Favorite sports documentaries

[PapaJupe2k]

I love the behind the scenes stuff in sports and interviews with the participant's and so forth, just wondering what some of your favorite documentary type shows have been over the years?

My number 1 would have to be the movie "Hoop Dreams", just an excellent show. The movie is shot documentary style and takes place over the course of several years, profiling two very talented Chicago inner city youths. The movie takes us from middle school playing on the playgrounds of Chicago all the way to their college days. Even if your not a fan of basketball, or sports in general, you should see this movie. It's more of a tale of desperation and despair for these kids and their families, using basketball as a way out of the concrete jungle. It goes deep into their family and personal lives, just a must see for film lovers.

I always loved the NFL Films series shown on ESPN, there are just too many great ones to list, but my favorite I guess would be the first year of the Tampa Bay Bucaneers existence when hapless coach John McKay and the gang went winless. They were there to capture it all, and it's a great piece of work.

Some other favorites from HBO include one I saw on the rise and fall of the now defunct ABA basketball league of the 1970's. The series going on now of all the classic fights they've shown over the years and the "When it was a game" series on the glory years of baseball.

The SportsCentury series of ESPN Classic also provides some good insights.

Well any good ones you guys have seen?

[Grebdron]

Originally posted by PapaJupe2k
but my favorite I guess would be the first year of the Tampa Bay Bucaneers existence when hapless coach John McKay and the gang went winless. They were there to capture it all, and it's a great piece of work.

I LOVE the NFL films series! One thing though. John McKay was anything but hapless. The team was, to be sure. But McKay was a great coach. I thouroughly enjoyed the show you're talking about.

[PapaJupe2k]

Yeah, bad choice of words on McKay, he was a great coach and is sorely missed. You couldn't help feel for the guy during that dismal season, at least he kept his sense of humor.

I always liked the ones where the coaches were miked for sound during the games, people like McKay, Hank Stramm, Abe Gibron, and that coach for Philly that always wore the suit and dark shades (can't think of his name right now) always have me busting a gut.

The strangest one I ever saw was when a young Steve Sabol did a feature on an Eagles linebacker (Tim Rossavich?) that was supposed to spotlight the hippie culture of the times (late '60s, early '70s?). It showed him making sand castles on the beach and went into his closet to display his groovy threads (bell-bottoms, leisure suits, ect...), needless to say I don't think this ever made it to air, as the old guard football fans were less than thrilled with this piece. It was just recently shown as one of the "lost treasures" of NFL Films. It was certainly an interesting look at the culture of that time period however.

[Gregorious8]

Can we count Skateboarding and surfing? If so then my favorite is Dogtown and Z-Boys.

[Munson]

Do You Believe In Miracles: The Story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team was great. It's available on DVD.

[Grebdron]

Originally posted by PapaJupe2k
Yeah, bad choice of words on McKay, he was a great coach and is sorely missed. You couldn't help feel for the guy during that dismal season, at least he kept his sense of humor.

I always liked the ones where the coaches were miked for sound during the games, people like McKay, Hank Stramm, Abe Gibron, and that coach for Philly that always wore the suit and dark shades (can't think of his name right now) always have me busting a gut.

The strangest one I ever saw was when a young Steve Sabol did a feature on an Eagles linebacker (Tim Rossavich?) that was supposed to spotlight the hippie culture of the times (late '60s, early '70s?). It showed him making sand castles on the beach and went into his closet to display his groovy threads (bell-bottoms, leisure suits, ect...), needless to say I don't think this ever made it to air, as the old guard football fans were less than thrilled with this piece. It was just recently shown as one of the "lost treasures" of NFL Films. It was certainly an interesting look at the culture of that time period however.

Hnak Stramm was the most quotable coach in history. Loved him, even though I loath the Chiefs.

Too bad I missed the one on Rossavich. Sounds like a riot.

[PapaJupe2k]

":03 Seconds From Gold" the documentary about the 1972 Olympic Gold Medal basketball game between the Soviets and the U.S. aired on HBO today. This is a good fairly objective look at what happened that night in Munich. They profile the Soviet machine in producing top notch atheltes of the day, and their eventual focus on basketball, and some other good background stuff. If I was coach Iba I think I would have just walked after the second clock reset, but who knows, under the circumstances. The Soviet effort to send their twelfth man into the game to start a fight with the U.S. center was absolute B.S. and how they can deny that with a straight face is beyond me. The hostility that still exists over 30 years later will never go away. Doug Collins actually had it written in his will that none of his decendents are allowed to get his unclaimed silver medal.

The real tragedy was the "Black September" slayings of the Isreali athletes that summer in Munich, but this game still hurts, however. I saw a really poignant and moving documentary on that situation once too, it was really well done.

[Benny]

Yeah, "Hoop Dreams" is an incredible movie. Not only does it show the basketball, but also how the two families live their lives. It's almost 3 hours long, but it's worth every minute of it, I absolutely loved it.

[Moviefan1234]

Originally posted by Munson
Do You Believe In Miracles: The Story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team was great. It's available on DVD.

I second this one. The most powerful and emotional sports documentry I've ever seen.

[PapaJupe2k]

I watched a good one on HBO yesterday on Ali/Frazier 1 in 1971. I didn't realise fans were so divided along political lines for this fight. The pro-Vietnam people wanted Frazier and the anti-Vietnam crowd was behind Ali for his stance against the war.

I respect Ali as a fighter and he is one of the greatest of all time, but I think if I was around for this I would have been happy to see Frazier whip his ass! His "uncle tom" comments about Joe were WAY over the line! I realise alot of his shit was just for show to promote the fight, but don't go there my man! Just a great back and forth fight though. Frazier knocked him down in the 15th and won the decision.

Joe needs to lay off his cheap shots about Ali's Parkinson's now though. Let it go man.

[stewiegriffin]

Hoop Dreams all the way imo. It was just a sweet movie it showed the two guys Gates and ????? shit can't think of the other dude at this moment but i liked how it showed what players have to do and also it is a very good inspirational movie

[Deep Blue Sea]

It was William Gates and Arthur Agee....Hoop Dreams is by far the best sports doc. out there.

[arby19]

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