ESPN Films 30 for 30: Bad Boys w/Grantland Book

This documentary moved mountains mentally for me multiple times

The late Eighties and early Nineties were an extremely competitive era in the NBA. It was a time before the full watering down of the league, and a team had to be truly great to win the title then. The Detroit Pistons were such a team in 1989 and 1990, and this episode of ESPN's "30 for 30" looks back at the Pistons' brief but brilliant run. The Pistons drafted Isiah Thomas in 1981, and this episode recalls GM Jack McCloskey's building of the team and the addition of players around Thomas, as well as the hiring of legendary coach Chuck Daly.The Pistons suffered brutal losses to the Celtics in the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals and to the Lakers in the 1988 NBA Finals, but after a key trade, Detroit broke through in 1989 and defended their crown in 1990. Their run ended in 1991 at the hands of the Bulls and the team broke up afterward, but the Pistons of that era were a truly memorable team, and this is yet another great "30 for 30" episode. This DVD is rounded out with a bonus feature—Isiah Thomas, Doug Collins, Jalen Rose, and Bill Simmons discuss the Pistons of that era.

I've been waiting for the 30 for 30 set on DVD since they started running the documentaries. I've only been able to catch bits and pieces of them when aired, but I knew it was only a matter of time before the DVDs hit.If you have anybody on your holiday gift list that likes sports and is hard to buy for, try this. Just about everything in the sports world from Gretzky to Reggie Miller to the USFL is touched on, so any general knowledge sports fan, like myself, would be thrilled.I have not watched all 15 (remember, this is volume 1) of the films, probably 5 or 6 so far, and they are all pretty good. Some are more interesting than others, but that will come down to personal preference.The packaging is great. Inside the slide out box are six slim cases that have the films split across six discs. I bet they could have got it down to four, but then they couldn't charge as much! Some people may hate the "raffle" ticket type design that is on the packaging and the menus, but I really like it.My only complaint thus far is that the menus seem slow. It's possible that it's my PS3, so I will not deduct for it, but just wanted to mention it.All in all, a great collection for sports fans.

I grew up in the early 90's watching my beloved Lakers beginning to deteriorate. This was also the time I began listening to rap and hip-hop. And then the Wolverines show up and they were the team to watch. My friends and I entered into the Hoop-it-up basketball tournament in 92 and we were the 7th team to be named with some form of the Fab Five (We were the Fab 5ive). I hated Duke and wanted Michigan to crush them.Watching this documentary and seeing Chris Webber call the timeout was heartbreaking to watch again...not to mention laugh when he wasn't called for travelling. At the same time I was glad for George Lynch to be drafted by the Lakers.Overall, good documentary. What a blast of nostalgia, especially seeing Juwon do the Cabbage Patch!

I'm giving this a 5-star review for "Roll Tide / War Eagle" alone, which is one of the best SEC Storied (or 30 for 30) films ever. It's a favorite of mine as an SEC football fanatic; though I'm neither a Bama nor Auburn fan. That film should be mandatory viewing for any college football fan or casual observer, especially for those who are outside the SEC! Other great films in this series include: "The Believer;" "The Book of Manning" which really changed my opinion on the Manning family; "The Announcement;" and "The Play that Changed College Football." The documentary "Unguarded" is one of the most compelling films I've seen about the impact of addiction and is absolutely worth the $5! Don't miss it.

This is based on the true story of Dewey Bozella, an innocent man thrown in jail for a crime he didn't commit. While in jail, he learned to become a boxer, got his high school diploma and his master's degree, and married the love of his life. He spent 26 years in jail, but decided to forgive everyone who put him there and move forward in his new boxing career. For teachers, this is a spectacular program to pair with the book The Other Wes Moore. The kids love watching it and I never get sick of seeing it several times a year each year.

Correction: this is a 16:9 format, not a 4:3 as is stated on Amazon. While it is not currently available on Blu-ray format, much of the file footage is pre-HD sourced. Similar for those familiar with the documentary "Tyson," the DVD format is suitable for most. Upscaling via most Blu-ray players and a HDMI cable will please the majority of viewers.As this is an ESPN production vs. HBO Sports, the language is toned down, yet still tells the story. I enjoy the personal connection that each film maker has with each piece. The depth of candid interviews (some better than others) is on par with Frontline - making me wonder "how did they get this individual to go on camera?!"For those considering buying a single release of their "favorite," 30 for 30, I highly recommend paying just a little more to receive almost 24 hours of content!Many of the stories transcend sports, and dig into the core of American society.

First off,Ii am simply AMAZED that no one has reviewed this yet.Secondly..it's so incredibly hard to even BEGIN how to appraise this incredible box set.ESPN has put together 30 films by 30 film makers that dig below the skin of what seems like a routine sports story and uncovers social impacts,personal impacts and goodness knows what other impacts on people seemingly disconnected form the event! I have not yet seen all 30 films, but the ones I have seen have left me completely and utterly immersed in the story. I watched the Reggie Miller V The New York Knicks film and was so absorbed in it, i literally didn't flinch for the entire movie. There is some amazing archive footage to go in each and every film, some of it not relating to sports at all, but adds an incredible amount of depth to each documentary.Who would this series of film appeal to?It would be incredibly shallow to say that this set of films would hold most appeal for sports fans, because whilst sports is the subject, the human elements in each movie go so far beyond sports, it's greater appeal could stimulate anyone , even people who have zero interest in sports.These films are as much about life and humanity as they are about sports. as much about impact and emotion as they are about winning and losing, and more importantly, all of them are about evoking in each and every single viewer a level of stimulation rarely provided by a bundle of documentaries in a pretty box.If you are a lover of film/documentary/human interest at any level, this series of films will simply NOT disappoint you.All of them are aired on ESPN sports. I live in the UK and subscribe to ESPN, and although they frequently advertise this series, they very rarely ever show an episode, only if there is an error in scheduling will you likely to be able to see one. Fed up with this nonsensical tease, i took the drastic measure of getting the series sent from an overseas seller on Amazon.If you are in the UK, accept the material fact that any thing remotely of quality in the states will never ever be available here. Worth buying a region-free DVD player for alone.get it, watch it, share it with your friends and debate it. You will free your mind as well as fill it.I simply cannot recommend this box set enough but to say it is an extremely important and essential purchase.

I saw one of these documentories on tv and thought it was absolutley great. I immediatly looked for them online to find out how to buy them. So far have watched about 12 out of the first 15 and have loved all of them. I can't wait to see the next 15. I just wish all 30 were included in the set instead of them being split up in sets of 15. My two favourite so far are: Without Bias and No Crossover. I highly recommend these films to any sports fan, documentery lover or anybody who just loves truly great stories. Cheers!

Great piece of memorabilia for this era!! Love Bad Boys basketball!!

I bought this for my dad on father's day and he was so excited to get it! I haven't tried the actual discs out yet, but the box came shrink wrapped and in great packaging. Would recommend buying for anyone else who is a fan of all sports. It's great for those who aren't sports fans either, the directing is done so well, there is a more personal, in-depth coverage, it's not about just watching a sports game!

DVD set was purchased as a gift for my son.He loves it. Thanks.