30 for 30

30 for 30
Logo for 30 for 30 Volume I films
Genre	Sports documentary
Creator	Bill Simmons
Directed by	various
Produced by	Bill Simmons
Language	English
Original channel	ESPN ESPN2 ABC
Original run	Volume I: October 6, 2009 (2009-10-06) – December 11, 2010 (2010-12-11) ESPN Films Presents March 13, 2011 (2011-03-13) – June 2, 2012 (2012-06-02) Volume II: October 2, 2012 (2012-10-02) – 2014 Shorts: May 15, 2012 (2012-05-15) – TBD
No. of episodes	Total Aired: 60 Volume I: 30 ESPN Films Presents 13 Volume II: 30 Shorts: 9

30 for 30 is the umbrella title for a series of documentary films airing on ESPN and its sister networks. The first volume, which premiered in October 2009 and concluded in December 2010, chronicles 30 stories from the "ESPN era," each of which detail the issues, trends, people, teams, or events that transformed the sports landscape since the sports network was founded in 1979. Additional films that were not released in the first series premiered in March 2011 under the title, ESPN Films Presents. A second volume of films started in October 2012 under the 30 for 30 name.

The idea for the series began with ESPN.com columnist Bill Simmons, who wanted feature filmmakers to recount the sports stories, people, and events from the past three decades which they (1) took a personal interest or involvement in, however great or small, and (2) felt hadn't been fully explored. Simmons and his team took special interest to "stories that resonated at the time but were eventually forgotten for whatever reason." Simmons serves as 30 for 30's executive producer; Mike Tollin, who directed the series' third entry, "Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL?," also serves as consulting producer to the series.

Directors had creative control over their 30 for 30 episodes. The directors appear in interstitial comments during the broadcast to discuss their film and its subject matter, usually appearing before the beginning of the film and before the last commercial break. A number of directors appeared as participants in their films, serving as narrators, analysts, or interviewing participants of the original story.

List of 30 for 30 Volume I films

Unless otherwise noted, the following films are all 60 minutes in length (including commercials).

Overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	U.S. viewers (in millions)	Original air date
1	1	Kings Ransom	Peter Berg	0.645	October 6, 2009 (2009-10-06)
The 1988 trade of Wayne Gretzky from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings and the effect it had on Gretzky, the fans in Edmonton, and the popularity of hockey in Southern California.
2	2	The Band that Wouldn't Die	Barry Levinson		October 13, 2009 (2009-10-13)
A profile of Baltimore's love affair with football and the Colts, focusing on the Colts Marching Band. After the Colts decamped for Indianapolis in 1984, the band remained in Baltimore and helped promote the eventual return of the NFL to the city.
3	3	Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL?	Mike Tollin		October 20, 2009 (2009-10-20)
Fresh interviews and archival footage track the life and demise of the United States Football League in the mid-1980s. A highlight is Tollin's interview with Donald Trump, the former New Jersey Generals owner whose post-interview comments on the league give this documentary its title.
4	4	Muhammad and Larry	Albert Maysles		October 27, 2009 (2009-10-27)
A look at the October 1980 Muhammad Ali-Larry Holmes fight and its impact on both fighters, featuring fresh interviews with participants and previously unseen lead-up footage from both fighters' camps.
5	5	Without Bias	Kirk Fraser		November 3, 2009 (2009-11-03)
The death of Len Bias from a cocaine-induced heart attack, two days after Boston selected him as the second overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft, and its impact on casual drug use, especially by the sports community.
6	6	The Legend of Jimmy the Greek	Fritz Mitchell		November 10, 2009 (2009-11-10)
The life of Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder, from his career as a Las Vegas bookmaker to his tenure on The NFL Today, from which he was fired in 1988.
7	7	The U	Billy Corben	2.368	December 12, 2009 (2009-12-12)
The racial and cultural evolution of Miami during the 1980s as represented within the University of Miami football team. (2 hours in length)
8	8	Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks	Dan Klores		March 14, 2010 (2010-03-14)
The impact of Indiana Pacer Reggie Miller on the New York Knicks in the 1990s, specifically focusing on the Pacers/Knicks battles in the 1994 and 1995 NBA Playoffs and on Miller's interaction with Knicks fan Spike Lee.
9	9	Guru of Go	Bill Couturié		April 3, 2010 (2010-04-03)
Paul Westhead's coaching tenure at Loyola Marymount University (1985–1990) features his high-scoring run-and-gun offense and players such as Bo Kimble and Hank Gathers, as well as Gathers' tragic on-court death.
10	10	No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson	Steve James		April 13, 2010 (2010-04-13)
The 1993 trial of Hampton, Virginia high school athlete Allen Iverson, convicted for his role in a racially tinged melee, and its impact on both the community and on Iverson's life. (90 minutes in length)
11	11	Silly Little Game	Adam Kurland and Lucas Jansen		April 20, 2010 (2010-04-20)
Meeting at New York City's La Rotisserie Francaise restaurant in 1980, a group of writers and academics develop Rotisserie Fantasy baseball, only to see it take off in popularity and leave them behind.
12	12	Run Ricky Run	Sean Pamphilon and Royce Toni	0.972	April 27, 2010 (2010-04-27)
A profile of Ricky Williams focuses on his brief 2004 departure from the NFL, when he sought self-redemption amidst media criticism and fresh rumors of marijuana use.
13	13	The 16th Man	Clifford Bestall, Lori McCreary, and Morgan Freeman	0.463	May 4, 2010 (2010-05-04)
How hosting (and winning) the 1995 Rugby World Cup and Nelson Mandela's support of the Springboks national team affected post-apartheid South Africa.
14	14	Straight Outta L.A.	Ice Cube		May 11, 2010 (2010-05-11)
The relationship between the Raiders and the minority fan base in Los Angeles during the team's 13 seasons in L.A. (1982–1994)
15	15	June 17, 1994	Brett Morgen		June 16, 2010 (2010-06-16)
Quick-cut archival footage captures the various US sporting events on the day in question and the emotions they generated, including but not limited to the opening of the World Cup soccer tournament, the Knicks/Rockets battle in the NBA Finals, Arnold Palmer's last round in the U.S. Open, and the New York Rangers' celebration of their Stanley Cup victory—all of which are overshadowed by O. J. Simpson's run from the police.
16	16	The Two Escobars	Jeff Zimbalist and Michael Zimbalist		June 22, 2010 (2010-06-22)
The lives of soccer player Andrés Escobar and drug lord Pablo Escobar; the intertwining of crime and soccer in their native Colombia; and the connections between the murders of both men. (2 hours in length)
17	17	The Birth of Big Air	Jeff Tremaine, Johnny Knoxville, and Spike Jonze		July 29, 2010 (2010-07-29)
The life of Mat Hoffman and his 25-year career of advancing BMX riding, both creatively and promotionally.
18	18	Jordan Rides the Bus	Ron Shelton		August 24, 2010 (2010-08-24)
Motivated by the dream his late father had for him, Michael Jordan retires from basketball and has a brief career in minor league baseball.
19	19	Little Big Men	Al Szymanski		August 31, 2010 (2010-08-31)
The Kirkland National Little League team's success at the 1982 Little League World Series, examining why their title win is considered one of the biggest upsets in the event's history.
20	20	One Night in Vegas	Reggie Rock Bythewood		September 7, 2010 (2010-09-07)
The friendship of boxer Mike Tyson and rapper Tupac Shakur and the night of September 7, 1996, when Shakur was murdered after attending the Tyson-Bruce Seldon fight in Las Vegas.
21	21	Unmatched	Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern, with Hannah Storm		September 14, 2010 (2010-09-14)
A look at the rivalry and friendship between tennis legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.
22	22	The House of Steinbrenner	Barbara Kopple		September 21, 2010 (2010-09-21)
The legacy of George Steinbrenner's ownership of the New York Yankees.
23	23	Into the Wind	Steve Nash and Ezra Holland	0.894	September 28, 2010 (2010-09-28)
Terry Fox's attempt to run across Canada in support of fundraising for cancer research captures the attention of his fellow Canadians and the world. Note: This film first aired on Canada's TSN2 on September 19, 2010 (2010-09-19).
24	24	Four Days In October	Major League Baseball Productions	1.45	October 5, 2010 (2010-10-05)
The remarkable comeback of the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees in the 2004 ALCS.
25	25	Once Brothers	NBA Entertainment		October 12, 2010 (2010-10-12)
The story of Croatian Dražen Petrović and Serbian Vlade Divac, NBA players and Yugoslavian national teammates, and how upheaval in their homeland adversely and irretrievably affected their friendship. (90 minutes in length)
26	26	Tim Richmond: To the Limit	NASCAR Media Group and Rory Karpf		October 19, 2010 (2010-10-19)
The career of NASCAR driver Tim Richmond, his flamboyant lifestyle, and his 1989 death from AIDS.
27	27	Fernando Nation	Cruz Angeles		October 26, 2010 (2010-10-26)
The euphoria created by Fernando Valenzuela's 1981 arrival with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
28	28	Marion Jones: Press Pause	John Singleton		November 2, 2010 (2010-11-02)
The successful track and field career of Marion Jones, her 2007 admission of performance-enhancing drug use, and subsequent prison sentence.
29	29	The Best That Never Was	Jonathan Hock		November 9, 2010 (2010-11-09)
The 1981 recruiting of high school football player Marcus Dupree by multiple big-time college programs, his resulting injury-prone college and professional career, and how his pursuit by college and USFL teams changed the recruiting process. (2 hours in length)
30	30	Pony Excess	Thaddeus D. Matula	2.517	December 11, 2010 (2010-12-11)
The rise, fall, and rebirth of the SMU Mustangs football program, which received a 2-year "death penalty" for major infractions after former SMU player David Stanley blew the whistle on the long-suspected program. (2 hours in length)

ESPN Films Presents

Logo for ESPN Films Presents films.

Other films were previously announced for the 30 for 30 series but were not included in the series. These films, which began airing in 2011, are a continuation of 30 for 30, dealing with more sports stories that 30 for 30 did not cover. According to 30 for 30 producer Bill Simmons: "We're spinning off the "30 for 30" series next year into something that will probably be called "30 for 30 Presents" or something like that... we're going to be putting out 4–5 sports docs per year on the level of the best "30 for 30" docs and getting the best filmmakers to do them. Same creative team is involved. We have some terrific ideas in the hopper. So even though the SMU doc will be the 30th one (right after the Heisman ceremony) don't think the spirit of the series is going away." These additional films include:

Overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	U.S. viewers (in millions)	Original air date
31	1	The Fab Five	Jason Hehir	2.74	March 13, 2011 (2011-03-13)
The story of the 1991 Michigan men's basketball recruiting class, called the Fab Five, one of whom (Chris Webber) was later involved in a notorious pay-for-play scandal.
32	2	Catching Hell	Alex Gibney	1.379	September 27, 2011 (2011-09-27)
The relationship between Chicago Cubs fans and Steve Bartman following Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series
33	3	Renée	Eric Drath	0.508	October 4, 2011 (2011-10-04)
The life of transsexual athlete Renée Richards, who shocked the world with her entry into the 1977 U.S. Open.
34	4	The Dotted Line	Morgan Spurlock	0.939	October 11, 2011 (2011-10-11)
Sports agents Peter Greenberg and Eugene Lee are profiled with their clients Johan Santana, Jacquian Williams and Robert Hughes.
35	5	Charismatic	Steven Michaels, Joel Surnow, and Jonathan Koch	0.672	October 18, 2011 (2011-10-18)
The run of Charismatic and its jockey, Chris Antley, at the 1999 Triple Crown.
36	6	The Real Rocky	Jeff Feuerzeig	1.386	October 25, 2011 (2011-10-25)
A profile of Chuck Wepner, the original inspiration for Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa character, and how the glory of Rocky eluded Wepner as he took several strange turns in an effort to stay in the spotlight.
37	7	Unguarded	Johnathan Hock	1.377	November 1, 2011 (2011-11-01)
The story of Chris Herren, a high school basketball star and NBA player; his career-long struggles with drug abuse; and his ultimate discovery of redemption and personal fulfillment through the game.
38	8	Roll Tide/War Eagle	Martin Khodabakhshian	1.698	November 8, 2011 (2011-11-08)
The continuing rivalry between Auburn University and the University of Alabama, focusing on the history between the two programs, the bad blood between its fans, and how this intense rivalry came to a pinnacle, just when they ended up needing each other most.
39	9	The Marinovich Project	Andrew Stephan and John Dorsey		December 10, 2011 (2011-12-10)
A look at the rise and fall of former USC and NFL quarterback Todd Marinovich, focusing primarily on the complex relationship between Marinovich and his father.
40	10	Goose	Kevin Shaw		February 26, 2012 (2012-02-26)
The life of Reece “Goose” Tatum who played in Negro League baseball and was an original member of the legendary Harlem Globetrotters.
41	11	The Announcement	Nelson George		March 11, 2012 (2012-03-11)
The events and aftermath of former Los Angeles Lakers player Magic Johnson announcing to the world that he tested positive for HIV.
42	12	26 Years: The Dewey Bozella Story	Jose Morales		March 15, 2012 (2012-03-15)
Life of Dewey Bozella and his 26 years behind bars, where he found strength and purpose through boxing (becoming the light heavyweight champion of Sing Sing prison), and his goal to be proven innocent and box professionally once he was released.
43	13	Right to Play	Frank Marshall		June 2, 2012 (2012-06-02)
The story of Norwegian speed-skating gold medalist Johann Olav Koss, who founded the non-profit organization Right to Play, which brings sports to children in third-world and war-torn countries.

List of 30 for 30 Volume II films

Logo for 30 for 30 Volume II films.

On May 15, 2012, it was announced that the 30 for 30 series would return in the fall of 2012 with all new documentaries. The documentaries will be integrated with Grantland.com by podcasts, feature stories and oral histories. In addition to the new documentaries, unrelated short films will release each month on Grantland.com.

Another slate of films will start in October 2013.

Unless otherwise noted, the following films are all 90 minutes in length (including commercials).

Overall	No. in series	Title	Directed by	U.S. viewers (in millions)	Original air date
44	1	Broke	Billy Corben	2.528	October 2, 2012 (2012-10-02)
An exploration of the road to fortune in sports and the eventual detours (through various reasons) to financial difficulties and bankruptcy, as experienced by top athletes including Bernie Kosar, Andre Rison, Keith McCants, and Cliff Floyd. Note: This film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
45	2	9.79*	Daniel Gordon	1.313	October 9, 2012 (2012-10-09)
A profile of the Men's 100 meter final at the 1988 Summer Olympics and the lives of the 8 men who participated, including Ben Johnson (whose world-record run of 9.79 seconds was scrubbed after he tested positive for anabolic steroids) and Carl Lewis (who was awarded the gold medal after Johnson's disqualification).
46	3	There's No Place Like Home	Maura Mandt and Josh Swade	1.007	October 16, 2012 (2012-10-16)
The story of one fan's obsessive quest to purchase (at a 2010 auction) James Naismith's original rules of basketball, perhaps the most important historical document in sports history, and to bring it "home" to Lawrence, Kansas, where Naismith taught and coached at the University of Kansas for more than 40 years. (70 mins in length)
47	4	Benji	Coodie and Chike	1.488	October 23, 2012 (2012-10-23)
The life of Ben Wilson, a well-regarded Chicago high school basketball star, and how his November 1984 murder (one day before the start of his senior season) had a wide-ranging impact. Note: This film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
48	5	Ghosts of Ole Miss	Fritz Mitchell	1.023	October 30, 2012 (2012-10-30)
In 1962, the University of Mississippi campus erupted in violence over integration and swelled with pride over an unbeaten football team. Mississippi native Wright Thompson explores the tumultuous events that continue to shape the state 50 years later. (60 mins in length)
49	6	You Don't Know Bo	Michael Bonfiglio	3.600	December 8, 2012 (2012-12-08)
A profile of Bo Jackson and how his feats in two sports (baseball and football) captured the public's imagination and made Jackson a cultural (and marketing) icon.
50	7	Survive and Advance	Jonathan Hock	1.603	March 17, 2013 (2013-03-17)
A look at the 1982–83 NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team's successful and improbable championship runs through the ACC and the NCAA tournaments. (120 mins in length)
51	8	Elway to Marino	Ken Rodgers and NFL Films	1.060	April 23, 2013 (2013-04-23)
A look at the six quarterbacks selected in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft, specifically John Elway and Dan Marino, the first and last quarterbacks selected in the first round respectively. Their agent, Martin Demoff, shares a personal diary he kept to chronicle the indecision the Baltimore Colts had with drafting or trading Elway with the first pick, as well as the other teams' interest in his two future-hall of fame clients.
		Spano vs The Islanders	Kevin Connolly	N/A	TBA
John Spano, a young businessman who cons his way into purchasing the Islanders in 1996, only to have it all blow up in his face after the 1996-97 NHL Season when it all hits the fan and his deception is revealed as Federal authorities charge Spano with bank and wire fraud. One of the most bizzare and unique stories of the modern sports era, the documentary will cover just how John Spano was able to dupe the National Hockey League.

30 for 30 Shorts

Logo for 30 for 30 Shorts.

These short films were released on Grantland.com, and are available to watch on the 30 for 30 site.

No. in series	Title	Directed by	Original release date	Length (mins)
1	Here Now	Eric Drath	May 15, 2012 (2012-05-15)	8:00
Interview with Pete Rose, Major League Baseball's all-time hits leader, at The Forum Shops at Caesars shopping center in Las Vegas where he signs autographs and other memorabilia, as employees act as barkers to lure shoppers into the store.
2	Arnold's Blueprint	Jeff Zimbalist and Michael Zimbalist	September 26, 2012 (2012-09-26)	12:30
A look at how a young Arnold Schwarzenegger's compulsory service in the Austrian Army played a critical role in his path to international bodybuilding fame.
3	Jake	Jonathan Hock	October 25, 2012 (2012-10-25)	11:00
For a generation of young sports fans who found their inspiration on the shelves of the local public library or at school book fairs, Alfred Slote is a name revered and cherished. While all of his books are "baseball books" on the surface, Slote's real interest as a storyteller was not the game, but the people, and he elevated the genre of the children's sports book by creating human dramas where the real action was off the field.
4	The Arnold Palmer	Bryan Gordon	November 28, 2012 (2012-11-28)	9:15
An exploration into the history, mystery and industry surrounding "The Arnold Palmer", the lemonade-and-iced tea beverage that has become a piece of Americana, created by retired pro golfer, Arnold Palmer.
5	Ali: The Mission	Amani Martin	January 16, 2013 (2013-01-16)	13:45
In 1990, Muhammad Ali traveled to Iraq to negotiate with Saddam Hussein for the release of U.S. civilians taken hostage after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
6	Disdain the Mundane	Nelson George	February 13, 2013 (2013-02-13)	6:00
Walt Frazier was one of New York City's biggest style icons. Take a look at his evolution of style, from the '70s cool-as-ice look, to todays look, with his use of vibrant colors and patterns.
7	Holy Grail: The T206 Honus Wagner	Colin Barnacle and Nick Barnacle	February 27, 2013 (2013-02-27)	14:00
The T206 Honus Wagner baseball card is over 100 years old, worth more than 2 million dollars, and has a life story that is a marriage of myth and reality. Only a handful have ever come to market but the wealth and heartbreak created by this two-inch-tall piece of paper is unimaginable. The T206 Honus Wagner: equal parts nightmare and fantasy.
8	Silver Reunion	Rory Karpf	March 27, 2013 (2013-03-27)	12:45
In Manchester, Tennessee a secret meeting will take place. But this is no ordinary gathering; instead, a monumental decision will be made. Forty years after the USA men’s Olympic basketball team declined their Silver medals after controversially losing the Gold to the Soviet Union, the 12 players from that team will gather together, and like the jury in 12 Angry Men, they will come to a unanimous decision—accept or refuse the medals for a game many of the players believe they never lost.
9	The Irrelevant Giant	Shaun Silva and Don Lepore	April 17, 2013 (2013-04-17)	11:30
John Tuggle, the 1983 NFL draft's Mr. Irrelevant, was anything but irrelevant to legendary New York Giants coach Bill Parcells. The normally tough coach will guide us on an emotional journey in this "30 for 30" short as he recounts his own rookie season as coach.
	The Other Side	Vanessa Roth	TBA	N/A
When 18 children—nine from Palestine and nine from Israel—come together to form a kids soccer team, they come face-to-face with the other side for the first time in their lives. United by the common goals of teamwork and dedication to a shared purpose, they confront generations of fear head on. Is peace through sports really possible, or is it hopelessly naive to think that a handful of 12-year-old soccer players can begin to change their world?
	Tommy and Frank	Richie Keen	TBA	N/A
An intimate, funny and compelling take on the unique relationship and shared legacy of Tommy John, the chatty Indiana lefty who won nearly 300 Major League games, and Dr. Frank Jobe, the unassuming L.A. Orthopedist who conceived and performed a revolutionary elbow operation on John in 1974.

Critical & ratings response

The series had a slow beginning. The first film, Peter Berg's Kings Ransom, a chronicle of Wayne Gretzky's trade from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings, premiered on October 6, 2009 to poor ratings. Kings Ransom drew a 0.5 national rating and a total viewership of 645,000. The premiere of Kings Ransom aired at the same time as the 2009 American League Central tie-breaker game between the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers on TBS, which went into extra innings and drew a 4.5 rating.^{[citation needed]}.

As awareness and critical acclaim grew, the viewing audience also grew. By the seventh episode, The U, the audience had grown to a 1.8 rating and well over 2 million viewers. The A.V. Club review for the eighth entry, Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks, called it "the most hotly anticipated [of the first eight]" and stated that "it more than lived up to the hype."

The A.V. Club has given positive and negative reviews for different episodes in the series, with notable critical reviews of the three episodes that had involvement by the media production arms of Major League Baseball (Four Days in October), the NBA (Once Brothers) and NASCAR (Tim Richmond: To the Limit).

Awards

• 2010 Peabody Award Winner
• 2010 International Documentary Association's "Distinguished Continuing Series"

Sponsors

Cadillac and Levi's are the presenting sponsors of the series. The Cadillac name appears on the 30 for 30 logo, while the Levi's "go forth" slogan appears on the bottom corner of the screen during the directors interstitial comments, which appear for 45 seconds at the beginning of each film and 30 seconds at the end. Commercials for both companies were shown during every intermission during the original air dates, with Levi’s guaranteed a 60-second commercial slot at the beginning of the third act. Cadillac replaced Honda as a primary sponsor; during its time as a contributor, Honda aired parts of its "Dream the Impossible" documentary series in the first commercial break.

See also

• Nine for IX

External links

• Official website
• 30 for 30 on Twitter
• ESPN Films on Twitter
• 30 for 30 at the Internet Movie Database