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30 for 30

  • TV-PG
  • 2009–
  • 4 seasons
  • Documentary
  • 7.5

30 for 30 is the title for a series of documentary films airing on ESPN, its sister networks, and online highlighting interesting people and events in sports history. This currently includes four "volumes" of 30 episodes each, a 13-episode series under the ESPN Films Presents title in 2011–2012, and a series of 30 for 30 Shorts shown through the ESPN.com website. The series has also expanded to include Soccer Stories, which aired in advance of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and audio podcasts. This entry refers to the main Volumes of the series presented by ESPN

Episodes

32 episodes
  1. 1Trojan War

    77 minOct 13, 2015

    A profile of the rise and fall of USC Trojans football during Pete Carroll's coaching tenure in the 2000s.

  2. 2The Prince of Pennsylvania

    50 minOct 20, 2015

    An exploration of the turbulent relationship between Olympic wrestling brothers Mark and Dave Schultz and their eccentric benefactor, John du Pont, culminating in the murder of Dave by du Pont.

  3. 3The Gospel According to Mac

    103 minNov 3, 2015

    A look at how Bill McCartney mixed two religions—college football and evangelical Christianity—while serving as head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes in the 1990s, a tenure that included a national championship.

  4. 4Chasing Tyson

    79 minNov 10, 2015

    A look at how Evander Holyfield spent years (1989–91 & 1995–96) trying to arrange his first fight with Mike Tyson in an effort to gain the respect he knew he could only gain by defeating Tyson in the ring.

  5. 5Four Falls Of Buffalo

    102 minDec 12, 2015

    A profile of the Buffalo Bills teams of the early 1990s, when the franchise became the first team to play in—and lose—four consecutive Super Bowls.

  6. 6The '85 Bears

    101 minFeb 4, 2016

    A 30-year retrospective on the 1985 Chicago Bears, from how they were assembled to their swaggering, dominant run to Super Bowl victory.

  7. 7Fantastic Lies

    104 minMar 13, 2016

    A 10-year retrospective of the Duke lacrosse case, in which a party thrown by members of the school's men's lacrosse team led to an accusation of rape—a claim that, though later proven to be false, ignited both a firestorm that damaged the school's prestige and an investigation that ruined careers.

  8. 8This Magic Moment

    103 minApr 14, 2016

    A profile of the Orlando Magic teams of the mid-1990s, led by Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway, who gained prominence both on the NBA hardwoods and in popular culture, before Shaq's departure to the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency and injury issues for Penny ended the Magic's budding dynasty before it could ever take flight.[62]

  9. 9Believeland

    79 minMay 14, 2016

    A look at the sports curse that befell Cleveland since the NFL's Browns last brought a major pro sports championship to the Ohio city in 1964. The film debuted one month before LeBron James and the Cavaliers' won the 2016 NBA Finals, after which the film was re-released with an updated ending on June 30, 2016.[64]

  10. 10Doc & Darryl

    90 minJul 14, 2016

    The connection between the lives and careers of former New York Mets Dwight "Doc" Gooden and Darryl Strawberry.

  11. 11Phi Slama Jama

    80 minOct 18, 2016

    A profile of the iconic Houston Cougars men's basketball teams of the 1980s, fronted by Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, whose explosive play and highlight-making slam dunks earned the team the nickname Phi Slama Jama.

  12. 12Hit It Hard

    52 minNov 1, 2016

    A look at John Daly's rise from obscurity to two major golf championship wins and fall back to mediocrity.

  13. 13Catholics Vs Convicts

    104 minDec 10, 2016

    A look at the notorious 1988 Notre Dame–Miami football game and its personal and cultural impact. Creadon was a senior at Notre Dame when the game took place; his roommate that year was one of the people behind the controversial t-shirt that gave the game and the film its name. (2 hours in length)

  14. 14This Was the XFL

    92 minFeb 2, 2017

    Two longtime friends, pro wrestling impresario Vince McMahon and NBC Sports president Dick Ebersol (Charlie Ebersol's father), team to form the XFL; the film follows the league's rushed development, its innovative approaches to televised football, and its rapid implosion. The ending foreshadows McMahon's plans to launch a new XFL in 2020 and the Ebersols' upcoming involvement in the competing Alliance of American Football in 2019.

  15. 15One and Not Done

    104 minApr 13, 2017

    The life and career of John Calipari, one of the most polarizing figures in modern college basketball, weaving his story around that of his 2015–16 Kentucky team.

  16. 16Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies (1)

    102 minJun 11, 2017

    A three-part series, initially airing on consecutive nights, exploring the Celtics–Lakers rivalry, focusing mainly on the 1980s era of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson but also examining the entire history of the NBA through the rivalry.

  17. 17Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies (2)

    51 minJun 13, 2017

    The Celtics-Lakers rivalry ramps up in the 1984 Finals as a cast of characters–led by Larry Bird and Magic Johnson–who changed the NBA finally went head-to-head for a title.

  18. 18Celtics/Lakers: Best of Enemies (3)

    101 minJun 14, 2017

    Conclusion of a look at the 1980s Celtics-Lakers rivalry, focusing on the three years after the 1984 NBA Finals, as the teams’ disdain for each other gradually turns to respect while meeting in two more Finals.

  19. 19Mike and the Mad Dog

    53 minJul 13, 2017

    The careers of Mike Francesa and Chris Russo, their stormy 19-year partnership on New York City radio; and the duo's influence on their Big Apple audience and sports talk radio in general.

  20. 20George Best: All by Himself

    79 minJul 20, 2017

    George Best, Northern Ireland's legendary star, remains one of the most naturally gifted soccer players ever. Best's skill and exuberance lifted Manchester United, but his career was essentially over before he turned 29, the result of his battle with alcoholism.

  21. 21What Carter Lost

    80 minAug 26, 2017

    In any other year, the 1988 team from Dallas's Carter High School would have gone down as one of the greatest in Texas football history, featuring 28 players who received college scholarship offers, eight of whom would eventually play professional football. Fighting off racial prejudice and a grades controversy—not to mention the team that would overshadow them in book and film (Odessa Permian)—Carter would claim the state title, only to be rocked to their core when six of their players were involved in an armed robbery that's affected the community's reputation to this day; the grades controversy would ultimately lead the UIL to strip the team of the title.

  22. 22Year of the Scab

    80 minSep 12, 2017

    During the 1987 players' strike, the Washington Redskins field a roster of replacement players that goes 3–0 and helps pave the way for the Redskins' Super Bowl victory. Thirty years on, those players bear the stigma of being dismissed as "scabs" by fans in general and Redskins management in particular.

  23. 23Tommy

    86 minSep 13, 2017

    The unlikely rise and sudden fall of boxer Tommy Morrison.

  24. 24Nature Boy

    77 minNov 7, 2017

    The life and times of professional wrestling legend Ric Flair.

  25. 25The Two Bills

    77 minFeb 1, 2018

    A look at the relationship between NFL coaches Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick. Co-produced with NFL Films.

  26. 26The Last Days of Knight

    102 minApr 12, 2018

    The saga surrounding Indiana University firing coach Bob Knight in 2000.

  27. 27Seau

    Sep 20, 2018

    The life of NFL legend Junior Seau, from his upbringing in a Samoan immigrant family, through his path to NFL superstardom and status as a league icon, ending in his seemingly inexplicable suicide in 2012.

  28. 2842 to 1

    Dec 11, 2018

    A chronicle of Buster Douglas's shocking knockout of the then-undefeated Mike Tyson at the Tokyo Dome on February 11, 1990.

  29. 29Deion's Double Play

    50 minJan 31, 2019

    A look at Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, focusing specifically on a 24-hour span in 1992 when he sandwiched an NFL game between a pair of Major League Baseball postseason games in cities separated by 1,000 miles.

  30. 30The Dominican Dream

    Apr 30, 2019

    The highs and lows of Felipe López, born into a family of Dominican immigrants to become a star high school and (at St. John's) collegiate basketball player, and the contentment he finds after a less-than-successful pro career.

  31. 31Qualified

    78 minMay 28, 2019

    How Janet Guthrie faced scorn, skepticism, and subpar equipment to shock the racing world by becoming the first female driver to qualify for the Indianapolis 500.

  32. 32The Good, The Bad, The Hungry

    76 minJul 2, 2019

    A look at one of the biggest rivalries in sports, that of competitive eaters Takeru Kobayashi and Joey Chestnut.

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Availability from JustWatch, via TMDB. Full listing for United States

Series cast

Bill WaltonSelf4 episodes
Sylvester StalloneSelf2 episodes
Jim KellySelf2 episodes
Morgan Freeman1 episode
Wayne GretzkyHimself1 episode
Walter GretzkyHimself1 episode
Janet JonesHerself (as Janet Jones Gretzky)1 episode
Jim MathesonHimself1 episode
Bruce McNallHimself1 episode
Marty McSorleyHimself1 episode
Rod PhillipsHimself1 episode
Peter PocklingtonHimself1 episode
Luc RobitailleHimself1 episode
Glen SatherHimself1 episode
Peter BergSelf1 episode
Maya MooreSelf1 episode
Jonathan IronsSelf1 episode
Josh BrolinNarrator (voice)1 episode

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