Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel Season 24 Episode 4 Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel Ep 253 (April 2018)

Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel is HBO's Emmy award-winning sports journalism series that explores a plethora of topics related to sports. In the fourth episode of season 24, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel Ep 253, which premiered in April 2018, the show delves into several fascinating stories, each delivering a unique perspective on various aspects of sports.

One segment of the episode takes a close look at the NCAA and the exploitation of college athletes. The show examines how college athletes are expected to maintain their amateur status while their schools and the NCAA profit from their talent and hard work. The segment features interviews with former college athletes who share their experiences of playing college sports and how their lives were impacted by the NCAA regulations. The episode highlights the lack of health insurance coverage for NCAA athletes and their inability to profit from their own name, image, and likeness.

In another segment, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel Ep 253 focuses on youth sports and parents' obsession with their child's success. The show sheds light on the extraordinary lengths that parents go to ensure that their children succeed in their chosen sport, sometimes going so far that they even alter their birth certificates or move to different cities to join better teams. The segment includes interviews with both parents and coaches and explores how this "win at all costs" culture can often lead to burnout and psychological distress for the children.

Another segment of the episode features the inspiring story of a high school wrestler named Isaiah Bird, who was born without legs. The segment follows Isaiah's journey as a wrestler, from his early days of begging his parents to let him compete to his success as a high school wrestler. The show highlights how Isaiah's incredible determination and spirit have made him a role model for other athletes and individuals with disabilities.

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel Ep 253 also takes a deep dive into the world of esports. The segment features interviews with professional esports players, team owners, and industry experts, examining how the esports industry has evolved over the years and the challenges it still faces. The episode highlights how esports has drawn in significant sponsorship and viewership and has even gained recognition as a sport by the International Olympic Committee.

Finally, the episode concludes with a segment on the impact of the opioid crisis on professional athletes. The show examines how injured athletes are often given opioids to manage their pain, leading to addiction and sometimes death. The segment features interviews with former athletes who reveal how they became addicted to painkillers and how the opioid epidemic has affected their lives.

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel Ep 253 is yet another thoughtful, insightful, and thought-provoking episode in the long-running series. With its mix of hard-hitting journalism, human interest stories, and in-depth reporting, this episode offers a glimpse into the complex world of sports and how it intersects with various areas of society.