs Mil Muertes.
SportsThe 1972 season for the Miami Dolphins was incredible for two reasons. First it gave them their first Super Bowl title in franchise history. More importantly though it has become the only time in NFL history where a team completed a perfect, undefeated season. Head Coach Don Shula, Larry Csonka, and Manny Fernandez discuss their dream season from losing their top quarterback Bob Greise, to the 'No-Name Defense' to their victory over the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.
SportsAfter losing the first ever Super Bowl, the Kansas City Chiefs wanted to prove they could win against the mighty NFL. In 1969, the Chiefs would not only go on to play in Super Bowl IV, they were able to defeat the heavily favored Minnesota Vikings to win their only Super Bowl title. Willie Lanier, Jim Lynch, and Len Dawson discuss the 1970 season and how their championship season came to be. They would have to overcome many obstacles including injuries, their rivals the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Championship, and an alleged gambling scandal that almost cost Len Dawson his career. In what would be the final NFL/AFL Super B
SportsOctober 17, 1978: 1978 World Series, Game 6: New York Yankees 7 at Los Angeles Dodgers 2, F -- Game 6 turned out to be grand finale for the unlikely heroic duo of Bucky Dent and Brian Doyle. Davey Lopes gave the Dodger home crowd a ray of hope with a leadoff home run off Catfish Hunter. Dent and Doyle put the Yankees ahead in the second; Doyle with a two-run double, Dent with an RBI single. Lopes had an RBI single in the third to cut it to 3-2, but that would be it for the Dodgers. Dent and Doyle pushed the score to 5-2 in the sixth with RBI singles and Reggie Jackson put the final nail in the coffin with a tremendous two-
SportsAlthough the Miami Dolphins didn't reach perfection in 1973, it did not stop them from winning their second straight Super Bowl title. Miami legends Mercury Morris, Bob Kuechenberg, and Dick Anderson discuss the 1973 season and how they went on to become Super Bowl champions yet again. Mercury Morris also discusses his destructive lifestyle during his career and how he was able to turn his life around.
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)
SportsOctober 21, 1976: 1976 World Series, Game 4: Cincinnati Reds 7 at New York Yankees 2, F -- On the heels of the high from Chris Chambliss' Royals-crushing home run in the ALCS to put the Yankees into the World Series, the Yanks crashed right into the steamrolling juggernaut that was the "Big Red Machine" from Cincinnati. With a lineup that boasted George Foster, Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez and Ken Griffey, the Reds only allowed the Yankees the lead once in the Series, for the first three innings of this Game 4. Johnny Bench homered twice to drive in four runs, adding to his Series-leading totals and ear
SportsDon Frye vs Yoshihiro Takayama, Fedor Emelianenko vs. Kevin Randleman, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Mirko Cro Cop, Igor Vovchanchyn vs Francisco Bueno, Bob Sapp vs Kiyoshi Tamura, and Mirko Cro Cop vs. Wanderlei Silva are featured in this episode of The Best of Pride FC.
SportsJune 16, 1978: St. Louis Cardinals 0 at Cincinnati Reds 4, F -- On any given night in his career, Tom Seaver could be virtually unhittable. Three times he had taken a no-hitter into the ninth inning, and five times he finished a game with only one hit allowed. Yet for all his accomplishments, the Cooperstown-bound hurler was unable to bag his own personal white whale in the form of a complete game no-no. All of that changed on one night in the middle of June.
SportsSept 11, 1985: SD 0 at CIN 2, F -- The suspense ended early, as Pete Rose rapped a first-inning single to center off Padres' starter Eric Show to pass Ty Cobb as baseball's all-time hit king with 4,192 base hits, a record 24 years in the making. Over his two-decade-plus year career, "Charlie Hustle" topped the 200-hit plateau seven times, recorded the longest hitting streak in baseball since Joe DiMaggio's 56-gamer in 1941 with a 44-game streak in 1977, and played in six World Series.
SportsOctober 20, 1990: 1990 World Series, Game 4: Cincinnati Reds 2 at Oakland Athletics 1, F -- Just as in 1988, the "Bash Brothers" Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire and the rest of the powerhouse A's were supposed to dominate the Series, this time against the overachieving Reds. But while Oakland ace Dave Stewart was sharp, he could not match Reds' starter Jose Rijo, who allowed just one run and two hits in eight-plus innings. "Nasty Boy" Randy Myers came on for the save, and secured the Reds' improbable World Series sweep over the mighty "Bash Brother-led" A's.
SportsDan Marino may be one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, but another legend would ultimately eclipse him in Super Bowl XIX. The San Francisco 49ers trounced the Miami Dolphins, 38-16, because of Joe Montana's almost perfect, MVP winning performance.
SportsSept 16, 1988: LAD 0 at CIN Reds 1, F -- Despite cooling his heels (and arm) during a two-and-a-half hour rain delay, once the game started, Cincy's Tom Browning methodically retired every Dodger he faced, recalling a night barely three months earlier when he had a perfect game for 8 1/3 innings. This time, Browning's dominance was virtually matched by Los Angeles' Tim Belcher, who also took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Would the rain hold out long enough to allow these two hurlers to make a run at history?
SportsHe may be the most unlikely, most unpredictable, and most unconventional superstar the world of sports has ever seen or produced. On the basketball court, and in the celebrity arena, this film is an unfettered and definitive look at the life and career of Dennis Rodman. The story of Dennis Rodman is a study of the power and perils of fame, how complicated identity can be, and what can happen when who you are becomes who you were. This story serves as an appreciation for the exploits and accomplishments of its protagonist, it’s also ultimately an unflinching look at the costs and realities of the path he’s taken.
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
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.
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.
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
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
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