30 for 30 running thread

The subtle genius was having Patrick Duffy as the narrator. If Larry Hagman — J.R. Ewing — was in better health, he would have probably been the choice.

 

What I find odd is that SMU people seem to think the NCAA took something away - the impression I had was that that something wasn't theirs in the first place.

My favorite 30 for 30 was the Baltimore Colts Band. The stories, the rally at the capital, the ending. It was an amazing story. The kind of thing you don't see in the uber-corporate NFL these days.

 

I'm only thru the first segment of Pony Excess... had to stop last night because of sick kids... But when I was fast forwarding the DVR to make sure the whole thing recorded, I saw a short promo for the Steve Bartman film "Catching Hell." Great title. All it said was "Coming in 2011."

I'm hooked.

 

Like Small Town Guy said earlier, Simmons said on one of his podcasts that they're continuing it as an occasional series. Maybe two or three a year along the lines of "ESPN Presents: 30 For 30."
I think the Bartman doc is supposed to air in the spring.

 

My favorite story from the Baltimore band one was the one longtime fan who got into the stadium and sat in his seat on what would've been the Colts' season opener the year after they left town.

As for Pony Excess, it was easily one of my favorites. I for one loved the rampage beginning of the film... really set the tone for the era and what was going on.

 

Last night brought back a lot of memories for me. I was sitting in the slot (alone) of our p.m. paper (this was in its dying days and the staffs had been merged) and pretty much all I would do was make over the a.m. section with late box scores, etc. That story broke about an hour before final deadline, and I tried to throw together a react story. Got one call-back ... Bill Curry, then at Georgia Tech but only a few weeks away from taking the gig at Alabama.

 

Surprised that 30 for 30 did not do one on the founding of the Big East and how they begged and begged Holy Cross to join.

 

Simmons has a podcast up with two of the other executive producers. I'd encourage anyone who's interested in the series to give it a listen.

He says that three stories they didn't get to in "30 for 30" that he wished they had are:

1. The 1992 Dream Team
2. Jack Nicklaus and the 1986 Masters --- which he said will eventually get made
3. The relationship between Mike Tyson and Robin Givens --- some of the material was mined in the Tyson-Tupac documentary, but Simmons said (and I agree) that they could have done five documentaries about Tyson.

 

It's been many years since I've read Mike Sowell's "One Pitch Away," but I'm still waiting for somebody to do something with Donnie Moore.

 

I'd like to see one on the 1988 Summer Olympics.

Anybody read "A Payroll To Meet"? I've got it on my bookshelf and may need to crack it open again.