Documentary Diehards

30 for 30 documentary reviewed: "Free Spirits." Sam Anderson, Ren Clayton, and Nic Rudolph break down a movie about the 'Spirits of St. Louis' ABA basketball team. Wild escapades took place during the Spirits' two season lifespan. The gang marvels at the deal struck, giving the team's owners a yearly (big) paycheck from the NBA in perpetuity. A game of Mount Rushmore is then played with favorite N...

30 for 30 documentary reviewed: "Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau."  Sam Anderson, Ren Clayton, and Nic Rudolph break down a film about one of Hawaii's surfing icons, Eddie Aikau. They traverse the jam-packed life that Aikau led, saving lives as a lifeguard and winning surf competitions. Sam and Nic learn about Hawaii history. Then, they guys play Mt. Rushmore with their least favorite sou...

30 for 30 documentary reviewed: "Elway to Marino."   Sam, Ren, and Nic discuss Sam's favorite topic: the NFL Draft! Specifically the 1983 edition that featured John Elway refusing to sign with the team that drafted him. They debate the merits of the decision and other rookies who followed the same path. The gang also plays a much awaited game of Mount Rushmore with favorite characters from Th...

30 for 30 documentary reviewed: "Survive and Advance."    Sam, Ren, and Nic chat about the legendary Jimmy Valvano and the national championship NC State men's basketball team of 1983. Ren is in withdrawals from the Olympics. The gang plays Mt. Rushmore with their top travel destinations (to visit for the first time). Sam pitches an idea for a future documentary to be made on the making...

30 for 30 Documentary reviewed: "You don't know Bo." Sam Anderson, Ren Clayton, and Nic Rudolph discuss the heroics that Bo Jackson performed in his cut-short MLB *and* NFL careers. Ren explains the significance of Suni Lee's Olympic Gold Medal in the gymnastics all-around. A game of Mount Rushmore is played with favorite 2021 Summer Olympic Sports. Nic has an idea for a future documentary about D...

30 for 30 documentary reviewed: "Ghosts of Ole Miss."   Sam Anderson, Ren Clayton, and Nic Rudolph break down a doc about Ole Miss football's turbulent 1962 season. A time when the school was refusing to integrate black people. Riots ensued. The football team, though, went undefeated and won the Sugar Bowl. The guys discuss the dissonance that Mississippians experience when facing their past....

30 for 30 reviewed: "Benji."   The guys return after a "forced" hiatus to review a documentary about Chicago prep basketball star Ben Wilson who was killed down the road from his high school, Simeon. A game of Mount Rushmore is played with favorite "combinations." Sam brings up the idea for a future doc about infamous NBA referee Tim Donaghy. And of course, the NBA Finals, Olympics, and Open...

30 for 30 Documentary reviewed: "There's No Place Like Home."   Sam, Ren, and Nic discuss the wild story of a KU basketball fan raising money to buy the original rules of basketball at auction. They talk about how the doc was presented, the central character also being one of the co-directors. They also play Mount Rushmore with sports memorabilia they;d like to own. And finally, Ren has pitch...

30 for 30 Documentary reviewed: "9.79*."   Sam, Ren, and Nic break down a doc about the dramatic 100 meter race in the 1988 Olympics and the steroid problem in track and field. They debate whether or not American track star Carl Lewis was using PEDs. Also, a game of Mount Rushmore is played with the gang's favorite smells. And Sam has an idea for a documentary on Padres legend Tony Gwynn.

30 for 30 Documentary reviewed: "Broke." Sam, Ren, and Nic review a doc about star athletes who went broke after retiring. Some disagreement and agreement is had on the quality of the film's production. The gang plays mount rushmore with how they'd blow their imaginary signing bonus'.

30 for 30 Documentary reviewed: "The Announcement." Sam, Ren, and Nic break down a documentary about Magic Johnson's announcement that he was HIV positive, and everything that came after that for Earvin. The gang discuss the awareness that Magic has brought to HIV. A game of Mount Rushmore is played with favorite sounds. And Sam has an idea for a documentary about Andrew Luck and his sudden retire...

30 for 30 documentary reviewed: "The Marinovich Project."  Sam, Ren, and Nic discuss 'Robo QB' aka Todd Marinovich who was raised from an infant to be a football player by his one-track-minded father Marv. The guys chat about the pros and cons (mostly cons) this experience had on Todd, and may have on other athletes. A recap of the NFL Draft is done, led by Sam. And Trey Lance is discussed in...

30 for 30 Documentary reviewed: "Unguarded." Sam, Ren, and Nic discuss a film about Chris Herren, a drug addict and star basketball player. They disagree on the overall score given to the doc, with opinions varying on how the roller coaster of a life story was told. Sam shares some of his NFL Draft expertise. Plus, the three-letter-name-gang play mount rushmore with their favorite emojis.

30 for 30 documentary reviewed: "The Real Rocky." Sam Anderson, Ren Clayton, and Nic Rudolph discuss a doc about they guy 'Rocky Balboa' was seemingly based off of. The wild life Chuck Wepner led included a fight against Muhammad Ali, a stint in the military, prison time for cocaine, a bout with a bear, and a liquor sales career. Much to talk about for the guys! And we haven't even gotten to the b...

30 for 30 documentary reviewed: "Charismatic." Sam, Ren, and Nic discuss the Triple Crown run that Charismatic (the horse) and Christ Antley (the jockey) made in 1999. The guys opine on the structure of the doc that focused on Antley's tragic drug problem. A game of Mount Rushmore is played. The topic is animal species that would be good at sports! The episode also includes: a Masters recap, Nic's...

30 for 30 documentary reviewed: "The Dotted Line." Sam Anderson, Ren Clayton, and Nic Rudolph review a documentary about sports agents. They discuss the opinion that agents make sports overall worse. They also aim to temper the view that "players make too much." Of course, a lengthy breakdown of Minnesota's own Jalen Suggs and his buzzer beater in the final four. Jordan Spieth's first win in forev...

30 for 30 Documentary reviewed: "Renee." Sam Anderson, Ren Clayton, and Nic Rudolph discuss a doc about the first transgender tennis player to play in the U.S. Open. They break down the infinitely unique life Richard Raskind and then Renee Richards led. They guys also play Mount Rushmore with college mascots, in honor of March Madness and Rudy's 99th percentile bracket. Ren has an idea for a docum...

30 for 30 documentary reviewed: "Steve Bartman: Catching Hell." Sam Anderson, Ren Clayton, and Nic Rudolph review a movie covering the famous fan interference play that occurred in the playoffs at Wrigley Field. They go in the moral ambiguity that takes place for some fans when they attend games. Sam and Ren nearly rate the doc the exact same, again. The guys play mount rushmore with things they m...

30 for 30 documentary reviewed: "The Fab Five." Sam Anderson, Ren Clayton, and Nic Rudolph return for season 2 of Documentary Diehards! Breaking down what turns out to be one of their favorite docs about the elite men's basketball class at the University of Michigan which included Jalen Rose and Chris Webber. The pod slams to a halt when the news breaks that Gophers MBB head coach Richard Pitino i...

30 for 30 documentary reviewed: "Pony Excess." Sam Anderson, Ren Clayton, and Nic Rudolph review the classic movie about the SMU football program receiving the 'Death Penalty' after repeated recruiting infractions. They ponder the questions many of us do. Should college athletes be paid? What is the fair way to run the business of college football? On a lighter note, this is the 30th episode! The...

30 for 30 documentary reviewed: "The Best That Never Was." Sam Anderson, Ren Clayton, and Nic Rudolph chat about Marcus Dupree and how he went from top nationwide recruit and star sophomore running back at Oklahoma to out of the USFL a couple year later. Then a game of Mount Rushmore is played with running backs! Sam wraps it up with an idea for a documentary on the NBA's Rick Berry, an extremely...

30 for 30 documentary reviewed: "Marion Jones: Press Pause." Sam Anderson, Ren Clayton, and Nic Rudolph discuss the rise and fall of Marion Jones, the track star who admitted to using performance enhancing drugs. They discuss her confession, ensuing prison time, and "comeback" into the WNBA. Ren also gets a little too worked up roasting the production quality of this doc, which was subpar. Then th...

30 for 30 documentary reviewed: "Fernando Nation." Sam Anderson, Ren Clayton, and Nic Rudolph discuss the phenomenon of Fernando Valenzuela's rookie season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The left-handed pitcher won the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young awards in 1981. Fernando's meteoric rise was in stark contrast to his humble origins in a small town in Mexico. The guys play Mount Rushmore with thei...

30 for 30 documentary reviewed: "Tim Richmond: To the Limit." Sam Anderson, Ren Clayton, and Nic Rudolph break down a doc about one of the most interesting characters in NASCAR history. The guys learn more about the AIDS epidemic and discuss the moral issues Richmond faced when he allegedly was denying his AIDS diagnoses. And in a Doc Diehards history making moment two of the gang rate the doc the...

30 for 30 documentary reviewed: "Once Brothers." Sam Anderson, Ren Clayton, and Nic Rudolph opine about Vlade Divac and the negative implications that the Yugoslavian Civil War had on his former teammates and friends. The guys get a good history lesson about what is now the former Yugoslavia. They play Mount Rushmore with international NBA players. And Nic suggests a doc idea for a film exploring...