The 10 Best Sports Documentaries You've Never Heard Of
Sports Illustrated released its new documentary, We Town, on Wednesday. The doc follows the Westtown School basketball team, which features current college star Mo Bamba (Texas) and other future stars including Cam Reddish (committed to Duke), through a full season. In honor of We Town, here are 10 more under-the-radar sports documentaries currently available on SI TV. Click here for a free seven-day trial.
Stacker
Did you know sport stacking is an actual sport, or that every year there is a World Sports Stacking Championship? Stacker takes you inside the ultra-fast world of sport stacking and the surprising lives of its biggest stars.
Wicker Kittens
Think competitive cup stacking is unusual? Wicker Kittens takes you behind the scenes competitive jigsaw puzzling as participants prepare for the biggest contest in the country and the right to be named fastest puzzler around.
The Sheik
Considered one of the greatest wrestling heels of all-time, Khosrow Vaziri (a.k.a. - The Iron Sheik) looks back at his unique journey to stardom. From his start as an amateur wrestler in his native Iran to facing Hulk Hogan for the WWF championship in Madison Square Garden, The Sheik has invigorated fans with his persona, style and story.
Schooled: The Price of College Sports
As the debate over compensation for college athletes heats up, this 2013 documentary is more relevant than ever. Based on The Cartel by civil rights scholar and Pulitzer Prize winning author Taylor Branch in The Atlantic, Schooled investigates the exploitive machine that is NCAA athletics and how over 1,200 schools created a billion dollar machine on free labor.
Hungry
Ever wonder what it takes to embed yourself in the world of competitive eating? Follow America's top competitive eaters with a behind the scenes look at the adventures of a seemingly cutthroat business.
Brooklyn Castle
When you think of Brooklyn sports, you probably don't think of chess. You'll change your mind after watching Brooklyn Castle. The documentary tells the stories of five members of the chess team at an inner city junior high school that has won more national championships than any other in the country.
Ballplayer: Pelotero
Some of baseball's best players come from the Dominican Republic, but few fans get a chance to see them in the early stages of their career. Ballplayer: Pelotero takes you inside the world of Big League Baseball training camps in The DR, where locals face fierce competition and corruption as they chase their big league dreams. (Includes Spanish with English Subtitles)
The Roughnecks
Intensity and toughness are major blocks engrained in the culture of football and the Ridglea Roughnecks are a product of that system. Taking place in Fort Worth, Texas, The Roughnecks documents the lives of 11-year-old football players as they fight their way back to the American Youth Football Super Bowl Championship after coming up short in their final game the previous season.
Skiing Everest
Olympic cross-country skier John Callahan - along with skiers Mike Marolt, Jim Gile and others - open up their world of high-altitude skiing and its history. Dealing with intense weather elements, thinning oxygen and staring death in the face (literally), this chilling experience to go places where few seek out is surely breathtaking.
Unchained: The Untold Story of Freestyle Motocross
A definitive origin story on the sport of Motorcross, Unchained is narrated by Academy Award-nominee Josh Brolin and gives viewers a look at the history of the world's most dangerous, heart-pumping sport through the eyes, scars and battered bodies of its pioneers.
Bonus: Making of Swimsuit 2018
Sure, SI Swimsuit isn't actually a sport but this doc is still worth your time. Go behind the scenes as the SI Swimsuit editors narrow a field of 35 potential models to 15, then to six as they try and find the next face of this iconic franchise.
