Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
A monthly sports newsmagazine which was "spawned by the fact that sports have changed dramatically, that it's no longer just fun and games, and that what happens off the field, beyond the scores, is worthy of some serious reporting," according to Bryant Gumbel, the host.
News
Episodes (12)
Episode 46
Segments include profiles of Vikings great Fran Tarkenton and golfer Mallory Code, who is battling cystic fibrosis. Also: an in-prison visit with Dubravko Rajcevic, arrested for stalking tennis star Martina Hingis; and a look at the ill effects of playing NFL football on a player's long-term health. Correspondents include Jim Lampley, Mary Carillo and Frank Deford.
Episode 47
Included: profiles of Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Rutgers women's basketball coach Vivian Stringer; a visit with out-of-work Major League Baseball umpires. Correspondents include Frank Deford and Mary Carillo.
Episode 48
Segments include an examination of the plane crash involving the Oklahoma State basketball team; profiles of 7-6 Chinese hoops star Yao Ming and Tennessee women's coach Pat Summitt; and a look at the surprising success of the Cooper Union college basketball team. Correspondents include Lesley Visser and Armen Keteyian.
Episode 49
Michael and Darrell Waltrip discuss the dangers of auto racing. Also: profiles of Mets manager Bobby Valentine and former Globetrotter Meadowlark Lemon. Reporters include Mary Carillo and Armen Keteyian.
Episode 50
Segments include a report on former NBA player Kermit Washington, most remembered for punching Rudy Tomjanovich in 1977; a look at the IMG Sports Academies for future sports stars; a profile of IRL racer Sarah Fisher; and a report on Female Athlete Triad disorder. Correspondents include Bernard Goldberg and Lesley Visser.
Episode 51
Profiles of outspoken pitcher David Wells and tennis great Martina Navratilova. Also: a report on a Cal-State Fullerton runner who was forced to quit the team when it was discovered she worked as an exotic dancer; and a segment detailing a paralyzed Washington football player's insurance woes. Correspondents include Armen Keteyian and Mary Carillo.
Episode 52
A report on former Dodgers GM Kevin Malone; profiles of high-school basketball phenom Amare Stoudemire and boxer Gerald Harris, who was wrongly imprisoned for eight years. Also: a look at the Miracle League, a baseball program for disabled children. Correspondents include Frank Deford and Armen Keteyian.
Episode 53
A look at Major League Baseball's Japanese players from a Japanese perspective; a visit with blind golfer Pat Browne; a report on the college choice of high-school football player Kellen Winslow Jr.; and a segment on scandals involving high-school coaches. Commentators include Frank Deford and James Brown.
Episode 54
An interview with Penn State's Joe Paterno on the verge of surpassing Paul "Bear" Bryant as the winningest coach in major college football history; the story of 1964 Olympic gold medalist and ex-NFL star Bob Hayes and his battles with drug and alcohol addiction and cancer; an investigation into alleged sexual misconduct by high-school coaches. Commentators include Derek McGinty, Lesley Visser and Amani Martin.
Episode 55
Segments include a look at the drug ephedrine and its effect on athletes; a visit to a sports camp in Northern Ireland; and a profile of San Francisco 49ers QB Jeff Garcia. Correspondents include Jim Lampley and Bernard Goldberg.
Episode 56
Included: a profile of Louisville coach Rick Pitino, who lost his brother-in-law in the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center; and a report on gender issues in high-school coaching. Correspondents include Frank Deford and Bernard Goldberg.
Episode 57
Segments include a profile of former NBA star and current commentator Charles Barkley; a visit with Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, a former NBA player and a devout Muslim; a look at the lives of past featherweight champs Bobby Chacon and Danny Lopez; and a report on pregnant college athletes. Correspondents include Armen Keteyian and Larry Merchant.