*By Tim Freeman*

Many epic stories of the past three decades have been lost to sports fans of the most recent generation, despite their longstanding impact on the sports world. While most have heard of O.J. Simposon’s murder case and Steve Bartman’s infamous interference in a Chicago Cubs’ playoff game, few know the details of what events have happened and the reverberations that they have caused. Legendary stories such as the sudden death of University of Maryland basketball star Len Bias and the fall of sportscaster Jimmy the Greek are less well known.

In celebration of their thirtieth anniversary, ESPN has financed and will run a series of 30 documentaries, named “30 for 30,” highlighting important sports events during the time of their existence. Each of these films are produced by outside film makers, including celebrities such as Steve Nash, Morgan Freeman, Johnny Knoxville, Spike Jonze (Who happens to be a Whitman graduate) and Ice Cube. The highlighted stories all have had a huge impact on the sports world.

ESPN’s production of the films is a wonderful opportunity for people in their teens and twenties. Riveting stories such as Donald Trump’s destruction of a promising upstart spring football league and Bias’s cocaine overdose a mere two days after becoming the #2 NBA pick can now be relived by young sports fans who weren’t alive when they happened. Even more recent stories, like track star Marion Jones’ admission to steroid use, can now be revisited in a new light.

Although some students tend to shy away from watching documentaries, each of these are uniquely exciting and appealing stories. They give a fresh look and are full of drama and tension. From the most diehard sports fan to the most casual, this series is entertaining and captivating. A new documentary will premier sporadically on Tuesday nights over the course of the next year, although reruns will air on ESPN or an affiliated channel almost nightly.