Bryant Gumbel

During coverage of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin on "HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" Bryant: Finally, tonight, the Winter Games. Count me among those who don't like them and won't watch them. Because they're so trying, maybe over the next three weeks we should all try too. Like, try not to be incredulous when someone attempts to link these games to those of the ancient Greeks who never heard of skating or skiing. So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world's greatest athletes, despite a paucity of blacks that makes the Winter Games look like a GOP convention. Try not to point out that something's not really a sport if a pseudo-athlete waits in what's called a kiss-and-cry area, while some panel of subjective judges decides who won. So if only to hasten the arrival of the day they're done, when we can move on to March Madness - for God's sake, let the games begin.

Bryant: (to incoming NFL commissioner Roger Goodell) Before he cleans out his office, have Paul Tagliabue show you where he keeps Gene Upshaw's leash. By making the docile head of the players union his personal pet, your predecessor has kept the peace without giving players the kind of guarantees other pros take for granted. Try to make sure no one competent ever replaces Upshaw on your watch.

Bryant: The other sports are just sports. Baseball is a love.