Dream 30 for 30s

[alxy8s]

The Worst Officiated Game ever: 2002 Game 6 Kings @ Lakers.

The National Lockout League(1994, 2004, 2012)

Unless the ESPN/ABC/NBA deal falls through, they're not touching that subject. They wouldn't even broadcast those summer league games during the lockout because of their relationship with the NBA. It's a shame, too. NBA conspiracy theories are fun.

+1 on Game 162. I hate baseball and that's still one of my favorite sports nights ever.

[Kevin W.]

They're not just theories.

[MadmanLA]

Some I would like to see...

• A profile on the lives of professional wrestlers (past and present), especially those who have dealt with out-of-ring issues (Jake "the Snake" Roberts, Scott Hall, Kurt Angle) or died prematurely (Macho Man, the Von Erich brothers, Eddie Guerrero, and dare I say, a certain Canadian Crippler). Of course, it would take cooperation from the likes of Vince McMahon, who owns virtually every video library in wrestling not named TNA or ROH, and he and WWE would want total control over the content.
  

• A history on the Clippers, from their days in Buffalo, to the finagling that landed them in San Diego (and the subsequent dismantling of the team by Larry O'Brien after the Bill Walton signing), Donald Sterling's purchase of the team (and the eventual move to Los Angeles), the Elgin Baylor "reign of terror" as VP/GM, to the "Lob City" era.
  

• The 1994 MLB strike, and its affect on fans, players, revenue, once-competitive smaller-market teams like the Royals and Pirates.
  

• Like someone else mentioned, Big East basketball of the 80s; I know HBO did a great documentary about the Villanova-Georgetown final from '85, and touched on the Big East as a whole briefly, this dream 30 for 30 would more in-depth, from its creation to its heyday.
  

[JH42XCC]

I hope ESPN doesn't make a 30 for 30 on the 2007 New York Mets.

[RyanMcD29]

I would love a two part Big East 30 for 30. The 80s basketball heyday like you all are saying, plus a look at the collapse starting with the 2004 realignment and then again from 2011 on.

Also would like a lacrosse one, but I feel like it's automatically going to be about the Duke rape case and the subsequent re-rise of the Duke program/impact on the perception of the sport. I'd rather have it either on probably the 90s/early 2000s with all the battles between Simmons/Desko, Tierney, and Starsia in the Final Four

[jrodsep]

Count me in for:

- 1994 MLB strike

- Cal Ripken Ironman Streak

- ARod/Boras/Rangers deal

- 1992 Dream Team (greatest basketball team ever assembled)

- 2002 USA Mens Basketball Team (Worst finish by USA since NBA players where introduced)

- Ichiro

- 1994 World Cup

[pmoehrin]

-The 1989 Tour de France

-Football in Samoa

-The '95 Mariners (Although this one would be tough. Not that it wouldn't be interesting, but I love baseball seasons on the MLB Network and don't want to repeat anything they have/might do and some of these suggestions are really retread ideas.)

-Mike Marshall's theory on pitching and how crazy he is.

-The rise of UFC

-Hideo Nomo and the controversy surrounding his arrival, ie. broke his contract to come to the States, which is a huge no no in Japanese culture.

-Randy Bass while were on Japanese baseball.

[sc49erfan15]

- It might not be an interesting story at all, but I think it might be cool to see something about Cuban defectors in baseball and how they come to America

- The 0-16 Detroit Lions/The Curse of Bobby Layne (homer pick)

- Pat Tillman

- The Andre the Giant Story

- Superstition in Sports

All excellent ideas. I'd actually expand the 0-16 Lions to include the 1976-77 Bucs as well, or maybe just specific horribly bad teams in general - without it being a countdown "worst teams" list.

[ninersdd]

The Rise and Fall of Tebowmania(or they can just talk about 2011 and the magical win over the Steelers)

Biased pick: Lute Olson transforming Arizona from a complete joke into a power in the late 80s.

[pcgd]

How bout the baseball players that switched families:

http://www.around-the-horn.com/?p=131

[FiddySicks]

- It might not be an interesting story at all, but I think it might be cool to see something about Cuban defectors in baseball and how they come to America

- The 0-16 Detroit Lions/The Curse of Bobby Layne (homer pick)

- Pat Tillman

- The Andre the Giant Story

- Superstition in Sports

All excellent ideas. I'd actually expand the 0-16 Lions to include the 1976-77 Bucs as well, or maybe just specific horribly bad teams in general - without it being a countdown "worst teams" list.

It was either ESPN or the NFL network that did an amazing documentary on that 76-77 Bucs team that included John McKay going through the painful process of having to cut players and the equipment manager placing the Errol Flynn logo on the helmets.

[pmoehrin]

The Rise and Fall of Tebowmania(or they can just talk about 2011 and the magical win over the Steelers)

[dfwabel]

Since PBS's "FrontLine" typically goes into the business/economics of college athletics, I'll accept that they will just do another edition in the next 18 months.

I would like to see:

1- Changes in British soccer since Hillsborough and possibly an new Taylor Report doc.

2- Impact of the UAE (Abu Dhabi and Dubai), Bahraib, as well as Qatar on the international sport landscape.

3- Any doc on the corruption within the IOC and FIFA. While Andrew Jennings has made a career writing about the IOC and FIFA, there still is not a long form documentary on either. Most stories are a story seen on "60 Minutes" or "Real Sports".

4- Any doc on the issues with professional boxing. Promoters, sanctioning bodies (How the WBC, based in Mexico City, nearly went out of business, in a Puerto Rican court, due to a New York court case filed, by an Italian ex-boxer in 2003), rankings...all of it

There are stories which some makers could touch, like PBS or HBO, which ESPN's "30 for 30" series or anything on Turner Sports or Showtime, part of CBS Corp., cannot touch due to their current contracts and relationships such as:

Example: Anything really probing the NCAA. Prop 48 was established in 1986, but has that really improved graduation rates for minorities?

[marble21]

1- Changes in British soccer since Hillsborough and possibly an new Taylor Report doc.

There are already a bunch of documentaries on this (Hillsborough), but they are usually made by people who strongly sit on one side of the fence. It would be great if ESPN could come in and make a truly neutral documentary. I doubt that would happen though.

I also think a 2013 perspective on the Taylor Report would be good. At the time, the state of British stadiums was terrible and there were many safety concerns. The Taylor Report brought in all seated stadiums which were a vast safety improvement.

There is an ongoing debate whether dedicated standing areas could be re-introduced. There are strong opinions either way but no real knowledge used by either side of the argument. Maybe looking into this could help educate people a little more. Stadiums in Germany use these dedicated areas frequently for example.

[Saintsfan]

A fair minded loom at the whole of Lance Armstrong.

The rise of English speaking riders in the Tour de France.

The fall of boxing and the rise of MMA.

The dominance of team games now in America, and the lack of solo sport playing American heroes.

[FiddySicks]

Speaking of individual sports, I'd LOVE to see a 30 for 30 on the rise of extreme sports in America. It could detail the culture of these sports in comparison to team sports, the opposition to the idea of things like skateboarding as even being a sport, the way athletes make money through sponsorships, and the injuries involved.

AND, here's my selfish pick.

Snowboarding.

It can chronicle the history of snowboarding and the controversies involved with the invention of the sport being credited to Burton or Sims.

Snowboarding culture and the fact that until the early 2000s there were still a LOT of resorts worldwide that banned snowboarding completely.

The rise of guys like Terje Haakonsen and Danny Kass and how they both revolutionized the sport.

The tragic death of the "Father of Freestyle" Craig Kelly, who was killed in an avalanche in 2003, and the dangers these guys go through on a daily basis for a paycheck.

The rise of guys such as Shaun White, who revolutionized park riding, Travis Rice, who revolutionized backcountry riding, and how both completely changed the industry from a niche sport into a multi billion dollar industry when it comes to consumer gear, traveling to follow the seasons rather than wait for winter, and the filming of the sport itself which changed from a bunch of kids with cheap cameras to an industry that spends millions of dollars on filming helicopters alone.

The rise of women in the sport such as Gretchen Bleiler and Jamie Anderson who went from small town girls who grew up around resorts to multi millionaires at extremely young ages.

BTW, I freaking LOVE this thread.

[JH42XCC]

You know what would be a good 30 for 30 story?

18-1

A story of how the 2007 New England Patriots were denied a perfect 19-0 season by the New York Giants.

[marble21]

You know what would be a good 30 for 30 story?

18-1

A story of how the 2007 New England Patriots were denied a perfect 19-0 season by the New York Giants.

Seems like more of an "NFL: America's Game" story than a "30 for 30" story.

Not the greatest analogy seeing as though that is about the Super Bowl winning team, but hopefully you get the point I am trying to make.

[Burkell007]

Speaking of individual sports, I'd LOVE to see a 30 for 30 on the rise of extreme sports in America. It could detail the culture of these sports in comparison to team sports, the opposition to the idea of things like skateboarding as even being a sport, the way athletes make money through sponsorships, and the injuries involved.

AND, here's my selfish pick.

Snowboarding.

It can chronicle the history of snowboarding and the controversies involved with the invention of the sport being credited to Burton or Sims.

Snowboarding culture and the fact that until the early 2000s there were still a LOT of resorts worldwide that banned snowboarding completely.

The rise of guys like Terje Haakonsen and Danny Kass and how they both revolutionized the sport.

The tragic death of the "Father of Freestyle" Craig Kelly, who was killed in an avalanche in 2003, and the dangers these guys go through on a daily basis for a paycheck.

The rise of guys such as Shaun White, who revolutionized park riding, Travis Rice, who revolutionized backcountry riding, and how both completely changed the industry from a niche sport into a multi billion dollar industry when it comes to consumer gear, traveling to follow the seasons rather than wait for winter, and the filming of the sport itself which changed from a bunch of kids with cheap cameras to an industry that spends millions of dollars on filming helicopters alone.

The rise of women in the sport such as Gretchen Bleiler and Jamie Anderson who went from small town girls who grew up around resorts to multi millionaires at extremely young ages.

BTW, I freaking LOVE this thread.

You have see the 30 for 30 : the birth of big air right?

[FiddySicks]

Oh yeah and it was great. But there's so much more to offer IMO when it comes to extreme sports. There are plenty of angles a director can take while still keeping it fresh.