JIM ROME ON SHOWTIME^® Premieres Wednesday, April 22 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME; Encores all week long on SHOWTIME, SHOWTIME EXTREME^®, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND^® and SHOWTIME ANYTIME^®

Watch Jay Feely Call Tebow “the single worst quarterback I ever saw in my career in the NFL.”

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Credit: SHOWTIME

LOS ANGELES (April 21, 2015) – Washington Wizards point guard John Wall talks Paul Pierce, elite point guards in the league and what lies ahead as he looks to lead his team deep into the playoffs on this week’s episode of JIM ROME ON SHOWTIME this Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME. Plus, Heisman Trophy finalist and NFL-bound record-breaking running back Melvin Gordon discusses the NFL draft while wearing a Dallas Cowboys’ jersey and NFL veteran Jay Feely calls Tim Tebow the worst quarterback he ever saw during his career in the NFL.

Appearing on this week’s edition of The Forum were Feely, New York Times best-selling author Jeff Pearlman and former NBA All-Star and current basketball analyst Jerry Stackhouse as they debated Tebow, Johnny Manziel’s road to recovery and Lebron James’ legacy.

Additional highlights from the show include an in-depth Front Row interview with Amy Van Dyken, a six-time Olympic Gold Medalist in swimming who became a paraplegic in an ATV accident less than a year ago. Rome also throws 10 questions at UFC President Dana White.

Here are highlights from Wednesday’s show:

JIM ROME: “You’ve gone to back-to-back All Star games, you’re in the playoffs for a second straight year, so do you feel like you’re finally getting the respect you deserve?”

JOHN WALL: “A little bit here and there. I’m one of two guards this season to average a double-double. I’m not one of those guys that’s going to average 25 points, but averaging 18-20 points with almost 10 assists is good to me and that’s the reason I should be in that discussion [among the league’s top guards].

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MELVIN GORDON: “All you hear is that Todd Gurley is the special [running] back among the group. I want to be the first [running] back taken. I feel we’re both special, but I’m a special [running] back. I like to show [it] with my actions, but if I have to come out and tell you that I’m a special guy so you don’t overlook me, I will.

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On Tim Tebow:

JAY FEELY: “Tim Tebow is such a dichotomy for me. I really respect the person, the man, the things that he believes in, the things he does off the field; he was the single worst quarterback I ever saw in my career in the NFL.”

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On Lebron James:

JAY FEELY: “He’s the best player in the league. How can he not go and win a championship? If he doesn’t win a championship, it’s a failure of a season.”

JEFF PEARLMAN: “I actually think our expectations are kind of crazy here. He has revitalized basketball in Cleveland, a city that had no pulse whatsoever.”

JERRY STACKHOUSE: “He had two Hall of Famers with him in Miami [Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh]. Now, he’s got young players that haven’t even been in the playoffs, so I think it’s a little unrealistic to think that they can get it done this year.”

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On Johnny Manziel:

JIM ROME: “Bottom line, do you want this guy as your quarterback?”

JAY FEELY: “I wouldn’t. As a quarterback, you have to be the leader of that franchise. If you choose not to be or you can’t be, then there’s a black hole that exists in that locker room because you need the quarterback to be your leader.

“Right now he can’t be a leader; he’s not even a follower right now.”

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On getting back in the pool:

AMY VAN DYKEN: “Right now it’s not my thing because that’s where I really feel paralyzed. I would love to when I walk again, to have the ability to swim and not feel paralyzed.”

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Revealing Film Charting the Highs and Lows of the 11-Time All-Star Premieres

Saturday, May 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

“I just want my people to say I was a fighter and a survivor, willing to get knocked down to get back up.” – Allen Iverson

TRAILER LINK:

NEW YORK (April 21, 2015) – SHOWTIME Sports^® will present IVERSON, a feature-length film on the legacy of NBA great Allen Iverson premiering on Saturday, May 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME^®.

The film, which debuted at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival, is an in-depth look into 11-time NBA All-Star Allen Iverson whose audacious rejection of conservative NBA convention and unapologetic embrace of hip-hop culture sent shockwaves throughout the league and influenced an entire generation.

The documentary from 214 Films is produced and directed by Zatella Beatty, producers Ted Faye and Stephen P. Perry with executive producers Mike Tollin and Gary D. Moore.

“More than a transcendent athlete, Allen Iverson is a transcendent figure in American culture,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports.  “IVERSON is as raw and as honest as its subject.  This is the quintessential addition to the growing collection of great sports documentaries on SHOWTIME.”

“Allen’s story has always been one I’ve wanted to tell,” said Beatty.  “It goes beyond basketball and speaks directly to the human condition of strength, determination, heart and a relentless pursuit to fulfill one’s dream.  The moment I met Allen we bonded over that perspective and I’m grateful for the opportunity to tell his story both on and off the court.”

Told largely in Iverson’s own words, the documentary charts the career highs and lows of one of the most distinctive and accomplished figures to play in the NBA.  The revealing film examines Iverson’s turbulent upbringing in Virginia and controversial imprisonment, his growth at Georgetown under John Thompson and his career with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Honest and authentic, IVERSON doesn’t shy away from the superstar’s run-ins with the law and the trade from the 76ers that led to his unceremonious retirement from the NBA.

An immensely talented player and a fierce individualist, Iverson bridged the gap between hip hop and basketball and created a public persona that changed the culture of the NBA. Through in-depth interviews with Iverson, NBA superstar Dwyane Wade, television journalist Tom Brokaw, and Coaches Thompson and Larry Brown, viewers will come to understand one of the most complex figures in sports history and an incredible journey where spectacular success is no protection against demons from the past.

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“If I had to choose between having either a concussion right now or having my knee blown out, I’m going to say a concussion.” – NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski

“I would call him, in a nutshell, a total a**hole.” – John McEnroe on Jimmy Connors

“Danny Ferry should be fired. Racism cannot be tolerated, period.” –Drew Rosenhaus, on the issue of racism in sports

DREW ROSENHAUS, DONTE STALLWORTH AND TODD BOYD DEBATE RACISM IN SPORTS AND ROB GRONKOWSKI GOES FULL GRONK ON THIS WEEK’S EDITION OF JIM ROME ON SHOWTIME^®

The Season Premiere of JIM ROME ON SHOWTIME^® Airs Tonight, Wednesday, April 1 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME; Encores all week long on SHOWTIME, SHOWTIME EXTREME^®, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND^® and SHOWTIME ANYTIME^®

 Watch Rob Gronkowski Describe His Perfect Wife

LOS ANGELES (March 31, 2015) – NFL uber agent Drew Rosenhaus, NFL receiver Donte Stallworth and USC professor and noted author Dr. Todd Boyd debate Atlanta Hawks GM Danny Ferry’s racist comments, Rosenhaus discusses embattled client Greg Hardy and Rob Gronkowski states he would rather have a concussion over a knee injury on the Season 4 premiere and first of six consecutive weekly episodes of JIM ROME ON SHOWTIME premiering Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

“We’re here talking about a very serious topic,” said Rosenhaus in The Forum, referencing racism in sports and specifically in the NBA. “Danny Ferry should be fired. Racism cannot be tolerated, period. This is a leader [Ferry] in professional sports. It’s not a player, he’s a general manager. There is a different accountability when you are a general manager.”

Stallworth noted that Ferry’s comments would’ve had an impact on him if he were a free agent deciding whether to play for the Atlanta Hawks.

“Whenever you are in free agency you are going to call guys that you know on the team,” Stallworth said. “You’re going to ask them about practice, weights, the coach…because all those things matter as a player. I personally, and could probably speak for a lot of guys, would not play there [after hearing Ferry’s comments].”

Rosenhaus, Stallworth and Boyd also discuss other relevant topics in sports in The Forum, including why John Calipari is such a polarizing figure in college basketball and if the NFL truly cares about the issue of domestic violence or just the wellbeing of their brand.

Additional highlights from the show include New England Patriots tight end and Super Bowl Champion Rob Gronkowski twerking, spiking a piñata and revealing what Tom Brady tells him after a TD, seven-time Grand Slam champion and tennis legend John McEnroe and his choice words for Jimmy Connors and Under Armour CEO and founder Kevin Plank referring to Nike as the “four-letter word.”

Here are additional highlights from Wednesday’s show:

10 Questions with Rob Gronkowski:

JIM ROME: “You said a year ago that you would rather have a concussion than a knee injury, do you still feel that way?”

ROB GRONKOWSKI: “If I had to choose between having either a concussion right now or having my knee blown out, I’m going to say a concussion.

“Why would I want to sit there for eight months and not do anything when with a concussion I’ll just wake up and be ready to go again? Eight months of rehab sounds miserable. Obviously I’d prefer neither, but sitting here right now, I would take the concussion.”

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On his rivalry with Jimmy Connors:

JOHN McENROE: “It’s not all good [between us]. As far as us getting together, it’s been a while. One thing I will say is that I respect Jimmy Connors. He was one of the greatest competitors that I have ever seen in any sport. I know that he made me a better player and I hope I made him a better player.

“I would call him, in a nutshell, a total a**hole. At the end of the day I think we had one of the great rivalries in tennis history.”

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On Greg Hardy:

JIM ROME: “How many teams were interested in signing Greg Hardy?”

DREW ROSENHAUS: “Three teams.”

JIM ROME: “Had he not done what he did, how many teams would’ve been interested?”

DREW ROSENHAUS: “I would have to assume almost all of them. He was going to be one of the top guys in free agency.”

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On competitor Nike:

JIM ROME: “Can you see yourself running down Nike, and if so, how long is that going to take?”

KEVIN PLANK: “It’s a bit of a one horse race with ourselves, where the rest of the market is looking at us and probably trying to keep up to a certain extent.”

JIM ROME: “I noticed that you acknowledged the competition, but you did not mention them by name. Do you never say the word Nike?”

KEVIN PLANK: “Well it’s a four-letter word, Jim. I’m a father of two and we practice what we preach.”

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JIM ROME ON SHOWTIME airs Wednesdays with encore airings all week long on SHOWTIME and SHOWTIME EXTREME^® and is available on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND and SHOWTIME ANYTIME.

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FORMER NHL FIGHTING “ENFORCERS” TALK ABOUT THE UGLY SIDE OF HOCKEY

IN RARE INTERVIEWS – “60 MINUTES SPORTS” PREMIERES

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4 AT 9 P.M. ONLY ON SHOWTIME^®

Scott Parker & Dan LaCouture Recall Being Expected To Engage In Brutal Fights

They Say Damaged Their Brains And Drove Them To Join

A Concussion Lawsuit Against The NHL

NEW YORK (March 2, 2015) – They were the guys on the ice beating the heck out of an opposing player, or getting the heck beat out of them.  Now they say they are suffering for it.  Two of hockey’s former “enforcers” are speaking out about their violent roles in what was once a hallmark of the sport: fighting on the ice.  Scott Parker and Dan LaCouture tell Armen Keteyian the brawls they say they were expected to take part in have damaged their brains, and have blamed the NHL by joining a class action concussion lawsuit against the league.  Keteyian’s report on living – and some dead – former NHL enforcers is featured on the next edition of 60 MINUTES SPORTS, Wednesday, March 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT only on SHOWTIME.

LaCouture, 37, says his body feels fine. “But not my head…I’m depressed…I don’t feel right.”   Parker, 37, failed a basic agility test that can assess brain damage.  “Some days I wake up and I’m 80…some days I just feel broken,” he says.

Players like the 6-foot-4, 245 pound Parker, who was called “The Sheriff,” were used by teams to intimidate.  He would retaliate if an opposing player roughed up his teammate – especially a star teammate – by starting a fight that often ended up bloody and always got him and the opposing player out of the game for extended penalty periods.  If that player he fought was the opposing team’s star player, all the better.  Parker says he had hundreds of fights; he suffered concussions.

Parker says he actually trained for his role. “I would wrap my hands with chains and I would callous up my hands…and I would hit trees.  I would just smoke trees,” he tells Keteyian.  The former Colorado Avalanche player also reveals a technique he used to win fights.  He says he would grab an opponent’s collar and drive a finger into his throat.  “I’m putting my finger down your esophagus…I can manipulate you and put you where I want.”

Fighting isn’t as big a part of the game as it once was.  The NHL is emphasizing skills over brawn these days as more players join the concussion lawsuit that now numbers dozens of plaintiffs.  Only a few years ago it was a huge part of the game, and you had to fight if that was your role, says the 6-foot-2 LaCouture.  “It’s looked upon me because of my size to do something about it,” he says referring to retaliation for a cheap shot, or a rough check against a teammate.

LaCouture played hockey in college well enough to make it to the pros. He wanted to score goals, not bash heads, he says.  Asked by Keteyian if he ever told coaches or executives he didn’t want to be the enforcer or the “goon,” he replies, “Yeah, [but they would say] ‘That’s your role…on the fourth line.  If you don’t like it there’s the door.’”

Keteyian also interviews Len Boogaard, whose son, Derek, was an NHL enforcer.  Derek died at age 28 of an accidental overdose of alcohol and the prescription drugs he became addicted to after suffering many injuries.  The father is suing the NHL for wrongful death and lists the vast amount of drugs prescribed to his son by NHL doctors in the suit.

The NHL declined requests to appear in the story or answer questions about the issues it raises.

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MLB VP SAYS LEAGUE WILL LAUNCH A COMPREHENSIVE,

FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND STUDY TO LEARN WHY SO MANY

GOOD YOUNG ARMS ARE GOING BAD – “60 MINUTES SPORTS” WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4 ONLY ON SHOWTIME^®

A “Pitching Doctor” Says MLB is Behind the Times

NEW YORK (March 3, 2015) – Too many top-notch pitchers are having major surgery too soon in their careers and Major League Baseball wants to know why.  Senior VP for League Strategy Chris Marinak tells Jeff Glor that beginning this spring MLB will begin its first extended study to determine what’s happening.  Marinak will be part of a story about pitching that examines a body of science that doesn’t always agree with the conventional wisdom about throwing a baseball on the next edition of 60 MINUTES SPORTS, this Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

Among those to miss whole seasons or significant periods due to Tommy John surgery are Mets pitcher Matt Harvey, Jose Fernandez of the Marlins, Matt Moore of the Tampa Bay Ray and Ivan Nova of the Yankees.  All are at the beginning of their careers.  All have had the surgery.

What is MLB doing about this, asks Glor.  “We’re actually about to begin a study this spring that looks at many different factors on pitchers,” says Marinak.  “We’re going to gather MRIs, biomechanical information, medical histories.  We’re going to do a physical exam…range of motion studies on a group of pitchers.  And then we’re going to watch them for five years…who got hurt, who didn’t get hurt,” he says.

The league had been worrying about its valuable arms for some time when last year it decided to try to influence pitchers at the very young, amateur level to prevent those major league injuries.  “The final straw was when our rookie of the year, Jose Fernandez, went down last year…What we did was we brought together the foremost experts in the medical community,” says Marinak.  They told them to focus on youth.

MLB has already started a website called “Pitch Smart” for young pitchers and their parents to give them access to the correct information about when to rest, when to pitch and the many myths surrounding Tommy John surgery.

Glor speaks to former major league pitcher Tom House, a “pitching doctor” and the author of 19 books on the art of pitching.  House uses the latest technology, including 3-D imaging and special cameras, to detect things the eye cannot pick up in a thrower’s motion.  He thinks what MLB is doing is long overdue.   “I think eventually they’re going to realize that if they don’t start keeping the kids healthier at nine, 10, 11, 12 years old, it’s going to ultimately affect the bottom line with major league players,” he says  “I think baseball overall is 10 years behind the other sports – the technology involved in other sports is out there, they’re using it.  Baseball is just now starting to realize that it could help.”

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Exclusive Behind-The-Scenes Program Features Notre Dame Fighting Irish and University of Maryland Terrapins Current Seasons; Premieres Wednesday, March 18 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME^®

NEW YORK (Feb.25) – SHOWTIME Sports^® presents HOOPS U, an exclusive behind-the-scenes documentary special featuring the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish and University of Maryland Terrapins as the teams vie for a spot in the men’s national college basketball tournament.  HOOPS U, a 90-minute special, is produced by SHOWTIME Sports and IMG and premieres on Wednesday, March 18 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

From the classroom to the locker room, from film study to tip-off and beyond, HOOPS U gives viewers backstage access into the world of Division I college basketball.  SHOWTIME, along with executive producers Steve Mayer of IMG and 52-time Emmy Award winner Ross Greenburg (Against The Tide; Magic and Bird: A Courtship of Rivals), peel back the curtain on the Fighting Irish and Terrapins’ men’s basketball programs, offering viewers a front-row seat to the final month of conference play and the conference tournaments through Sunday, March 15, when the national tournament bracket and seeding are announced.

“HOOPS U is yet another example of our commitment to delivering diverse and dramatic sports programming,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports.  “With the addition of DEAN SMITH premiering on March 25, we are presenting two very different, yet equally compelling looks at college basketball, which has provided some of the most exciting and memorable sports moments of this era.”

“This will give viewers a unique insight into what really goes on behind the scenes at a premier college basketball program,” said Steve Mayer, Executive Producer & Head, IMG. “Our production team is receiving unparalleled access from both universities and the result will be a fascinating look at the preparations, personalities and pressures associated with college basketball at the highest level.”

HOOPS U promises a deep look inside the life of players, coaches and team personnel, revealing the joys and struggles associated with life as a collegiate athlete and the fierce battle to earn a coveted spot in the national tournament.

Led by head coach Mike Brey, the Irish have risen to become a top-10 team in just their second season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, a league many believe to be one of the toughest in college basketball.  Under the senior leadership of Pat Connaughton and Jerian Grant, Notre Dame is poised and confident on its journey to the tournament.

In its first season in the Big Ten, Maryland has burst on to the national scene and has been ranked for 14 consecutive weeks in the Associated Press Poll. With a savvy group of veteran leaders and an electrifying freshman class, Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon has the Terps poised for a memorable and exciting 2014-15 season.

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