It was announced earlier in the summer that the Cincinnati Bengals would be the subject of this "Hard Knocks" on HBO, and the time for its debut is upon us. The series will kick of next Wednesday, August 12th at 10pm, and should provide for some interesting television. Via HBO PR....

HBO Sports, NFL Films and the Cincinnati Bengals team up for an all-access look at what it takes to make it in the National Football League when HARD KNOCKS: TRAINING CAMP WITH THE CINCINNATI BENGALS debuts next month. The first sports-based reality series – and one of the fastest-turnaround reality series – kicks off its fifth season WEDNESDAY, AUG. 12 (10:00 p.m. ET/PT & 9:00 p.m. CT), exclusively on HBO and presented in HD. New hour-long episodes air subsequent Wednesdays at the same time, culminating in the Sept. 9 season finale, with regular encore plays on Thursdays.

“We are delighted that HARD KNOCKS will be returning this summer and placing the spotlight on head coach Marvin Lewis and the Cincinnati Bengals,” says Ross Greenburg, president, HBO Sports. “There will be plenty on the line during training camp for veterans, free agents and rookies alike, and we are eager to chronicle all the passion, heartache and achievement.”

“This is a fascinating team,” says NFL Films president Steve Sabol. “They’ve got a lot to prove to themselves and to the fans. As Coach Lewis has said, ‘This is a team with a chip on their shoulder.’ Training camp is a laboratory of human emotions and the Bengals have a compelling mix of personalities that should make for
dramatic television.”

Well I should say so, Marvin. The fact that you should have been fired two years ago, half your team has been arrested AND you brought Chris Henry back for a seventh time, should make for "dramatic television". I can't wait!

I'm not saying that Bill Simmons didn't have a lot to do at the "Leader", but....well yeah....he didn't really have a lot to do. He was in charge of a column, and a weekly podcast, but never really had any other responsibilities besides that and a cameo or two on E:60. Well that's all changing as Simmons is now embarking on a producer role for ESPN's "30 for 30" documentary series. Via The Hartford Courant....

"It really bothered me that HBO had cornered the sports documentary in the minds of the average sports fan," said Bill Simmons, ESPN's Page 2 columnist and executive producer for the "30 for 30" project.

"Why is it so special when HBO releases one, but yet we're putting out documentaries all the time? Some of them were really good, I thought, and they just kind of fell through the cracks and just didn't make sense to me," Simons said.

In "trying to come up with different ways that maybe we could beat the system" he concentrated on the title, "30 for 30."

"I knew we loved celebrating anniversaries, and I knew we had a lot of money," Simmons said. "And it's like, yeah, we could go get filmmakers."

And so they did, amassing a roster that includes Barbara Kopple, Barry Levinson, Morgan Freeman, Albet Maysles and John Singleton.

The 30 films won't be structured to represent each of the 30 years ESPN has been around, nor will it be all encompassing to cover every event.

"This is meant to be a filmmaker-driven series. It's meant to let creative people be really creative," said Connor Schell, executive producer of the event. "We've picked topics that will collectively create a mosaic of the period. So if you were to watch all 30, you'd get a really good variety of the different types of things that have happened over the last three decades in sports, but by no means is it a countdown."

Well that's certainly a good start to a very large undertaking. Having someone that's passionate in charge of the documentaries, is also a very good idea as well. I think Simmons knows what fans want, and you can expect for the majority of the docus to be very entertaining. Overtaking HBO will be hard, but not impossible.

Here are the dates where you can start checking out the first seven films, this Fall....

* Tuesday, Oct. 6, 8 p.m.
* Tuesday, Oct. 13, 8 p.m.
* Tuesday, Oct. 20, 8 p.m.
* Tuesday, Oct. 27, 8 p.m.
* Tuesday, Nov. 3, 8 p.m.
* Tuesday, Nov. 10, 8 p.m.
* Saturday, Dec. 12, 9 p.m.

Making ESPN a Documentary Force (Hartford Courant)

ESPN just aired a Kobe documentary last weekend, but they've already lined up a second one. This time it's a combo flick with Lebron James, called "Dream Season: 23 & 24", and will air on Thursday, May 21st at 7pm. But wait, there's more! It will even be narrated by the one and only, Justin Timberlake!

ESPN will televise Dream Season 23 & 24 presented by NIKE, a one-hour special Thursday, May 21, at 7 p.m. The program, narrated by six-time Grammy Award-winning and Emmy Award-winning artist Justin Timberlake, will chronicle the past seasons of Cleveland’s LeBron James, the league’s MVP, and Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant. From Olympic gold in Beijing to the quest for each to lead his team to the top of the respective NBA conferences, the cameras will provide unique access into James’ and Bryant’s preparation and stellar performances on the court.

They probably could have got Spike Lee to do this one as well, and killed two birds with one stone, but alas....they did not. Still, it sounds interesting, and after watching "Kobe Doin' Work"....I hope it doesn't disappoint.

The Lakers will be playing on ABC this Sunday, either against the Rockets in Game Seven or Game One of the WC Finals, but ESPN will also be debuting Spike Lee's "Kobe Doing Work" on Saturday evening. The 90-minute documentary on the Laker star, is a look into what it's like to be him for one game, and will air uninterrupted by commercials starting at 8pm. Here is the official trailer if you haven't seen it yet....

After all of the controversy surrounding the making of the film (Kobe almost reneged and Spike almost went with Duncan), it's great that it's finally ready for air. Based on some of the clips, ESPN has thrown around, it definitely seems worth a view.

MLB has come up with some pretty good documentaries over the years, and it seems like they have yet another on their hands. MLB will be using the MLB Network to launch "This Is Beyond Baseball", which will be a 30-minute set of vignettes in which current and former players will discuss the role of Baseball beyond the field....

Major League Baseball today announced the launch of a new integrated multi-media marketing campaign titled “This is Beyond Baseball,” which will celebrate baseball’s unique place in the cultural fabric of society and in the lives of fans. The campaign will officially launch with a special on MLB Network this Sunday, March 29 at 8:00 p.m. ET titled This Is Beyond Baseball, a documentary-style program created by MLB Productions. Narrated by legendary broadcaster Vin Scully, the 30-minute program comprises a series of vignettes that communicate the magnitude of what baseball represents and that the scope of its impact goes well beyond the game on the field.

“Baseball reaches us all in places far beyond the playing field,” said Scully. “I am honored to lend my support to this endeavor and help celebrate the game I have loved for my entire life.”

The program features insight and commentary from many prominent current and former players, including Ken Griffey Jr., Derek Jeter, Cal Ripken Jr., Curtis Granderson, Derek Lee and Terry Francona, as well as a special profile of the Upton family – father Manny and sons B.J. and Justin – a unique family story of dedication and determination.

Again, I'm a sucker for a good documentary, but this one seems really good. Plus the narration from Vin Scully will only add to the stories. I'll try to check it out when it airs this Sunday at 8pm.

HBO Sports has been putting together a nice collection of rivalry documentaries, with the last being a look at Ohio State and Michigan, and their latest should be just as interesting. The network will be delving into the dynamic that is Duke-UNC, titled "Battle for Tobacco Road", and they've got a pretty impressive lineup of cameos. Via HBO PR....

Separated by fewer than ten miles, the two schools have been going at it on the hardwood since 1920. But over the past 25 years, their heated competition has steadily grown in intensity, with Duke and North Carolina gearing up each season to reach a common goal: to beat their archrival twice in the regular season, regardless of rankings or won-loss records. These two Atlantic Coast Conference powerhouses frequently dominate the conference standings, and routinely compete for the top spot in the national polls. Remarkably, since the NCAA Tournament expanded to its current configuration in 1985, these two schools alone have combined for more national titles (five) and made more Final Four appearances (18), than any other entire conference.

The high-profile list of interviewees from the Blue Devils and Tar Heels programs weighing in on the intense rivalry in BATTLE FOR TOBACCO ROAD: DUKE VS. CAROLINA includes: Hall of Fame coaches Dean Smith and Mike Krzyzewski; players Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Charlie Scott, Larry Brown, Art Heyman, Kenny Smith, Phil Ford, Eric Montross, Mitch Kupchak, Chris Collins, Grant Hill, Alaa Abdlenaby, Jay Bilas, Mike Gminski, Johnny Dawkins, Brian Davis, J.J. Redick, Jeff Capel and Christian Laettner; commentators Jim Lampley and Seth Davis; former Duke athletic director Tom Butters; and current Tar Heels coach Roy Williams.

Sounds pretty interesting, and if it's anywhere near as good as the UM-OSU one, it will certainly be a hit.

I don't know anyone that has watched the entire 23 hours of the PBS documentary, Baseball by Ken Burns, but that's not stopping the writer from adding a 24th hour. MLB Network has been airing the Series throughout its first few weeks on the air, and Burns announced last night that he's added a 10th inning to the 9-part/inning collection. Via the NBC LA.....

But documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, ever the boyishly enthusiastic storyteller, is gamely heading back to the plate, adding to his nine-part 1994 PBS series, "Baseball." The new film, to be called "The 10th Inning," will cover the National Pastime from 1993 to 2008, and air on PBS next year.

"So much has transpired in baseball since we last examined the game and all of its many nuances," Burns said in a statement -- or rather, an understatement.

Cal Ripken earned away Lou Gehrig's Iron Man title in 1995. Mike Piazza's dramatic home run in the first game played after 9/11 gave the country something to cheer about, if only for a fleeting moment. The Red Sox finally reversed the Curse of the Bambino in 2004.

But real story of baseball over the last 15 years is steroids: records smashed by impossibly big sluggers who looked like little men testifying before Congress; and the ongoing saga of an all-time home run king who is a walking, under indictment, asterisk.

Burns will do well to stick to his simple, possibly overblown -- and very probably true -- thesis that the story of baseball is the story of America. The last 15 years have given us tales of perseverance, resilience -- and illusion-shattering cheating.

The series is just way too big for one human to take in, but any "inning" I've watched, I've been sucked into the storytelling for an hour or so. The series was released in 1994, and like the article says, a heck of a lot has happened since then. Good timing if you ask me.

Ken Burns Goes Into Extra Innings (NBC LA)

ESPN has been in the film game for awhile now, but after a few failed attempts at creating original flicks, they've moved onto documentaries. While their originals were poorly thought out, and often very cheesy (see: 3), their docs have struck a chord more often than not.

Their latest effort is a colorization and look into the 1958 NFL Championship Game appears to be another step in the right direction, and after viewing this extended preview....I think you'd agree.

Sure it's hosted by Chris Berman, but I'm a sucker for a good documentary, and this one looks like a winner. It airs tomorrow night at 9pm, if you want to check it out. Here are some more details....

Hosted by Chris Berman, The Greatest Game Ever Played explores the most important game in NFL history to commemorate its 50th anniversary. ESPN Films has created an unprecedented look at this landmark event, which featured 17 Hall of Famers and the only NFL championship to be decided in overtime. The presentation will include new colorization/restoration technology and previously unseen footage of the game.

Additionally, to give viewers perspective about the impact of the 1958 NFL Championship Game on players then and now, ESPN Films brought together 11 surviving members of the legendary game and their modern day NFL counterparts from the past two Super Bowl champion teams - the Indianapolis Colts and the New York Giants. Pairings include Baltimore Colts star receiver Raymond Berry with current Colts head coach Tony Dungy; former Giants kicker Pat Summerall with current Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri; Giants running back Frank Gifford and Colts defensive end Gino Marchetti with current Giants head coach Tom Coughlin; Colts great Lenny Moore with current Giants running back Brandon Jacobs; former Giants linemen Al Barry and Rosie Grier with current Giants lineman Chris Snee; and former Colts star Art Donovan with newly retired Giants star Michael Strahan, among others

(Via ESPN PR)

Seems like an interesting idea right? You have an in-depth article on a subject in Sports Illustrated that garners national praise and you turn it into a short documentary. Via Variety....

Time Inc. Studios, together with management-production company the Collective and XYZ Films, will produce features and documentaries based on articles published in Time Inc. publications such as Time, Sports Illustrated, Fortune and Life.

The company has identified its first project, optioning the April 14 Sports Illustrated article "Breaking the Bank." Written by L. Jon Wertheim, the feature covers the alleged criminal exploits of Ultimate Fighting Championship competitor "Lightning" Lee Murray, who is suspected of masterminding the largest cash heist in history in 2006.

XYZ Films said it will contribute a seven-figure development fund that will option articles, hire screenwriters and tie talent to packages that can then be shopped to studios. It doesn’t cover TV projects.

I've made no secret of my love for documentaries, so this is obviously a great idea to me. I'm personally hoping that the process of how Peter King picked his Top 500 players in the NFL (and more specifically how Reggie Bush was #19) is a topic in the near future. Is there anywhere I can vote for these things?

As far as Murray, anyone who comes to the ring wheeled in like Hannibal Lecter, NEEDS to have a documentary made about him.

Time Inc. to produce in-house films (Variety)

I have an odd obsession with documentaries these days. I've watched everything from King of Kong to The Bridge (most depressing film ever made), and after watching this preview I'm downright stoked for Bigger, Faster, Stronger....

That first dude is going to haunt my dreams, but this is a close second after seeing Speed Racer in IMAX on my list of Summer movies.

If you've been reading the site for awhile you should be plenty aware of my affinity for the HBO Show Hard Knocks. Well prepare for the biggest soap opera of a team that the network could get. Via Dallas News....

The Dallas Cowboys are not only going back to California for training camp, they are expected to once again invite HBO to broadcast their every move.

A deal is "imminent" that will allow NFL Films to film five to six weeks of training camp in Oxnard, Calif. and air it on the HBO show Hard Knocks, according to a source.

Training camp opens in late July. Last season, the Cowboys held training camp in San Antonio.

I thought this was a bad idea at first considering they already covered the Cowboys in 2002, but that team had a guitar playing backup QB as the main storyline and this team has Ms. Jessica Simpson, T.O., and Pacman Jones. As much as I can't stand the Cowboys they are equally intriguing to me. They're a great choice as far as viewership goes, and any team is going to be more exciting than the Kansas City Chiefs.

Source: Dallas Cowboys deal with HBO 'imminent' (DallasNews.com)

It's been no secret that ESPN has been focusing a lot of their efforts on creating and distributing Sports films to the masses as of late. ESPN Films has been a staple at the Tribeca Film Festival the past few years and their "Black Magic" documentary got critical acclaim.

The newest set of films were set to debut at the TFF at the end of this Month, but ESPN has decided to air them on ESPN2 the day before the Festival kicks off.

On April 22 at 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2 will begin airing the first of four inspirational and revealing documentary films - all making their televised world premieres – as part of the new ESPN Films initiative. The slate will feature: Hellfighters (about an against-all-odds high school football team); The Streak (about a high school wrestling team’s 34-year win streak); Bud Greenspan: At the Heart of the Games (about the famed Olympics filmographer) and The Zen of Bobby V (about Bobby Valentine and baseball in Japan).

I brought this up only because I remember a lot of you said that films seemed interesting when I first posted on this. The larger question though is what ESPN is planning to do with ESPN2. Anything is better than poker and pool at this point.

(Via ESPN)

We usually do a good of promoting everyone else's events and goings on in this here blogosphere and more often than not those things are pretty noteworthy. Well CNBC's Darren Rovell (a blogger himself....technically) was recently tabbed to take a look into the brand that is NIKE, and sent me and advanced copy of the program airing tomorrow.

I promised Rovell that I wouldn't hold any punches back when reviewing the documentary, and here's what you need to know......It's amazing.

There are interviews with Phil Knight, Jordan, Lebron, Tiger Woods, and Charles Barkley to name a few, but it's the history of Nike and a look inside it's labor turnaround that make it that much more entertaining. Via CNBC's press release....

Rovell takes viewers on a ride through Nike's history... from the company's chaotic start in 1962 as Blue Ribbon Sports to its current sports dominance. In a rare interview, Nike co-founder Phil Knight tells CNBC how the Nike name was conceived and how he paid a design student the grand sum of 35 dollars to design the signature "swoosh" logo now recognizable around the world. "Swoosh! Inside Nike" also gives viewers an inside look into the story of the groundbreaking advertising that made Nike famous. Dan Wieden, the driving force behind the genius of ad firm Wieden + Kennedy, as well as the athletes who made the ads famous-Tiger Woods, LeBron James and Charles Barkley-reveal how the ads came about.

Many thanks to Rovell for sending me the advance copy and kudos to CNBC for putting something together so interesting that I almost watched it twice. If you have an hour or so I definitely recommend checking out "Swoosh!" tomorrow night.

"Swoosh! Inside Nike": CNBC, Tuesday February 12th (10pm and 1am)

Michael Jordan: Still "Marketing" Success (CNBC: Sports Biz)

Guess what it's about. I'll give you three guesses. Baseball? Nope. Soccer? Try again. The WNBA? Wrong. Give up? It's Wrestling. No not WWF Wrestling....Regular Wrestling. High School Wrestling actually....

Produced by ESPN Content Development in conjunction with Kelly Ripa’s and Mark Consuelos’ Milojo Productions, in association with critically acclaimed producer John Hock (Through the Fire) and Hock Films, the film will follow the 2007-08 season of the Brandon High School (Tampa, Fla.) wrestling program which sits atop a 451-0 record dating back 34 straight years. Ripa and Consuelos will serve as co-executive producers for the project to be televised October 2008.

Ripa and Consuelos said, “This is the type of story we want to tell. We are extremely happy to be in business with ESPN.” Consuelos went to Bloomingdale High School in Tampa, a rival of Brandon High School, but did attend one semester at Brandon.

Aren't these the last people you want associated with your Sport? I've got a hundred dollars that Kelly Ripa doesn't leave her house in the Hamptons once to attend the filming.

(Source: ESPN PR)