ESPN sure made a smart decision by moving up "The Last Dance," its 10-part documentary chronicling Michael Jordan's final season with the Bulls. They made an even smarter decision by keeping with the weekly Sunday night 30 for 30 for the next few weeks (or however long until things get back to normal).
There have been plenty of great sports documentaries over the years. Sometimes the story is so obvious that it writes itself (and gets turned into a Hollywood move). Sometimes somebody writes a book and that ends up getting turned into a very similar TV documentary. But it's usually the ones about some obscure bench player or the ones that take a different angle and look at the story from the fans' perspective that end up being the most compelling.
It's a tried-and-true formula for a reason. Hundreds, if not thousands, of new sports documentaries debut every year, with at least as many in development. Some are good. Some are not. As you would expect. So, I have no idea if any of these are already in the works or not. But these are sports documentaries that I would watch (and I want a producer credit if you steal my idea!).
Vegas Strong: The Golden Knights made history in their expansion season, going all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. It really was a fairy tale inaugural season for the first major league pro sports team in Las Vegas. Although, as we all remember, it got off to a tragic start with the mass shooting at the music festival right before the season started. Looking at the entire season through that prism, and even bringing it back to what it took for Las Vegas to finally become a major league town, would really be worth watching.
Connie Mack: This one might be tough since all of the principal figures are long since dead, but Connie Mack is a fascinating figure. The winningest manager in baseball history, he was owner and manager of the Philadelphia Athletics for 50 years. And the A's alternated eras of being among the best teams in baseball with years where they were among the worst throughout that time. It really must've been fascinating to see how he balanced those two contrasting roles, especially for so long.
Minnesota Giants: Everyone knows the story. The Giants and Dodgers both left New York following the 1957 season, packing up for California and bringing Major League Baseball to the West Coast. But that story is always told from the Dodgers' perspective. Walter O'Malley is the villain in Brooklyn's side of the story. Has anyone ever looked at it the Giants and what went into their move, though? That has to be just as interesting. (The Giants were supposedly moving to Minnesota before O'Malley convinced them to go to San Francisco instead, hence the name of this documentary. And, frankly, that story seems just as worthwhile.)
Olympics Lost: For all those potential Olympians who were working towards a Games this summer in Tokyo, that one-year wait will feel like an eternity. But they'll still get their opportunity, albeit a year later than planned. The 1980 U.S. Olympic team, though, never got that chance. Some would have their Olympic moment four years later in L.A. Others never would have their Olympic moment. Let's hear those stories.
American Pharoah: Sometimes you need a feel-good one, too. So why not a documentary about American Pharoah and the people behind him. We went 37 years between Triple Crown winners, and some thought there would never be one again. But a special horse and a special team finally broke that curse. Let's go behind the scenes of those memorable five weeks and how they handled the pressure leading up to that triumphant run into history at the Belmont.
Iceland vs. the World: Italy didn't qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Neither did the United States. Or the Netherlands. Iceland did. An isolated island of just 364,000 took on the world two years after making a Cinderella run to the semifinals of Euro 2016. That team was incredibly fun to watch, but wouldn't you love to know how tiny Iceland managed to conquer Europe's best and take on the world?
The Salt Lake Scandal: Frankly, I'm surprised there hasn't been a feature-length documentary about this already. The pairs figure skating scandal at the Salt Lake City Olympics rocked the sport to the core and led to sweeping changes. We all know what happened, but why did it happen? I'm not just talking about the basic details we already know. I want to dig deeper an find out about the culture that led to that infamous night in 2002.
0-16: While it might not seem like the most obvious topic, it must've been miserable to be a member of the 2008 Lions or 2017 Browns. What was it like to endure a winless season? And this isn't the 0-26 expansion Bucs we're talking about, either. These are proud, established NFL franchises where everything that could've gone wrong did and the results were disastrous. Yet they both bounced back from it pretty quickly. Take us on that journey, NFL Films. You know if they produce it, it'll be good.
Jumping Into History: Carl Lewis and Mike Powell had a pretty intense rivalry in the long jump in the late 80s and early 90s. It all came to a head at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo. In what's still widely considered one of the greatest competitions in track & field history. It was punch and counter-punch. They were both going after Bob Beamon's world record, and they both surpassed it. Except Lewis' jump was wind-aided and didn't count for the record. Powell's wasn't and did. He had the world record, the World Championship, and had beaten his rival for the first time. NBC, please take us back to that competition on the day of the long jump final next year! Especially since it'll be the 30th anniversary. In the same stadium.
Mr. Irrelevant: Another one that, if done right, NFL Films would probably do very well. Getting picked last in the NFL Draft usually does little more than make you the answer to a trivia question. Mr. Irrelevant's rookie year is vastly different than the well-known, high-priced first-round picks. That story's been told. Let's go on Mr. Irrelevant's journey from the draft, through training camp, through his first year in the NFL. One that won't be nearly as glamorous as the QB picked No. 1 overall.
Are there more sports documentaries that are out there just dying to be produced? Absolutely. The current state of the country will lead to plenty of worthwhile stories, too. Further proof that sports can provide just as much drama, if not more, than anything else on TV.
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