Sport Documentaries

[RugbyReg]

Recently I got the epic ESPN 30 for 30 box set for my birthday.

It is brilliant. 30 sports documentaries of various topics, but generally intriguing off-centre ways to tell a story.

Those yanks, particularly ESPN, do it so damn well.

It got me thinking though. What rugby stories would you like to see told documentary-style?

Expand to other sports as appropriate.

One of the ESPN ones is about the 95 RWC final, or more specifically the impact it had on the country.

I know there was an ok one done about rugby going professionally, and then the ABC had those fantastic "Rise and Rise of Australian Rugby", but there must be other stories left untold.

I know the Yanks would have been all over the Julian Huxley story, and I'd love to see more of that. Similarly (somewhat) the Timmy Horan story from injury to World Champion.

I reckon a lay it all on the line one about the dark days of Queensland Ruby, around the Freer/Jones era.

From an other sport perspective, I still rate Cathy Freeman's performance in 2000 as the best I've seen considering the pressure she was under (involved in the torch lighting, showcasing the indigenous cause etc). I'd love to see more on the whole build up to that.

What else?

 

[barbarian]

Yeah I love the 30 for 30 stuff too, have it on 'series link' on Foxtel so whenever one is on it automatically records, and as a result I have 10 or so of them sitting in my bank for a rainy day.

There is plenty of stuff I would love to see:

- One about Steve Harmison's first ball of the 2007 Ashes. Talking about what went right in 2005, and what went wrong in 2007 in the England team, with Harmison's first ball the key moment of that series.

- One about the Socceroos first game of the 2010 World Cup, where Pim Verbeek fucked it totally by playing for a 0-0 draw.

- One about the miracle 2013 Waratahs season, where they bounced back from 13th the year before to go through the comp undefeated with a 4 try BP in every game.

- One about the life of Hansie Cronje and the match fixing scandal.

- One about Steve Bradbury- his career, and the races leading up to the final (where he benefitted from falls in the QF and Semi as well).
.

 

[I like to watch]

There have been some sensational doco's in that series.
Interestingly I saw the Marion Jones one only yesterday...very disappointing. sycophantic in the extreme.
Would love to see a "fly on the wall"one on the 81 Springbok tour.
also one on the AB years and the Steve Waugh years.

 

[It is what it is]

Others;
- Matt Dunning and 'that field goal' heard around the world.......what was he thinking?
- Where is Suzy, the alleged poisoner of the All Blacks prior to RWC Final 1995?
- Let's meet "Joe the Cameraman" of can't bowl, can't throw fame.
- Bold Personality, the famous ring-in horse.....what was his share of the scam?
- What does the NZRU really think of Robbie?
- Where did Ian Baker Finch's swing go when he lost it?
- The greatest ego's in Australian sport.....might have to be multi part doco
- History's most incompatible commentary teams.....Hadley, Wilson & O'Neill are the benchmark

 

[AngrySeahorse]

Others;
- Matt Dunning and 'that field goal' heard around the world...what was he thinking?
- Where is Suzy, the alleged poisoner of the All Blacks prior to RWC Final 1995?
- Let's meet "Joe the Cameraman" of can't bowl, can't throw fame.
- Bold Personality, the famous ring-in horse...what was his share of the scam?
- What does the NZRU really think of Robbie?
- Where did Ian Baker Finch's swing go when he lost it?
- The greatest ego's in Australian sport...might have to be multi part doco
- History's most incompatible commentary teams...Hadley, Wilson & O'Neill are the benchmark

Holy hell you're not wrong on that count for sure. Suzie is the voice of reason.

I'd personally love to see docos on local Rugby areas in Aus. For instance a box set of DVD's covering the area of NSW Country with a couple of DVD's dedicated to each area - Central Coast, Newcastle/Hunter, Central West, etc. I'd like to see Mens, Womens, & Juniors covered. Talk about the beginnings & leading up till the present day. I think there are wonderful histories & stories involving club rugby as well as personal stories of club players that can inspire a person as much as any sportsman/woman performing at the top level.

One example would be a particular player from my local comp who is returning to Rugby after what was a significant spinal injury that nearly left him paralysed. Or the player that rowed & studied in the US & is now playing Rugby in the local comp. Naturally I'd like to see this replicated to all club comp regions all over Aus.

These sorts of stories would likely be done by students at a Uni studying film or persons who are amateur film makers. I can't recall names right now but small time amateur production docos can have a real charm about them.

As far as the higher rep level sports go I'd like to see a doc on the 1st Wallaroos team. I would also like to see docs on tier 2 & 3 Rugby nations.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

1. Where are they now? A doco on the Australian Olympian Medalists, 10 years, 20 years and 30 years on. This could be a multi doco series.

2. Sydney Harbour 18 foot Sailing.

3. Hungarian Otter racing.

4. Quirky Pommie Sports like Bog Snorkling, Cheese Rolling, Highland Games etc. There are some very interesting characters involved in those who have "interesting" stories to tell.

5. Anyone seen "Last Man Standing"? How about a doco on the sports that they "play" in Last Man Standing, focusing on the locals not some show pony reality TV blow ins?

 

[Rob42]

Channel One occasionally shows some of the "Americas Game" series, telling the story of a Super Bowl-winning NFL team. They are usually excellent - they have an enormous amount of footage to work with, on training fields, in locker rooms, players wired up during games, etc.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

- History's most incompatible commentary teams...Hadley, Wilson & O'Neill are the benchmark

Do you mean with each other or with good taste and judgment?
Are we so devoid of talent in the country that hadley is the best we can do?
The only times I've listened the one person who potentially actually knows something about the swimming, Susie O'Neill, cant get a word in: at one point Hadley and his boofheaded offsider Wilson pontificated at such length that the race had started before wilson finished, forcing Hadley to tell O'Neill he'd come back to her....I hope she's being well paid to endure this buffoonery.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

1. Where are they now? A doco on the Australian Olympian Medalists, 10 years, 20 years and 30 years on. This could be a multi doco series.

2. Sydney Harbour 18 foot Sailing.

3. Hungarian Otter racing.

4. Quirky Pommie Sports like Bog Snorkling, Cheese Rolling, Highland Games etc. There are some very interesting characters involved in those who have "interesting" stories to tell.

5. Anyone seen "Last Man Standing"? How about a doco on the sports that they "play" in Last Man Standing, focusing on the locals not some show pony reality TV blow ins?

The Beer Hunter - hunting is a sport isnt it?
http://www.ovguide.com/tv/the_beer_hunter.htm

 

[RugbyReg]

Channel One occasionally shows some of the "Americas Game" series, telling the story of a Super Bowl-winning NFL team. They are usually excellent - they have an enormous amount of footage to work with, on training fields, in locker rooms, players wired up during games, etc.

they are brilliant. I remember one of Montana's 49ers and his drive up the field to win won of their many SBs and the precision of his passing was amazing.

 

[Bullrush]

they are brilliant. I remember one of Montana's 49ers and his drive up the field to win won of their many SBs and the precision of his passing was amazing.

I have an NFL movie on John Elway. You want amazing drives to win games, Elway is your guy....

 

[rustycruiser]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_for_30

They released a further 13 documentaries that were slated for 30 for 30 series but didn't make the final list under the banner "ESPN Films Presents. They are listed on the wiki page, not sure if they were listed as 30 for 30 internationally.

A second round of 30 for 30 docus is slated to start airing in October.

 

[Badger]

Others;
- Let's meet "Joe the Cameraman" of can't bowl, can't throw fame.

I think he is still at Nien. During the last cricket season he was on a Segway with a camera mounted on it. While he was whizzing around the ground, he crashed into Brad Haddin's cricket helmet.

This link has footage of the spill:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/c...spill-at-the-mcg/story-fn6reduj-1226231178122

 

[Moses]

Meet the commentator, from their sporting career to now.

Richie Benaud and Phil Ligget for starters

Sent from my MB525 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Brumby Jack]

EPSN 30 for 30 encore week from Monday 20th August

 

[bryce]

Gold Fever. Doco on Steve Redgrave in the years leading up to the Sydney Olympics.

 

[bryce]

I'd like to see more documentaries on some of our olympic athletes. To be fair, most of our elite rowers, cyclists, swimmers, athletes, triathletes etc train longer and harder than those playing the footy codes and cricket, and most don't get the recognition and money. I'd love to see a documentary team follow some of these athletes through training in the lead up to the olympics, world championships, etc. I've followed the blogs of a few athletes over the past few years and its fascinating to follow the process of building up to these big events, particularly those who often have to juggle their sporting committments with work.
.
Also, Drew Ginn would make a great subject. He won gold in 1996 with the oarsome foursome as a 22 year old, then fought his way back from two horrific back injuries that looked like they would sideline him from rowing for good. One forced him out of the Sydney games and cost him a probable gold medal (in 1999 he won the world championships by a massive margin). He came back in 2002, was world champion in 2003 and then in Athens he annihilated the field to win gold. He then had a worse injury that occurred during Beijing - yet the guy rowed in and won an olympic final with a ruptured disc in his back. Afterwards he looked to be finished for good, but he somehow came back and almost won in London, finishing with silver. Not many Australians know who he is.

 

[cyclopath]

Amazing sports documentaries are available on Youtube.I love Youtube channels.

I love how you're spamming every thread. Oops, I mean we're spamming every thread.
Bye- bye.

 

[Braveheart81]

I'm late to the party here, but I have to agree that the ESPN 30 for 30 series is superb. I haven't seen that many of them but out of the ones I've seen, my two favourites are:

"Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks"

and from ESPN Films Presents (not quite from the 30 for 30 series):

"26 Years: The Dewey Bozella Story"

 

[en_force_er]

Maybe not your cup of tea but there's a terrific one about Kai Greene on YouTube.

It's a really candid look at bodybuilding and being an athlete, the man clearly is a thinker. However, if you like the really sport romantising EPSN docs, it's probably not for you. I myself am not a bodybuilder, but I lift weights and can respect what the man does.

Here's the first video of 3 parts, they're all on youtube. It's not 100% clear if they're legally uploaded or not, but I think they are.