The Last Time the US Hosted the World Cup, One of the Weirdest Nights in Sports History Unfolded

Live sports remain one of the last uniting forces in the American zeitgeist, one of the only things that friends and families gather around the TV for and form a community around. Even though streaming services and YouTube have fractured viewing audiences and changed our habits, for the most part, people are still tuning in to watch events like the World Cup and NBA Finals live on a major network. 

The World Cup feels inescapable this year, larger in scale than ever — more teams, more media coverage — but it’s reminding me of the last time the US hosted the tournament, back in 1994. Not because of what happened on the pitch, but because of what happened the day the tournament began, as we all gathered around the TV to tune in.

June 17 was the day of the 1994 World Cup opening ceremony. President Bill Clinton and Oprah Winfrey, arguably two of the most famous people in the world in 1994, were there. It was also the night of game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Houston Rockets and the New York Knicks (I hate to remind you, but the Knicks lost in seven). That day also saw Ken Griffey Jr. tie one of Babe Ruth’s home run records when the Seattle Mariners played the Kansas City Royals. And Arnold Palmer played his last-ever round at the US Open. 

I wouldn’t remember most of this, except for the fact that one of my favorite documentaries in ESPN’s 30 for 30 series, simply titled June 17th, 1994, is an incredible reminder of just how huge that day was in sports history… and how it all got overshadowed by the O.J. Simpson car chase that interrupted all of that programming so we could watch one of the most riveting moments in pop culture unfold before our eyes.

I know you know this, but as a refresher, Simpson’s wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman had been found murdered five days earlier, and O.J. Simpson had become a prime suspect. He was expected to turn himself in to the police on June 17. Simpson didn’t show, and for several hours, he remained missing and was declared a fugitive.

Then, later that evening, he led police on a low-speed chase around Los Angeles for about two hours in a white Ford Bronco driven by his friend Al Cowlings. For much of the chase, Simpson threatened suicide and held a gun to his head, before eventually returning home and surrendering. The New York Times reported that 95 million people, 67% of all US households, watched the chase. It was broadcast across ABC, NBC, CBS and CNN, preempting any sports coverage that fans were tuned in to. 

For those of us who were alive back then, we all probably have a “where were you during the O.J. chase?” story, though it’s not something that ever comes up in conversation much nowadays. And in fact, were it not for this documentary’s title, I would definitely not even remember the date that it happened. But I just can’t help but remember it all so vividly now that the World Cup is back in the US and the Knicks are back in the NBA Finals. 

June 17th, 1994, is impeccably made by director Brett Morgen, weaving together all the televised sports coverage of that day with the news coverage surrounding Simpson’s case, which culminated in one of the most fraught moments ever caught on live television. What would have otherwise been an already incredible day in sports history, and would certainly have taken on a more celebratory tone, was entirely overshadowed by another athlete’s off-field drama. 

The film’s detailed chronological narrative allows the tension of both the sporting events and Simpson’s actions to unfold in real time. Most of us remember the chase, but what led up to it, as the film reminds us, involved many hours of uncertainty and an escalating sense of dread that this might end in even more tragedy. All the current excitement around the major sporting events happening this week and month is exhilarating, but it’s almost as if it has triggered a sense memory, bringing me right back to that day 32 years ago.

Whether you were alive to witness that day or not, the film is a must-watch, told almost entirely through live TV and news footage, and captures the many emotions and moods of that moment perfectly.

June 17th, 1994, is currently available on ESPN Unlimited and on Netflix, though, ironically, it’s leaving Netflix on June 16.