June 17th, 1994
June 17th, 1994 | |
---|---|
Directed by | Brett Morgen |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Running time | 53 minutes |
Original release | |
Release | June 16, 2010 |
June 17th, 1994 is a documentary film by Brett Morgen released as part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series.[1]
Summary
The documentary details the events of June 17, 1994, in which several noteworthy sporting events occurred during the
The documentary features no narration and also no interviews and consists simply of music set to clips from news sources during the day.[3]
There are rare clips of sportscasters like Chris Berman and Bob Costas talking to their producers about how to deal with the O.J. story within the context of the events they were covering.[4]
Critical reception
Robert Lloyd wrote in
Jimmy Traina of Sports Illustrated called it a "tremendously fun watch".[6]
Events occurring during this day
The events detailed in the documentary that occurred during the chase of Simpson are as follows.
- Arnold Palmer playing his final round at the 1994 U.S. Open (in a nod to the fact that 06/17/1994 had major events involving both Palmer and Simpson, a clip from a commercial that the two both-then-beloved athletes had filmed together in the 1970s for Hertz Global Holdings was shown).
- The commencement of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, hosted for the first time by the United States with Oprah Winfrey and then-president Bill Clinton presenting.
- The ticker tape parade on Broadway(the parade took place earlier in the day and was largely unaffected by the Simpson events).
- Game 5 of the 1994 NBA Finals between the Houston Rockets and the New York Knicks; most NBC affiliates split coverage between the game and the freeway chase (as narrated by NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw on a split-screen.)
- 1994 MLB season.[7]
Aftermath
- The U.S. Open concluded on Monday, June 20, with Ernie Els winning a three-way playoff for the championship.
- The World Cup concluded on Sunday, July 17 with Brazil winning its 4th championship after Italy player Roberto Baggio missed a must-make penalty during a shootout to decide the title.
- The 1994 World Cup is also featured in another ESPN 30 for 30 documentary entitled The Two Escobars which follows Colombia men's national team player Andrés Escobar who scored an own goal for the United Stateson June 22. Escobar was murdered in Colombia on July 1, reputedly by cartel-connected hitmen, enraged that his error led to the team being eliminated from the World Cup tournament.
- The New York City and Los Angeles for a major professional sports championship since the 1981 World Series (2014),[8][9] when the team lost to the Kings four games to one, and they haven't won the Cup since 1994.[10]
- The NBA Finals concluded June 22 with Houston winning the series in seven games. The Knicks would return to the NBA Finals in 1999 but lost that series 4–1 to the San Antonio Spurs, and have not been back to the finals since then.
- The player strike and with future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr.hitting a total of 40 home runs. Major League Baseball didn't return until the 1995 regular season, and the long delay resulted in 18 games being cut from the schedule (though the 1995 World Series did take place on time).
- Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature23 years after the chase and was produced by ESPN, who were also responsible for this film.
- Simpson died of cancer at age 76 on April 11, 2024, about 30 years after the infamous chase.
References
- ^ a b "The 30 Best '30 for 30' Films-Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2018-06-30. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
- ^ DeLessio, Joe (June 2010). "Relive June 17, 1994, on ESPN Tonight". New York. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
- ^ a b Morgen, Brett. "June 17th, 1994". ESPN. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
- ^ "Review: '30 for 30′ is back with the outstanding 'June 17, 1994' and 'The Two Escobars'". HitFix.com. June 16, 2010. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
- ^ Lloyd, Robert (June 16, 2010). "ESPN's 'June 17, 1994' recalls a fateful day in sports". Retrieved April 29, 2017 – via LA Times.
- ^ June 17, 1994: Wildest day in sports history - Sports Illustrated
- ^ 30 For 30: “June 17, 1994”|A.V. Club
- ^ Branch, John (June 5, 2014). "New York vs. Los Angeles: Rivalry Revived". The New York Times. p. B11.
- ^ Barnes, Mike (June 1, 2014). "Stanley Cup Final: Kings vs. Rangers in L.A.-New York Championship Duel". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
- ^ Gerson, Aria (June 17, 2020). "Remembering June 17, 1994, the day when sports collided". USA Today.