30 For 30

ESPN commissioned 30 filmmakers, from Hollywood heavy hitters to game rookies, to make documentary films to commemorate its 30th anniversary. 30 for 30 tells stories that are as varied as they are compelling, but it’s in their exploration of sport’s deeper connections to society, culture and the human experience that the series makes its mark. In “Once Brothers,” themes of friendship, war and reconciliation coalesce around two star NBA players whose close bond severs as their native Croatia and Serbia battle back home. We witness how greed, pride and the expectations of 1980s Dallas sports culture bring SMU football from fast-rising underdog to public pariah, as corruption from individual boosters to the Texas governor’s mansion leads to college football’s first ever “death penalty.” Or, take “June 17, 1994,” where filmmakers illustrate the reach of sport into our culture by weaving together the disparate events of one historic day. These and the other films elevate sport beyond its role as entertainment or diversion by tying its themes of triumph, loss, redemption and struggle to an understanding of our culture and our society. For its rich and textured storytelling that seeks to highlight sport’s integral relation to our lives and to our world, 30 for 30 receives a Peabody Award.