Real Sports (September)

Real Sports Not Too Bad
Program Has An Outstanding Feature, Two Good Pieces

NEW YORK (AQB)--The latest Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel on HBO includes an outstanding segment on BYU's dismissal of a star athlete for violating its honor code, a well-done piece on pedophiles who coach youth sports and an intriguing conversation with Joe Morgan on baseball's hiring practices for African-Americans.

However, the show (10 p.m. ET Thursday) includes a disappointing interview of New York Jets coach Bill Parcells by Jim Lampley. Lampley knows how to ask questions and is a good journalist but it just didn't seem like he was tough in his queries of Parcells. Not that this is the first time the media has been accused of not asking the coach questions that need to be asked.

There were no wonderings about Parcells' ego and HBO should've talked with some of the coach's detractors, instead of his former high school hoops coach and ex-NFL star Phil Simms. Yes, the interview of Simms was interesting, with the quarterback admitting that he was even nervous walking by Parcells in 1988, after he had already taken the Giants to one Super Bowl title. Still, this segment could've been so much better.

[NOTE: This show's review is based on an advanced copy for the media, which doesn't include studio scenes with host Bryant Gumbel.]

The best segment was Derek McGinty's look at Brigham Young University's dismissal of star running back Ronney Jenkins for violating the school's honor code by having premarital sex.

McGinty did a nice job, sitting down for a long interview with Jenkins, who argues that BYU treats honor code violations more harshly than it does criminal conduct, as two players who were arrested recently have returned to the team. Jenkins is now playing at Northern Arizona.

Credit McGinty for asking tough questions of Jenkins, asking why in the world he would put his scholarship at risk after he had once been warned after engaging in premarital sex. Jenkins didn't have a good answer for McGinty.

In an evenhanded manner, much like when he interviewed all parties in his April "Racism in NASCAR" feature, McGinty also speaks with BYU's dean of students, who talks about the importance of the school's honor code. Give credit to BYU for allowing a member of their faculty to speak with HBO.

Like McGinty, Mary Carillo also did a fine job with her assignment, though hers had to be the most uncomfortable - probing the molestation of youth athletes by pedophiliac coaches.

The most gripping part of the entire show was Carillo's interview of young Adrian Martinez, a young man who was violated by Garen Pearson. Martinez described how his coach would hold him down during their sexual encounters, saying "He's a good coach but he's got a sick mind."

Carillo also spoke with Pearson, who blamed the children and said he couldn't comment further, and Wayne Bowers. The interview of Bowers was particularly good, with the candid pedophile, who served five years for his crimes, admitting that he is a danger to children if he coaches youth sports.

I would've liked to have a chat with a psychologist who treats pedophiles but I'm not quibbling with Carillo's effort, which was very good.

Finally, Larry Merchant spoke with Joe Morgan about baseball's efforts to get African-Americans involved in the game. An outspoken critic of baseball commissioner Bud Selig, Morgan argues that Major League Baseball's "Intentions are good but let's take it to the next level."

Merchant is a good interviewer and peppers Morgan with solid questions, openly disagreeing with the Hall of Famer's contention that he'd be ignored by baseball today if he were an up-and-coming young player.

Credit Merchant for showing the numbers that support Morgan's contentions by showing that only 15 percent of major leaguers are African-American, compared with 77 percent in the NBA and 65 percent in the NFL.

Morgan argues that baseball sets up playing schools in the Caribbean nations but doesn't do much in its own backyard, allocating just $2 million a year to Reviving Baseball in Inner cities, or RBI. Unfortunately, Merchant wasn't able to talk with Selig about baseball's practices as the commissioner refused to sit down with the network for an interviews.

All in all, a pretty good show with three solid pieces and one disappointing profile.

Grade: B. Did I mention that the Parcells profile was disappointing?

Play dates: 5:30 p.m. ET Friday; 11:30 a.m. Sunday; 1 p.m and 8 p.m. Tuesday; 8 a.m. Sept. 23; 3 p.m. Sept. 25; 11 a.m. Sept. 27.