The 30-30 Bum

Today I watched the latest presentation of ESPN’s 30 for 30 series of 30 short film documentaries based on the most interesting sports issues of the last 30 years spanning 1979-2009. The episode I watched today was “Straight Outta L.A.” directed by Ice Cube. It tells the story of the NFL Raiders time in Los Angeles, and the effect that hip-hop had on the organization, the city, and vice-versa.

When hip-hop first broke out on the scene in L.A., it was N.W.A. that brought N.F.L. fashion to the fore front of music. The rap group needed to have an identifiable trademark, but didn’t want to be flashy. They let there voice be the loudest thing, and wore all black while donning a Los Angeles Raiders hat. The Raiders silver and black was a perfect fit. It gave them an identity, the L.A. gangs a neutral color to wear, and the Raiders became the number one marketable team in the country for several years.

I always knew about the Raiders indelible mark on the South Central and Compton communities in L.A., but it wasn’t until I watched this that I realized how big of an impact the hip-hop world and Raider-nation had on each other. At that time I believe the Raiders and N.W.A. would have the same adage….. loved or hated, but never ignored.

There are so many other 30 for 30 films that have already aired about Ali & Holmes, The L.A. Kings and Gretzky, The migration of the Baltimore Colts, and the literal trials and tribulations of the early life of Allen Iverson, and so many more. There is no way for me to go over all of them, so I’ll just mention a few. Such as:

“Run Ricky Run” by Sean Pamphilon & Royce Toni – Did you ever wonder what the hell was going through the mind of Ricky Williams when he decided to leave the glitz, glamour, and money of the N.F.L. to go “find himself”? Well you are not alone, and this film makes you wonder if Ricky is really crazy or one of the most sane, level headed, worldly people, anyone can meet.

“The Legend of Jimmy the Greek” by Fritz Mitchell – When I was a kid, my father would watch football every Sunday, and his favorite guy to watch was Jimmy the Greek. Jimmy was the blue collar guy on T.V. that everyone loved, except most of the people that worked with him. This film tells the tale of Jimmy’s upbringing, gambling, and his every-man persona that made him famous. It was also that, I can say anything attitude, and racial comments that was the cause of his downfall.

“Small Potatoes: Who killed the USFL?” From director Mike Tollin – The story of the rise and fall of the United States Football League, and how it changed the face of all of professional football. Believe it or not, it was Donald Trump that had a huge hand in changing the whole free agent market of the sport, and eventually in the opinion of many brought about the downfall of the league. My family actually had season tickets for the New Jersey Generals….Trump’s team.

Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks by Spike Lee – All about the tumultuous relationship between Reggie Miller and not only the Knicks, but the entire city of New York, including director Spike Lee. Reggie loved to break the hearts and spirits of Knick fans, especially Spike. As a Knick fan it was hard to watch, but riveting at the same time. Reggie Miller proved himself to be one of the biggest clutch players of all time.

That’s is the thing that I like about these 30 for 30 films, they give you so much in-depth information about these sports moments, that those moments become stories, and those stories become some of the things that change sports or even the world forever.