Title: Broke (2012)
The plot: One of the latest documentaries from Series Two of ESPN’S 30 for 30, Broke aired in the US two weeks ago.
It tells the story of athletes who struggle to deal with their new-found wealth and end up blowing millions of dollars on bad investments, lavish lifestyles and, often, costly divorces.
“By the time they have been retired for two years, 78% of former NFL players have gone bankrupt or are under financial stress,” the film summary reads.
Why it’s great: Directed by Billy Corden, whose past projects included the excellent ‘The U’, it shows a dark side to success in sport through several candid interviews.
What the critics said: “It tells what’s by now a very familiar story: how do so many professional athletes who sign contracts worth tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars, wind up losing all their money?
“It’s a trend that’s been covered exhaustively in both print and on television (‘Broke’ even features a few clips from an ESPN ‘Outside the Lines’ show on the subject), but Corben breathes new life into it with an exhaustive, intimate series of interviews with athletes both famous (Bernie Kosar, Curt Schilling, Andre Rison) and more obscure (former Yankees pinch-running specialist Homer Bush).” – hitfix.com.
Watch the full documentary below:
YouTube credit: MrGlendoncameron
