Hey, while I have you on the line, let's talk about Donald Trump! He did just lock down the GOP presidential nomination in all but the most technical sense, so I reckon he's newsworthy enough right now to merit a mention. And since the next logical step is him running the entire country, it's fitting that we start off by talking about a documentary that offers an advance look at what happens when Donald Trump starts making important decisions.
The ESPN "30 for 30" series has produced some of the most compelling sports documentaries ever, and Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL? is, in my opinion, among the best of that great collection of work.
It tells the story of the United States Football League, which lasted three seasons (1983 to 1985) as an upstart competitor to the almighty NFL.
Years of planning went into bringing the league to life. A man named David Dixon first had the idea way back in 1967. He laid out a strategy for building and expanding the league, and then set about finding investors willing to put money behind making it a success. You know, exactly how a business works.
Problems arose almost immediately, but the USFL did experience some success, especially when it came to attracting talent. Their most notable achievement was luring three straight Heisman Trophy winners (Herschel Walker, Mike Rozier, and Doug Flutie) away from the NFL right out of college. Several eventual NFL legends -- like Jim Kelly, Steve Young, and Reggie White -- all started their professional football careers in the USFL as well. Sure, the league lost a shit-ton of money every year they were in existence, but progress was being made.