Seven new sports documentaries are out. Here's how to watch them and what we want to see next

New York Times

5 days ago

It's a (relatively) down period across the sports multiverse, but this week counters with documentary and series premieres in football, basketball and soccer. It will depend on what you're partial to or which streaming subscriptions you have, but there should be something for everyone on this slate. If not, we offer a few suggestions for the next projects that should be in the pipeline.
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ESPN content is also available with an ESPN+ subscription. FXX content is also available via Hulu and Disney+.
The series looks like a straightforward zoom-in on the 2024 SEC season — with footage from 10 of the conference's locker rooms and campuses, as well as access to their coaches and staff. It's from the producers of 'Formula 1: Drive to Survive' and 'Full Swing,' so we kind of know what we're getting already. They got a sufficiently hectic year to film, too. We'll probably get gems from the Vanderbilt and Tennessee madnesses to the SEC's first Lone Star Showdown.
Our pitch in that same direction: The Big Ten has to be next, right? Behind-the-scenes stuff for Michigan-Ohio State would sell itself. Midwestern winter would earn the moody cinematography and music cues that usually go with these things. Bon Iver could be to Wisconsin football what Explosions in the Sky is to Texas football.
An old-fashioned theatrical release, Jimmy Jenkins' movie chronicles the Alabama Crimson Tide, with the Bear Bryant and Nick Saban eras as tentpoles. It relives the long string of national championships, but the doc's website says that it also examines the program's relationship with the civil rights movement. It's executive produced by Marlon Humphrey, the current Baltimore Ravens All-Pro defensive back and Bama All-American in 2016. The preview teases interviews with Jalen Hurts, Ozzie Newsome, Ralph Stokes and many others.
Our pitch in that same direction: A look back at Fred Milton, an Oregon State linebacker whose refusal to shave his mustache turned into a walkout and other protests. It's a decidedly late-60s moment that's still pertinent. If we're talking about overall surveys and history lessons, I'll take something on the fascinating and complicated USC Trojans.
The 'reality sports' staple that also yielded an all-time battle cry for snackers everywhere. The Buffalo Bills are the featured team for this year's training camp iteration, and new episodes will air on HBO on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET. This summer's run is directed by Rochester native Pat Harris. Out in western New York, the vibes are good but the stakes are high — Josh Allen is the reigning MVP and the Bills have won their division five straight times. Buffalo pursues nothing short of a Super Bowl this year. The cameras will probably try to hover around James Cook's contract holdout, and we'll get to know the grinders and hustlers giving all they've got for a roster spot.
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Our pitch in that same direction: The time machine is still in the shop, but we can have a good time thinking of the wildest 'Hard Knocks' candidates across history. Would the '90s Cowboys dynasty volunteer themselves for every season? My pick right now is the 'Legion of Boom' Seahawks as some sort of archival 'Hard Knocks' remix. Pete Carroll, Marshawn Lynch, Richard Sherman, Russell Wilson … an all-star cast for an expressionist classic.
One of the most dominant hoopers of the 21st century gets a career retrospective. This three-episode drop looks at Diana Taurasi's trio of memorable runs. She was a three-time national champion and two-time Naismith Award winner for player of the year at UConn. She won three WNBA rings and two Finals MVPs with the Phoenix Mercury. And she led the women's national team to six Olympic gold medals across two decades of international play. The series is promoting interviews with Geno Auriemma, Sue Bird and Taurasi herself.
Our pitch in that same direction: The WNBA's steady cultural rise opens the door for more big-screen work. I'm eager to revisit the Detroit Shock now that the league is adding an expansion team in the Motor City. The Shock set attendance records and drew more than 22,000 fans for one 2003 Finals game. They were coached by Nancy Lieberman in their early years and Bill Laimbeer in their championship ones. There's a cool story in there.
In the spirit of 'Welcome to Wrexham,' with Tom Brady in the ownership role and Birmingham City FC as the renovated club. Five episodes cover the winding road from relegation to triumph.
Also in the spirit of 'Welcome to Wrexham,' this time with Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac involved. Eva Longoria is the lead here, and the group tries to restore and recalibrate one of Mexico's oldest institutions. Club Necaxa (Liga MX) plays its matches in Aguascalientes, and the weekly series is bilingual.
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Also … wait, really? … yes, also in the spirit of 'Welcome to Wrexham,' with Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa as new owners of Campobasso FC, a Serie C Italian club. Campobasso has been on the rise since 2022, and the four-part series is said to depict how league promotions impact both the players and their neighbors in Molise.
Our pitch in that same direction: If this is the standard formula going forward, perhaps we can show some love to Minor League Baseball organizations. Teams all around the country are hyper-local and hilariously unique. They're also struggling for dignity and getting bought out en masse by private equity groups. Which celebrity wants to save the Modesto Nuts? Whoever it is, I'll tune in.
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(Photo of Diana Taurasi: Elsa/Getty Images)