GET THOSE CAMERAS ROLLING

HBO might be well known for bringing the box office into your living room, or for introducing you to boobs during those Shannon Tweed weekend marathons when you were twelve years old. Recently, the cable giant has been recognized for its outstanding original shows like The Sopranos, Sex and The City, The Wire, Eastbound and Down, Deadwood, Flight of the Conchords, etc. But if you've been paying attention, HBO has really been doing some tremendous work in its sports coverage.

Long limited to its now-defunct Inside the NFL show and its in-depth coverage of professional boxing, HBO has really broadened its horizons with the production of several tremendous sports documentaries. Examining topics ranging from the integration of college football in the South to the UCLA's basketball dynasty to the life of Joe Louis, these documentaries focus in on key eras or figures in American sports history and present a no-holds-barred look at the characters and influences behind the scenes. The most recent such documentary was called Thrilla in Manila, spotlighting the third and final fight between Joe Frazier and Muhammed Ali and is a great watch.

The rumor is that HBO's cameras are currently in the Keystone State to capture interviews and footage for a piece on the famed Broad Street Bullies that captured back-to-back Stanley Cups in the mid-seventies. The real question to ask HBO is, why haven't you made a documentary on the 1987 Fiesta Bowl Game between Penn State and Miami? As we're all familiar with that great event, I'll skip the task of recounting the details, but it has absolutely every aspect a filmmaker could look for to tell a gripping story.

If they are not willing to do it, somebody pass the hat and The Floating Lion will make it. The 25th anniversary of the 1986 season is coming up in two years, what a great way to commemorate one of the greatest nights in college football history. Until then, this recap by ESPN from a couple years ago will have to do.