Tonight on "Real Sports"

[lantaur]

That piece added nothing to those "in the know." I'm wondering how those outside the circle took it. I found it to be quite generalizing and stereotyping - all blogs are is bloviating! - although both Deford and Gumbel admitted that they're just trying to cling on to their old ways and fear change. I especially liked when Deford said "Ponanski" in the interview part with Gumbel.

 

[nitrobreath]

>>> I'd rather see Bernie Goldberg doing this segment. <<<

I'd rather see him doing pretty much ALL of them. The piece last year on the stud horse was a scream.

 

[Drip]

I just think it's appalling that for a piece detailing the death of newspaper sports sections that Real Sports never bothered to get on camera someone who ... you know, actually WORKS for a newspaper sports section. I happen to know for a fact the Posnanski spot was filmed long after his departure from the Star to SI was announced, so instead what we get are 1) an embittered Mariotti, who we all know had a lot of other reasons for quitting the Sun-Times besides thinking ahead of the curve, the way he spins it now; 2) Posnanski, who tries to fight the good fight but, let's face it, has already opted to leave the fight behind; and 3) Phil Bronstein, whose stewardship over the BALCO story is an interesting bit of trivia but doesn't speak at all to the daily fight to keep sports sections relevant.

It's especially troubling, I think, because Real Sports is generally a beacon of journalistic fairness and is usually pretty exhaustive in presenting a balanced story; Mary Carillo said she went so far as to get the KKK leader in question in that story on African Americans and swimming, even if he wouldn't go on camera. So HBO thinks it's right to find an Imperial Wizard, but not one of the thousands of people still actually working in newspaper sports sections?

Awful.

Mike Vaccaro
New York Post

While I enjoyed the piece, it was troubling that they didn't talk to current newspaper people. They talked to one columnist going to the net the other going to SI. And by coincidence, all three companies are different mediums of the same parent company.

 

[Bob Cook]

I just think it's appalling that for a piece detailing the death of newspaper sports sections that Real Sports never bothered to get on camera someone who ... you know, actually WORKS for a newspaper sports section. I happen to know for a fact the Posnanski spot was filmed long after his departure from the Star to SI was announced, so instead what we get are 1) an embittered Mariotti, who we all know had a lot of other reasons for quitting the Sun-Times besides thinking ahead of the curve, the way he spins it now; 2) Posnanski, who tries to fight the good fight but, let's face it, has already opted to leave the fight behind; and 3) Phil Bronstein, whose stewardship over the BALCO story is an interesting bit of trivia but doesn't speak at all to the daily fight to keep sports sections relevant.

It's especially troubling, I think, because Real Sports is generally a beacon of journalistic fairness and is usually pretty exhaustive in presenting a balanced story; Mary Carillo said she went so far as to get the KKK leader in question in that story on African Americans and swimming, even if he wouldn't go on camera. So HBO thinks it's right to find an Imperial Wizard, but not one of the thousands of people still actually working in newspaper sports sections?

Awful.

Mike Vaccaro
New York Post

As an aside to the Carillo piece, it was a lovely, awkward moment when Gumbel ended his conversation with Carillo this way: "By the way, I know how to swim."

 

[Drip]

I just think it's appalling that for a piece detailing the death of newspaper sports sections that Real Sports never bothered to get on camera someone who ... you know, actually WORKS for a newspaper sports section. I happen to know for a fact the Posnanski spot was filmed long after his departure from the Star to SI was announced, so instead what we get are 1) an embittered Mariotti, who we all know had a lot of other reasons for quitting the Sun-Times besides thinking ahead of the curve, the way he spins it now; 2) Posnanski, who tries to fight the good fight but, let's face it, has already opted to leave the fight behind; and 3) Phil Bronstein, whose stewardship over the BALCO story is an interesting bit of trivia but doesn't speak at all to the daily fight to keep sports sections relevant.

It's especially troubling, I think, because Real Sports is generally a beacon of journalistic fairness and is usually pretty exhaustive in presenting a balanced story; Mary Carillo said she went so far as to get the KKK leader in question in that story on African Americans and swimming, even if he wouldn't go on camera. So HBO thinks it's right to find an Imperial Wizard, but not one of the thousands of people still actually working in newspaper sports sections?

Awful.

Mike Vaccaro
New York Post

As an aside to the Carillo piece, it was a lovely, awkward moment when Gumbel ended his conversation with Carillo this way: "By the way, I know how to swim."

Actually, it was kind of cute. I'm sure someone in America wanted to know if he could swim. That Carillo piece was great. Just sad to see an empty swimming pool.

 

[shockey]

I just think it's appalling that for a piece detailing the death of newspaper sports sections that Real Sports never bothered to get on camera someone who ... you know, actually WORKS for a newspaper sports section. I happen to know for a fact the Posnanski spot was filmed long after his departure from the Star to SI was announced, so instead what we get are 1) an embittered Mariotti, who we all know had a lot of other reasons for quitting the Sun-Times besides thinking ahead of the curve, the way he spins it now; 2) Posnanski, who tries to fight the good fight but, let's face it, has already opted to leave the fight behind; and 3) Phil Bronstein, whose stewardship over the BALCO story is an interesting bit of trivia but doesn't speak at all to the daily fight to keep sports sections relevant.

It's especially troubling, I think, because Real Sports is generally a beacon of journalistic fairness and is usually pretty exhaustive in presenting a balanced story; Mary Carillo said she went so far as to get the KKK leader in question in that story on African Americans and swimming, even if he wouldn't go on camera. So HBO thinks it's right to find an Imperial Wizard, but not one of the thousands of people still actually working in newspaper sports sections?

Awful.

Mike Vaccaro
New York Post

As an aside to the Carillo piece, it was a lovely, awkward moment when Gumbel ended his conversation with Carillo this way: "By the way, I know how to swim."

wait, bryant gumbel is african-american?

 

[hwkcrz1]

Did they talk to anyone from APSE? Surely, getting a quote or two from an APSE officer would have been relevant.

 

[Lugnuts]

FD is doing so much lamenting these days.

I agree with what Joe Williams said up there about a story with grit. I would have loved a crack at producing that piece... with anybody other than Deford.

 

[Drip]

Did they talk to anyone from APSE? Surely, getting a quote or two from an APSE officer would have been relevant.

No.

 

[hwkcrz1]

Bad.

 

[Drip]

Bad.

The piece was good. Just would've liked to have seen journalists still writing and working at papers commenting on what is going on.

 

[Roscablo]

The piece was OK, I guess, but not close to Real Sports standards. Just look how it stacked up to the other three stories in this episode. Not even close. Even though the concussion story wasn't groundbreaking, it was interesting nonetheless. Especially seeing what could happen if someone, especially a kid, goes back into a game right away. You know tons of parents and coaches have never thought that far ahead. The swimming story was as good as everyone has mentioned, and watching the Vick dog fighting piece again was just as jaw dropping as the first time. One of the best they've ever done. But the journalism segment was lazy, gave no insight, interviewed people all associated with the same company (which they almost forgot to acknowledge), and reeked of more whining from the good ole boys about the poor, undeserved fate of the industry. Maybe those outside the know found it interesting, but it was pretty weak and could have offered a lot more.