Deleting e-mails from my inbox, I came across these press releases which I did not post last night, so I’m posting them now while I can.
First, here are the stories you’ll see on Real Sports when the sports newsmagazine returns to HBO on Tuesday.
REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL
PROFILES NEW NFLPA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DEMAURICE SMITH, EXPLORES THE EXTREME WORLD OF PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDING, EXAMINES THE MOTIVATIONS OF HYPER-AMBITIOUS SPORTS PARENTS, AND UPDATES ITS INVESTIGATION OF THOROUGHBRED HORSE SLAUGHTER WHEN THE SHOW RETURNS MAY 19
REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL presents more enterprising features and reporting when its 146th edition, available in HDTV, debuts TUESDAY, MAY 19 (10:00 p.m. ET/PT & 9:00 p.m. CT), exclusively on HBO.
Segments include:
*A New Era. With its current labor contract heading toward expiration, the NFL Players Association has new leadership for the first time in more than 25 years. Tapped to guide the NFLPA through a critical era that includes negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement and bridging the growing divide between the union and retired players is DeMaurice Smith, a highly accomplished Washington-based attorney with no ties to the NFL. In this REAL SPORTS/Sports Illustrated profile, correspondent Andrea Kremer sits down with the recently elected NFLPA executive director to ask why, after years of keeping its leadership “in the family,” he’s just the right “outsider” to lead the union through the storms ahead. Interviews include: DeMaurice Smith; New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft; New York Giants center Shaun O’Hara; and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.
Producer: Mike Sullivan.
*Thrill Ride. In most sports, eight seconds goes by in a flash. In professional bull riding, eight seconds can be a lifetime. The best-known and most-popular rodeo event, it’s an extreme sport in every sense of the word. Correspondent Jon Frankel takes a closer look at what is arguably one of the toughest and most dangerous sports on the planet, where the motto could easily be, “it’s not a matter of if you get hurt, it’s a matter of when.” Interviews include: Professional riders Mike White and Shane Proctor; former rider Jerome Davis; PBR tour doctor Dr. Tandy Freeman; and PBR tour CEO Randy Bernard.
Producer: Tim Walker.
*The Next Level. In today’s ultra-competitive sports landscape, parents are going farther than ever to produce athletes with the ability to excel at the next level. Whether through private coaching, practicing almost nonstop, DNA testing to predict which sports a child is best suited to play or even selecting sperm donations from top athletes, parents seem willing to go as far as possible to produce children who obtain college scholarships or lucrative professional contracts. Are these parents pushing their kids to extremes, living vicariously through them or just doing everything within their power to help their children succeed? Correspondent Frank Deford investigates. Interviews include: Parents Aaron Branham and Amy Bingham; Athlete Corey Gahan; Pediatric sports physician Dr. Lyle Micheli; Youth sports league founder Frank Fiume; California Cryobank president Dr. Cappy Rothman.
Producer: Amani Martin.
*Running for Their Lives. In 2008, REAL SPORTS shed light on the little-known practice of thoroughbred horse slaughter for profit. When a thoroughbred race horse reaches the end of its career or is simply no longer profitable on the track, it is often taken directly to auction and sold for meat. Because horse slaughter is no longer practiced in this country, these thoroughbreds are now being shipped by “killer buyers” to slaughterhouses abroad, which are frequently less regulated and less humane than former domestic slaughterhouses. Now, after recently winning the Sports Emmy® for Outstanding Sports Journalism for his initial investigation, correspondent Bernard Goldberg revisits the disturbing journey many of these young and healthy horses take from the track, to auctions, to slaughterhouses and finally to the plates of European and Japanese diners, finding some positive changes have been made. Interviews include: Former assistant trainer Becky Care; Another Chance 4 Horses founder Christy Sheidy; and Turning for Home volunteer Paige Hurley.
Producer: Lauren Gaffney, Joe Perskie.
CBC will air the NHL Conference Finals starting with Game 3 of each series meaning TSN will have the first two games of the Conference Finals before
CBC takes over the rest of the way through the Stanley Cup Finals.
CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA 2009 STANLEY CUP COUNTDOWN IS ON!
Conference Finals broadcast schedule starts on Friday, May 22
The original sixteen NHL playoff teams have been narrowed down to four as CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA gears up for the Conference Finals of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs – and the last stop on the road to exclusive Canadian coverage of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final.
CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA kicks off its coverage with Hockey Tonight, hosted by Ron MacLean, on Friday, May 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by Game Three of the best-of-seven Western Conference Final as the Chicago Blackhawks host Detroit Red Wings (available in High-Definition). Chris Osgood and the defending Stanley Cup Champion Red Wings will look to retain their title against Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and the youthful Blackhawks at the United Center. (Please see below for complete Conference Finals broadcast schedule).
The legendary Don Cherry will return to his usual spot on Coach’s Corner alongside MacLean in the first intermission. Play-by-play announcer Jim Hughson, analyst Craig Simpson and rinkside reporter Scott Oake will cover the series from Chicago along with Mike Milbury and Kelly Hrudey. P.J Stock will provide analysis of both Conference Finals.
CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA will also provide coverage of the Eastern Conference Final series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Carolina Hurricanes, beginning with Game Three on Saturday, May 23. MacLean sets the stage for this Eastern Conference showdown at 7 p.m. ET with Scotiabank Hockey Tonight, as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin lead the Penguins against Eric Staal and the Hurricanes, who look to win their third Eastern Conference Championship in the past seven years. Bob Cole and Greg Millen will call the Pittsburgh/Carolina series and will be joined by reporter Elliotte Friedman.
Coverage of the Western Conference Final continues on CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA with Game Four on Sunday, May 24 at 3 p.m. ET; Game Five on Wednesday, May 27 at 7:30 p.m. ET; Game Six on Saturday, May 30 at 8 p.m. and Game Seven on Monday, June 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET (if necessary).
Coverage of the Eastern Conference Final continues with Game Four on Tuesday, May 26 at 7:30 p.m. ET; Game Five on Friday, May 29 at 7:30 p.m. ET; Game Six on Sunday, May 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET and Game Seven on Tuesday, June 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET (if necessary).
CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA also presents Stanley Cup Interactive on CBCSports.ca throughout the entire 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Hall of Fame journalist, Scott Morrison and HNIC Sirius Satellite Radio host, Jeff Marek host live chats with hockey fans across the country from the Stanley Cup I-Desk during all 2009 Stanley Cup Playoff games broadcast on CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA. In addition to extensive coverage on CBCSports.ca, Kelly Hrudey, Scott Oake, Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek provide members of the on-line community with live insider posts on Twitter and blogs throughout the playoffs.
Hockey fans can now follow the road to the Stanley Cup on their iPhone by visiting cbcsports.ca/iphone/stanleycup2009. Users will be kept up-to-date on all playoff series with stats, scores and top stories – all at the CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA iPhone site, presented by McDonald’s.
CBC’s exclusive Punjabi broadcasts continue in the Conference Finals, featuring the Pittsburgh/Carolina series, Game Three to Seven and Game Six and Seven from the Detroit/Chicago series, live and on demand at CBCSports.ca. The Punjabi broadcasts will be available free to Bell TV subscribers on channel 249; to Rogers digital cable subscribers in Ontario and New Brunswick on channel 401; to Shaw Digital Cable subscribers in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba on channel 333 and to Shaw Direct subscribers on channel 478. Viewers should contact their local service
provider for more details. Parminder Singh, voice of CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA regular season Punjabi broadcasts will handle play-by-play duties while Harnarayan Singh, will provide analysis.Hockey Night in Canada Radio on SIRIUS will also offer comprehensive coverage of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on SIRIUS Satellite Radio’s Channel 122 airing Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. ET (encore presentation from 7-10 p.m. ET). Host Jeff Marek will be joined by CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA personalities and other guests throughout the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. With 28 services offered on Radio, Television, the Internet, satellite radio, digital audio, as well as through its record and music distribution service and wireless WAP and SMS messaging services, CBC/Radio-Canada is available how, where, and when Canadians want it.
CBC’S HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA
2009 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS – ROUND THREE – CONFERENCE FINALS
BROADCAST SCHEDULE
All series best of seven. Schedule subject to change.
DETROIT RED WINGS (#2) VS. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (#4)
G3 – Hockey Tonight, Friday, May 22, 7:30 p.m.
Detroit @ Chicago, 8 p.m.
G4 – Detroit @ Chicago, Sunday, May 24, 3 p.m.
G5 – Chicago @ Detroit, Wednesday, May 27, 7:30 p.m.
G6 – Hockey Tonight, Saturday, May 30, 7:30 p.m.
Detroit @ Chicago, 8 p.m.
G7 – Chicago @ Detroit, Monday, June 1, 7:30 p.m.
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (#4) VS. CAROLINA HURRICANES (#6)
G3 – Hockey Tonight, Saturday, May 23, 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh @ Carolina, 7:30 p.m.
G4 – Pittsburgh @ Carolina, Tuesday, May 26, 7:30 p.m.
G5 – Carolina @ Pittsburgh, Friday, May 29, 7:30 p.m.
G6 – Hockey Tonight, Sunday, May 31, 7 p.m.
Pittsburgh @ Carolina, 7:30 p.m.
G7 – Carolina @ Pittsburgh, Tuesday, June 2, 7:30 p.m.
And here’s what coming up on the Golf Channel.
COMING UP ON GOLF CHANNEL…May 18 – 24, 2009
Barkley’s Final Session Begins on The Haney Project
Network Premiere of Happy Gilmore; Grudge Match on Big Break Prince Edward Island
The Haney Project (new episode)
With the season finale looming on May 25, Hank Haney will join Charles Barkley to begin their final r
ound together on the second-to-last episode of The Haney Project, Monday at 10 p.m. ET. During the round, the duo will be treated to one surprise after another, as friends and members of Charles’ hit list – people that he wants to beat on the golf course – make cameo appearances throughout the round, including Philadelphia radio host Howard Eskin, NBA Hall-of-Famer “Dr. J” Julius Erving, TNT’s Ernie Johnson, Philadelphia sports anchor Neal Hartman, LPGA professional Kris Tschetter and NBA veteran Chris Webber. Monday’s episode will re-air at 10:30 p.m. ET.Happy Gilmore (Network Premiere)
Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET, GOLF CHANNEL’s Movies that Make the Cut series will continue with the network premiere of the comedy Happy Gilmore, starring Adam Sandler. After his grandmother’s house is repossessed by the IRS, aspiring hockey player Happy Gilmore takes his talents to the golf course with monster drives and a fiery attitude in an attempt to earn enough money to purchase back her house.
Big Break Prince Edward Island (new episode)
Monday at 9 p.m. ET, the remaining eight contestants will go head-to-head in one-hole, stroke-play matches, where rivalries will be settled. The winners will earn $2,000, with the rest facing off in up-and-down challenges around the green to ultimately avoid elimination. Produced in high definition, the cast of Big Break Prince Edward Island are competing for a grand prize of $100,000 in cash. Hosted by Stina Sternberg and Charlie Rymer.
Original Programming HighlightsThe Golf Fix
Monday at 8 p.m. ET, Michael Breed will break down the key shots from the Valero Texas Open and provide instructional tips to viewers on The Golf Fix, the network’s half-hour, fast-paced interactive instructional show featuring call-ins and emails from viewers.
The Approach with Callaway Golf
Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET, Andrew Magee and Alex Miceli will tackle the top storylines in golf from different perspectives and preview the Byron Nelson Championship in an entertaining and informative manner on The Approach with Callaway Golf. Kraig Kann will serve as host and moderator.
Grey Goose 19th Hole
Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET, Vince Cellini and GolfChannel.com senior writer Rex Hoggard will debate the hot topics in golf and recap the top storylines from the Texas Open on the Grey Goose 19th Hole, the network’s fast-paced half-hour talk show.
Live Tournaments Programming Highlights
PGA TOUR Primetime
Thursday – Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET, PGA TOUR Primetime will re-air the opening rounds of the Byron Nelson Championship with special bonus coverage not seen during the live telecast. Saturday and Sunday, GOLF CHANNEL will re-air CBS Sports’ coverage of the third and final rounds at 9:30 p.m. ET. Kraig Kann will host PGA TOUR Primetime Thursday and Friday from the network’s Orlando studios.
News and Talk Show Programming Highlights
Golf Central
Golf Central will take viewers through all of the news and highlights in the world of golf Monday – Sunday at 6 and 11:30 p.m. ET, featuring interviews and analysis from the network’s team of reporters and analysts from each of golf’s major tours. Inga Hammond will report for Golf Central on-site at the Byron Nelson Championship.
Golf Central Pre Game
Saturday and Sunday, Kraig Kann and Charlie Rymer will prepare viewers for all of the weekend action on the various tours on Golf Central Pre Game at 12:30 p.m. ET, followed by live, lead-in tournament coverage of the Byron Nelson Championship from 1 – 2:30 p.m. ET. Golf Central Pre Game will return at 2:30 p.m. ET to prepare viewers for CBS Sports’ live coverage at 3 p.m. ET.
That’s going to do it.
