Mon, Jul 21, 2014
Before Lance Armstrong, there was Greg LeMond, who is now the first and only American to win the Tour de France. In this engrossing documentary, LeMond looks back at the pivotal 1986 Tour, and his increasingly vicious rivalry with friend, teammate, and mentor Bernard Hinault. The reigning Tour champion and brutal competitor known as "The Badger," Hinault 'promised' to help LeMond to his first victory, in return for LeMond supporting him in the previous year. But in a sport that purports to reward teamwork, it's really every man for himself.
Mon, Oct 20, 2014
In the early 1970s, America was being torn apart by the war in Vietnam, racial unrest in the streets and distrust of the White House. But there was a happy place where men of different backgrounds showed people what could happen when you worked together: yes, Madison Square Garden. In "When the Garden Was Eden," director Michael Rapaport chronicles the glorious and glory 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 historically mediocre Knicks might have seemed an odd collection of characters: a forward from the rarefied air of Princeton (Bill Bradley), two players from the Jim Crow South (Willis Reed and Walt Frazier), a blue collar guy from Detroit (Dave DeBusschere), a pair of inner city guards (Earl Monroe, Dick Barnett), even a mountain man from Deer Lodge, Montana (Phil Jackson). But by embracing their differences and utilizing their strengths, they showed the NBA-and the world-what it was like to play as a team. That they did it on the stage that New York City provided made it all that much sweeter.
Mon, Oct 27, 2014
In some ways, Barry Switzer and Brian Bosworth were made for each other. The Oklahoma coach and the linebacker he recruited to play for him were both out-sized personalities who delighted in thumbing their noses at the establishment. And in their three seasons together (1984-86), the unique father-son dynamic resulted in 31 wins and two Orange Bowl victories as Bosworth was awarded the first two Butkus Awards. But then Bosworth's alter ego: "The Boz," took over both their lives and ultimately destroyed their careers. In "Brian and The Boz," Bosworth looks back on the mistakes he made and passes on the lessons he learned to his son. It's a revealing portrait of a man who had and lost it all, and a trip back to a time when enough just wasn't enough.
Mon, Nov 3, 2014
"Brothers in Exile" tells the incredible story of Livan and Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, who risked their lives to escape Cuba. Livan left first--banking on his status as the hottest young prospect in Cuba he defected via Mexico and signed with the Florida Marlins, for whom he became one of the youngest World Series MVPs in history in 1997. Staying behind was Orlando, who was banned from professional baseball in Cuba for life because he was suspected of having helped Livan escape. Then, on Christmas 1997, an increasingly frustrated and harassed Orlando left Cuba in a small boat. He was stranded on a deserted island for days before being picked up by the U.S. Coast Guard. Less than a year later, "El Duque" was helping pitch the New York Yankees to a world championship, completing a most unlikely journey for two half-brothers who rode their arms to freedom and triumph.
Mon, Nov 10, 2014
Life story of NFL wide receiver Randy Moss who grew up in Rand, West Virginia. Made by filmmaker Marquis Daisy in a journey back to the small town where troubles with the law nearly derailed Moss's career before he landed at Marshall University and began making national headlines on the football field.
Fri, Dec 12, 2014
Produced 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 a new controversy when a booster, who made his fortune through a Ponzi scheme, won favor with the program.