About this season
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.
Episodes (12)
1. Episode 58
Aired 28 January 2002 • 60 min
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
Aired 25 February 2002 • 60 min
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
Aired 18 March 2002 • 60 min
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
Aired 22 April 2002 • 60 min
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
Aired 14 May 2002 • 60 min
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
Aired 25 June 2002 • 60 min
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
Aired 23 July 2002 • 60 min
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
Aired 20 August 2002 • 60 min
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
Aired 17 September 2002 • 60 min
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
Aired 29 October 2002 • 60 min
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
Aired 26 November 2002 • 60 min
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
Aired 17 December 2002 • 60 min
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.