The growing commercialization of sports, the pressures facing the professional athlete, the ever-dominating role of television, are given close scrutiny in this film. Outspoken television sports commentator Howard Cosell sees violence in sports as a reflection of trends in society; he further speculates on the future world of sports. Roone Arledge, former head of ABC Sports, describes the role television plays. The film also deals with the pressures facing young athletes, the distortion of competition caused by money-hungry owners & action-demanding fans, and the wide spread use of drugs in sports
Howard Cosell talking to the camera.
Professional boxing & spectators.
CU of an African American man having a heart test. He is running on a treadmill, with a mask over his face to monitor his breathing.
CU of athlete talking about the potential of athletes to break records.
DO NOT USE NFL Game and other professional sports.
CU of professional athlete, Bill Bradley, basketball player, talking about the career of an athlete being that of an entertainer.
DO NOT USE NBA Game
Swimmers at a pool training. CU of coach shouting instructions. Coach talking about the potential champion. Coach talking about the psychology of training.
Slow-motion CU of a man throwing shot put. He talks about how drugs effect athletes. A large pile of drug capsules being poured onto a table. Pharmaceuticals being manufactured. Pills flying down a chute in a factory.
DO NOT USE NFL game.
Shot put athlete talking about the effects of steroids on one of his colleagues. He lists weights & talks about steroids.
CU of swimming coach talking about drugs. Children in swim training.
Bill Bradley, NBA athlete, talks about the pressure of being in the public eye & being an athlete at a young age trying to find your identity.
DO NOT USE Motion picture clip.
Howard Cosell talking to the camera. Talking about how public opinion & the media shape the behavior of athletes. Parents pushing young kids too hard to become great athletes.
Aerial shot of the Huston Astrodome. CU of the artificial grass. Aerial shot looking down on the huge empty stadium.
DO NOT USE News shots of professional sports, NFL, Olympics.
Howard Cosell talking about the growth of sports.
DO NOT USE Professional racing.
Television station producing a sports program. Roone Arledge, former head of ABC Sports, talks about the future of sports on television.
DO NOT USE TV coverage of professional sports.
Crowd of people huddled around a small TV watching Muhammad Ali fight. People clap & cheer to the television.
Roone Arledge talks about the future of sports on television.
DO NOT USE TV coverage of professional sports.
Bill Bradley talking to camera about sports ownership.
DO NOT USE TV coverage of professional sports. MS actor Dustin Hoffman watching New York Knicks basketball game.
Bill Bradley talking to camera about sports.