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 70
Aired 14 January 2003 • 60 min
Included: a look at health concerns for retired NFL linemen in the wake of a fatal heart attack suffered by former Saints player Frank Warren; and a profile of former NBA star Bob Love, who overcame a speech impediment to become Director of Community Affairs for the Chicago Bulls.
2. Episode 71
Aired 11 February 2003 • 60 min
Included: an interview with five-time world champion boxer Johnny Tapia; a look at drug-testing policies in high-school athletics; a report on safety concerns at ski resorts; and a segment on changes made to the pro-bowling tour. Correspondents include James Brown, Frank Deford and Bernard Goldberg.
3. Episode 72
Aired 18 March 2003 • 60 min
A look at the impact of this year's Masters controversy on Augusta, Ga.; profiles of former high-school-to-NBA phenom Darryl Dawkins and state trooper turned NBA referee Bob Delaney; and a report on U.S. Olympic Committee controversies. Correspondents include Frank Deford and Armen Keteyian.
4. Episode 73
Aired 15 April 2003 • 60 min
Reports on Toughman competitions, the frequency of head injuries in soccer, and law suits in youth sports. Also: a look at Carver Academy, a private school founded by the NBA's David Robinson. Correspondents include Frank Deford and Mary Carillo.
5. Episode 74
Aired 20 May 2003 • 60 min
Bob Costas interviews baseball commissioner Bud Selig. Also: a look at the sports-talk program "Pardon the Interruption," an interview with Terry Bradshaw and a look at the treatment of Iraqi athletes. Correspondents include Armen Keteyian.
6. Episode 75
Aired 24 June 2003 • 60 min
A look back at the controversy surrounding the remains of baseball legend Ted Williams; a report on the emergence of international basketball talent; and an examination of the lives of professional wrestlers. Correspondents include Bernard Goldberg and Frank Deford.
7. Episode 76
Aired 22 July 2003 • 60 min
Included: profiles of auto racer Alex Zanardi and soccer player David Beckham; and a report on Mark Roberts, Britain's so-called "serial streaker." Correspondents include Frank Deford and Bernard Goldberg.
8. Episode 77
Aired 19 August 2003 • 60 min
A profile of 13-year-old golfer Michelle Wie; an update on former heavyweight champ Riddick Bowe; a visit with former NFL TE Johnnie Mitchell; and a report on a soccer team comprised of homeless men. Correspondents include Frank Deford, James Brown and Mary Carillo.
9. Episode 78
Aired 23 September 2003 • 60 min
Included: a look at the Yankees' Jorge Posada, his son and his father, who was a promising prospect himself before being jailed in Cuba in the 1960s. Also: a profile of Tampa Bay LB Derrick Brooks. Correspondents include James Brown.
10. Episode 79
Aired 28 October 2003 • 60 min
Segments include a profile of Ed Agre, sole reporter for a small-market TV station in Montana; a look at the sport of freediving; a visit with an NFL-lineman-turned-minister; and a report on the controversial sentencing of a convicted high-school football star.
11. Episode 80
Aired 25 November 2003 • 60 min
Included: a look at the controversial ESPN series "Playmakers;" a report on the lack of black golfers on the PGA Tour; a profile of former UCLA hoops coach John Wooden; a look at a polo team made up of disadvantaged youths in Philadelphia.
12. Episode 81
Aired 30 December 2003 • 60 min
A report on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's search for an NBA coaching job; a look at a harrowing mountain-climbing expedition in Peru; a report on the popularity of throwback jerseys; and a profile of Dottie O'Connor, an exercise enthusiast who has battled health problems.