By ESPN has a great series of documentaries that give the fans and sports enthusiasts alike a more in-depth look at some famous sports moments or moments in sports where they might not have known. The 30 for 30 documentary series started in 2009 as a celebration of all the most important sports memories for ESPN’s 30th anniversary. All the infamous sporting events from 1979 to 2009 include the famous fan interference at the Chicago Cubs playoff game to the time Tupac was killed after a Mike Tyson boxing match.
Even after the initial run of the films, ESPN continued to create more 30 for 30s and some under the ESPN Films Presents title. The most famous documentary ESPN has made is one of the more recent ones; a documentary about OJ Simpson. That documentary won an Academy Award.
Ass ESPN makes more documentaries, more and more sports events pop up that catch the eyes of fans and newbies alike. Big sports events, whether it is the story of a championship team or the scandals that plagued an entire league, are all worthy of insightful investigative journalism. Sporting events of this matter are worth knowing the inside story from interviews with players, front office personnel, coaches and so on.
In recent years, I, and sports fans, too, have wanted more information and stories from behind the scenes from sports top events. I wanted to get some ideas down about future sports documentaries done in the style of the 30 for 30 series. Here are some:
What if I told you, garbage can change the world of baseball forever? A documentary about the Houston Astros cheating scandal that rocked the baseball world would be a must-watch no matter if you were a fan of the Astros or not. Any kind of look inside how the investigation was done and how the players and front office were involved would bring every baseball fan to their televisions. Especially the final decision on the punishments to everyone involved would be an absolute need to watch.
What if I told you, the Dark Knight resides in Queens? A look at the life of Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Matt Harvey, his start with the New York Mets and the journey he went through from there. Harvey at one time may have been one of the best pitchers in all of baseball and his career spiraled out of control after season-ending injuries. His bounce-back season to eventually start in the World Series is a story in itself, but the fact that he was such a famous and elite pitcher in New York was amazing for Mets fans and baseball fans at the time. Interviewing Mets fans, minor league coaches and front office members at the time they drafted him to eventually the players and faces around him now in Baltimore would all make for great interviews.
What if I told you, as the world closed down, the sports world opened it back up? If no one got enough of 2020, maybe a look at how the sports world closed down and reopened would be an interesting watch. On top of the social justice movements that took place the same year, the Covid-19 sports documentary could focus primarily on the days leading up to the postponement of the NBA and NHL seasons, the discussions between the players and MLB with when to start their season and how the bubble became the safe haven for everything sports.
Three examples of sports events, scandals and people that would make for great documentaries in the 30 for 30 library. There are plenty more stories of bigger and smaller events that could make for great documentaries. You can learn so much from investigative journalism done in this format that it is a shame they take such a long time to make, but on the other hand, they take so long to make but end up being so good and full of knowledge. It is definitely worth the watch for any 30 for 30 just to watch something different or about something you probably had no idea had happened in the past 30 or 40 years.
By 
By 
By 
