This son-of-Real-Sports-with-Bryant-Gumbel just debuted. I liked it all right. The filmed pieces are definitely in the same mode as RSWBG, but I giggled furiously all through the roundtable. Charles Barkley, Al Leiter, Jon Stewart and Bob. Jon at once calling Barkley on talking shit and then cowering from getting whupped by him.

And the outro, wherein Lance Armstrong starts to describe how one relieves oneself during an all-day bike race, well, you don't get that on SportsCenter,

That is the All-Star Panel of Sports Analyzation. Jon Stewart taking on Charles Barkley? I must get HBO!

The story on Doc Ellis being on acid during his no hit game was intresting. I think learning the history of baseball is so important and also makes some of the arguments of today seem overblown.

And any show that highlight the Cardinals is a plus.

I too liked son of RSWBG with Costas provoking and protecting. He's a bit warmer and engaging than Gumbel but the taped pieces were fine, especially the Doc Ellis on acid. We knew Ellis always looked a bit crazed and distracted out on the mound. Now we know he had good reason.
Yes, I can see Stewart playing soccer for the "little Jew boys" team and hiding behind Costas for protection...as if. Let's hope Costas and Gumbel can actually bring some intelligence back to Sports Journalism so it won't be an oxymoron anymore.

Aw damn, I missed a story on the most infamous no hitter in history! I was a kid in Pittsburgh when that game happened and have always thought it was a great story. (Of course when I was a kid, the "official" story was that he was drunk that day.)

2nd verse, same as the first. Archie Manning on the hurricane, in a not-surprising interview. Round table: Tim Russert, John McEnroe (who obliquely dissed Tatum O'Neal, so that was fun) and Chis Collingsworth, who swore he'd rather play and win one championship game than play in a bunch and lose. Which is refreshing to hear in public as opposed to 'it's an honor just to get here' blather.

Russert's whining that the city of Buffalo neeeeeds a Superbowl win, because it doesn't have anything else going for it, will undoubtedly, and rightly, piss off some Buffalonians. (Buffaloites?)

Was that two sentences on the U.S. Open! Don't do us any favors. Just skip it. Tim Russert was a waste of time. I don't give a shit about football, but Collingsworth is a very entertaining guy. I was channel surfing; did they discuss baseball?

I'm curious to see what people thought (if anyone watched, which it doesn't look like) the recent epi, especially the roundtable with Pete Rose. I was kind've surprised that the focus ended up on Rose/gambling/Hall of Fame. It was interesting at first, then uncomfortable, then boring. Something about Rose still strikes me a little off, and I'm not sure why. Liked Bob's comments about steroids having an 'actual' not 'theoretical' effect on baseball, and what that was going to mean for future Halls of Fame.

The Steve Carlton photo was...frightening. Good God.

I agree with your roundtable assessment. I thought the story about Jackie Robinson's son was fantastic. I didn't know anything about him or his siblings before watching that piece. It would be a major coup if he could get Robinson's coffee into MLB stadiums.

After a ginormous hiatus, this show is back with an ep devoted to Steroids in Baseball. Costas has a couple of good interviews with former players who are candid enough to admit they'd have juiced if they'd had the chance. His roundtable with McCarver, Joe Morgan and Bob Gibson was actually riveting.

We don't see enough of Gibby. He's fabulous! He also said he'd probably have tried steroids had they been available to him, prompting McCarver to blurt: "Can you imagine Bob Gibson on STEROIDS?!?!" Heee. Really. How many hitters would have died in the batter's box?

Bob's interview with Willie Mays was kind of schizophrenic. He was prickly and abrupt when asked about Barry Bonds, but once BC got into Willie's own playing days, he lightened up considerably. He really did like the show-biz of the game, and played like it.

The show replays on HBO throughout the month.

You know, I was initially annoyed by that, but then I thought about how Mays has got to be so very sick, at this point, of not only being asked about Bonds's steroid use, but kind of subtly being asked if he feels responsible in some way -- like, "well, you're his godfather, DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING?!"

I mean, do people ask Bobby Bonds this stuff?

Anyway, the show. Joe Morgan said some dumb crap, as usual -- don't be trying to talk about how "baseball is about statistics" when you are allergic to the topic of "Moneyball," JOE -- but was more insightful than I was expecting, and I thought McCarver was really good, too.

And I love Bob Gibson a lot. One-on-one, Gibson v. Bonds, tomorrow, I would still put my money on Gibby. Dude will punch you with his mind.

Not anymore, they don't.

He really will. I'm still giggling about his confidence that he'd break Barry's body armor with the inside heat. No lie, Gibby. Preach!

About Bobby Bonds: Jeff Pearlman, who's the author of Love Me, Hate Me did an interview with Deadspin, in which ol' Bobby appears as prototypical Bad Dad. Maybe that's why nobody ever asks him questions in the same accusatory tone that Willie gets, I don't know. eta:Oops. I didn't know he was dead. On the up side, I learned something new today!!

I find myself wondering what would happen if either man stepped up and denounced Barry for the 'roids. Baseball as an industry seems to prefer to grumble and bitch behind the scenes without taking a public stand.

Well, they could. It wouldn't do them any good, but they could.

Hee. I totally forgot he was dead. Now I'm picturing Costas hunched over the Ouija board.

From the Shallow End: Willy Mays was so hot when he was a youngster. Oh, my.

Now, see, I got pretty sick of Bob Gibson's inability to talk about anything except himself. You can see how his mindset helped him be a fearsome pitcher, but it makes it tiresome listening to him talk IMO. I don't think the roundtable added that much. The interviews with the lesser known players and execs were very interesting, though.

Anybody catch the State of Sports Journalism special?

Was that the one with the Buzz Bissinger meltdown? 'Cause that was hilarious and terrifying all at the same time. Poor Will Leitch. I saw Leitch on the Best Damn Sports Show and it was so much better -- an actual calm, reasonable discussion, no screaming or personal insults directed at the blogger. Who knew the Worst Damn Show could be better than Costas Now?

I'm waiting for TiVo to catch it when it re-airs but saw the last panel with Willybuns and Big Sexy talking about race and the media ... from the little I watched seemed pretty interesting. The Buzz meltdown I haven't seem yet but looking forward to that as well.

I find myself amused that the biggest umbrage in sports journalism these days, as expressed by several panel members, is the 'outing' of players' off-field hijinks. Because, in the good ol' days, as everybody knows, a pro athlete could screw around to his heart's content and nobody would say boo. Jim Bouton was shunned after Ball Four, and even that didn't name names or have photos. The whole notion of 'that's his private life, leave him alone' still holds sway, even though his exorbitant salary is paid by the fans and they just might be curious to see him in delicto flagrante.

Now, with cellphone cameras and handheld mp3 recorders, it's a whole lot easier to get and disseminate the dirt, and it seems to be taking everybody by surprise. Which surprises me: didn't their mama warn them not to do what they don't want to be seen on the front page of the paper (or on Deadspin)? And don't they understand that their SNS page is actually, you know, public?

I got no sympathy for athletes on that score. The times have changed; get used to it. Or, behave better.

As for Bissinger, he missed so many boats in that conversation that the coast guard gave up on him. There was no explaining to him how it actually works, since he was too busy profanely decrying profanity on the Web.

Yes, caught it and loved it. I can't wait for the race town hall/panel discussion later.

I just caught the latest episode. The segment with Hank Aaron & Willie Mays gave me goosebumps. GOOSEBUMPS, I tell ya. Hank Aaron is such a class act.

The vibe got a bit wierd there when Mays called Gibson a "head-hunter." I think it was meant lightheartedly but Gibby did NOT look amused.

I love that this show has honest, intelligent conversation about critical sports matters. The lack of blacks in baseball today is shocking. I live in the suburbs and am an avid Phillies fan so my eight month old son will have the chance to learn the game as well as play it. But it makes me sad to think of all the inner-city kids who don't know what they're missing by not having any exposure to the game. Let's see if Selig and all his bragging about the popularity of the game really tries to address the issue.

See, I took Gibby's expression as mock-outrage. Me? How dare you!? Butter wouldn't melt! Now step in the batter's box and let's see who's a headhunter, shall we?

I agree, it was a good program. And Dave Winfield is still a big, big fellow and a fine figure of a man.

You may be right, attica. I'm sure those guys have been perfecting that whole routine for years...it just struck me the wrong way.

I missed the first segment. Did Pete Rose have anything worthwhile to contribute?