ESPN 30 for 30: The Two Escobars

ESPN is often criticized for excessive self-promotion and being its own biggest fan.  I don't disagree.   However, one thing that ESPN should be beaming with pride about is its phenomenal documentary series, 30 for 30. 

ESPN premiered the first documentary of the series, Kings Ransom, back in October.  Since then, the network has received much deserved critical acclaim for many of the docs that have aired.  I've missed a few here and there, but definitely make an effort to view them all.  Some of my favorites have included:  Without Bias, The U, and the excrutiatingly painful to watch, Winning Time:  Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks.

Even with quite a few stories still to be told, The Two Escobars, premiering tonight on ESPN at 9pm/ET is being hailed as the best one yet.  Everyone that has had a chance to watch The Two Escobars raves about it, including Cannes and Tribeca Film Festival critics.

Directors Jeff Zimbalist and Michael Zimbalist retell the story of Columbian soccer player, Andres Escobar, his love for soccer and time spent representing the National Team during its 1994 World Cup run.  Simultaneously, the doc looks at one of the world's most notorious drug kingpins, Pablo Escobar, while ultimately drawing parallels between Andres and Pablo's gruesome murders.

Trust me, if you only watch one documentary from the 30 for 30 series, choose The Two Escobars. It airs tonight on ESPN at 9pm/ET!!  Let's face it, our society has a fascination/obsession with crime stories, whether real or fiction.  I guarantee, The Two Escobars will satisfy the hole left in your heart since the Sopranos finale.

Here's more info about the doc:

While rival drug cartels warred in the streets and the country’s murder rate climbed to highest in the world, the Colombian national soccer team set out to blaze a new image for their country. What followed was a mysteriously rapid rise to glory, as the team catapulted out of decades of obscurity to become one of the best teams in the world. Central to this success were two men named Escobar: Andrés, the captain and poster child of the National Team, and Pablo, the infamous drug baron who pioneered the phenomenon known in the underworld as “Narco-soccer.” But just when Colombia was expected to win the 1994 World Cup and transform its international image, the shocking murder of Andres Escobar dashed the hopes of a nation.

Through the glory and the tragedy, The Two Escobars daringly investigates the secret marriage of crime and sport, and uncovers the surprising connections between the murders of Andres and Pablo.

And, to my visual people, check out the trailer:

PUSH PLAY: 30 for 30:  The Two Escobars