The flagship show of the HBO Sports brand Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel will come to an end after its 29th season. The news was something Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilson felt was important to acknowledge on Wednesday’s edition of Pardon the Interruption.
Kornheiser noted he has more than just admiration for the show. He has gratitude.
“Real Sports has consistently showcased some of the best journalism and storytelling, not just in sports television, but beyond,” he said. “Bryant also lowered his standards enough to feature PTI in a segment when we were a fledgling show, and it meant the world to us.”
The decision to end Real Sports came from Gumbel. Wilson said that with that being the case, there is nothing to fight or save.
“If he’s decided, then that’s that.”
Wilbon expanded on his feelings as a Black man in sports journalism.
“My heroes growing up on the South Side of Chicago weren’t just athletes, though, I had a lot of them. Bryant and Greg Gumbel were there, too, and I had them to look at. So there was no o. I didn’t see anybody who looked like me. I saw two damn important people who looked like me.”
Real Sports debuted in April of 1995 on HBO. No date has been given for the final episode.
