30 for 30

Buffalo Head

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The saga on and off-field that was the 1978 Yankees is a great sports story. Not at all surprising to get this kind of treatment on a major anniversary.
 

cornwalls@6

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Apr 23, 2010
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Anybody else catch The Last Days Of Knight? Riveting. One of the best of the series. Queasy to admit there was a time when I was an admirer of his. That ended years ago when I finally realized the ends didn’t justify the means with him. The film reaffirms that, and really lays him and all of his bullshit bare. As well as telling the ultimately tragic tale of Neil Reed. Highly recommend watching it.
 

Rich Garces Belly

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Anybody else catch The Last Days Of Knight? Riveting. One of the best of the series. Queasy to admit there was a time when I was an admirer of his. That ended years ago when I finally realized the ends didn’t justify the means with him. The film reaffirms that, and really lays him and all of his bullshit bare. As well as telling the ultimately tragic tale of Neil Reed. Highly recommend watching it.
It’s an older one they replayed recently and is a good watch! I still love Bobby Knight though.
 

j-man

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Dec 19, 2012
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the knight one was the best 30 for 30 i watched he done a great job getting both sides knight should have left after 92 if he did he wouild been in dean smith coach k land texas tech where he went in 02 wouild be a pefect fit their 96 team went to the sweet 16 with knight they might of went to the final 4
 

Kliq

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I might be an idiot, but it seemed kind of unclear MJ was going to be interviewed in this thing or not? Is he sitting down at the beginning? I can't really tell. It would be ridiculous to do it without him, but you would think they would make him more prominent in the trailer, no? Jordan has historically been fairly private and uncooperative with different books/documentaries, including not doing the Love of Basketball series ESPN did last year.

Has anyone seen the Felipe Lopez doc? Haven't checked it out yet but I saw it on ESPN+ and really want to watch it.
 

PC Drunken Friar

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I might be an idiot, but it seemed kind of unclear MJ was going to be interviewed in this thing or not? Is he sitting down at the beginning? I can't really tell. It would be ridiculous to do it without him, but you would think they would make him more prominent in the trailer, no? Jordan has historically been fairly private and uncooperative with different books/documentaries, including not doing the Love of Basketball series ESPN did last year.

Has anyone seen the Felipe Lopez doc? Haven't checked it out yet but I saw it on ESPN+ and really want to watch it.
Yea by the trailer looks like he is the main focus. The cynic in me says he wanted this to come out as LeBron is on the downswing of his career (heh-heh) to remind people that he is the G.O.A.T.
 

CarolinaBeerGuy

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Humphrey

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"Survive And Advance" is the best 30 for 30 episode ever. If you have 90 minutes, spend it with this installment. Its powerful, moving and it perfectly explains why sports are so compelling.
I brought this back because I've made a point of watching it at tournament time every year. It never gets old. It's also good to bring back to mind what college basketball was like with no shot clock and no 3 pointer (yes, the ACC did have a 3 point rule in 1983, experimental, in conference games).
 

fiskful of dollars

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Watched "Lance" last night. Part 1 of 2. Focused on his early development, his battle w/ cancer and his first Tour win. Not a TON of new info if you've followed his career. Some 1:1 stuff which doesn't really paint him in the best light. He comes off kinda douche-y to me. No surprise, I guess. I thought the doc really was best when interviewing teammates and cycling journalists who gave their perspective of Armstrong, the sport, corruption, doping and the general scumminess that pervaded professional cycling during that era.

I'd be curious to get other opinions...I was entertained and I liked it but I've been cycling since the mid-80's so I'll watch anything re cycling.

My feelings on Armstrong are kinda mixed. Mostly because of the amazing work done by his foundation. The doping in cycling that occurred during his era was so widespread that in order to compete you HAD to take PEDs...at least that's the message in the film. I wonder how true that is...all of the cyclists interviewed (I think) were implicated or admitted to PED use so they clearly have an agenda of their own. There were some UCI/USA cycling folks who were clean and represent(ed) the governing bodies both past and present but they don't really comment on the issue re competitiveness in the setting of widespread cheating. I would be interested to get their perspective on this particular issue.

Edit: Clarity
 
Last edited:

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat

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Watched "Lance" last night. Part 1 of 2. Focused on his early development, his battle w/ cancer and his first Tour win. Not a TON of new info if you've followed his career. Some 1:1 stuff which doesn't really paint him in the best light. He comes off kinda douche-y to me. No surprise, I guess. I thought the doc really was best when interviewing teammates and cycling journalists who gave their perspective of Armstrong, the sport, corruption, doping and the general scumminess that pervaded professional cycling during that era.

I'd be curious to get other opinions...I was entertained and I liked it but I've been cycling since the mid-80's so I'll watch anything re cycling.

My feelings on Armstrong are kinda mixed. Mostly because of the amazing work done by his foundation. The doping in cycling that occurred during his era was so widespread that in order to compete you HAD to take PEDs...at least that's the message in the film. I wonder how true that is...all of the cyclists interviewed (I think) were implicated or admitted to PED use so they clearly have an agenda of their own. There were some UCI/USA cycling folks who were clean and represent(ed) the governing bodies both past and present but they don't really comment on the issue re competitiveness in the setting of widespread cheating. I would be interested to get their perspective on this particular issue.

Edit: Clarity
I couldn't give two shits about cycling, but I found it really interesting and compelling. He definitely comes off somewhat douche-y, but I'm not surprised by that. I still find myself sort of liking him, probably because, in my opinion, the positive done by the Foundation way outweighs the negative of his doping.
Looking forward to part 2.
 

kenneycb

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I thought it was painfully boring. Nothing interesting or unique outside of these guys hit a lot of HRs. Maybe it picked up after the first 1.5 hours but there wasn't anything new or interesting that anybody who mildly followed it didn't really know.
 

fiskful of dollars

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I thought the last 3 were all pretty weak given the subject matter. I usually watch any 30/30 even if the subject isn't particularly interesting to me but these last three are ALL in my wheelhouse and I thought they were all pretty meh.
 

fiskful of dollars

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I thought most of the info was a rehash of a few other earlier docs on him. Stop at Nothing and The Armstrong Lie were a bit more comprehensive w/ regards to his cycling/PED stuff - which I was more interested in personally. I did think that the 30/30 covered his early life as a triathlete and (obviously) his life since the Oprah outing a bit more. Even so, I found his current persona to be pretty obnoxious - which I guess I expected. He comes off as a complete douche, I think. That scene where he cuts his finger? I did not get how/why that was relevant. I guess I was hoping for more insight from him/his teammates and competitors. It certainly was a good watch (I'm a cycling fan and a huge Tour nut) but I felt like 80% of it was a redundant retelling of earlier material.
 

MuzzyField

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I thought most of the info was a rehash of a few other earlier docs on him. Stop at Nothing and The Armstrong Lie were a bit more comprehensive w/ regards to his cycling/PED stuff - which I was more interested in personally. I did think that the 30/30 covered his early life as a triathlete and (obviously) his life since the Oprah outing a bit more. Even so, I found his current persona to be pretty obnoxious - which I guess I expected. He comes off as a complete douche, I think. That scene where he cuts his finger? I did not get how/why that was relevant. I guess I was hoping for more insight from him/his teammates and competitors. It certainly was a good watch (I'm a cycling fan and a huge Tour nut) but I felt like 80% of it was a redundant retelling of earlier material.
The cut his finger reference was useful (at least to me) in explaining why during one of his sit-down interviews shown throughout the two-hours his finger is wrapped in something resembling a Kleenex with a pice of tape around it. This particular interview appears to have been shot right after the finger cutting dinner. Lance must have left his first aid kit at the old house in Austin.
 

j-man

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the mcgrime was weak i met the guy in 99 its true here how it happened
https://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=199904090SLNin 1999 i just had a hamstring release surgery at shirers hospital in st louis in march the surgery was hit/miss but it did loosen my legs some anyway on april 9 99 we were invite to a cards game against the reds and my roommates were looked foward to see big mac me i just wanted fresh air and to see pretty girls i was 15 and a half at the time anyway its a 35-45 min bus ride to Busch we get there they stick me in a rental chair where u feel every bump we saw batting patrice and that was great here were it got kind of eye-opening

mac came out and bump my chair and i almost fell out of my chair in front of hospital staff and st louis media did not say sorry did not talk to my roommates who was between 8-12 years old if not for joe mcewing who signed balls talked to every one of us for 3-5 min in fact my folks got me a athlon baseball magazine with derek jeter on the cover i have it stored in a box and joe signed it there was a mail a mile from our hospital anyway we left in the 7th inning to beat traffic

i really dont mind mcgwire was a asshole what ticked me off was 1 everyone defend him for basicey ruining my roommate night they were crying and sad for a few days afterwards 2 the rental chair kind of wobby 3 this is my bone to pick while i was there u couild make rams bules jokes all day long but try any cardinals joke and most staff wouild be pissed off and the rams won the super bowl 9 mos later oh if only i couild go back i had a feeling in my gut that they were gonna win 10 games that season
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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the mcgrime was weak i met the guy in 99 its true here how it happened
https://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=199904090SLNin 1999 i just had a hamstring release surgery at shirers hospital in st louis in march the surgery was hit/miss but it did loosen my legs some anyway on april 9 99 we were invite to a cards game against the reds and my roommates were looked foward to see big mac me i just wanted fresh air and to see pretty girls i was 15 and a half at the time anyway its a 35-45 min bus ride to Busch we get there they stick me in a rental chair where u feel every bump we saw batting patrice and that was great here were it got kind of eye-opening

mac came out and bump my chair and i almost fell out of my chair in front of hospital staff and st louis media did not say sorry did not talk to my roommates who was between 8-12 years old if not for joe mcewing who signed balls talked to every one of us for 3-5 min in fact my folks got me a athlon baseball magazine with derek jeter on the cover i have it stored in a box and joe signed it there was a mail a mile from our hospital anyway we left in the 7th inning to beat traffic

i really dont mind mcgwire was a asshole what ticked me off was 1 everyone defend him for basicey ruining my roommate night they were crying and sad for a few days afterwards 2 the rental chair kind of wobby 3 this is my bone to pick while i was there u couild make rams bules jokes all day long but try any cardinals joke and most staff wouild be pissed off and the rams won the super bowl 9 mos later oh if only i couild go back i had a feeling in my gut that they were gonna win 10 games that season
I am sorry McGwire was a jerk but I love that the "hero" of your story is Joe McEwing.
 

reggiecleveland

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2 quick comments

1. The Gladiators was not worth two parts. Lots of buildup to nothing.
2. Waltons book was quite good. The physical battles he went through are incredible. Also you will never convince me he wasn't 7'2 or bigger at one point. I stood beside broken down 48 surgery Walton with a buddy of mine (who legit 6'9) and we both said he was at least 7'1. He didn't want to be the next footer, an like he said liked to be the underdog, but he was gigantic.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTLMhpmyl8I
 

Bread of Yaz

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Mar 12, 2019
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I started to watch yesterday but my tapings of the first two episodes turned out to be CWS games, so I am retaping later this week. Can I watch 3 & 4 before 1 & 2 or should I watch in order?
Not a killer to watch out of order, but much better to take them 1 through 4 as it gives you a better sense of his life arc and the problems he dealt with in episode 4
 

worm0082

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Sep 19, 2002
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2 quick comments

1. The Gladiators was not worth two parts. Lots of buildup to nothing.
2. Waltons book was quite good. The physical battles he went through are incredible. Also you will never convince me he wasn't 7'2 or bigger at one point. I stood beside broken down 48 surgery Walton with a buddy of mine (who legit 6'9) and we both said he was at least 7'1. He didn't want to be the next footer, an like he said liked to be the underdog, but he was gigantic.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTLMhpmyl8I
In the 86 & 87 team photos Walton is standing next to Parish and he’s taller than him. In the 88 photo he’s next to 7’2 Artis Gilmore and is about the same height.
 

Remagellan

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FWIW, I watched the second one first and really thought it was the first one because it went into his time at UCLA. The third one is all about the Portland title team and its breakup. The fourth one is his time with the Celtics and his post-playing career.

He really was the Terrell Davis of the NBA, and even that is a slight to TD. His NBA HoF resume is paper thin thanks to his injuries---and I say that as a huge Walton fan. One of the more eye-popping moments is when Bob Ryan mentions that Walton played 80 games for the 85-86 Celtics, which was the first and only time he played 80 games in a season. (His previous highs were 67 for the first year of the LA Clippers, and 65 in the year the Blazers won the title.)

It's really a shame that he didn't play at a time when medical care was better than it was back then. He had a terrible reputation as a malingerer merely because they lacked the ability to properly diagnose the stress fractures in his feet that hampered him his whole career.
 

reggiecleveland

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It's really a shame that he didn't play at a time when medical care was better than it was back then. He had a terrible reputation as a malingerer merely because they lacked the ability to properly diagnose the stress fractures in his feet that hampered him his whole career.
By the time I was playing coahes understood stress fratures existed, sadly when I played overuse injuries like jumper's knee were still seen as fake injuries.
 

Humphrey

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Loved the Grateful Dead soundtrack of the Walton 30-for-30 ! Brought back a lot of memories
 

MuzzyField

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FWIW, I watched the second one first and really thought it was the first one because it went into his time at UCLA. The third one is all about the Portland title team and its breakup. The fourth one is his time with the Celtics and his post-playing career.

He really was the Terrell Davis of the NBA, and even that is a slight to TD. His NBA HoF resume is paper thin thanks to his injuries---and I say that as a huge Walton fan. One of the more eye-popping moments is when Bob Ryan mentions that Walton played 80 games for the 85-86 Celtics, which was the first and only time he played 80 games in a season. (His previous highs were 67 for the first year of the LA Clippers, and 65 in the year the Blazers won the title.)

It's really a shame that he didn't play at a time when medical care was better than it was back then. He had a terrible reputation as a malingerer merely because they lacked the ability to properly diagnose the stress fractures in his feet that hampered him his whole career.
There is no NBA HOF. Walton was a Basketball HOF'er without playing in the NBA.

Just as Gator Al's 2 NCAA titles at Florida and solid NBA career have already paved his road to Springfield.