ESPN’s 30 for 30 sports documentary series returns for a fall season on Oct. 1 with “Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau,” about the award-winning big-wave surfer and lifeguard who died trying to save others when a voyaging canoe capsized. The rest of the 30 for 30 fall season below.
ESPN’s 30 for 30 Fall Season Schedule
(All episodes air Tuesdays on ESPN at 8pm ET)
Oct. 8
“Free Spirits”
“Free Spirits” tells the colorful story of the Spirits of St. Louis – one of the teams left out when the NBA merged with the American Basketball Association in 1976. The Spirits won a playoff upset of the defending champions in their first season, and then, on their way to franchise extinction, co-owners Daniel and Ozzie Silna managed to negotiate a contract that has allowed the team to continue to exist in the most unusual fashion.
Oct. 15
“No Mas”
Boxers Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran fought two epic bouts in 1980, the first ending in a unanimous decision for Duran. The rematch five months later ended with Duran uttering two of the most famous words in boxing: No más (“No more”). With the help of boxing insiders, family members and the fighters themselves, this 30 for 30 documentary unveils what really happened.
Oct. 22
“Big Shot”
Kevin Connolly (Entourage) directs this 30 for 30 documentary about how Dallas businessman John Spano agreed to purchase the NHL’s New York Islanders in 1996. Spano was soon exposed as a fraud who had nowhere near the assets he claimed, resulting in an embarrassing scandal for the team and the league.
Oct. 29
“This Is What They Want”
At age 39, battling injuries and seemingly on the verge of retirement, tennis great Jimmy Connors made an improbable run to the semifinals of the 1991 US Open. This 30 for 30 documentary explores Connors’ amazing surge through the tournament, as well as its affect on his legacy and the popularity of tennis.
Nov. 5
“Tonya and Nancy”
This 30 for 30 installment looks back at the 1994 Winter Olympics and the media firestorm that surrounded U.S. figure skaters Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan. On January 6, 1994, after a practice session at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Kerrigan was clubbed on the right knee by an unknown assailant. It was revealed that Harding’s ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, had plotted the attack with his misfit friends to literally eliminate Kerrigan from the competition.
