Sports Docs

A short documentary on the obscure sport of jai alai takes an in-depth look at how 'the fastest sport in the world' is now dying a slow Stateside death. A parable for all popular pro athletics, the story of jai alai is a reminder that no game is invincible from one day possibly finding itself discarded and forgotten.

The Telethon is the story of how the Indiana Pacers avoided financial ruin by holding a "Save The Pacers" telethon in the summer of 1977. Needing season ticket sales and investment, Pacers ownership let it be known they were strongly considering selling or moving the franchise. Led by former Pacer player and then head coach Bobby "Slick" Leonard, and his wife, Assistant General Manager Nancy Leonard, the telethon was a two week, concept to completion, local television event. From local business leaders to kids collecting money door to door, the telethon prompted a basketball-crazed community to pony up and keep their franchise from leaving town.

The story of one of the greatest upsets in sports history has been told. Or has it? On a Friday evening in Lake Placid, a plucky band of American collegians stunned the vaunted Soviet national team, 4-3 in the medal round of the 1980 Winter Olympic hockey competition. Americans couldn't help but believe in miracles that night, and when the members of Team USA won the gold medal two days later, they became one for the ages. But there was another, unchronicled side to the "Miracle On Ice." The so-called bad guys from America's ideological adversary were in reality good men and outstanding players, forged into the Big Red Machine by the genius and passion of Anatoli Tarasov. There was a reason they seemed unbeatable, especially after routing the Americans in an exhibition the week before the Winter Games began. And there was a certain shame in them having to live the rest of their lives with the results of February 22, 1980.

Explores the early days of professional indoor volleyball, featuring star players and the unique appeal of the sport.

How did the American Basketball Association evolve? This insightful documentary examines the birth of the three-point shot, and more!

The real-life rowdy and controversial history of the World Hockey Association (WHA), which lasted less than 10 years and introduced innovations like sudden death overtime and the addition of younger and European players.

Free Spirits explores the wild, colorful, and often chaotic story of the Spirits of St. Louis, a team in the American Basketball Association (ABA) known for stars like Marvin "Bad News" Barnes, its cultural impact, and its unique financial deal that outlasted the league's demise into the NBA era, a definitive look at the ABA through a beloved team.

In the 1970's the rust-belt city of Milwaukee, WI used public funds to commission an eccentric, openly gay artist from the Bowery to paint the Bucks basketball floor. In 1988, the Bucks move across the street to the newly constructed Bradley Center - leaving the MECCA Arena floor in storage, all but forgotten by the general public. Fast-forward 25 years - Bucks fan, Andy Gorzalski, discovers the floor for sale for scrap, listed online as a "gym floor." Against better judgment, Andy puts his family's credit card down for $20k to protect this iconic symbol of Milwaukee and basketball history. Over the next year, Andy and another fan, Ben Kohler, team up with Robert Indiana to re-construct and re-exhibit the floor - serving as the inspiration for the Milwaukee Bucks to redesign a new home court floor for their '13-14 NBA season based on the original design.

The 1976 ABA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Basketball Association's 1975–76 season. The tournament concluded with the New York Nets defeating the Denver Nuggets four games to two in the ABA Finals. This was the final year of the ABA. The ABA-NBA merger took place on June 17, 1976. Thus the final game in ABA history was played on May 13, 1976, when the New York Nets defeated the Denver Nuggets 112–106 at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.

The hour-long documentary features rarely seen ABA team films, home videos, and footage from local television stations. The feature also contains numerous interviews with ABA players, coaches, and personnel.