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What if we told you that there are some amazing stories that ESPN's 30 for 30 has yet to cover? Since 2009, 30 for 30 has exposed us to the incredible lives of athletes on and off the court. Whether they've been tragedies shown in docs like Without Bias and Benji or lighter subjects like the Knicks vs. Pacers rivarly in Winning Time, the series has kept us well-informed and thoroughly entertained. So, as the series continues to venture into new, uncharted territory, we offer up some off-the-wall ideas as to what can be covered next. From the livese of today's sports groupies to Michael Jordan's gambling problem, here are 15 ESPN 30 for 30's That We'd Like to See.
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Rock the Boat
Synopsis: The story of the 2005 Minnesota Vikings and the most ratchet Bye Week in NFL history.
What if we told you that the 2005 Minnesota Vikings wasone of the most turnt up teams in NFL history? Players, strippers/prostitutes, and double-sided dildos. Need we say more? Of course not, but we will. On Oct. 6, 2005, 17 players from the Minnesota Vikings including Fred Smoot, Daunte Culpepper, and Pat Williams rented two houseboats and went out onto Lake Minnetonka where various sex acts were performed. According to the cleaning crews, the 1-4 team made the most of the bye week. There were apparently Handi Wipes (*cues the soundtrack*), K-Y Jelly, used condoms, sex toy wrappers, and other party favors.
After the scandal the team went on to win eight of their next 12 games and finished second in their division. They didn't make the playoffs which is too bad. A story of how one player—who will remain anonymous—weilding a double-sided dildo turned around their season would've been amazing.
Headcrack: Michael Jordan and His Gambling Addiction
Synopsis: Michael Jordan may have been the greatest but he made the worst decisions when it came to gambling.
What if we told you that even the greatest player to ever play the game of basketball is human and has a weakness? On the court, Michael Jordan was like Superman; he was talented beyond belief and seemingly unstoppable. Off the hardwood, Jordan consistently battled his kryptonite: gambling. Whether you want to believe that MJ retired the first time because of a gambling addiction or not, there's no denying that he has garnered a reputation as one of the biggest athlete gamblers of all time. From betting over a million dollars on a game of golf to racking up ridiculously high debts, find out how deep down the rabbit hole it gets for Jordan and ask yourself, do I really wanna be like Mike?
SpurtCenter: A History of Sexual Harassment on ESPN's Bristol Campus
Synopsis: The ESPN you know is better than the ESPN you don't know.
What if we told you that there was a dark side to the Worldwide Leader in Sports? For years, ESPN and their campus have looked like the place to be for up-and-coming journalists or on-air personalities. However, behind the curtain lies a plethora of damaging secrets that the network has been able to dodge time and time again. In 2011, James A. Miller published the book, Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN, which detailed the drug-filled, sex-fueled incidents occurring on and around Bristol, Conn. As the network seemingly lost their way right before our very eyes, their employees were doing the same thing and we didn't have a clue.
Riding Clean: Greg LeMond—The First (And Last) Great American Cyclist
Synopsis: Greg LeMond was the last clean Tour de France winner so cheers to him.
What if five years we told you that Greg LeMond was the last great American Cyclist? We would've been made fun of and lambasted for making such ludicrous comments. Lance Armstrong was the cyclist that everyone had respect for. His ability to overcome cancer and succeed on one of the greatest and brighest stages of the Tour de France was special, until we found out he was using performance enhancing drugs. With the Tour de France clouded by the drug use from numerous competitors, Greg LeMond is the only athlete that we can have any respect for. After accusing Armstrong of doping back in 2001, many of us failed to believe LeMond's accusations. Now we all have egg on our faces as LeMond proved to be right and his three Tour de France wins mean even more now.
Hand of God
Synopsis: How Diego Maradona's fateful fist punched Argentina's ticket to the 1986 World Cup semifinals.
What if we told you that a violation of one of soccer's most basic rules ended up helping a nation win the 1986 World Cup? Led by their once-in-a-lifetime superstar, Diego Maradona, the 1986 Argentinian soccer team didn't seem like a squad that needed to cheat in order to come out on top. However, in their quarterfinals match-up against England, Albicelestes proved that no one is too good to look for that extra edge over their competition. In the 51st minute of the game, with the match still scoreless, Maradona used his head-and his hand-to put his team out front in what would become one of the sport's most egregious instances of rule-breaking ever. What could've been for the English national team that year if the referees had called the play correctly? For better or for worse, the Hand of God will always be one of the most iconic plays in the history of the game.
The Biggest Catfish of Them All: The Computer Love Story of Lennay Kekua and Manti Te'o
Synopsis: How one man trolled a Heisman candidate and college football fans all over the nation.
What if we told you that a Heisman candidate wasn't smashing everything moving on campus during his campaign and had in fact fell in love with a fictional girlfriend over the Internet? The tragic story of Lennay Kekua—the fictional girlfriend of Manti Te'o—is something that captured the hearts of Notre Dame fans (and those who enjoy Lifetime movies) from South Bend Ind. to Honolulu.
Despite losing his grandmother and girlfriend on Sept. 11, 2012, Te'o persevered and went on to finish second in that season's Heisman trophy voting while leading Notre Dame to the national championship game. A truly touching story despite the fact that all of the dedications and mentions in interviews were for nothing. Lennay Kekua was actually Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, a family friend of Te'o's who had developed feelings for the linebacker. With a plot more ridiculous than your favorite Tyler Perry movie, the love story of Manti and Ron—uh, we mean, "Lennay," is ideal for 30 For 30.
Let's Talk About Sepp: How Satan Spawned the Head of FIFA
Synopsis: Why FIFA is the world's most corrupt sports governing body.
What if we told you that the head of the most popular sport in the world was also its most corrupt leader ever? Since winning his election as the president of FIFA in 1998, Sepp Blatter has been dogged by allegations of financial irregularities and backroom dealings year after year. Whether he was accepting bribes to give Qatar the 2022 World Cup or using some shady campaign tactics to stay in power, Blatter has been anything but uncontroversial during his on-going tenure with FIFA, making him one of the most reviled figures in all of sports. If you think that Roger Goodell is bad, wait until you see what Blatter has managed to mess up during his 15-year presidency.
Qa—What?
Synopsis: An unexpected host for the 2022 World Cup proves that Sepp Blatter is the worst.
What if we told you that a small, oil-rich nation that most people didn't know even existed was going to put on the largest sporting tournment in the world? Qatar's winning bid to host the 2022 World Cup was unexpected, to say the least. With a population of just over two million people, slave-like working conditions, and temperatures that regularly skyrocket into the low 100s, the tiny, Middle Eastern country hardly seemed like a natural fit to organize an event as demanding as the World Cup.
But if there's one thing that FIFA and Sepp Blatter have proven to us over the years, it's that they can be bought. What part did money play in awarding soccer's biggest tournament to a country whose national team has never even qualified to play in the actual event? Unfortunately, a big enough role to make this terrible idea a reality.
Email Chains to ESPN: How Bill Simmons Took Control of the World
Synopsis: Bill Simmons has built his own empire so what's next for the Boston Sports Guy?
What if we told you that the Sports Guy was the Sports Boss? Simmons has built a stable of talented writers as he runs Grantland under the ESPN banner. The World Wide Leader basically gives Bill creative freedom which they don't do for anyone. With speculation running rampant about his role in Michael Wilbon and Magic Johnson's departures from the ESPN NBA countdown show, Simmons remains the Teflon Don as evidenced by this great interview where he continues to win with an open and honest policy. Interview the President? Check. Maintain a podcast that features a former NBA star regularly? Check. We're just waiting for Simmons to start hosting every show, take over the reigns of an NBA team, and make every Boston sports championship a national holiday.
Like That, Bron Bron?
Synopsis: How the rumor of a career bench player smashing his teammate's mom led to the biggest free agency signing in recent sports history.
What if we told you there was a player crazy enough to smash his teammate's—who just happens to be the best player in the league—mom? Delonte West has done quite a few crazy things in his day: there was the time he went all Desperado, there's the G-Code tattoo, and many more priceless moments. But is Delonte West the reason why LeBron seemed mentally out of it in the 2010 Conference Semifinals versus the Boston Celtics? Is him smashing Gloria James the reason why "The Decision" happened? Was he LeBron's stepdad before Lambo?! In all seriousnes though, a breakdown of how this rumor got started and interviews with the parties involved would be amazing.
Fresh Out the Gambling Spot: The Tim Donaghy Story
Synopsis: The NBA referee that gambled on NBA teams still clouds the NBA scope.
What if we told you that one former referee actual put fear into the gulliest commisoner in sports history? Once the scandal that involved NBA referee Tim Donaghy placing bets on NBA games was uncovered, conspiracy theiories were born and evolved from suspicious playoff games. People began watching tape on Lakers-Kings, Game 6 in 2002 or Suns-Spurs, Game 3 in 2007 to see if Donaghy had been involved in fixing those games specifically. The former NBA ref went to prison, wrote a book, and he even started to "YouTube Ref" games after his release. Either way, the Donaghy scandal has only continued to spark theories and speculation as to whether the NBA is fixed and if some moments like the Knicks winning the lottery, or the veto of the Chris Paul trade to the Lakers are all a strategy in the master plan of commissioner David Stern. This might also make a very good episode of Law & Order.
Ain't No Thing But a Chicken Wing: Wade Boggs and His Weird Rituals
Synopsis: Wade Boggs and the clubhouse rituals of '80s superstars.
What if we told you that players had some crazy rituals back in the day. Wade Boggs ate chicken before every game. That's not it, Boggs took exactly 150 ground balls during infield practice, always entered the batting cage at exactly 5:17 p.m. Between pitches when on defense, Boggs would swipe the dirt in front of him with his left foot-always the left-then tap his glove two or three times and adjust his cap. When coming to the plate, just before stepping into the batters box, Boggs would write the Hebrew word "Chai" (which means "life") into the dirt. Between Boggs' OCD and Lawrence Taylor doing a few lines before each quarter (we kid! sort of...), there would be plenty of material for a solid 30 for 30 doc.
Me, Myself, and I: The Rise and Fall of Alex Rodriguez
Synopsis: Alex Rodriguez's contentious yet loving relationship with Alex Rodriguez.
What if we told you that the richest MLB player of all time was also the biggest douchebag in sports history? You'd probably believe us, right? In 2000, A-Rod signed the biggest contract in sports history with the Texas Rangers for 10 years/$252 million. He's dissed the Biracial Angel known as Derek Jeter in an Esquire interview, there are reports of a portrait of himself as a centaur hanging over his bed, he joined the Evil Empire, performed horribly but still got a ring, did steroids, and is now suing MLB because he got caught. An in-depth look at his constantly increasing levels of douchiness would be must-see TV.
Stay Schemin': The Progression of Sports Groupies
Synopsis: The story of how groupie tactics and etiquette has changed over several decades.
What if we told you that one 140 character DM could lead to the birth of a child, millions of dollars changing hands, and more baby mama drama than any baller could handle? Sports groupies have been around since the days of Babe Ruth and are more relevant than ever nearly a century later. Groupies of today have more access to the ballers of their dreams than ever before. Between Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook today's groupies have a heavy arsenal to attack player's thrist weaknesses. A look at how groupies went from hanging around lockerrooms and team buses to using a couple keystrokes to get the pipe would be perfect. This will be ten times more awesome if it's narrated by J.R. Smith.
Un-Break Their Hearts: Toni Braxton and the Three Js
Synopsis: How Toni Braxton (allegedly) broke up the Mavericks' "Three J's"—Jimmy Jackson, Jamal Mashburn, and Jason Kidd—in the mid '90s.
What if we told you that two of the mid '90s Mavericks' "Three Js"—Jimmy Jackson and Jason Kidd—were after one thing and we're not talking about a championship? When Dallas formed the potent trio of Jackson, Kidd, and Jamal Mashburn, many people believed that the three of them had what it took to capture an NBA title, but those hopes were thwarted when Jackson and Kidd allegedly got into a love triangle involving singer Toni Braxton.
The feud started after Toni reportedly stood up J-Kidd and opted to go out that night with teammate Jackson instead. While they have repeatedly denied any such rumor, Jackson and Kidd could never work on the same page. And while the Mavs did see a major initial improvement under the trio, going 13-69 in 1993 to 36-46 in '94, they were just never able to completely turn the franchise around as expected. Maybe there was a lack of chemistry. Maybe there was a plausible reason behind it. With Kidd retired, now may be the time to let one of the worst kept secrets out.