The U Part 2: Yet Another Gut-Wrenching 30 For 30

While this 30 for 30 was in many ways a sequel to the original doc The U, it's really its own thing by the end. Sure both films are about the same franchise, but at very different times in its history. And ultimately, the story seems to completely separate from any comparison to the first as bigger issues take hold.

The U Part 2 is the most recent 30 for 30 from ESPN Films. It's the story of how the University of Miami, once a great and storied football franchise, came back from the lower dregs of the NCAA to make a run for the title once again... and perhaps find itself with another dynasty. However, the fates had different plans, and just as things begin to seriously turn around, one desperately bad officiating decision manages to throw the entire organization into chaos. Once again, the concept of "Student Athlete" becomes an absurd question mark on the face of college sports, and ultimately the league itself comes under fire for its obscure and unreliable decision making.

What The U Part 2 manages to do so well, is bring you into a story you think you understand and then turn it on its head. The truth about what happened between UM and the NCAA is absurd and ultimately I am left with the same lingering question... Why is it legal for colleges to make money off of students playing sports without real payment? No, I don't think a scholarship is enough for these guys. They put their bodies in harms way for their teams, and if they get injured, they may end up with nothing to show for it.

I'm beginning to wonder how many times this question has to be brought into the spotlight before the NCAA finally comes around... In my mind, there's a real legitimate reason to call for that organization's disbandment under legal and ethical clauses.

Catch The U Part 2 on Netflix.

When The Garden Was Eden Feels Too Much Like A Kindergarten Love Letter

Michael Rapaport's an interesting personality. And he's never been shy about his love for sports... most notably, The New York Knicks.

But when ESPN gave him a chance to make a new 30 for 30 documentary about his favorite subject, I can't help feeling like the guy got a little lost. While earlier this year, Bad Boys did an excellent job of illuminating the bigger than life characters from the obscure championship years of The Detroit Pistons, this documentary seems to miss that IT factor.

Sure it's cool to watch Phil Jackson playing with his first team, before he was the amazing coach he became... And I always like to get a good history lesson on a sport I occasionally enjoy. But Rapaport's obsession with his team doesn't quite translate to a compelling film. The distance between championships and the nature in which they managed to succeed and win doesn't make for overwhelmingly good tv.

When the Garden was Eden is just okay. Like I've said before, if you enjoy these 30 for 30s, it's worth a watch, but only as a history lesson and not really for great entertainment.

Brian And The Boz Is A Cool Flip In Perspective

A while back 30 for 30 put out a documentary called You Don't Know Bo about Bo Jackson. It was a good one about a very short lived but electric athlete. But during that documentary, there is a sequence where Bo gets called out by one Brian Bosworth... aka The Boz.

The Boz is an insane media personality and a pretty good though short-lived football star. And as Brian and the Boz breaks down the rise and fall of his career, Brian himself comes forward and speaks at great length about his own mistakes. It's actually quite interesting to hear his perspective on the whole thing.

And while ultimately, neither The Boz nor Bo had long enough careers to warrant the usual kind of superstar memory amongst newcomers to the sport, they both captured a strange kind of lightning in a bottle. They were personalities in a time when football didn't have a larger than life mentality.

If you like 30 for 30, you'll definitely dig this story.

And Slaying The Badger Kicks Some Serious Ass!!

Another good 30 for 30. See a trend?

Slaying the Badger is the story of the only American to officially win the Tour de France, Greg LeMond. His struggles are surprisingly intense, and not at all what I would have expected from the sport of cycling. Not only did the man have to contend with cyclists from all around the world... his own teammate seemed intent on outperforming him. It's a bizarre little piece of history to watch these two men (LeMond and Hinault) go from being the best of friends and trustworthy companions to bitter enemies over the span of two years. And it's really cool that everyone was still around during the filmmaking process to give their own personal two cents... just as impressive that they would want to... given how the coach seemed to connive, one would expect him to be less than interested in talking. But he seemed to take sheer delight in reliving the experience... as will you.

John Dower paints an awesome picture of the competitive nature of professional cycling. I'd be surprised if the guy didn't make many more high quality documentaries in the coming years.

Yet another easy recommendation from the ESPN docu-series!

Requiem For The Big East Asks Some Great Questions

And 30 for 30 puts out another really high quality sports documentary.

Requiem for the Big East is not like other 30 for 30s. This is the full life story of an entire college basketball conference. It spans more than three decades and argues the merits and plunders of an entire business model over that span. But, as is usually the case with a film like this, the most interesting pieces are those focusing on individual coaches, owners, and teams. It's the human element that has kept documentary filmmaking... and filmmaking in general... an institution. 

This movie manages to take a very big subject and scale it down when necessary to keep the viewer interested and informed in a practical way. It asks as clearly as it can, how something so obviously marketable like The Big East could falter after so many successes and analyzes the people responsible for its meteoric rise and dreadfully slow demise. And in the end we're left with Ezra Edelman's surprisingly concise interpretation of some otherwise very foggy events.

If you've ever enjoyed a 30 for 30, this is a good one now streaming on Netflix.

30 For 30's Playing For The Mob Takes A Light Approach To A Heavy Subject

I really enjoy 30 for 30. I think ESPN's continued interest in keeping this documentary series alive proves that people will watch and be interested in well made, informative tv... though I wonder if a few of these documentaries, if promoted differently, couldn't be considered in the best documentary category at the Oscars... all you need is a premier and limited run in a theatre or two in the LA market.

Anyway, this brief article is about Playing for the Mob... a new 30 for 30 about the point shaving controversy from Goodfellas. It's an interesting topic to be sure, but the guys looking back on it seem to think it was all just a big kind of joke... which I find weird. That something so stupid as trying to fix a bunch of basketball games for money can so thoroughly ruin so many peoples' lives... and then they can come back with this bizarrely lighthearted attitude just baffles me. Obviously, the filmmakers have no control over this, but it seems to hurt the prestige of a documentary when all of the parties involved act like they're just happy to be back in the limelight... no matter what the reason.

Playing for the Mob is definitely no where near the strongest of the 30 for 30s, but if you're at all interested in the subject, you can catch it on Netflix right now.