3 Sports Documentaries to Watch While We Physically Distance Ourselves

Well, I teased this last time out so I have to keep my promise. Sports dramas and comedies (aka sports movies) can be an entertaining watch but nothing will ever top the drama that comes from the real thing. That’s why I enjoy sports documentaries so much. Here’s three you can enjoy while you’re at home.

Senna

Ayrton Senna was arguably the greatest Formula 1 driver of all-time before his tragic death in 1994 during a race. Senna not only shows us how he was in the car and in the world of racing, but also who he was as a man. We get to see how he was a very spiritual man who used his status as one of the icons of Brazil to try and solve some social and economic issues in his home country. The documentary features interviews from Senna, his family and those on the teams he raced with and is both inspirational and bittersweet. If you can get your hands on a Blu-Ray copy, there’s some great bonus content including an insightful commentary track and more interviews with those involved.

Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks

Part of ESPN’s legendary 30 for 30 series, this documentary focuses on the playoff between Reggie Miller’s Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks. Both series were in 1994 and 1995, the brief time between Chicago Bulls three-peats in which the NBA’s Eastern Conference was wide open. Also in the mix is Knicks super-fan Spike Lee, who had his own rivalry with Reggie Miller. Miller is both a lovable underdog, always being compared to his sister Cheryl (one of the greatest women’s basketball players of all-time) and as a pest who could get under the skin of any NBA star (including Michael Jordan). One of my personal favourites, I always go back to the DVD of this documentary every couple years.

The 24 Hour War

Ford v Ferrari already covered this subject, but let’s be real, that’s just the bogus Hollywood version of what happened. This documentary covers what ACTUALLY happened during the height of the Ford-Ferrari rivalry in the 1960’s. Their battleground was 24 Hours of Le Mans, the most famous endurance race in the world and the pinnacle of auto racing. The rivalry came about when Ford almost bought Ferrari, but Enzo Ferrari refused to give up his control of the racing team, and the deal fell apart. Everything leads up to the 1966 edition of the race. This one is available on Netflix so everyone can enjoy.

There you have it, three must-watch sports documentaries! There’s so many more I couldn’t talk about for other sports. For baseball there’s No No: A Dockumentary, which covers Dock Ellis and the no-hitter he threw while high on LSD. For hockey fans there’s HBO’s 24/7: Road to the NHL Winter Classic, a series featuring two team’s month-long lead-up to the NHL’s premiere midseason event. I could go on, but you get the point, there’s a lot to watch. So get that popcorn ready and eat up some great sports documentaries!