Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel - Season 8
1 - Episode 58
Air Date: January 28, 2002
Segments focus on Super Bowl gambling, a Pop Warner football team from Washington, D.C., former Philadelphia Eagles owner Leonard Tose, and religion in the locker room. Correspondents include Derek McGinty, Frank Deford and James Brown.
2 - Episode 59
Air Date: February 25, 2002
Segments include an interview with Pavle Jovanovic, a U.S. bobsledder suspended for steroid use; a look at "Hockey Night in Canada," a weekly NHL broadcast celebrating its 50th year on Canadian television; a profile of Willie Davis, a school custodian turned junior-high basketball coach; and a report on the movement to ban the game of dodgeball in schools. Correspondents include Frank Deford.
3 - Episode 60
Air Date: March 18, 2002
Segments include a profile of Arizona pitcher Curt Schilling; a behind-the-scenes look at junior figure skaters; a profile of juco basketball player Lee Benson Jr., who is hoping to play in the NBA after spending more than eight years in prison; and a visit with former Buffalo Sabres coach Ted Nolan, who teaches hockey to Canadian Indians. Correspondents include Jim Lampley, Mary Carillo and Frank Deford.
4 - Episode 61
Air Date: April 22, 2002
An interview with former Arkansas basketball coach Nolan Richardson; a profile of the NBA's Rasheed Wallace; a look at players' preparations for the NFL scouting combine; and a report on steroid smuggling from Mexico. Correspondents include James Brown, Armen Keteyian and Bernard Goldberg.
5 - Episode 62
Air Date: May 14, 2002
Included: profiles of golfer Phil Mickelson and former NBA player Manute Bol; a report on pole-vaulting deaths; and an interview with paralympian Dan Andrews. Correspondents include Frank Deford and Mary Carillo.
6 - Episode 63
Air Date: June 25, 2002
Included: an interview with Muhammad Ali; a report on the dangers of using aluminum bats; a look at the racial makeup of players in the National Minority College Golf Championship; and a feature on colleges' increased emphasis on cheerleading. Correspondents include Armen Keteyian and Bernard Goldberg.
7 - Episode 64
Air Date: July 23, 2002
Included: a profile of Michael Franzese, a former organized-crime figure who now coaches Little League and counsels athletes on the dangers of gambling; a tribute to baseball announcer Ernie Harwell; and a report on an alleged hazing incident at a Massachusetts high school. Correspondents include Frank Deford and Bernard Goldberg.
8 - Episode 65
Air Date: August 20, 2002
Included: profiles of Green Bay wide receiver Terry Glenn and Redskins coach Steve Spurrier; and a report on youth traveling baseball teams. Correspondents include Mary Carillo and Armen Keteyian.
9 - Episode 66
Air Date: September 17, 2002
A profile of minor-league baseball owner Mike Veeck; a report on weight-loss practices of Thoroughbred jockies; and a visit with 14-year-old sports journalist Grant Paulsen. Correspondents include Lesley Visser and Bernard Goldberg.
10 - Episode 67
Air Date: October 29, 2002
Former NFL player Esera Tuaolo discusses keeping his homosexuality hidden during his career. Also: an interview with attorneys Johnnie Cochran and Cyrus Mehri, who have criticized the NFL for not hiring more African-American coaches; a report on the decline of physical-education classes in schools; and a profile of Rodney Cummings, who credits youth boxing for helping him go from jail at age 18 to a prosecuting attorney in the same town. Correspondents include Bernard Goldberg and Jim Lampley.
11 - Episode 68
Air Date: November 26, 2002
Included: profiles of Jeannie Buss, executive vice president of the Los Angeles Lakers, and former Virginia Tech basketball player Rayna DuBose, who lost her hands and feet to meningitis; a report on men playing women's field hockey; and the rags-to-riches story of PGA pro Esteban Toledo. Armen Keteyian and Frank Deford are among the correspondents.
12 - Episode 69
Air Date: December 17, 2002
Included: a segment on brothers Joe and Gavin Maloof, owners of the NBA's Sacramento Kings and the WNBA's Monarchs; an interview with Martha Burk, who is spearheading the campaign to admit women at Augusta National Golf Club; a look at questionable recruiting methods at colleges; and a look at violence resulting from a high-school rivalry.