To a large degree, today's NFL was built by decades of athletes who played for low salaries and endured pain, rarely making excuses. Endorsement money was a long shot at best. Their toughness and sacrifice made them the NFL's "greatest generation," and they never once suspected that the league they helped build would one day leave them in less than ideal shape. Today, with their health deteriorating and medical bills piling up, many former players are looking to the NFL for answers as their pension and disability plans fail to provide sufficient help. Real Sports correspondent Jon Frankel looks at this highly charged story.
On Nov. 7, 2006, Bryan Pata was gunned down outside his apartment complex in Miami, Fla. A member of University of Miami football team, he was finishing his senior season, preparing for a possible career in the NFL. The police have ruled the shooting a homicide, but to date, no suspects have been named and Pata's family has been left without answers. Real Sports correspondent James Brown examines this tragic story and talks to grieving family members as they attempt to comprehend his senseless murder.
Launched by Ed Sabol as a small outfit in the Philadelphia area in 1962, NFL Films has grown and developed almost as quickly as the sport itself, setting the standard for innovative filmmaking among pro sports leagues. Ed and his son Steve Sabol built one of the NFL's more enduring and recognizable franchises by transforming the post-production presentation of the violent world of professional football into a cinematic event. Real Sports correspondent Frank Deford heads to southern New Jersey to visit with Steve and to Scottsdale, Ariz. to visit with Ed to learn how they were able to execute their vision and get their views on the fast-paced media landscape they helped shape.
Former All-Pro receiver Michael Irvin was one of the most valuable players in a Dallas Cowboys dynasty that won three Super Bowl titles in the 1990s. Along with memories of #88 pulling down some of his 750 career receptions, however, Irvin is also remembered for various court appearances during his 12 years in the league. After one incident Irvin declared that his release was a "blessing from God," and pledged to put his life back on track. After more than five years since their first interview, Real Sports correspondent Armen Keteyian reconnects with Irvin to follow up on his pledge and discuss his life and burgeoning television career at ESPN.
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