The inexorable rise of streaming our favorite TV shows and movies doesn’t seem to be coming to an end anytime soon, and the key is the variety they offer. Beyond the normal drama, comedy and adventure, almost any theme can be found by the judicious use of a search engine. And don’t forget, we at Tele Management can be relied upon to provide you with the best titles to watch!
Sports are catered for as never before, with most streaming providers finding success by going behind the scenes of our favorite athletes, and many of these are truly outstanding, offering us a fly-on-the-wall look behind the scenes.
To help us decide which one to choose from the large number available, Web Design Calgary has selected five from across a different spectrum of sports to tempt and tease us in our downtime.
Next Goal Wins
There’s soccer as in Manchester United and Barcelona, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, or there’s soccer as in Next Goal Wins. In April 2001, Australia’s men’s national team, the Socceroos defeated American Samoa 31-0 in a World Cup Qualifying match, but if you think Samoa were downhearted, you’d be wrong. Their coach even credited the goalkeeper for keeping the score down!” This documentary follows the Samoans as they try to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup under a Dutch-born coach Thomas Rongen. One reviewer described it as a ‘moving documentary filled with a lovable array of underdogs’, with another saying it appealed to people who loved soccer as well as those who didn’t.
Fire in Babylon
Over a 15-year period, the West Indies cricket team didn’t lose a single test series. With an impressive reggae soundtrack and set against a backdrop of mid-1970s racism (England all-rounder and South African-born Tony Greig said he would make the West Indies team grovel), this documentary shows captain Clive Lloyd go about building a team that would not only earn respect from its peers but goes down in the annals of the sport. This isn’t just a cricket story; it’s the story of how a bunch of players came from an assortment of Caribbean islands and were molded into one of the most phenomenal cricket teams the world has ever seen, built around a group of extremely dedicated, and extremely fast, bowlers who would terrify and dominate the best batsmen in the world for many years.
The Last Dance
Michael Jordan is one of those rare athletes whose very presence transcends the game he graced for so long. He is a six-time NBA champion, six-time NBA Finals MVP and 14 times NBA All-Star, among other awards; even non-basketball fans will know his name and his reputation. This documentary miniseries looks back at his career with the Chicago Bulls, focusing especially on his emotional last season in 1997/98. As well as the behind-the-scenes footage we now expect from these documentaries, The Last Dance features lesser basketball royalty such as Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen, as well as a couple of former US presidents! The younger generation calls sporting greats GOAT (greatest of all time) – perhaps Jordan was the original GOAT.
Formula 1: Drive to Survive
Formula 1 has made great viewing in the last few years, and the fact this has coincided with its own documentary series just adds to the sport’s appeal. The first series covered the 2018 season and has been repeated annually since then. This means for those who didn’t fully understand the nuances behind last year’s controversial season-ending Abu Dhabi, which saw Max Verstappen win the Driver’s Championships, now is your chance to fully understand safety cars and being unlapped. And if the current form and the latest standings are anything to go by, the 2022 series will likely show Verstappen’s second title in as many years. That’s because he’s the overwhelming favorite in the Formula 1 betting odds on Coral to take the title, and in far less drama than last year. If you missed that thrilling climax, now is your chance to fully understand exactly what happened.
Free Solo
When a sports documentary wins an Oscar, you just know it’s got to be something special, and this look at Alex Honnold’s bid to climb El Capitan is surely something special. This film follows Alex as he prepares to face one of rock-climbing greatest challenges without using any ropes or safety equipment. Personal anguish is mixed with stunning photography and scenery to produce a documentary as taut as any thriller with participants and camera crew having to face potentially uncomfortable realities ahead of the climb, but with that Academy Award and IMDB awarding four stars the result was worth it!