10 Sports Documentaries You Should See Before You Die:

10. Deep Water (2006/PG) – Boating – The story of the first solo, non-stop, round-the-world boat race, and the psychological toll it took on its competitors. This film goes beyond the event and gets into the mind of the ship captain who is dealing with his own demons and the nightmare of being at sea for almost a year.  Deep Water is an unforgettable journey into one man's heart of darkness.  This film was produced by the same producer as Touching the Void, which is number 6 on this list.

9. Riding Giants (2004/PG-13) + 9a. The Endless Summer (1966/G) – Surfing – Endless Summer: For this documentary-style sequel to the 1966 film that's achieved a cult-like following in the surfing world, director Bruce Brown trails two Californians to places across the globe searching for the ultimate wave.  Riding Giants: A semi-serious insider's look at the origins of surfing.  The movie covers the colorful and subversive birth of surf culture, and the mythology and lure of the "big wave."

8. Pumping Iron (1976/PG) – Bodybuilding – In this classic you can watch Governor Schwarzenegger defend his Mr. Olympia title against the Hulk, Lou Ferrigno.  Pumping iron is as ‘satisfying as having sex with a woman and reaching orgasm’, says Arnold Schwarzenegger in this fascinating docudrama. Though part of this movie is scripted, it is still a great documentary film to check out.  This movie becomes even more fascinating when viewed in the context of Arnie's now notorious political career.

7. Boxing Gym (2010/NR) – Boxing - Explores the world of a boxing gym in Austin, Texas, dwelling on the discipline of training as people from all walks of life aspire to reach their personal best.  The film examines what violence looks like when it's a controlled outlet, as opposed to a spontaneous one.  The only word of caution is that Boxing Gym is all without comment, letting the rhythm of the place tell the story, so be prepared to pay attention to everything you see and hear.  One critic said of Boxing Gym: ‘The soundscape is endlessly fascinating, a layer cake of squeaks, grunts, gasps, and rattling chains that, combined, catches a rhythm that sounds an awful lot like song’.

6. Touching the Void (2004/R) – Mountain Climbing – In 1985 two young and fit climbers decided to climb the west face of the Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes.   They ran into many problems, including one of them falling and breaking several bones in his leg.   The story is told by them as they try a never before attempted rescue technique that was likely to kill them both.   If you liked 127-hours, you will love this story.

5. When We Were Kings (1996/PG) – Boxing – This is an amazing movie that chronicles the heavyweight championship matchup (Rumble in the Jungle) between reigning title holder George Foreman and challenger Muhammad Ali in 1974.   On September 25, 1974, in the wake of one of the greatest political scandals in its history, Watergate, America was poised to watch a knockout punch that would redefine it as a nation of champions.  This film goes beyond the boxing and covers the socio-political impact this fight had on our history books.  A great critic quote on this film: ‘No comedian was ever funnier, no fighter ever faster than Muhammad Ali, who is caught at the top of his game in Leon Gast's valentine, When We Were Kings’

 

4. Hoop Dreams (1994/PG-13) – Basketball – I assume almost everyone has seen this film, but it is worth watching again.   It is such an obvious pick that it almost deserves a stand alone ranking.  The only reason I didn't rank it as #1 was because I wanted to highlight a few other films that you probably have not seen, that are well worth going to see.   So, if you have not seen Hoop Dreams, you should put it at the top of your Netflix rental queue.   This extraordinary movie shattered the illusion, once and for all, that factual films can't be as entertaining as fictional ones.  When it didn’t even get nominated for best documentary in 1995 there was a big uproar because it is such a brilliant film (though it is almost 3-hours long).   The movie is a chronicle of the lives and high-school careers of two inner-city youths who both harbor legitimate hopes of playing professional basketball.

3. Solo (2007/NR) – Kayaking - Michôd and Peedom's hour-long documentary recounts the tale of Andrew McAuley, an Australian adventurer who, in 2006, launched a quest to become the first person to paddle a kayak across the treacherous Tasman Sea, one of the loneliest and toughest stretches of water in the world.  This movie is really a sleeper, and you might have a hard time finding it on DVD, but it is really a great film if you can track it down. I am pretty sure this film didn't make it on any other list you will find online, but it is a brilliant story.

2. Bigger, Stronger, Faster* (2008/PG-13) – American Sporting Culture – Such a great movie and the way it was put together has you totally engrossed in the story from the first set of credits.   This film digs into our American culture that is so focused on being the biggest, strongest, fastest country in the world. Director Christopher Bell explores America's win-at-all-cost culture by examining how his two brothers became members of the steroid-subculture in an effort to realize their American dream.

1. Murderball (2005/R) – Rugby – By far the best sports documentary ever made, including the Baseball mini-series produced by Ken Burns.   This movie is so good I am shocked that almost everyone I ask has not only not seen the movie, but most have not heard of it.   Like any other great sports story, 'Murderball' features fierce rivalry, stopwatch suspense, dazzling athletic prowess, larger-than-life personalities and triumph over daunting odds. But Murderball, the original name for the full-contact sport now known as quad rugby, is played by quadriplegics in armored wheelchairs.

'Murderball' is a story like no other, told by men who see the world from a different angle. Quad rugby players have suffered injuries that have left them with limited function in all four limbs. Whether by car wreck, gunshot, fist fight, rogue bacteria or any of an endless list of possible misadventures, quad rugby's young men have found their lives dramatically altered. Watching them in action -- both on court and off -- smashes every stereotype one has ever had about the handicapped. It also redefines what it is to be a man, what it is to live a full life, and what it is to be a winner.  It was nominated for Best Documentary Feature for the 78th Academy Awards. This film is also #1 on the Rotten Tomatoes countdown of the top sports movies of all time.

Honorable Mentions: Baseball (Ken Burns Mini-Series), The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (Video Games), Grizzly Man (Camping/Outdoors), Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (Ken Burns Boxing Film)

This is brilliant & funny!

I love Steve Carell and wish he wasn't leaving The Office after next year. He is so funny, as you can see from this clip from the ESPY awards. This is a take-off on 'The Decision' played brilliantly by Steve Carell and Paul Rudd.

Check it out...

Being Soccer Dad...

Becoming a Soccer Dad is one of the parenting milestones that you don't realize you have reached until it is too late, it hits you like a fastball to the back of the head.    Now, you could be a Soccer Dad or a Hockey Dad or a Football Dad or even Golf Dad if you so desire.   They all lead to the same outcome... a realization of how much you want your child to succeed.  I don't think I really realized how much I wanted Dryver and Stryde to be successful until they played their first competitive sport.

Of course I knew that the primary reason I was there for the boys was to give them the support and tools and love to have a great life and to succeed as many times as possible, while also failing enough to learn and be humble.  Yes, I knew that I was here to help them as they stumbled and was there to always be that safety net until they didn't need one any longer.   I always knew I was there to help answer their questions and help them solve problems.   I just never really realized how much even the little success stories would play into these parenting objectives, that I guess are ingrained in you when your child enters this world. 

Don't get me wrong, I am not one of those crazy parents that want my boys to be on the 'Varsity' squad and play in every second of the game.  I am not a parent that thinks my son's don't get enough attention from the coaches or kudos from the other parents.  I never question the coach or assistant coaches or even the crazy hyperactive parents.  

Listen, I don't expect or require anything from anyone, I just want my kids to enjoy life and have fun while growing and maturing into parents of their own.  So, I guess the way that all manifests itself is though little successes that they are able to enjoy in life from school to sports to social interactions to everything else.   What is really important to point out is that success in this context doesn't mean winning.   Success doesn't mean being the star player.   Success is not what you would think it is, at least not for me.   What I mean by success is anything and everything they do that makes them feel good and empowers them to grow their confidence and helps them mature and take more risks and push a little harder the next time.   The little successes as they enter the world of sports include everything from kicking the ball the right way to making a good pass to cheering his teammates on to actually scoring a goal.

I still can remember the goal Dryver scored this year in Lacrosse.  I still remember the long pass he caught in football a couple of years ago.  I still remember the hits that Stryde had at bat in tee-ball.  I remember Stryde letting another player take his place in the lineup, even though Stryde really wanted to bat first.   I remember when Dryver went out of his way to go help a competing player up after he had hit the floor hard in Basketball.   These small things are what I consider successes and are what make me happier than I can ever describe, and until you become a Soccer Dad (or Mom) you won't ever fully comprehend. 

I do understand why parents get into sports so much with their kids.  I totally understand the chills that go down your neck when you feel the same excitement as your child when they accomplish even the smallest of things.   Of course it is all relative, and as long as my boys are happy and having a great time, so am I!

Define: Dad

I love this video, to me it is the true definition of a loving father. You all know what the guy was thinking when he caught the foul ball and everyone around the park was cheering and his adrenalin was pumping. For a fleeting second, as the crowd patted him on the back and he had 30,000 eyes on him, he was in the moment.

I am sure as he caught the ball he was thinking what every dad thinks about. He was thinking how fun and exciting this is to be a part of an amazing sporting event with his daughter; he was thinking about how this ball could be placed up on his daughters shelf in her bedroom; he was thinking how they might be able to get a player to autograph the ball after the game. This dad was thinking about how the ball signified the great times he spent with his daughter, and though as a father there is never enough, this would be something to look back on and point to as he watched and experience his daughter growing up. No matter how unimportant that foul ball was to the inning, or the game, or even to the season, it would mean a lot to this father and his daughter.

Then the best thing happens, she does what every kid does, she does the unexpected.



The greatest part of this whole video is his instant reaction to her. The immediate shift from a dad that was thinking about the short time he would have with his daughter growing up trying to hold on to anything possible, to a dad that was in the moment with his daughter and realized how much that instant and experience meant to him and his daughter. I really think this video, though short, displays what fatherhood is really about. It is about those small insignificant moments when you get to experience your children and realize the unconditional love that is the true definition of fatherhood.

At Least This TD Celebration is Creative...

I loved playing this game as a kid!

This is Really Amazing....

Dryver made a great catch the other day at practice, I gotta show him this one. He will love it!

An Amazing New MJ Commercial...

This video further demonstrates that MJ is the greatest ever. Could they make a Kobe commercial with the same idea? No, cause he didn't change the game, and Kobe is not the greatest ever.

The Hurricane Bowl 2008...

Dryver and his football team had a scrimmage a few weeks ago on a Saturday morning. It just happened to be the same morning that Hurricane Hannah was hitting the DC area. The storm was scheduled to hit our area from 9am through 4pm with 100MPH winds and rain/hail.

We showed up at the practice field around 7:30am, per the direction of Coach Noah. It was drizzling a little and you would never know within a few hours there would be trees blown from side to side.

By the time we got to the scrimmage field, we were in an official tropical storm. The kids seems to enjoy playing in this storm, though it was really high winds and the rain was so bad that the coaches couldn't talk to the players as it was too loud.

Here is a photo of Coach Noah in the storm, he doesn't look too happy as I am sure he is soaked, and there were over 7 turnovers in the first 3 quarters.

The game was fun to watch, and there were plenty of crazy parents there standing in the rain with their rain coats. Everyone was soaked to the core though, and it was getting even worse.

The best was in the 4th quarter when a puddle of water actually started to form across the entire field, as it was artifical turf. It was almost like the kids were playing football in a big pond.

I saw the commissioner of the football league and asked him if there was any chance the game would be cancelled. He looked at me with a straight face and said 'this is football, we don't cancel because of some bad weather.' I guess there is no level of what bad weather really means, i.e. I would think there would be a bad weather level, i.e. if there is a tropical storm, no games.

Anyway, it was fun and the kids had a good time. I will never forget this game and I hope Dryver always remembers playing in this game. He really loves football and I am really really proud of him!

Redskins Fan Day...

The kids and I headed to Redskins Park to watch the team practice for Fan Day. It was 100 degrees and there were thousands of fans. It took us over 3 hours to get to the park and by the time we got there (it took about an hour to travel about 2-3 miles), the team decided to head in and cool off.

I didn't blame them as it was very hot, though we were told the game started around 2:30 and we got to the gate around 2:50. The dummies that were running the gate decided not to let a bunch of fans in. It was crazy that these fans had traveled all the way to see the team, buy food and drinks, buy merchandise, and even support the team as a whole, and these idiots running the front gate wouldn't let them in.

We got in, but just at the last few minutes and because we were smart enough to go around back and get out of the crowd befoe they shut off access. I felt bad for all these fans that had taken a whole day to come out and because some stupid idiot decided to not take this into account probably impacted hundreds of fans perceptions of The Redskin organization. Because these young guys at the front gate wouldn't let these fans at least come in and look at the field or see the trophies or take pictures, the negative impact is going to be felt for years.

The Redskins probably can afford to piss off loyal fans as they have plenty of them, but if you continue to run an organization with this mentality it will come back someday, and I am very confident that this day is coming, just not sure when.

Mapping the 2008 Olympics...

The program for the Beijing 2008 Games is quite similar to that of the Athens Games held in 2004. The 2008 Olympics will see the return of 28 sports, and will hold 302 events (165 men’s events, 127 women’s events, and 10 mixed events).

Which 2008 sport is the most awesome? A guy with too much time on his hands created this chart...