ESPN Films ‘30 for 30’ DVD Gift Set – Volume 1: Complete List of Films and Information

Volume 1 includes the first 15 films in the “30 for 30” series: 

Film 1:  Kings Ransom (directed by Peter Berg, 2009 Toronto International Film Festival Official Selection)
On August 9, 1988, the NHL was forever changed with the single stroke of a pen, when the Edmonton Oilers sent Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings.  Acclaimed director Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom) presents the captivating story of the trade that knocked the wind out of an entire country and placed a star-studded city at the feet of a 27-year-old kid, known simply as “The Great One.” 
Rating:  TV G
Run Time:  51 Min.

Film 2:  The Band That Wouldn’t Die (directed by Barry Levinson, 2009 Toronto International Film Festival Official Selection)
In late March of 1984, a moving company secretly packed up the Baltimore Colts’ belongings and snuck off in the darkness of early morning, leaving a city of deeply devoted fans in shock and disbelief.  Academy Award-winning filmmaker Barry Levinson (Rain Man, The Natural), himself a long-standing Baltimore Colts’ fanatic, tells the story of the city’s loss through the eyes of the Baltimore Colts’ Marching Band.
Rating:  TV G      
Run Time:  53 Min.

Film 3:  Small Potatoes: Who Killed The USFL? (Mike Tollin)
In 1983, the upstart United States Football League (USFL) signed three straight Heisman Trophy winners and future NFL stars Steve Young, Reggie White and Doug Flutie.  Winning over fans with its aura of fun and flamboyance, the new league averaged crowds of 25,000.  But with success came expansion and new owners, including a high profile real estate baron whose vision was at odds with the league’s founders.  Academy-Award-nominated director Mike Tollin (Radio) attempts to answer the question, “Who Killed The USFL?”
Rating:  TV PG
Run Time:  51 Min.

Film 4:  Muhammad & Larry (Albert Maysles & Bradley Kaplan)
In October of 1980, Muhammad Ali came out of retirement attempting to become world heavyweight champion for an unprecedented fourth time against his former sparring partner, Larry Holmes. For the first time, here is the compelling never-before-seen footage from the build-up to the title fight, filmed by directors Albert Maysles and Bradley Kaplan.  
Rating:  TV 14 / L
Run Time:  52 Min.

Film 5:  Without Bias (Kirk Fraser)
When rising superstar Len Bias dropped dead two days after being selected as the second overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft, he forever altered our perception of casual drug use.  In the most ambitious and uncompromising account of Bias’ life and death, director Kirk Fraser interviews Bias’ closest teammates, friends and family in an effort to determine exactly what happened on that fateful night.
Rating:  TV 14 /  D
Run Time:  51 Min.

Film 6:  The Legend of Jimmy The Greek (Fritz Mitchell)
Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Fritz Mitchell takes a uniquely personal look at Jimmy’s life, from his rise to respectability to his tragic demise.  With interviews from family, friends and co-workers, the film provides a humanizing glimpse into the life and downfall of an American sports icon.
Rating:  TV 14 /  D
Run Time:  51 Min.

Film 7:  The U (Billy Corben)
Long before the hip hop culture filled our airwaves and shopping malls, the Miami Hurricanes brought street values and hood bravado into America’s living room.  Filmmaker Billy Corben (Cocaine Cowboys) tells the story of how these “Bad Boys” of football changed the attitude & ultimately the rules of the game, and how this serene campus was transformed into “The U.”
Rating:  TV 14 / D L
Run Time:  102 Min.

Film 8:  Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks (Dan Klores, 2010 Sundance Film Festival Official Selection)
In the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Reggie Miller solidified his status as Public Enemy #1 in New York City.  With moments to go in Game 1, Miller scored eight points in 8.9 seconds to give the Indiana Pacers an astonishing victory.  Peabody Award-winning director Dan Klores (Black Magic) captures the intensity of a rivalry between two cities that critics called “a must see.”  (Los Angeles Times)
Rating:  TV 14 / D L
Run Time:  69 Min.

Film 9:  Guru of Go (Bill Couturié)
In the 1989-90 season, rising college basketball star Hank Gathers collapsed during a game and was diagnosed with an abnormal heartbeat.  Determined to play, he returned three games later, but in less than three months, he tragically died on the court.  Oscar-winning director Bill Couturié tells a fast-paced and emotionally moving story of triumph and tragedy.
Rating:  TV PG
Run Time:  51 Min.

Film 10:  No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson (directed by Steve James, 2010 South by Southwest Film Festival Official Selection)
On Valentine’s Day 1993, 17-year old Allen Iverson was bowling in Hampton, Virginia, when an argument erupted into a brawl, pitting Iverson’s African-American friends against a group of white patrons.  The fallout from the fight and subsequent trial sharply divided the city along racial lines.  Oscar nominee Steve James (Hoop Dreams) returns to his hometown of Hampton, to take a personal look at this still-disputed incident.
Rating:  TV 14 / D L
Run Time:  80 Min.

Film 11:  Silly Little Game (directed by Adam Kurland & Lucas Jansen)
In 1980, a group of writers and academics met at La Rotisserie Francaise in New York City and formed a baseball league of their own:  The Rotisserie League.  Today, fantasy sports is a multi-billion dollar industry with over 30 million participants.  Take a look at the game’s inception and its “founding fathers,” who never foresaw how their creation would take off and ultimately leave them behind.
Rating:  TV 14 / D L
Run Time:  51 Min.

Film 12:  Run Ricky Run (directed by Sean Pamphilon & Royce Toni)
Take an intimate look at Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams, one of football’s most fascinating athletes and misunderstood persons.  In 2004, following his early retirement from the game, Williams took a five-year hiatus from the game and a soul-searching journey which ultimately led to redemption as a father, husband and teammate.  
Rating:  TV PG
Run Time:  51 Min.

Film 13:  The 16th Man (directed by Clifford Bestall, produced & narrated by Morgan Freeman)
Following the fall of apartheid, Nelson Mandela saw an opportunity to achieve national unity through sport.  When the South African national team won the 1995 Rugby World Championship in front of their countrymen, Mandela shattered barriers by shaking hands with the captain of the South African team. Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby) and director Clifford Bestall tell the inspirational story of the emotional moment when two nations became one.
Rating:  TV PG
Run Time:  51 Min.

Film 14:  Straight Outta L.A. (directed by Ice Cube, 2010 Tribeca Film Festival Official Selection)
During the 13 short seasons the Raiders played in Los Angeles, the team’s colors, aura and superstar players became a cultural phenomenon.  As a member of legendary rap group N.W.A., director Ice Cube found himself at the crossroads between the birthplace of hip-hop in Los Angeles and the bone-crunching intensity of the L.A. Raiders.  Straight Outta L.A. takes a look at the unlikely marriage between the NFL’s rebel franchise and America’s glamour capital. 
Rating:  TV PG
Run Time:  51 Min.

Film 15:  June 17th, 1994 (directed by Brett Morgen)
Do you remember where you were on June 17, 1994?  The New York Rangers celebrated on Broadway, the FIFA World Cup kicked off in Chicago, Arnold Palmer played his last round at a U.S. Open, Patrick Ewing pursued a long evasive championship in the Garden, and yet all of that was a prelude to O.J. Simpson leading America on a slow speed chase around Los Angeles.  Oscar-nominee Brett Morgen (The Kid Stays in the Picture) takes a mesmerizing look at a day in history no sports fan could ever forget.
Rating:  TV PG
Run Time:  51 Min.