Tuesday (June 17) marks the 20th anniversary of Germany & Bolivia kicking off the 1994 World Cup at Solider Field, a match attended by Bill Clinton, Diana Ross, Oprah Winfrey and myself (their seats were a little better than mine). Perhaps more spectacularly, the 17th was also the night Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Knicks and Rockets was reduced to a tiny corner of NBC’s screens as OJ Simpson and Al Cowlings attempted to reenact the Charlie Sheen / Henry Rollins star vehicle, “The Chase” (traveling at a far slower speed, however).
All of the above were the subjects of a combined ESPN documentary, but there’s a pretty crucial event that has yet to be chronicled. That was also the night I paid to see Liquor Bike at the Empty Bottle thinking I was going to see Liquor Ball.
Paul Greengrass will soon be directing a film loosely based on these events (the World Cup, ’94 NBA Finals and OJ chase excepted).