Review of Real Sports

Just finished watching the latest edition of Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel on HBO. Another fine journalistic effort. It’s won Emmys for Best Features, Best Journalism and Best Edited Series, so this was just another line in the excellent program. There were four features and Bryant’s commentary, the latter we’ll get to in a moment. Unlike sports media writers who get advanced copies and can review the program ahead of time, I watched the program like many, as it aired. Here’s my review.

Feature 1 – Miller Time
The first feature focused on NBC golf analyst Johnny Miller. Bryant was the reporter in this one. And during the piece, Bryant properly disclosed that he was Johnny’s first partner at NBC (Dick Enberg and Dan Hicks are the others). There were some good tidbits such as Miller saying he has made amends this season with some golfers he has angered. He also told Bryant that his frankness is really part of his religious conviction. You may or may not know that Johnny is Mormon, but he says he doesn’t hold back because he feels he has to answer to himself and “the man upstairs.” The statement shocked Gumbel, but you look at Miller and you believe him. While Miller is known for saying a golfer has choked, you get the feeling viewers like his frankness. Golfers don’t like him because he is so honest. But as Vijay Singh commented to Gumbel, “Miller knows what we’re thinking.” We also learned that at the end of his contract with NBC, Johnny plans to go on a Mormon mission, to fulfill what he missed when he was playing golf on the PGA Tour. This piece gets a B from me.

Feature 2 – Gator Sensation
This was done by the newest Real Sports contributor, the lovely Andrea Kremer. She talked to Joakim Noah, the expected first round pick in this month’s NBA Draft. Noah as many of you know was part of the two Florida teams that won the men’s NCAA basketball championship. Andrea talked to Noah, his father, tennis great Yannik and his mother, former Miss Sweden Cécilia Rhode. We found out about Noah’s upbringing, growing up as the son of a revered tennis player, learning how to play basketball in New York and becoming his own man. Andrea is a very good feature reporter and her reports on ESPN have won awards. She’s an excellent writer and it came across here. Plus, she always does her homework on her subjects. And if I may say so, she has great legs (comes across from her days as a dancer). Even though I’m not a fan of Noah, I enjoyed the piece and I give this an A.

Feature 3 – Boomeritis
Jon Frankel did the third piece on Baby Boomers who are now finding that keeping fit is getting harder and harder as they get older. Many are turning to modern medicine to allow them to keep active, but the price is getting higher and higher. I got bored by this feature and I changed the channel to NESN and Extra Innings. Grade – incomplete.

Feature 4 – Team Hoyt
If you live in the New England area, you’ve heard of Rick and Dick Hoyt, the father and son who run marathons and triathlons together. Rick was born with cerebral palsy and cannot speak. He is a quadriplegic and is confined to a wheelchair. However, he has lived productively for 47 years. Dick is 67 and is in great shape thanks to Rick. Dick has survived a heart attack and had a hip replacement, but they are an inspiration to everyone. Originally done two years ago, tonight’s story was an update and also looked at how Team Hoyt has inspired others to do the same. They’ve run the Ironman Triathlon, the Boston Marathon and countless other road races across the country. Mary Carillo did the story and it was a great feature then and a great feature now. Grade – A+

Commentary
Bryant Gumbel has a disdain for NFL Players Association Executive Director Gene Upshaw. Much of that disdain is deserved. I was watching the commentary with my mouth open as Gumbel fired shot after shot. Thanks to Neil Best of New York Newsday, I give you the transcription here:

“Finally tonight a few words about that popular new game: all pile on the Upshaw. The Upshaw is of course, Gene Upshaw, the titular head of the NFL Players Association who has become, with good reason, the sports world’s most popular piñata.

“Rarely a day goes by now when you can’t find Upshaw’s name in your local newspaper, generally being verbally assailed by folks with legitimate grievances. A number of ex-NFL players find him cruel and callous, a variety of folks are taking exception to his definition of disability, medical people are questioning his seeming lack of regard for player safety, some veterans have filed suit claiming he’s denied them millions in licensing fees. Congress, too, wants some answers up on Capitol Hill.

“Now instead of being professional, Upshaw, in response to all this has adopted the turtle defense, choosing to explain himself to no one. At a time when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is rightly using an iron fist to upgrade the image of active players, the players’ union boss has become the league’s biggest embarrassment, even stooping to physical threats against one of his critics.

“As one whose low opinion of Gene Upshaw is a matter of record, I can’t say I’m surprised. History suggests you can only deceive so many for so long. One can only wonder when the active players will join the growing chorus of those crying out for new leadership. It is, after all, their union. It’d be nice to see them reclaim it before they become ex-players, and find out the hard way why so many are so outraged.”

I applaud Gumbel for being honest here. Upshaw has been quite disgraceful in the matter of refusing to even hear from retired NFL players on benefits and on defending Pacman Jones.

Overall grade of tonight’s Real Sports – B+.