Which Sports Figure Would You Want To See In The Next 10-Part Documentary Series?
Well, The Last Dance completely captivated the nation for the last 5 weeks, partially because there is absolutely nothing else to do, but also partially because MJ is the most polarizing figure in sports history. If there was one person that could capture an audience like this did, it was Michael Jordan. But now it's over, and Jeff Goodman is asking an important question moving forward:
Good question, Jeff. Let's discuss.
A key part to remember in this is that we're not just looking for a 30 for 30. The Bad Boys have a 30 for 30. The U has a 30 for 30. Ricky Wlliams has a 30 for 30. But who can we fill 10 episodes of airtime with that will still have people sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for next week?
Like I said earlier, there was no one better for this than Michael Jordan. It was so much more than that he is the greatest basketball player of all time. I have zero interest in watching a 1 part documentary on Wayne Gretzky, let alone one with 10 episodes. No one has ever dominated a sport like Wayne Gretzky did, but I'm not interested in his life's story. Here's who I'd see:
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Tiger Woods
Probably the most obvious answer, right? Dominated like MJ.....polarizing like MJ....off-the-course issues like none other. The dynamic with his dad would pull at the heartstrings like Michael's did, and that car accident on Thanksgiving would be.......something.
Kobe Bryant
Well this one is obviously going to happen. I don't know if it'll be 10 episodes, but it probably should be. Kobe spent 7 years as a kid in Italy, came into the league at 18, 3-peated with Shaq, had the Colorado incident, repeated again, retired, became a girl dad, and then died in the most tragic way possible. Kobe's documentary may be more watched than Michael's....
LeBron James
Another one that will definitely come out when it's all said and done, especially after how well MJ's was received. LeBron is probably already in the works on a 25 part series of his own produced by his good friend and extremely qualified business manager Maverick Carter. But as much as I hate LeBron, there's no doubt you could do an incredible docuseries on him. The "More Than A Game" movie does a great job of detailing the unreal amount of hype he had throughout his high school years, and then from there, you've got the jump to the NBA, his time in Cleveland where he couldn't win by himself, the Decision, the championships, the return, THE championship, the Decision 2.0, the opening of the school, and we're not even close to done yet.
Barry Bonds
Bonds is my pick for baseball, especially when you factor in that some of those real old dudes wouldn't have film on anything. But even more so than that, Bonds life is quite the story. A 14-time All-Star, SEVEN TIME MVP, 8x Gold Glover, 762 career home runs****, and he's not in the Hall of Fame? There would be lots to discuss there. So many crazy stats, stories, and situations to dive into.
Johnny Manziel
Does this idea interest you all as much as it does me? This dude achieved folk hero status at one point, won the Heisman, drafted in the first round, and then crashed quicker than I've ever seen someone. Maybe this wouldn't be 10 parts, unless you were able to go through his childhood and high school years and all of that, but I'd be real interested in a documentary on him.
Nick Saban
I think this is honestly my #1 answer. I'd rather watch a docuseries on someone like Nick Saban than any other sports figure . What's he like when they lose? What's he like when they win a championship? What do his players, coaches, and family think? Could you imagine a speech like the one Michael gave at the end of episode 7 where he talked about how important winning was. My answer is Nick Saban. Or Bill Belichick.
Honorable Mention: Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Tom Brady
Alright I'm pretty sure I covered it all with no mistakes! Soccer people, shut up.