Shark

With Sharon out for the evening visiting Michele, I watched the ESPN 30 for 30 Shark on ESPN+. While I religiously watched volume one and volume two of the 30 for 30s when they first came out, I have fallen out of the habit over the last ten plus years. I need to finish up volume three and post an episode guide for volume four.

The documentary is a profile of golfer Greg Norman. Greg Norman is one of the most iconic figures in the history of golf. He was known for his aggressive playing style, his blonde hair, and his nickname, "The Shark." Norman won two Open Championships and finished runner-up in the Masters Tournament six times. However, he is often remembered for what he didn't achieve: winning a green jacket at Augusta National.

The ESPN 30 for 30 episode "Shark" tells the story of Norman's career, with a particular focus on his relationship with the Masters Tournament. The last quarter of the documentary focuses on his collapse at the 1996 Masters. I didn't realize that Norman finished second to Jack Nichlaus in the 1986 Masters.

I enjoyed it. I recommended it. As Sharon and I play more golf over the next couple of years, there is a Scott Van Pelt quote that resonated with me that I am going to post separately.

The Last Dance

After finishing the first season of Saturday Night Live, I started watching The Last Dance while running on the treadmill.  The ten part series highlights the career of Michael Jordan with particular focus on his last season with the Chicago Bulls.  The documentary uses never-before aired footage from the 1997/98 Bulls season.

The episodes include: 

• Episode I - Flashbacks chronicle Michael Jordan's college and early NBA days [drafted in 1984]. The Bulls make a preseason trip to Paris amid tension with GM Jerry Krause.
• Episode II - Scottie Pippen [drafted in 1987] rises to become one of the NBA's best players. An injury early in Jordan's career shows distrust with Bulls management. Jordan broke his foot at the beginning of the 1985/86 season.
• Episode III - Dennis Rodman's attitude and energy help the team win, but bring the drama off the court.  Rodman played for the Bulls 1995/96, 1996/97 and 1997/98 championship teams.  The Bulls struggle to overcome the Pistons in the late '80s.  The Bulls lost to the "Bad Boys" Pistons in the 1988/89 and 1989/90 Eastern Conference Finals.
• Episode IV - Phil Jackson's unique philosophy and demeanor take the Bulls to the next level.  Jackson starting coaching the Bulls in the 1989/90 season.  The team finally gets past Detroit and earns a shot at an NBA title, which is a dream matchup against Magic Johnson, Rookie Vlade Divac and the Lakers.
• Episode V - From Air Jordan and Be Like Mike to the 1992 NBA Finals and the Olympic dream team, Michael becomes a global cultural icon unlike any other.  Toni Kukoč plays for Croatia against the Dream Team.  Bulls beat the Trailbazers in the finals [Clyde Drexler, Ainge].
• Episode VI - A revealing book--Jordan Rules--and scrutiny of his gambling put a dent in Michael's reputation, but he remains focused on winning a third straight title in 1993. Bulls beat Phoenix Suns [Barkley, Ainge, Kevin Johnson].
• Episode VII - Crushed by the death of his father, a mentally exhausted Michael retires in 1993 – to play baseball. The Bulls move on with Scottie in the lead role.
• Episode VIII - Michael's return energizes the Bulls, the city and the NBA, but a playoff loss in the second round to the Orlando Magic [Shaq, Hardaway, Horace Grant] in 1995 fuels him to work harder than ever to get back on top; this is rewarded with their fourth NBA championship over Seattle [Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp] in 1996, after a record-breaking 72-win season.
• Episode IX - The Bulls face stiff challenges to their reign in 1997 against Utah and in 1998 versus Indiana. The Bulls beat Utah [Karl Malone, John Stockton] to five their fifth championship.  Role player Steve Kerr makes his mark on the dynasty.
• Episode X - Battered and exhausted, the Bulls conclude their "Last Dance" with a sixth championship over the Jazz [Marlone, Stockton]. Michael, Phil, and others reflect on the end of their dynasty.

This documentary is very good.  I recommend it.  Recent interviews with the key people, including Jordan, make the film particularly powerful.

ESPN 30 for 30 Vol IV - Be Water

Running on the treadmill on Sunday afternoon and Tuesday night, I watched the ESPN 30 for 30 Be Water. This is the fifth film in volume IV of ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary series. I will post an episode guide for volume four in the future.

Be Water is an exploration of the life and legacy of Bruce Lee as an acting and martial arts icon. I was fascinated by the fact that he was the son of a Chinese Opera star and appeared in several films as a child actor. By the time he was 18, he had appeared in twenty films.

Concerned that there was a contract out for his life, his parent sent him to the United States in 1959.  He eventually enrolled in the University of Washington in Seattle and started teaching martial arts. 

From 1966 to 1967, Lee played the role of Kato alongside the title character played by Van Williams in the The Green Hornet. The show lasted only one season (26 episodes).  During the 60s, he built relationships with several hollywood actors and sports stars.  The documentary implies that Bruce Lee pitched the idea for the Kung Fu television series.

Frustrated with Hollywood, Lee returned to Hong Kong to star in a series of marital arts films.  The success of these films turned him into a superstar and finally caught Hollywood's attention.  Lee died unexpectedly at age 32 just as his film career was taking off.

Frankly, I didn't know much Bruce Lee.  I enjoyed the film, but feel like it could have been tighter and shorter.  [Note to self], I need to watch Enter the Dragon and at least a couple of the Green Hornet episodes.

Footnote.  There is a amazing sequence in the documentary of Bruce Lee fighting with 7 ft 2 in basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a former student.  This was filmed for Game of Death.

ESPN 30 for 30 Vol IV - Lance - Part 2

Sunday night May 31, Sharon, Jack and I watched part two of the ESPN 30 for 30 Lance. My notes from part 1 are here. This is the fourth film in volume IV of ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary series. An episode guide for volume IV is here.

I will admit that Sharon, Jack and I were huge Lance Armstrong fans and passionate followers of the Tour de France during his seven year championship run.  I have continued to follow Lance on Instagram and in Facebook.

There are a lot of people who have had a strong negative reaction to this documentary. They point to Lance as a cheater and a pit bull that viciously attacked anyone that suggested he was cheating. There have been suggestions that Lance used this documentary to justify his actions and redeem himself.

I have a different perspective. I don't have outrageous anger at sports figures like Lance and Barry Bonds. They were under enormous pressure to stay healthy, show up everyday and perform. The amount of money at stake was insane. Given the number of people around them that were using performance enhancing drugs, I can sympathize with why they did it. In Lance's case, he wouldn't have been able to compete without the drugs.

My perspective is that this is an interesting story.  I enjoyed the documentary.  Lance is a compelling tragic figure.  Using so much interview footage of Lance makes it a different story, but not a bad story.  Over the years, I have come to the place where I view any biography I read or documentary I watch with a critical skeptical eye.

ESPN 30 for 30 Vol IV - Lance - Part 1

On Saturday night, May 30, Sharon, Jack and I watched part 1 of the ESPN 30 for 30 Lance. This is the fourth film in volume IV of ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary series. 

Although I have fallen behind in recent years, I have really enjoyed Volumes 1, 2 and 3 of ESPN's 30 for 30. The first 30 for 30 ran more than ten years ago in October of 2009.  An episode guide for Volume 1 is here; my ranking of those films is here. An episode guide for Volume 2 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. An episode guide for Volume 3 is here. I will post an episode guide for volume four in the future.

In the early 2000s, Sharon, Jack and I passionately followed Lance and the Tour de France.  Sharon and I read both of his books in 2004: It's Not About the Bike, My Journey Back to Life and Every Second Counts.  Over the years, I have continued to watch parts of the Tour de France running on the treadmill; I love the scenery.

I will post some thoughts on the documentary and Lance with my post about part 2.

Deion's Double Play

Friday night, I watched Deion's Double Play. This is the twenty-seventh installment of ESPN's 30 for 30 Volume 3. An episode guide for Vol 3 is here.

During the 1992, Deion Sanders played in both football and baseball. As a utility outfielder for the Atlanta Braves, Deion led the entire major leagues in triples (14), stole 26 bases and had the second highest batting average (.304) on the Braves roster. As an Atlanta Falcons cornerback and kick returner, he was in the fourth year of his career.

While the film looks broadly at Sanders' career, it focuses on the weekend of October 11, 1992. He played in a MLB LCS game on Saturday night in Pittsburg. After the game, Nike flew him to Atlanta in a charter for a Sunday NFL Falcon's game. After that game, Deion flew back to Pittsburg for a Sunday night MLB playoff game in Pittsburg.

Deion is not only the only player to hit an MLB home run and score an NFL touchdown in the same week. He's also the only man to have played in a World Series AND a Super Bowl.

I enjoyed the documentary. I didn't realize how much baseball Deion had played. He played a nine-year, part-time baseball career, playing left and center field in 641 games with four teams.

The Last Days of Knight

Saturday while Sharon was in Southern California, I watched The Last Days of Knight. This is the twenty-fourth installment of ESPN's 30 for 30 Volume 3. An episode guide for Vol 3 is here. I haven't kept up with the 30 for 30 series over the last couple of years; there are more than a dozen documentaries that I haven't seen.

The film starts by looking briefly at Bob Knight's career. After briefly coaching at Army from 1965 to 1971, Knight coached at Indiana University from 1971 to 2000. While at Indiana, Knight led his teams to three NCAA championships, one National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship, and 11 Big Ten Conference championships. His 1975–76 team went undefeated during the regular season and won the 1976 NCAA tournament. By 2000, the film paints Knight was one of the most powerful people at the university and in some ways in the state of basketball crazy Indiana.

The documentary is told from an unusual angle. In April 1999, Robert Abbott, a producer for CNN/Sports Illustrated, began reporting a story investigating why three high school All-Americans had left Knight's program over the prior two years. The film is directed and narrated by Abbott. It is a behind-the-scenes look at the investigation and its ultimate ramifications.

I was pleasantly surprised by this 30 for 30. It is a story with which I was only passingly familiar. Although it was an hour and forty minutes long, it never dragged or seemed slow. The follow-up story on one of the players that left the program is heart wrenching. It is a documentary worth looking for. It motivates me to go back and watch more of the 30 for 30s that I have missed.

The Two Bills

Saturday while Sharon was in Chicago, I watched The Two Bills. This is the twenty-third installment of ESPN's 30 for 30 Volume 3. An episode guide for Vol 3 is here.

The film traces the four-decade relationship between Bill Belichick and Bill Parcells. I frankly didn't realize how long coached they together. They were together at the Giants in the 1980s and the Patriots and the Jets in the 1990s. They won two Super Bowls with the Giants. There was quite a bit of running amok when Belichick was with the Jets as Parcell's assistant head coach and the Patriots wanted to hire him to be their head coach.

There are also a couple of interesting intersections with several other 30 for 30s. In 1990, the Giants coached by Parcells and Belichick beat the Buffalo Bills in the first of Buffalo's four straight Super Bowl losses (The Four Falls of Buffalo). Belichick was also the coach of the Cleveland Browns when they announced that they were moving to Baltimore (The Band That Wouldn't Die).

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this 30 for 30. It was very well done. Weaving the interview of the two coaches in the Giants' locker room through the film was a different approach. Given Belichick's success with the Patriots over the last 18 years, it is an interesting look at his coaching roots.

Mike and the Mad Dog

Friday night while Sharon was in Wichita, I watched Mike and the Mad Dog. This is the seventeenth installment of ESPN's 30 for 30 Volume 3. An episode guide for Vol 3 is here.

The documentary focuses on the story of Mike Francesa and Chris Russo from four angles:

• The first was the creation of WFAN, how the nation's most prominent all-sports station was born and why it succeeded.
• The second was why the Mike and the Mad Dog show resonated with New York sports fans five-and-a-half hours a day, five days a week for nearly two decades.
• The third was the monstrous impact Mike and the Mad Dog had on sports media; how the show was responsible for the explosion of contemporary sports talk radio in America.
• The last, and most important part was Mike and Chris' emotional, at times combustible, relationship.

This 30 for 30 didn't resonate with me. I never heard Mike and the Mad Dog live. As a result, it is hard to connect to the story. The closest that I have come is listening to Bill Simmons and Cousin Sal parody Mike and Chris.

I have gained some respect for Francesa over the last two years. He has appeared on the Bill Simmons podcast a number of times. I have been impressed by Mike's knowledge and his relationships with a number of sports figures.

I have fallen way behind in watching ESPN 30 for 30's over the last two years. At this point, there are at least nine that I haven't seen!

ESPN 30 for 30 Vol 3: One and Not Done

While Sharon was in DC, I watched One and Not Done. This is the sixteenth installment of ESPN's 30 for 30 Volume 3. An episode guide for Vol 3 is here.

The documentary follows the career of John Calipari. From 1988 to 1996 at the University of Massachusetts, Calipari led the Minutemen program to five consecutive Atlantic 10 titles and NCAA Tournament appearances, including periods where the program was ranked first nationally. He was 29 years old when he started coaching UMass.

From 1996 to 1999, Calipari coached the NBA New Jersey Nets. The Nets made the playoffs in the 1997-1998 session as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Calipari became head coach at the University of Memphis beginning in 2000–01. Calipari's Memphis teams posted nine consecutive 20-win seasons and an NCAA record four consecutive 30-win seasons.

On March 30, 2009, Calipari become coach at Kentucky. In the 2010-11 season, Calipsri won his first NCAA Championship and Kentucky had a NCAA record 38-win season.

During the course of his career, Calipari has recruited a fairly amazing array of players. This includes Marcus Camby at Mass, Derrick Rose at Memphis and John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis and Karl Anthony-Towns at Kentucky.

Calipari has become synonymous with the approach of recruiting the best players for one year and sending them off to the NBA. One of his Kentucky teams had all five of the starters drafted in the first round. As you might expect, Calipari's tenures at Mass and Memphis were marked with NCAA sanctions.

I am not a college basketball fan, but I enjoyed this documentary. Jonathan Hock does a very solid job story telling. I have to agree with Jalen Rose's comments that the idea of amateur sports taking place within the confines of a multibillion-dollar business is ludicrous.

ESPN 30 for 30 Vol 3: Hit it Hard

In early December, Sharon and I watched Hit it Hard. This is the thirteenth installment of ESPN's 30 for 30 Volume 3. An episode guide for Vol 3 is here.

The documentary spends some time looking at Daly's golfing career. His two greatest on course accomplishments are his "out of nowhere" victory in the 1991 PGA Championship at age 25 and his playoff victory over Costantino Rocca in the 1995 Open Championship.

The film also spends a lot of time looking at his struggles with alcohol, drugs, women and gambling. It is somewhat amazing to me that with everything going on in his life, he was able to play golf at all.

Most of the Volume 2 and 3 30 for 30s have been 1 1/2 to 2 hours long. Hit It Hard was only 60 minutes. While I have lamented the move to the longer films, this documentary left me wanting more. It seemed like it just scratched the surface on a number of topics.

ESPN 30 for 30 Vol 3: Phi Slama Jama

Running on the treadmill over Thanksgiving holiday, I watched Phi Slama Jama. Led by a Nigerian soccer player named Hakeem Olajuwon and a lightly recruited hometown kid named Clyde Drexler, the University of Houston Cougars, nicknamed Phi Slama Jama, electrified the NCAA Final Four with three straight appearances from 1982 to 1984. This is the twelfth installment of ESPN's 30 for 30 Volume 3. An episode guide for Vol 3 is here.

As underclassmen in 1981/82, a young Cougar team lost to the eventual champion North Carolina Tar Heels in the national semifinals by the score of 68 to 63. The North Carolina team included Micheal Jordan, James Worthy and Sam Perkins.

The 1982/83 season marked the high point of Phi Slama Jama. The Cougars posted an Associated Press #1 ranking, a 31–2 record and a 26-game winning streak before losing in the NCAA Final. Considered one of the most unlikely upsets in NCAA tournament history, Phi Slama Jama lost a closely contested championship game against the North Carolina State Wolfpack by a score of 54–52. Ironically, the final margin was decided on a last-second dunk by Wolfpack forward Lorenzo Charles. The story of the Wolfpack's Cinderella championship run is told in the 30 for 30 Volume 2 film Survive and Advance.

Despite the early departure of star forward Clyde Drexler after the 82–83 season, Phi Slama Jama continued their success in 1984. Hakeem Olajuwon became the focal point of the team and was selected as a consensus first team All-American. The Cougars returned to the Final Four once more, this time losing to the Patrick Ewing-led Georgetown Hoyas in the final. Olajuwon, with one year of eligibility remaining, declared for the NBA draft shortly after the loss in the title game.

Woven through the film is the story of enigmatic role player Benny Anders. The documentary follows 1981/82 co-captains Eric Davis and Lynden Rose as they try to find Anders after more than two decades of mystery.

Although not as compelling as some of the other 30 for 30s, this is a solid documentary. Somewhat ironically, Olajuwon and Drexler won two NBA Championships with the Houston Rockets.

ESPN 30 for 30 Vol 3: Believeland

Running on the treadmill over the last couple of days, I re-watched Believeland. At the beginning of the film, it is noted that Cleveland was the only city with three major sports franchises that hadn't won a championship in the last fifty years! This is the ninth installment of ESPN's 30 for 30 Volume 3. An episode guide for Vol 3 is here.

The documentary can be roughly divided into five parts. First, it starts by looking at the growth of the city and the success of its sports teams after World War II. In 1948, the Cleveland Indians beat the Boston Braves in the World Series. Behind Jim Brown, the Cleveland Browns upset Johnny Unitas and the Baltimore Colts to win the NFL Championship in 1964. This championship starts fifty years of frustration!

Second, the film looks at the Browns of the late 1980s. Coached by Marty Schottenheimer and Quarterbacked by Bernie Kosar, the Cleveland Browns lost the AFC Championship game to the Denver Bronocs at the end of the 1986 and 1987 seasons. In the 1986 Championship game, John Elway drove the Bronocs the length of the field to tie the game and win in overtime [the drive]. In the 1987 Championship game, Ernst Byner fumbled as the Browns were driving to tie the game [the fumble].

Third, the documentary follows the Indians of the late 1990s. The Cleveland Indians lost the 1995 World Series to the Atlanta Braves in six games. The Cleveland Indians then lost the 1997 World Series to the Florida Marlins in game seven by the score of 3 to 2.

One side note, on October 3, 1997, Tomasin, Hunter, Snipes and I went to game three of the Florida Marlins versus San Francisco Giants playoff game at Candlestick. The Giants lost the game by the score of 6 to 2 and were eliminated from the play-off. I am going to post the box score and a few comments about this game in the near future.

The fourth act looks at Art Model's purchase of the Cleveland Browns in the early 1960s and his history with the team and city. When he couldn't get a new stadium, Model ended up moving the Browns to Baltimore in 1996. The NFL turned around and gave Cleveland a new team in 1999. Model and the Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2000. The Ravens also won the 2012 Super Bowl.

Fifth, the documentary looks at LeBron and the Cleveland Caveliers. Starting with the drafting of LeBron, the film follows LeBron's initial tour with the Cavs. They made it to the NBA Finals in 2006-2007, but were swept by the Spurs. They lost to the Orlando in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2008-2009 and then to Boston in the second round in 2009-2010.

At this point, LeBron jumped to Miami. The film closes with LeBron coming back to Cleveland and the Cavs losing the 2015 NBA Finals to Golden State. The film first aired in May of 2016 just a couple of months before Cavs beat Golden State to win the NBA Championship.

After the Cavs won the championship, the end of the documentary was reshoot. I need to find new version. Overall, this is a very good film!

A second footnote, Larkin and I saw LeBron play his first professional game!

ESPN to Launch 30 for 30 Podcasts in 2017

ESPN to Launch 30 for 30 Podcasts in 2017

ESPN Films and ESPN Audio are teaming up to produce 30 for 30 Podcasts – bringing high-quality sports storytelling to fans in audio form. The series will tell original stories in the likeness of the acclaimed 30 for 30 documentaries, made specifically with a narrative podcasting approach. The first season will launch in early 2017.

Individual episodes of 30 for 30 Podcasts will explore and report on various new sports stories and will feature a combination of original interviews and archival sound. The stories will be produced both in-house and in collaboration with outside reporters, documentarians, and ESPN talent. The effort is being led by Jody Avirgan (also of FiveThirtyEight podcasts) and a five-person production team is currently being assembled.

“Long-form podcast offerings from ESPN Audio have been popular thus far, and working with the ESPN Films team we will break new ground with deep reporting and high production values,” said Tom Ricks, vice president, digital strategy, ESPN Audio. “Sports fans and fans of our 30 for 30 documentaries will now have a new way to consume this compelling content.”

Added Libby Geist, vice president and executive producer, ESPN Films and Original Content: “ESPN Films has had an incredible run over the last eight years, including shorts and feature-length documentaries. Audio documentaries are an exciting extension of the 30 for 30 brand and we look forward to presenting our unique approach to storytelling in podcasting form. With this series, we hope to continue serving our fans on a new platform, but also introduce 30 for 30 to audio consumers.”

ESPN 30 for 30 Vol 3: Fantastic Lies

Staying at the Napa Valley Marriott hotel, I watched Fantastics Lies on Netflix. This is the seventh installment of ESPN's 30 for 30 Volume 3. An episode guide for Vol 3 is here.

On March 13th, 2006, the Duke University lacrosse team had a party. The documentary premiered 10 years to the day the lacrosse players hosted the house party.

A black student at North Carolina Central University who appeared at the party as a stripper accused the white Duke University students of raping her. Eventually, three of the lacrosse players were charged.

The documentary does an excellent job following the story from beginning to end. While I remembered the initial scandal and charges, I frankly didn't realize how the case got resolved. This film is worth watching to see how the cases play out. I was astonished by where the stories of the prosecutor, the accuser and the lead police detective went!

ESPN 30 for 30 Vol 3: Doc & Darryl

Staying at the Napa Valley Marriott hotel, I watched Doc & Darryl. This is the eleventh installment of ESPN's 30 for 30 Volume 3. An episode guide for Vol 3 is here.

The documentary looks at the intertwined careers of Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden. Starting with each as kids, it follows their meteoric rise with the Mets. Behind Gooden and Strawberry, the Mets beat the Boston Red Sox in the infamous 1986 World Series.

Darryl Strawberry played 17 seasons with the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers and Giants. He was rookie of the year in 1983 and an eight time All-Star.

Dwight Gooden played 16 seasons with Mets, Yankees, Indians, DevilRays and Astros. He was rookie of the year in 1984 and an four time All-Star.

Although they won a World Series and had fairly long careers, their lives were a mess. The amount of alcohol, recreational drugs and performance enhancing drugs involved is unbelieveable. Both men served time in prison. Combined with Strawberry's two bouts with colon cancer, it is amazing that either of them is alive. While Strawberry seems to have stabilized his life, Gooden looks and sounds like a serious drug addict.

I think that Doc & Darryl may have been one of the hardest of the 30 for 30 documentaries to watch. It is so depressing that I don't know that I can recommend it.

ESPN 30 for 30 Vol 3: O.J.: Made in America, Episode 5

Sharon and I watched O.J.: Made in America, Episode 5. This is the fifth episode of a five part ten hour miniseries. The miniseries explores O.J.'s life as well as race relations and the cult of celebrity. This is the tenth installment of ESPN's 30 for 30 Volume 3 and the first episodic ESPN 30 for 30 documentary. An episode guide for Vol 3 is here.

The fifth and final episode opens with the 1995 verdict in the murder trial and follows O.J Simpson's life until he was imprisoned on 2007 robbery and kidnapping charges. I was surprised by the footage and description of the life that he was living in South Beach in the 00s. O.J was living large...

Both Sharon and I enjoyed the documentary, but felt like the ending was weak. After so many hours of incredible footage, the film kind of sputtered to an end.

O.J.: Made in America [Episode 1] [[Episode 2] [Episode 3] [Episode 4] [Episode 5]

ESPN 30 for 30 Vol 3: O.J.: Made in America, Episode 4

ESPN Statement Concerning Photographs on “O.J.: Made in America” Part 4

There are several graphic crime scene photos that will be shown during Part 4 of “O.J.: Made in America” that the director and producers of the film feel are key to the powerful narrative of the documentary. These will not be altered in the initial television premiere, nor will they be altered in the version of the film that will be available on demand to viewers online or via cable VOD services. However, since subsequent re-airs will take place at various times, those photos will be blurred in future re-airs.

Sharon and I watched O.J.: Made in America, Episode 4. This is the fourth episode of a five part ten hour miniseries. The miniseries explores O.J.'s life as well as race relations and the cult of celebrity. This is the tenth installment of ESPN's 30 for 30 Volume 3 and the first episodic ESPN 30 for 30 documentary. An episode guide for Vol 3 is here.

This episode focused on the details and personalities of the murder trial. Three things stood out for me. First, they showed a number of very graphic crime scene photos. The photos of the injuries to Ron and Nicole and the amount of blood at the scene are overwhelming. Second, I had forgotten about some of the issues surrounding detective Mark Fuhrman. The defense team produced recorded interviews with Fuhrman and witnesses suggesting that he had repeatedly used racist language during this period. Later (with the jury absent) when asked under oath if he had planted or manufactured evidence in the case, Fuhrman invoked his Fifth Amendment rights and declined to answer. Finally, it just seemed like prosecutors Marsha Clark and Chris Darden were no match for the defense team, particularly Johnnie Cochran, F. Lee Bailey and Barry Scheck.

O.J.: Made in America [Episode 1] [[Episode 2] [Episode 3] [Episode 4] [Episode 5]

ESPN 30 for 30 Vol 3: O.J.: Made in America, Episode 3

After going to dinner with Liz at Cafe Bernardo to do some trip planning, Sharon and I watched O.J.: Made in America, Episode 3. This is the third episode of a five part ten hour miniseries. The miniseries explores O.J.'s life as well as race relations and the cult of celebrity. This is the tenth installment of ESPN's 30 for 30 Volume 3 and the first episodic ESPN 30 for 30 documentary. An episode guide for Vol 3 is here.

This episode starts with murder of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman and ends as O.J's trial for murder is about to start. From the murder scene to the Bronco chase to the personalities of the attorneys, there is a tremendous amount of detail in this episode. Amongst all of this, I was startled by the composition of the jury. The jury included: an African American man; a Hispanic man; eight African American women; and, two Caucasian women. All twelve jurors were democrats and none of them regularly read a newspaper. With the backdrop of the ongoing issues between the black community and the LAPD explored in the first two episodes, it is easy in hindsight to see where the verdict might end up...

Sharon and I are both looking forward to the next two episodes. This is a very well done documentary.

O.J.: Made in America [Episode 1] [[Episode 2] [Episode 3] [Episode 4] [Episode 5]

ESPN 30 for 30 Vol 3: This Magic Moment

Staying at the Napa Valley Marriott hotel, I watched This Magic Moment on Netflix. This is the eighth installment of ESPN's 30 for 30 Volume 3. An episode guide for Vol 3 is here.

The film chronicles the birth and rise to glory of the Orlando Magic NBA basketball team. Key points include:

• the franchise was established in 1989 as an expansion franchise;
• when the franchise won the first pick in the 1992 NBA Draft Lottery, the Magic selected big-man Shaquille O'Neal from Louisiana State University;
• against very long odds, the Magic again won the first pick in the 1993 NBA Draft Lottery;
• with the first pick in the 1993 draft, the Magic selected Chris Webber, but traded him to the Golden State Warriors for the number three pick, guard Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway and three future first-round draft picks.
• in 1994, All-Star forward Horace Grant was acquired as a free agent from the Chicago Bulls;
  
• advancing to the 1994-1995 NBA Finals, the Magic were sweep by a more experienced Houston Rocket team on their way to a second consecutive championship;
• Orlando met the Bulls in the 1995-1996 Eastern Conference Finals and were sweep out of the play-offs; and,
• in the summer of 1996, Shaquille O'Neal left the Magic and signed with the Lakers.

Like many of the recent 30 for 30s, I was surprised how much I enjoyed the documentary. I loved the opening and closing sequences with Shaq and Penny sitting around a pool!