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Synopsis
In the August installment of CostasNOW, Bob Costas sat down with the greatest cyclist of all-time, the third-most successful baseball manager of all-time, as well as one of America's most popular comedians.
In 1996, just days after his twenty-fifth birthday, cyclist Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with cancer, and the prognosis was not good. But the Texan overcame the odds, and, returning to his sport, went from an undisciplined, raw talent to the most dominating cyclist in the world, winning seven straight Tour de France races before retiring after his final win last month. Fresh off that last victory, he spoke with Bob during a recent visit to New York about his life and career.
Last year, "60 Minutes" reported that three members of the AFC Champion Carolina Panthers had filled prescriptions for steroids just days before Super Bowl XXXVIII. The doctor who prescribed the drugs, James Shortt, has since been under investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, and could soon be indicted. Despite the controversy surrounding him, Dr. Shortt agreed to sit down with Armen Keteyian to discuss his involvement in prescribing anabolic steroids and other drugs to NFL players.
Among the books on the bestseller lists this summer: "Three Nights in August," written by Pulitzer Prize winner Buzz Bissinger along with the cooperation of St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa. La Russa is the longtime manager of the Cardinals who also managed the Athletics and White Sox earlier in his career, winning a World Series with Oakland in 1989. In 2003, La Russa and Bissinger agreed to collaborate on a book, and decided that Bissinger would follow La Russa and his Cardinals around for much of a season, getting complete access to observe La Russa at work. The focus of much of the story would be a three-game series between St. Louis and the Chicago Cubs in August. On CostasNOW, La Russa gave Bob Costas similar access, as the show's cameras tracked the manager in the dugout and on the field during a three-game series a few weeks back, and Bob sat down with him after each game.
The sports panel discussion featured the host of the popular "Daily Show," Jon Stewart, as well as former NBA All-Star Charles Barkley and Yankees pitcher Al Leiter. Topics discussed include steroids in baseball, Native American mascots in the NCAA, and much more.
And finally, thirty five years ago this summer, a Pirates pitcher named Dock Ellis threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres. What was extraordinary about this particular "no-no" was that Ellis pitched the game while tripping on LSD. Costas Now tells the remarkable story of that game, as well as the unlikely turn that Ellis's life has taken since.
COSTAS NOW is hosted by Bob Costas and premieres a new edition each month on HBO.
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