'Real Sports' hits new highs with NFL special
Sunday, January 30, 2011 at 7:00 PM
HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" is always good but this month's episode is especially noteworthy.
The piece on Peter King is good, and captures some -- not nearly all -- of the manic pace King keeps in producing his weekly stories, columns and blogs for Sports Illustrated, as well as TV and radio appearances. (If you'v enever experienced his "Monday Morning Quarterback" column, start now.
But more illuminating are three other pieces:
1) A disturbing examination of two former NFL players who are broke after burning through millions of dollars in a few short years. What's crazy is more than half of NFL players go broke after they retire. Why? Simply living like kings while they're in the league, unwilling to accept the fact their careers are the shortest of any pro league.
2) An illuminating profile of Troy Aikman, who is earning respect in his second career as a TV analyst, following his playing career as a three-time-winning Super Bowl quarterback.
3) A sad update on a previous look into the post-career health problems experienced by the growing number of players who weigh more than 300 pounds. You couldn't script a story where one of your subjects dies just five days after you interview him. But here you have it.
I was heartened to read recently that B.J. Raji, the fearsome Green Bay defensive tackle who weighs in at about 350 pounds, saying his retirement planning includes a full-time chef who will keep him on a healthy diet. Raji knows his big weight is a part of his job, but also smart enough to know that he'll need to plan to ensure he doesn't become just another casualty among linemen whose weight earns them short-term glory but long-term pain, let alone early death.
HBO, Peter King, Real Sports 