Florida Day 8

Part of the reason that Sharon wanted to stay in Key Largo was John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. This is part of North America's only live coral reef system. It extends 200 miles along the length of the Keys, from Miami to the Dry Tortugas.

We made arrangements to go snorkeling with Caribbean Watersports. The boat left at 9:00 a.m. and actually took us to the two spots in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The first spots was called Hen and Chicks, while the second spot was The Rocks. Jack got in the water for about 10 minutes at the spot. Long enough to put his face down in the water and take a picture or two with the waterproof camera. Once he got his first mouth full of salt water, he decided to head back to the boat. Jack was also a little concerned because there were a number of purple jellyfish in the water around the boat that people were working to avoid. Nevertheless, I was pretty proud of the fact that we would get in the ocean a couple miles out to sea!

While the water was not super clear, I felt like both spots were pretty good snorkeling locations. There were lots of fish and the coral formations very close to the surface. Sharon and I are both divers, but did not feel comfortable trying to arrange to leave him for most of the day while we went out on a dive trip.

By the time, we got back to the room, packed up and checked out it was almost 1:30 p.m. At this point, we were faced with a problem. We had reservations for the next three nights in Key West. Unfortunately, with Hurricane Charlies approaching, tourist were kicked out of the Keys below mile marker 72. We started driving south and making some phone calls. Our original plan had three nights in Key West followed by three nights in Miami. Sharon called the hotel in Miami and they had rooms so we swapped our reservations to the next three days. I called the hotel in Key West and moved our reservations to Saturday, Sunday and Monday. With any luck, Hurricane Charlie will be through Florida by Saturday and we can start back down the Keys. If not, we will have a couple of days to improvise.

We turned around and started north to Miami. After a quick stop for mexico food in Key Largo, we got to The Biltmore Hotel-Coral Gables about 4:30 p.m.

Over the last three days, we have changed hotels every day. Each night when we got to the hotel, we would spend a couple of hours in the pool. The pool at the Biltmore was at one time the largest hotel pool in the United States. Jack and I spent an hour playing catch while Sharon did a water aerobics class.

We had dinner outside in the courtyard at the 1200 Restaurant.

Florida Day 7

Although it was after midnight by the time Sharon and i finished dinner, walked on the beach and got back to the room, I got up early and ran a slow 5 miles on the treadmill. Aferwards, Sharon did a spin class. We packed up and had brunch at the Terrace at the hotel. This is really the first place on the trip that we left reluctantly; we could have spent three or four days.

We headed south into the Everglades. We had looked at a number of different things that we could do in the everglades and decided that we would take an airboat tour. The hotel had recommended Speedy Johnsons Florida Everglades Airboat Tours in Everglades City. It was very cool. We took an hour plus tour through the mangrove forest and the grass plains. We came across a number of alligators. As we were walking away from the airboat, Jack said "can we go again!"

From Everglades City, we drove east across the Everglades and down into the Florida Keys. We had a reservation at the Sheraton Beach Resort in Key Largo. This was our longest day of driving and we did not get there until after 5:30 p.m. After checking in, we spent two hours in the pool. We had a very late dinner (Sharon had a ceasar salad and I had some great breaded grouper) at the Treetop restaurant in the resort.

Florida Day 3

We made a tactical error on this trip. Thinking that we would fly all day Wednesday and then hit the ground running on Thursday was a mistake. Both Sharon and Jack slept very late on Thursday morning. It was after 9:30 a.m. before they got up. We had a quick breakfast and then headed back for another run at the Magic Kingdom.

We covered a little more ground than the previous day. We rode the Indy Speedway, The Many Adventures of Winny the Pooh (again), Ariel's Grotto, Cindrella's Golden Carrousel, The Haunted Mansion (Sharon and I separately on a fastpass), the World Railroad, Liberty Square Riverboat, Swiss Family Treehouse (twice), The Magic Carpets of Aladdin (twice), The Pirates of the Caribbean (me only), Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (me only) and Mickey's Toontown Fair. Jack did better than yesterday, but was still very tentative about the rides.

About 5:30 p.m., we hurried back to the hotel, picked up the rental car and headed to Downtown Disney. The Downtown Disney in California in a pale imitation of the Orlando version; the Orlando version is 5 to 10 fold larger. It has a wide variety of shops, restaurants and nightclubs. There is even a Cirque du Soleil show.

We had dinner at Wolfgang Puck's Cafe upstairs in the dining room. Sharon and I split lamb chops and a new york strip steak. The restaurant is at the west end. After dinner, we wandered the length of Downtown Disney going in and out of a few shops and doing some shopping. By the time, we got back to the room and got Jack down for bed it was almost 11:30 p.m.

2004 Florida - Day 9

This is the first time in more than a hundred years that two major tropical storms have hit Florida at the same time. Bonnie is coming ashore in the panhandle, while Charlie is threatening the Florida Keys and then the west coast including Tampa and St. Petersburg. We spent some time in the morning watching all of the weather reports to try and figure out what is going to happen over the next couple of days. All in all, it appears that we are in the best possible spot to ride out the weather.

I ran a quick 3 plus miles on the treadmill. Afterwards, we had breakfast at the hotel.

After breakfast, we headed to Vizcaya. Described as Florida's grandest residence, it was completed in 1916 as the winter retreat for millionaire industrialist James Deering. We toured the house and gardens. Jack had a great time leading us using the self-guided tour map.

When we were done with the tour, we headed to the Miracle Mile section of Coral Gables. We had lunch at an interesting place called the Atlanta Bread Company.

From here, we headed to check out the Coral Gables Historic Venetian Pool. Formed from a coral rock quarry in 1923, Venetian Pool is included in the National Register of Historic Places. Originally, we had been considering spending the afternoon swimming there, but decided just to head back to the hotel pool. Jack and I spent an hour and a half in the pool, while Sharon went to the hotel Spa.

For dinner, we headed to Texas de Brazil. Sharon had found this in a local dining guide. The hotel tried to steer us away from going there because it was pretty far away, but both Sharon and I were intrigued by the description. The restaurant features a very large seasonal salad bar. Once you have had your salad, roaming carvers serving beef, lamb, chicken, pork and Brazilian sausage come to the table. It was probably one of the most unique dining experiences that either Sharon or I have had.

2009 East Coast Trip - Day 3 - Cooperstown

After a quick breakfast at the house, Sharon and I headed to the park for the Opening Ceremonies. The number of teams this week is 88. The extended festivities included introducing all of the teams and marching them into the field.

Walking to the field for the first game, we got your first real look at the complex. It is gorgeous. There are 22 fields laid over an area of probably 40 acres of rolling terrain. All of the buildings and fields are done in a very simple style.

The Gunners played their first game at 11:00 against the Glenview Illinois Blaze. At the plate, Jack was 1 for 2 with a walk. In his first at-bat, he hit one up the middle and was throw out at first by half a step. He walked in his second plate appearance, stole second, went to third on a grounder and was strayed there at the end of the inning. In his third at-bat with the sign for a hit and run, Jack drove the first pitch hard through the left side for single. He eventually came around to score.

Jack played three innings of the four inning game at third. He handled the ball three times including a throw from the shortstop to force a runner at third, a throw from the catcher to try and get a stealing runner and running down a runner between second and third.

The Gunners won the game by a score of 16 to 1 in four innings. There is a 12 run mercy ruling after four innings. At the opening ceremonies, the announcer reminded everyone that the tournament includes a mixture of rec and competitive teams. This was definitely a rec team.

Sharon and I left the park for a nice lunch at the Yum Yum Shack. This is a place that we would definitely recommend.

The Gunners played their second game at 3:00 p.m. against the Wellington Florida Warriors. We were warned that the Florida teams were very good.

At the plate, Jack was 0 for 2. In his first at-bat, he hit a hard grounder deep to the third baseman and was just out at first. He was not pleased. With the count 3 and 2, Jack hit one back to the pitcher in his second plate appearance and was out at first.

Jack played six innings at third. His play in the field was very solid all day. He caught a pop-up down the third base line in the first inning and made a great catch on a shoe top line drive to end the top of the sixth.

The Gunners got beat badly. They lost the game by a score of 12 to 0, including giving up a grand slam in the third inning and home run in the fifth inning. Falling behind 7 to 0 in the third on the grand slam, you could see the air go out of the boys. It will be interesting to see how they bounce back tomorrow.

The Elk Grove Gunners ended the first day with a record of 1 win and 1 loss. Jack was 1 for 4 with walk.

After the game, Sharon and I drove into Cooperstown and explored. Sharon found a couple of possible places for dinner in the next couple of nights. We stopped at the grocery store and bought some food and then stopped at the Bear Pond Winery for a couple of bottles of wine; they do not sell wine or hard alcohol in the grocery stores in New York.

Back at the house, Sharon fixed a nice dinner. We sat on the porch, drank some wine, had a late dinner and watched it continue to rain. Given it was the longest day of the year, we had enough light after dinner to start to explore some of the trails that lead away from the house. Hopefully, it will dry out enough this week for us to do some hiking.

Florida Day 12

Today was a long day of a lot of walking. After eating the continental breakfast at the hotel, we started walking down Duval Street. We made a stop at The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory. Sharon and Jack enjoyed walking among hundreds of living butterflies.

The next stop was the southernmost point in the continental United States for a few pictures. From here, we started back up Whitehead Street towards the Lighthouse and the Hemingway House through the Bahama Village. We did a guided tour of the Hemingway House. Although my sister Lee Ann was less than positive about her experience visiting the Hemingway House, Sharon and I enjoyed it. The guide did a good job of talking about the history of the house and the life of Hemingway.

We walked up Whitehead and back over to Duval Street. We stopped and had lunch at Sloppy Joe's. This is the namesake of the bar that Hemingway spent a lot of time in while he lived in Key West. After lunch, Sharon did some jewelry window shopping. At this point, we were close to the other end of Duval Street and could see a Disney Cruise Ship docked at Mallory Square.

Heading back to the hotel, I cooled off in the pool, while Sharon and Jack built a lego Hogwarts Train that Jack had gotten at Downtown Disney's huge Lego store.

While Sharon took a nap, Jack and I headed out to check out Fort Zachary Taylor. Fort Taylor was strategically one of the most important forts in the United States because it defended not only the waters around Key West, but also controlled the surrounding waterways of the Straits of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. When we got back from this, we all jumped back into the pool for a while to cool down.

Cleaning up, we headed back to Duval Street and dinner. Jack got a shark painted on his arm. We ended up having dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. We finished the night buying a few t-shirts before ending back to the hotel.

Florida Day 1

A long travel day... We got up at 5:30 a.m. Pacific time and left for the airport at 7:20 a.m. Sharon, Jack and I took a 9:45 a.m. American flight to Dallas. Originally, we had a little over an hour layover. Sometime after I booked the flights, the connection time got changed to 2 1/2 hours. The flight left Dallas at 5:40 p.m. Central time and landed in Orlando at 9:30 p.m. Eastern time. By the we got our luggage, picked up the rental car and checked into the Disney Contemporary Hotel, it was after 11:00 p.m. We got some room service and ended up getting to bed at 1:00 a.m.

Tomorrow, the Magic Kingdom!

More Adventures with Lee plus Zooms, Curbside and a Movie

Morgan asked us to babysit Lee for the day while she studied.

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Late in the day, we ended up doing two Zooms. With the Chabriers moving to Auburndale, Florida, they pulled together a virtual get together of Old Aggies. I popped in and out for the first twenty minutes.

In the evening, we joined a Zoom celebrating Sharon's brother Tim and nephew Eric's birthdays. I am looking forward to the day when we can have large family gatherings safely...

We finished the day with curbside takeout from Cafe Bernardo. Sharon had a Thai Noodle and Mushroom and Jartsberg salad, while I had Penne Pasta. Eating dinner, we watched One Night in Miami.

Florida Day 14

I got up at 6:30 a.m. to watch the sunrise over the Atlantic. While Sharon and Jack slept, I got a cup of coffee and a paper and sat on the sea wall in front of the hotel to watch the sunrise over the ocean. Sunrise was at 6:53 a.m. and was spectacular.

While I got back to the room, Sharon went down and ran. Afterwards, I ran 4.25 miles on the treadmill; I ran the last 1/4 mile at a 6:35 mile pace. We had breakfast at the Beach Club at the hotel and then Sharon took Jack back to the arcade.

Checking out, we headed to the the The Norton Museum of Art. When we started to change our plans, this is one of the things that drew Sharon to Palm Beach. It has one of the largest collections in Florida. It was a little bit of dissappointment for two reasons. First, Jack has been on the road and more than two and a half weeks and I think that he reached his limit. While he was great in the last two museums, he was a struggle at the Norton. Second, one of the pieces that Sharon was particularly interested in seeing was on loan to a museum in Spain. I was impressed with a Dale Chihuly glass ceiling with 693 hand blown glass sculptures in aquatic blues, greens and touches of gold.

By 1:45 p.m., we started north towards Orlando. With two quick stops, it took us almost three hours. As we drove north towards Orlando, we saw more and more damage from Hurricane Charlie. This included houses without roofs, lots of freeway signs and billboards down and hundreds and hundreds of trees broken or bent. This included the area around the hotel. After I dropped off the rental car, I walked back to the hotel and near an area off about 40 acres where almost all of the pine trees had been broken in half. Some of the nearby hotels were had sliding missing and one large building building was missing the lobby.

We had made a reservation at the Sheraton Suites very near the airport and the rental car return. After checking in, we went to find a Walmart to buy an extra bag for all the stuff that we picked up along the way! We had room service and tried to get everyone down early.

Florida Day 6

Sharon got up and did a Yoga Class at the hotel. After she got back, I ran a hard 4.10 miles on the treadmill. We packed up, had room service and checked out of the hotel.

We spent the morning at the The Salvador Dali Museum. This museum boasts the most comprehensive collection of Dali's work in the world, spanning the years from 1914 to 1970. While Dali is not Sharon's "cup of tea," I was amazed at the diversity that of his work; it was interesting to see how his style changed over the course of his 55 plus year career.

Monday night is the only other night that we originally did not have a hotel reservation. Checking the web on Sunday night, I found a "cheap" room at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida. This is just about where we wanted to stop for the night before heading to Key Largo and Key West. It took us about two and a half hours to drive south from St. Petersburg to Naples.

We were very pleased with the room. It has a view of the hotel courtyard and fountain and beyond that the Gulf of Mexico.

After checking in, we wandered around exploring the hotel and walked on the beach. Jack wanted to go to the pool so we headed there. Jack spent about two hours playing in the pool, while we enjoyed a couple of cocktails.

We headed back to the room to enjoy the sunset on the Gulf of Mexico and get ready for dinner. Sharon had arranged for a babysitter. She and I went to dinner at the The Grill and walked on the beach after dinner.

Florida Day 4

I got Sharon and Jack up at about 8:00 a.m. After a quick bite to eat, they headed down to the pool for a quick swim. We packed up and loaded up the car and were out of the room by about 10:30 a.m.

Sharon had seen an outlet store on the way to the hotel on Wednesday night so we spent about an hour and a half finding the store and giving her a chance to wander through the store. Leaving the outlet mall, we headed west towards Tampa Bay.

We stopped in Lakeland and had lunch at Harry's Seafood, Bar, and Grille. The service was slow and the food only fair; the hurricane that I had to drink can only be best described as weak. Sharon and I both had the Fish Wraps.

After lunch we headed to the Florida Southern College. This small college has the world's largest collection of buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Both the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel and the William H. Danforth Chapel were open and we were able to wander through them.

We continued west to St. Petersburg. Originally, we did not have a reservation for Saturday night and intended to find a place north of St. Petersburg. We had a reservation for Sunday night at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club in St. Petersburg. Sharon called early Saturday morning and got us a room there Saturday night as well. The hotel is very nice and is right on the waterfront in St. Petersburg.

Just before dinner, it started to rain like crazy. As a result, we ended up having dinner at the causal restaurant in the hotel. This was a mistake; the food could not be compared to the last two nights. After dinner, the rain had let up and we walked from the hotel almost to the end of the pier.

Coral Princess

In early 2019, Sharon's brother Tom took a two week cruise around South America. Some friends took the same cruise in early March.  Luckily, they were part of a group of passengers that was able to get off the boat on March 19 in Buenos Aires.  The ship's odyssey over the next three weeks after they got off is amazing...


March 19, 2020 12:30PM PT

Coral Princess is currently docked in Buenos Aires, and has been cleared by Argentine customs as well as the Ministry of Health. However, Coral Princess has not yet been fully cleared by local immigration. As such, only guests holding an Argentinean passport and/or guests who have confirmed flights departing today (March 19) have been cleared to disembark.

Princess Cruises is working through diplomatic channels to get full clearance so all guests can depart over the next several days. As of this update, Coral Princess will remain alongside in Buenos Aires to accommodate guest’s departures in this evolving situation. Princess Cruises will also help rebook air travel for all guests as needed.

Given the fluid nature of the situation and limited availability of flights, we thank our guests and all those impacted for their continued patience and understanding. We will share additional information as it becomes available.

March 19, 2020 9:00PM PT

Princess Cruises confirms that Coral Princess was required to abruptly depart the port of Buenos Aires late on March 19, before all guests were disembarked. Argentine President, Alberto Fernandez, issued a decree at 8:00 pm local time that began at midnight. The decree would require the ship to remain in port for an indeterminate number of days, and no guests would have been permitted to disembark during that time. Therefore, the decision was made to leave port immediately.

Coral Princess is now sailing to Montevideo, Uruguay, where it will take delivery of supplies and fuel on March 20. We have been, and will continue to, seek permission to complete guest disembarkation there. Princess Cruises port operations is exploring all avenues, including diplomatic channels. Also, we are working with our shoreside teams on several options to disembark should there be any issues with Montevideo.

Internet and guest stateroom telephone service remain complimentary so that guests can stay in touch with family. Updates will be made available as we obtain more information.

This is an unprecedented situation and we thank our guests for their continued patience and understanding. The safety, health and well-being of everyone on board remains our highest priority.

March 22, 2020 10:30AM PT

Princess Cruises can confirm that Coral Princess made a port call to Montevideo, Uruguay, on March 21 to take delivery of supplies and fuel. No guests were permitted to disembark. The ship continues to encounter difficulty disembarking their guests due to port closures and changing regulations, therefore Coral Princess set sail directly for Fort Lauderdale, which will take approximately 14 days. There are 1,024 guests onboard.

This is an unprecedented situation and the operations team at Princess continues to support the Captain and his crew to ensure everyone onboard returns home safely. The continued patience and understanding of the guests and their families is appreciated. The safety, health and well-being of everyone on board remains our highest priority.

Both Internet and guest stateroom telephone services remain complimentary so that guests may stay in touch with family.

March 23, 2020 6:30PM PT

Coral Princess is currently sailing a South America voyage and continues to encounter challenges disembarking guests due to port closures and changing regulations. In the continued effort to repatriate guests as quickly as possible, the ship will sail to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, arriving March 24. Although Brazil has been closed to cruise ship traffic, we are working through diplomatic channels to obtain permission and have received positive responses.

Guests with confirmed homeward flight arrangements will be permitted to disembark and go directly to the airport. Regretfully, we do not anticipate that all guests will be able to disembark in Rio due to limited flight availability. From Rio, Coral Princess will sail to Fort Lauderdale as previously announced with a planned arrival on Sunday, April 5.

Guests who purchased flights through Princess will be automatically rebooked on flights. We recommend that guests with independent arrangements wait to rebook their flights until official confirmation from the port authorities is received. Independent guests will be able to claim reimbursement upon their return home as previously advised.

Both internet and guest stateroom telephone service remain complimentary so that guests can stay in touch with family. Updates will be made available as we obtain more information.

This is an unprecedented situation and we thank our guests for their continued patience and understanding. The safety, health and well-being of everyone on board remains our highest priority.

March 30, 2020 3:00PM PT

Coral Princess is scheduled to arrive in Bridgetown, Barbados the evening of Tuesday, March 31. During the short time at the port, extra provisions will be brought onboard to keep all guests comfortable during the onward journey. No guests or crew will be permitted to disembark during this time.

Coral Princess will continue to proceed directly to Ft. Lauderdale, with an estimated arrival date of April 4. There remains no known risk of COVID-19 onboard.

Princess will continue to book flights for all guests. Due to limited flight availability, Coral Princess will remain alongside in Fort Lauderdale for two days to allow all guests to proceed directly from the ship to the airport.

Princess is also working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to ensure smooth arrival into port. We are also in regular contact with multiple embassies and consulates.

Both internet and guest stateroom telephone service remain complimentary so that guests can stay in touch with family.

March 24, 2020 5:45PM PT

Despite continued efforts from several consulates, Anvisa (the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency) has denied the disembarkation of Coral Princess guests, including those with confirmed outbound flights.

Coral Princess will proceed directly to Ft. Lauderdale, with no foreseen need for additional port calls. There remains no known risk of COVID-19 onboard.

Both internet and guest stateroom telephone service remain complimentary so that guests can stay in touch with family. In this unprecedented situation, we thank our guests and their loved ones for their continued patience and understanding.

March 31, 2020 9:40AM PT

The medical center onboard Coral Princess has reported a higher-than-normal number of people presenting influenza-like symptoms.

Many have tested positive for regular influenza, however given the concern surrounding COVID-19 (coronavirus), and out of an abundance of caution, guests have been asked to self-isolate in their staterooms and all meals will now be delivered by room service. Crew will remain in their staterooms when not working.

Coral Princess is scheduled to arrive in Bridgetown, Barbados this evening - Tuesday, March 31. This is a service call only and no guests or crew will be permitted to go ashore during this time. Following her service call to Barbados, Coral Princess is currently scheduled to proceed directly to Ft. Lauderdale for disembarkation, with an estimated arrival date of April 4.

Both internet and guest stateroom telephone service remain complimentary so that guests can stay in touch with family. The health, safety, and well-being of all guests and crew are our absolute priority.

April 2, 2020 5:30PM PT

In response to a reported small cluster of cases of respiratory illness and in an abundance of caution, Coral Princess proactively collected and sent 13 COVID-19 test samples to Barbados on March 31. We can confirm the results yielded 12 positive cases (7 guests and 5 crew).

Why is Coral Princess still sailing?

Coral Princess set sail on March 5 from San Antonio (Santiago) for a South America voyage which was scheduled to end in Buenos Aires on March 19. In response to the global spread of COVID-19, Princess Cruises announced a voluntary 60-day pause of operations on March 12, becoming one of the first companies in the leisure travel industry to take this proactive measure. The operational directive being to end each cruise as soon as possible while being able to assure guests the ability to continue their journey home by air travel safely and with certainty.

Following the pause of operations announcement, Coral Princess had planned to disembark in Buenos Aires on March 19 and March 20 as originally scheduled. This was the first available opportunity for disembarkation and a location from where guests had air travel booked. However, due to ongoing port closures and changing regulations, Coral Princess encountered challenges disembarking guests despite best efforts and additional complications with cancellation of air flights.

Princess continues to seek approvals through multiple diplomatic channels, and to work with local officials for disembarkation in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Guests will continue to self-isolate in their staterooms, with all meals delivered by room service. Crew will remain in their staterooms when not working. There are 1,898 people onboard including 1,020 guests and 878 crew members. Both internet and guest stateroom telephone service remain complimentary so that guests can stay in touch with loved ones.

April 4, 2020

Two people have died aboard the Coral Princess, which docked in Port Miami Saturday morning and began to unload people shortly after.

April 5, 2020 1:08PM PT

Princess Cruises can confirm that guest disembarkation for Coral Princess at the Port of Miami began yesterday, April 4. Disembarkation will continue today limited to those departing on chartered flights arranged by Princess Cruises to California, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Overnight, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) communicated changes to their policy regarding post-disembarkation travel for cruise passengers, recommending no travel via commercial flights nor shared transportation with non-cruise guests. Princess Cruises continues to work tirelessly to adjust the repatriation plan to meet the new CDC requirements. This will unfortunately result in further delays in disembarkation and onward travel for many guests as we work through this complex, challenging and unfortunate situation. We express continued gratitude to our guests for their patience and understanding as we work to adapt to these new requirements.

All guests are being screened as directed by the CDC before disembarkation of the vessel. During disembarkation, and until they reach their homes, guests are required to wear a mask and practice social distancing measures.

Those with respiratory symptoms, or who are still recovering, will remain on board until medically cleared by the ship’s doctors. Further details on disembarkation will be shared once available.

April 6, 2020 2:48PM PT

Princess Cruises can confirm 545 guests disembarked Coral Princess yesterday, April 5 and a further 139 guests disembarked this morning. Meanwhile, 274 guests remain on board. Disembarkation continued today prioritizing those who departed on a chartered flight to Canada, in addition to chauffeured ground transportation for local Florida residents - all of which were arranged by Princess Cruises. Additional domestic charter flights are being coordinated and are scheduled to depart tomorrow, April 7. All guests requiring shoreside medical care have been disembarked and are being treated at a facility pre-arranged by Princess Cruises.

Princess continues to work with several federal, state and local authorities including the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States Coast Guard (USCG), the Office of the Governor of Florida, the Florida Department of Health, the Office of the Mayor of Miami-Dade County, PortMiami, and others.

In order to protect the safety and welfare of our guests, as well as the population of other communities, authorities have dictated several requirements and protocols. We are required to follow these requisites without variance, and when they change, we must adjust our plans. We continue to work through the CDC’s updated recommendations regarding post-disembarkation travel for cruise passengers, which includes no travel via commercial flights nor shared air or ground transportation with non-cruise guests. We again must express our continued gratitude to our guests for their patience and understanding as we navigate the unique and complex logistics required to manage this situation.

April 7, 2020 9:19AM PT

Disembarkation will continue today with an additional nine domestic charter flights scheduled. All charters were arranged by Princess Cruises. Guests requiring shoreside medical care have been disembarked and are being treated at local and regional hospitals.

Following today’s disembarkation efforts, approximately 90 international guests will remain onboard given current international travel restrictions. Homeward travel arrangements will be made for these guests as soon as arrival clearance is obtained by each country.

April 8, 2020 3:00PM PT

Disembarkation efforts in Miami, Florida continue for Coral Princess guests with three additional charter flights scheduled for departure today. Pending government approvals, an additional four international charter flights to South America and Europe and one domestic charter flight are in-planning to depart on April 9. Our goal is to ensure all guests are repatriated to their home countries however, this is a complex process due to unique international travel restrictions which vary by country and require clearance for arrival by customs officials. We do not recommend that guests remain on the ship when it heads back to sea for marine operations and local authorities will not authorize the use of local hotels, making timely approvals for repatriation critical.

Princess Cruises would like to thank the leadership and operations team at PortMiami and the many responders who are supporting the effort to care for guests and crew while the disembarkation process nears its completion.

Currently, Princess Cruises is creating a crew repatriation plan for the global fleet. Until it is finalized and ready to action, all crew fleetwide will remain onboard in the care of Princess.

April 9, 2020 3:30PM PT

Disembarkation efforts in Miami, Florida continue for Coral Princess guests with five charter flights scheduled for departure today - one domestic charter flight and four international charter flights to South America and Europe.

Despite continued efforts through diplomatic channels, current travel restrictions by home countries will prevent homeward travel for 13 international guests, and local authorities will not authorize the use of local hotels. These guests will join the Coral Princess crew members for a self-imposed 14-day quarantine to monitor symptoms and to reduce the possibility of transmission if they became symptomatic. Additional Princess Cruises crew members will be boarding today to aid the quarantine.

Coral Princess is scheduled to depart PortMiami today at 5:30 PM ET.

Coral Princess departed March 5 from San Antonio (Santiago) for a South America voyage which was scheduled to end in Buenos Aires on March 19. In response to the global spread of COVID-19, Princess Cruises announced a voluntary 60-day pause of operations on March 12, becoming one of the first companies in the leisure travel industry to take this proactive measure. Coral Princess remained in service longer than previously expected, until arriving at the Port of Miami, due to a series of port closures, airline cancellations and other actions taken, which impacted the onward travel home of the guests and crew onboard.

France Noizay Day 11

I set the alarm for 7:30 a.m., but both Sharon and I were awake earlier. Sharon went out for a 20 minute run around the grounds of the chateau.

We had breakfast at the hotel. The rest of the rooms were filled with Americans who were on a multi-day horse ride across the Loire Valley. We did not see them the previous night, but they were all at breakfast.

We packed up, loaded the car and set the GPS for Chenonceau. When we were traveling across Florida in 2004, we used a book called a 1,000 places to see before you die. It recommended Chenonceau and Chambord as places to go in the Loire Valley. Chenonceau is the third most visited chateau in France (after Versailles and Fontainebleau). After a couple of days wandering the back roads, it was a little bit of shock to be back in the crowds.

The guidebook recommended getting the audio tour. We spent about an hour wandering through the chateau following the audio tour. All of us felt that it was time well spent and we felt like the audio tour added to the experience. Afterwards, we spent some time wandering the gardens (Jack loved the maze) and shopping in the gift shop.

We ended up getting lunch at the on-site sit down restaurant. This turned out to be one of the better meals that we had on the trip. Sharon spent some time dissecting one of the courses and making notes. She is starting to do some planning for a couple of fall dinner parties based on a french meal.

Back in the car, we set the GPS for Château de Noizay. Sharon and I were both a little dissappointed in this hotel. From the web site, we thought that it was going to be more like the accomodations in Reims. Unfortunately, it was a little below that level. You have to remember that these chateaus are 500 year old buildings. While there were some neat things about the place, the buildings definitely show their age. The grounds were also very dry and did not seem to very well kept up.

On a positive note, the place had a pool. With France in the middle of a heat wave, it felt great to take a dip in the pool after a long day.

We had driven through Ambroise on the way to the chateau and decided to go back there for dinner. We wandered through the town and found a great table on the sidewalk across from the ramparts of the castle. It was a great view. During dinner, it started to rain pretty hard. We were under the awning on the sidewalk and enjoyed our salads and the best pizza we had on the trip.

Florida Day 15

Up at 4:30 a.m. East Coast time (1:30 a.m. Pacific Time!), we caught a shuttle to the airport for a 7:40 a.m. flight on American Airlines. We flew from Orlando to Dallas to Sacramento; it was actually the same plane. It was very uneventful. We landed in Sacramento at 11:30 a.m. and were home by 12:30 p.m. only to find that the person feeding the cat had dead-bolted the garage door. We had to wait for a locksmith to come and let us in.

About the only notable thing was the water damage to the Orlando terminal. The carpet in the terminal where our gate was located was soaked and they were working feverishly to dry everything out. It looked like Hurricane Charlie had knocked part of the roof off and allowed the rain to pour in.

Florida Day 13

Originally, we planned to stay three nights in Key West (August 11, 12 and 13th) followed by three nights in Miami (August 14, 15 and 16). When we swapped the Miami and Key West stays, we created a dilemma. If we stayed three nights in Key West, we would have been faced with a 400 mile trip on Tuesday. Given the speed limits in the Keys, this might have translated into an eight or nine hour trip with stops.

We made a decision to change our plans slightly. We cut our stay in Key West to two nights and made a reservation in Palm Beach for Monday night. This was still almost 240 miles and even with only a quick 30 minute stop for lunch took us more than five hours.

Sharon made reservations at The Breakers. After having a breakfast, we left Key West about 9:30 a.m. and got to the hotel about 2:45 p.m. We stopped for lunch at The Fish House in Key Largo.

While Sharon did a yoga class, I took Jack to the their arcade. When we checked in, they gave Jack a card worth about $30 in tokens. He had a great time.

We had dinner at the The Seafood Bar in the hotel. This restaurant was right on the water with a great view of the Atlantic Ocean. Sharon and I both agreed that this was probably the second best meal that we had on the trip!

Florida Day 11

I got up early and when to run on the treadmill, while Jack and Sharon were still asleep. After I got back Sharon went down to the health club. We checked out of the Biltmore and headed back to back to Cocowalk for breakfast at the Green Street Cafe.

After breakfast, we did a driving tour of Coral Gables. Coral Gables is a planned community developed by George Merrick in the 1920's. The tour included two of the four original four grand entrances and six of Merrick's Disneyesque international villages. It is a very nice residential area and only reinforces some of our dissatisfaction with our current neighborhood.

By 12:45 p.m., we started the 160 mile drive to Key West. I really liked the drive down the Keys; it was a very unique experience. We got to our hotel in Key West a little after 4 p.m.

We got a great two story room with a pool right outside our door at the Ambrosia House in Key West. This is on Fleming Street two blocks off Duval Street.

Jack and I swam for a while in the pool right outside our door. We then headed down Duval Street. We ended up having dinner at A&B Oyster House on the broadwalk in the old port. (Sharon had Hogfish! I had Dolphin.)

We then headed back to Mallory Square to watch the performance artists and the sunset and browse the street vendors. Jack's favorite was a show that featured trained house cats jumping through hoops and doing tricks.

We wandered back up Duval Street. Sharon was looking for a Key West Italian Charm which she finally found. We got back to the room a little after 10 p.m.

Florida Day 10

Sharon got up and ran on the treadmill and lifted weights, while I tried to order room service. One of the struggles that we have had on this trip is getting Jack to order something to eat. I spent 10 minutes going over the room service menu with Jack trying to order something for him. He finally decided on something, but when it got to the room it was not what he thought it was going to be.

After watching the weather for a while, we headed out for South Beach.
The South Beach area is very cool; it includes hundreds of buildings restored to their early 20th-century art deco appearance. We walked along Ocean Drive, while Sharon wandered in and out of a few shops. We ended up having lunch at the Fox Cafe, the restaurant in the Casa Grande Suite Hotel.

Although I have tried to avoid thinking about work, I did a 15 minute conference call about the data center migration at Mill-Peninsula.

After lunch, we walked back up the beach. There are some interesting art deco lifeguard huts on the beach.

We then headed to Litte Havana. We stopped at the El Credito Cigar Factory. We watched them making cigars for a while and then bought a few to bring home.

Although I brought enough clothes for the whole two weeks, Sharon had planned on doing laundry. We had scouted a Laundromat near the hotel earlier and we dropped Sharon there while Jack and I went back to the hotel.

After picking Sharon up, the three of us headed to the hotel pool for a an hour. For dinner, we headed to the CocoWalk and ended up having dinner at Cafe Tu Tu Tango. This was also an interesting dining experience. They claim that the restaurant is modeled after a Barcelona Cafe. There were artist painting in the middle, original artwork hanging around the restaurant and a large high definition display showing a rotating set of masterpieces. Sharon had fun identifying and talking about the masterpieces as they were displayed. When we finished with dinner, Sharon did some shopping. She lamented that she had not found this area of Coral Gables earlier!

Florida Day 5

We got up at 3:30 a.m.! Based on our decision to stay Saturday night in St. Petersburg. We were faced with an 1 hour and 40 minute drive to Homosassa Springs to go snorkling with the manatees. We had made a reservation with Captain Mike's to go snorkling with the manatees a couple of months ago and had already paid our money. We needed to be there at 6:00 a.m.

Although it was a little bit of a struggle to get going in the morning, we had a great time. The tour company took 17 people out on a houseboat and within about 15 minutes we were in a small bay that probably had a dozen different manatees feeding in it. Jack and I got in the water and I towed him over so he could see them under the water and scratch them. After a while Sharon took Jack and I followed a group of five them away from the boat. It was pretty cool to snorkling along by myself with a group of 2,000 pound animals. They were heading around the bend away from the boats so I eventually started back towards Sharon and Jack. We got Jack back on the houseboat. Sharon and I spent some time with a group that was following a pair. Sharon got cold and headed back to the boat, while I drifted along following one. Occasionally, the manatee would roll over on its back so that people could scratch its underside. In total, I probably spent almost an hour and a half in the water. I purchased a waterproof camera and took a roll of film. I will probably try to get it developed when we get to Key West.

Afterwards, we had breakfast at a local bar and grill and then started back to St. Petersburg. We were back at the hotel by about 11:45 a.m. We crashed in the room for about an hour and a half.

In the mid-afternoon, we took off to the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts. The museum was smaller than either of us expected. Sharon liked Sea of Grass-Sunset by Jimmy Ernst, Poppy by Georgia O'Keeffe and Brittany Girl Fishing by Daniel Ridgway Knight.

Leaving the museum, we walked out on the St. Petersburg Pier. Although architecturally interesting with a nice view of the area from the fifth floor, neither of us were impressed.

We went to St. Pete's Beach for dinner at Sea Critters Cafe, Food & Bar. We had originally intended to go to another place, but the hotel said the food was better at Sea Critters. Neither Sharon or I were impressed with the food or the drinks; I think we are going to have a hard time topping the meals from the first two nights. Nevertheless, Jack had fun feeding his table scraps to the catfish!

After dinner, we walked along the beach. Given our 3:30 a.m. start, we were all in bed and asleep before 9:00 p.m.

Florida Day 2

After a late night, it was after 9:00 a.m. before Sharon and Jack got out of bed. By the luck of the draw, we ended up on one of the two upper floors that serves breakfast, probably because we got here so late that it was all they had left. The hotel is full with every Home Depot manager in the country!

The monorail actually runs through the middle of the hotel that we are staying in. We took the monorail through the Polynesian and Grand Floridian Hotels to the Magic Kingdom. Jack has been talking about the Autopia at Disneyland ever since he learned that we were coming to Disneyworld. They have a comparable ride called the Indy Speedway. We went there first and Jack had a great time.

Afterwards, he said that it was time to go back to the hotel that he was done with Disneyworld. When we started to talk about some other rides that we were going to do, he said that it was actually time to go back to California. We wandered around a little bit trying to get him pointed towards some rides and decided to feed him some more.

After some lunch, the three of us went on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Mickey's PhilharMagic, the Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean (Sharon only). All of this was a little like dentistry in the 19th century. Jack was hesitant about all of the rides.

We headed back to the room about 5 p.m. and I took Jack down to the pool. They had a mid-sized water slide. Jack thought that this was the greatest thing in the world. He spent almost an hour sliding down the slide into the pool.

We had a dinner reservation at the California Grill. This is on the top floor (15th) of the Disney Contemporary Hotel. It was a great view; we had a window table facing the sunset and looking down on the Magic Kingdom. We watched the sunset and the lights come on in the park. Sharon had ravioli (she never orders pasta!), I had a pork tenderloin and Jack had a cheese pizza.

We finished the night watching a light show on the lake from our room.

ESPN 30 for 30 Volume II Episode Guide

I enjoyed Volume I of the ESPN 30 for 30 series that ran starting in 2009. An episode guide is here. My ranking of those films is here.

In fall of 2011, ESPN ran a series of ESPN Films that continued the spirit of 30 for 30. A list of those film is here.

Films announced for 30 for 30 Volume II include:

1. Broke by Billy Corben - Oct. 2, 2012, 8 p.m. - trailer

Broke 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.

2. 9.79* by Daniel Gordon - Oct. 9, 2012, 8 p.m. - trailer

2012 Toronto International Film Festival Selection - The 100-meter men’s final at the 1988 Seoul Games was the fastest and perhaps most thrilling sprint in Olympic history. But within 48 hours, gold medalist Ben Johnson had tested positive for anabolic steroids, and scandal reigned. This one race still haunts the eight men who took part. But what brought them to the starting line? And what happened to them since?

3. There’s No Place Like Home by Maura Mandt and Josh Swade - Oct. 16, 2012, 8 p.m. - trailer

On December 10, 2010, Sotheby’s auctioned off the most important historical document in sports history—James Naismith’s original rules of basketball. There’s No Place Like Home is the story of one fan’s obsessive quest to win this seminal American artifact at auction and bring the rules “home” to Lawrence, Kansas, where Naismith coached and taught for more than 40 years.

4. Benji by Coodie and Chike - Oct. 23, 2012, 8 p.m. - trailer

In 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.

5. Ghosts of Ole Miss by Fritz Mitchell - Oct. 30, 2012, 8 p.m. - trailer

In 1962, the University of Mississippi campus erupted in violence over integration and swelled with pride over an unbeaten football team. Mississippi native Wright Thompson explores the tumultuous events that continue to shape the state 50 years later.

6. You Don’t Know Bo by Michael Bonfiglio - Dec. 8, 2012, 9 p.m. - trailer

Bo 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.

7. Survive and Advance by Jonathan Hock - March 17, 2013, 9 p.m. - trailer

In 1983, the NC State Wolfpack, coached by Jim Valvano, stayed alive in the postseason through a series of nine overtime and 1-point games, beating the likes of Michael Jordan and Sam Perkins. The unlikely squad made it to the national championship game against No. 1 Houston, aka Phi Slama Jama, a team featuring future NBA Top 50 all-time players Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. NC State was one of the biggest underdogs ever in the final game, one that went down as possibly the best college basketball game in history-ending with one of the most well-known plays of all time.

8. Elway to Marino by NFL Films and Ken Rodgers - April 23, 2013, 9 p.m. - trailer

ESPN teams up with NFL Films and director Ken Rodgers for a glance at the ’83 NFL Draft, which had six QBs taken in the first round, including Pro Football HOFers John Elway, Jim Kelly and Dan Marino. Debuting two nights before the ’13 Draft -- “Elway to Marino” focuses not only on the star-studded draft class, but also on its impact on a league that was just coming off a player strike and fending off the emerging USFL.

9. Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau by Sam George - October 1, 2013, 8 p.m. - trailer

"Eddie Would Go." It's a phrase that has long carried deep meaning with countless Hawaiians and surfers worldwide. Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau goes beyond those famous three words and chronicles the remarkable life and power of Eddie Aikau, the legendary Hawaiian big wave surfer, pioneering lifeguard and ultimately doomed crew member of the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hokule'a. With a rich combination of archival imagery, contemporary interviews and meticulously researched historical source material, this film is a compelling exploration of the tragic decline and extraordinary re-birth of the Hawaiian culture as personified by a native son whose dynamic life and heroic death served as inspiration to an entire spiritual movement.

10. Free Spirits by Daniel H. Forer - October 8, 2013, 8 p.m. - trailer

When 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 their way to franchise extinction, co-owners Daniel and Ozzie Silna managed to negotiate a contract that has allowed the team to continue to exist in the most unusual fashion.

11. No Mas by Eric Drath - October 15, 2013, 8 p.m. - trailer

In 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 second of their clashes, which would create a sense of mystery, bewilderment and intrigue to the present day. No Mas unveils for the first time what really happened, going behind the scenes of these two showdowns with the help of boxing experts, family members and the two fighters themselves.

12. Big Shot by Kevin Connolly - October 22, 2013, 8 p.m. - trailer - youtube

In 1996, the once-dominant New York Islanders were in serious trouble. Lousy performance and poor management were driving away the hockey franchise's loyal fan base. The team hit bottom. Then along came a Dallas businessman named John Spano, who swooped in and agreed to buy the team for 165 million dollars. Things began to look up for the Islanders - way up. But it was all smoke and mirrors. Big Shot goes inside an extraordinary scandal that engulfed the Islanders. Featuring the only interview Spano has ever given about the Islanders deal, this film is an unforgettable tale of a dream that became a lie - and how a scam of such epic proportions initially went undetected.

13. This is What They Want by Brian Koppelman and David Levien - October 29, 2013, 8 p.m. - trailer

When Jimmy Connors arrived in New York for the 1991 U.S. Open, the one-time tennis superstar was 8 years removed from his last Grand Slam singles title, ranked 174th in the world and approaching his 39th birthday. Not exactly a recipe for success. But on the verge of a quick first-round exit, Connors suddenly and unexpectedly re-captured the magic, embarking on a stirring and extraordinary run than included an epic contest with Aaron Krickstein on his way to the semifinals. This is What They Want not only illuminates this highly improbably march past a series of talented and youthful adversaries, it also explores how Connors became a polarizing and provocative personality who helped make tennis a high-octane spectator sport.

14. Bernie and Ernie - November 5, 2013, 8 p.m. - trailer

When basketball fans mention Bernard King, we conjure the same image -- prolific scorer, fierce competitor and NBA legend. But few among us are aware of what made King the man he is today. One of those who has known him best through the years is college and pro teammate Ernie Grunfeld. "Bernie and Ernie" is the story of two men who had vastly different backgrounds and experiences and seemingly shared nothing in common except the game of basketball, yet forged a close friendship that has lasted four decades.

15. Youngstown Boys - December 15, 2013, 8 p.m. - trailer

The interconnected journey and evolving relationship of two former Ohio State stars -- RB Maurice Clarett and coach Jim Tressel.

16. The Price of Gold by Nanette Burstein - January 16, 2014, 9 p.m. - trailer

American hopes for a gold medal in women's figure skating at the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway rested on two very different but equally fascinating personalities: Nancy Kerrigan, the elegant brunette from Massachusetts, and Tonya Harding, the fiery blonde from Oregon. On January 6, 1994, after a practice session at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Kerrigan was stunningly clubbed on the right knee by an unknown assailant and left wailing, "Why, why, why?" As the bizarre "why" mystery unraveled, it was revealed that Harding's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, had plotted the attack with his misfit friends to literally eliminate Kerrigan from the competition. Now two decades later, Tonya and Nancy takes a fresh look through revealing new interviews with the Harding and Kerrigan camps at a unique worldwide spectacle.

17. Requiem For The Big East by Ezra Edelman - Sunday, March 16, 2014 at 9 p.m. ET - trailer

It explores the meteoric ascension of the Big East Conference and how, in less than a decade under the innovative leadership of founder and commissioner Dave Gavitt, it became the most successful college sports league in America.

18. Bad Boys by Dion Cocoros - Thursday, April 17, 2014 at 8 p.m. ET - trailer

A documentary on the notorious Pistons squads that won two world titles and battled for Eastern Conference supremacy in the late 1980s and early 90s.

19. Slaying the Badger by John Dower - Tuesday, July 22, 2014 at 8 p.m. ET - trailer

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.

20. Playing for the Mob by Joe Lavine & Cayman Grant - Tuesday, October 7, 2014 at 9 p.m. ET

What happens when you combine “Goodfellas” with college basketball? You get “Playing for the Mob,” the story of how mobster Henry Hill — played by Ray Liotta in the 1990 Martin Scorsese classic — helped orchestrate the fixing of Boston College basketball games in the 1978-79 season. The details of that point-shaving scandal are revealed for the first time on film through the testimony of the players, the federal investigators and the actual fixers, including Hill, who died shortly after he was interviewed. “Playing for the Mob” may be set in the seemingly golden world of college basketball but, like “Goodfellas,” this is a tale of greed, betrayal and reckoning. Ultimately, they both share the same message: With that much money at stake, you can’t trust anybody.

21. The Day The Series Stopped - by Ryan Fleck - Tuesday, October 14, 2014 at 10 p.m. ET - trailer

On 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 footage, previously untold stories from players, officials, San Francisco and Oakland citizens affected by the earthquake, and a scientific look back at what happened below the earth, “The Day The Series Stopped” will revisit that night 25 years ago. The record book shows that the A’s swept the Giants, but that’s become a footnote to the larger story of the 1989 World Series.

22. When The Garden Was Eden by Michael Rapaport - Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at 9 p.m. ET

In 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 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 and 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 New York City provided made it all that much sweeter.

23. Brian and The Boz by Thaddeus D. Matula - Tuesday, October 28, 2014 at 9 p.m. ET

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 outsized 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, including a national championship, as Bosworth was awarded the first two Butkus Awards. But Bosworth’s alter ego – “The Boz” – was taking over. Eventually, he went on a downward spiral and became known as an NFL bust. In “Brian and The Boz,” the dual identities of Brian Bosworth are examined as he looks back on his life and passes on the lessons he’s learned to his son.

24. Brothers in Exile by Mario Diaz - Tuesday, November 4, 2014 at 9 p.m. ET

Major League Baseball has been transformed by the influx of Cuban players like Aroldis Chapman, Yasiel Puig and Jose Abreu. But a special debt of gratitude is owed to two half-brothers whose courage two decades ago paved the way for their stardom. “Brothers in Exile” tells the incredible story of Livan and Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez, who risked their lives to get off the island. Livan left first, banking on his status as the hottest young prospect in Cuba, to defect via Mexico and sign with the Florida Marlins, for whom he soon 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. C0ast 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 brothers who rode their arms to freedom and triumph.

25. Rand University by Marquis Daisy - Tuesday, November 11, 2014 at 9 p.m. ET

Randy Moss has long been an enigma known for his brilliance on the football field and his problems off it. “Rand University” gets to the intersection of those aspects of Moss by going back to where he came from – Rand, West Virginia – and exploring what almost derailed him before he ever became nationally known for his extraordinary abilities as a wide receiver. After overcoming troubles with the law, losing the opportunities to play at Notre Dame and Florida State and then reviving his enormously promising football career at Marshall University, all that was good and troubling about Randy Moss materialized on the day of the 1998 NFL Draft. Twenty picks were made before the Minnesota Vikings selected him in the first round. Based on what unfolded throughout Moss’s NFL career, the teams that passed on him may have had a mixture of regret and relief.

26. The U Part 2 by Billy Corben - Saturday, December 13, 2014 at 9 p.m. ET

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 new controversies when a booster used a Ponzi scheme to win favor with the program.

27. Of Miracles and Men by Jonathan Hock - February 9, 2015

In a podcast with Bill Simmons, Hock talked about his next 30 for 30 project. It is a documentary about the 1980 Soviet Hockey, the team that lost to the Americans at Lake Placid in the Miracle on Ice. It was one of the greatest hockey team every assembled and had a profound effect on how the game is played today. It was supposed to air February during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Connor Schell mentions this 30 for 30 again in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

28. I Hate Christian Laettner by Rory Karpf - Sunday, March 15, at 9 p.m. ET

He 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? Maybe it was the time he stomped on the chest of a downed player, or the battles he had with his teammates, or a perceived sense of entitlement. But sometimes, perception isn’t reality.

29. Sole Man by Jon Weinbach and Dan Marks - April 16, 2015

A definitive, first-hand and unflinching account of how Sonny Vaccaro rose from humble Pennsylvania steel-town roots to become the most valuable marketing asset in the $13 billion athletic-shoe industry.

30 for 30 “Sole Man” To Premiere April 6 as Digital Series on Grantland.com - ESPN MediaZone ESPN MediaZone

30. Angry Sky by Jeff Tremaine - July 30, 2015

In 1965, a truck driver and exotic pet dealer from New Jersey decided that he could join an elite group of men who had been to the final frontier -- space.

8/3/2012 - ESPN Films Announces Fall Schedule for 30 for 30 Vol. II

1/25/2013 - Next Slate Of ESPN "30 For 30" Films To Include Jimmy V's Title Run, '83 NFL Draft

7/24/2013 - ESPN Announces Fall Slate of '30 for 30' Documentaries

9/15/2014 - Fall Slate Announced for ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 as Fifth Anniversary of Series Approaches

11/18/2014 - New 30 for 30 Documentary “I Hate Christian Laettner” To Premiere in 2015