by Alex Truman
Now combine these two, and you get a narrative of true human triumphs and the chance to share in the determination and perseverance of some of the best athletes.
Netflix, particularly, has consistently excelled in creating these. The streaming platform offers a diverse array of sports documentaries that let you join in on the journey of some of the best human stories of determination. Today, we’ll look at a few of the best. The insights are courtesy of sports and online casino expert Bernard Maumo from OnlineCasinoRank. The website specialises in casino online ranking.
Formula 1: Drive to Survive
Formula 1: Drive to Survive is arguably the most impactful sports documentary when it comes to the sport it portrays. The series has been hugely praised for bringing in millions of new fans into the sport. It takes fans from “just watching the race” and shows them the lives and challenges that drivers, team principals, and crew members have to deal with every day.
Drive to Survive is currently in its fifth season, having started covering the 2018 season. Every episode of the series focuses on a different team, driver, or race. It goes into detail, revealing the drama, rivalries, and risks that go behind every lap. If you’ve ever wanted an entry into the world of Formula 1 or motorsport, this is it.
Quarterback
Quarterback is a new one, having only arrived in July 2023. The sports series is based on the 2022 NFL season, and it basically shows what it takes to be a successful quarterback in the competition. And to do that, it follows the lives and careers of three of the most prominent quarterbacks in the league. These are Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings), and Marcus Mariota (Atlanta Falcons).
According to Maumo from Casino Online Ranking, the documentary goes deep to show how they deal with the pressure and expectations, considering being a quarterback is the toughest job in the sport. It also shows how they balance their family and work lives and deal with the highs and lows of winning and losing. But besides the background, we also get to go with them into the game and hear their thoughts and emotions as they are mic’d up all through the season – something that had never been done before in the NFL. The documentary consists of eight episodes which are approximately an hour long.
The Last Dance
The Last Dance came out at an opportune time, at the start of Covid-19, when there was no sport to watch. The sports documentary generated more buzz than any other. It gives us a glorious chance to relive the iconic journey of one of the most legendary athletes in sports history – Michael Jordan. The main story covers what was his final championship-winning season with the Chicago Bulls, and the documentary would go on to win an Emmy award.
The Last Dance is told through the lens of Jordan and shows his unparalleled skills, indomitable work ethic, and his unrelenting pursuit of excellence. But besides him, it also looks at the dynamics of the entire Bulls’ 1997–98 team as they win the sixth NBA title in eight years. It features interviews with lots of big names, including Phil Jackson, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Kobe Bryant, Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, and Barack Obama (a Chicago resident).
Cheer
Cheer is another documentary that captured a lot of audiences when it debuted in 2020. The documentary is about a cheer team for the Navarro College. We get to join them as they prepare for the national championships in Daytona, which is the pinnacle in the sport. However, we soon realise that it’s not all about executing routines flawlessly.
Throughout the series, we get to meet the various athletes at a personal level. We see the different challenges they have to deal with even as they pour their all into their art. The documentary gives them a human touch, and we also get to see them as young people struggling to become adults and also find their way in the world. According to Maumo, it is exhilarating, heartbreaking, and profound.
