REAL SPORTS with Bryant Gumbel:  I'm stepping up on my soap box for this review because I truly believe this is one of the most amazing sports news shows on HBO TV

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel is a monthly sports news magazine on HBO that debuted on April 2, 1995. The show 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.

Each show has four stories, all of which are about society and sports, famous athletes, or problems afflicting sports. The show also has investigative reports, interviews, and interesting stories that don't necessarily occur in the professional leagues. This show goes beyond traditional sports reporting, like box scores and statistics, and presents exclusive stories that other networks don't usually cover.

This show has had 10 wins and 19 nominations as listed on the IMDb Web Page It's very impressive! 

Here's some examples of the past two months episodes:

June:

• The Purge - Ahead of the World Cup, Bernard Goldberg travels to Russia, where Vladimir Putin’s grand plan to achieve glory through sport has taken a dark turn.
• Men in Blazers - Andrea Kremer profiles Roger Bennett and Michael Davies, the popular English-born broadcasting duo who cover all things soccer.
• Robosport - Soledad O’Brien meets up with inventor and entrepreneur Dean Kamen, the mastermind behind the Robotics World Championship.

July:

• The Prodigy - Bryant Gumbel sits down with St. Louis Rams head coach Sean McVay.
• Hidden Treasure - Jon Frankel travels to the Philippines to meet a community of poor, persecuted fisherman with a secret — they are the best free-divers on earth.
• Doctor on the Line - Andrea Kremer profiles Kansas City offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, the only current NFL player to earn a medical degree.
• Playing for Peanuts - Jon Frankel revisits the stark disparity between pay rates for Major League Baseball players and their minor league counterparts.

The show has an amazing group of Correspondents: Bryant Gumbel (host); Mary Carillo; Jon Frankel; Bernard Goldberg; Andrea Kremer; Soledad O'Brien and David Scott

I haven't missed a show in years and the topics/story lines they present are spot on and the most interesting sports news stories you'll see on TV bar none!.  In fact they show items that I never even knew were categorized as sport - I learn something all the time.

Mercy and I watch this show together and she loves it.  We learn so much from every show it's just ridiculous.  Some stories are very serious, some sad, heartfelt, funny and just down right good to watch.

I realize that many of you might not have HBO, but if you do I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you watch a couple shows and see if you are not as addicted to this as I am today. Click the link at the top of the page to see the Real Sports web page and peruse through it.....get acquainted with what the show is all about.

Thanks for indulging me on this one - I appreciate it!