Sports: ESPN reveals more than a list

ESPN reveals more than a list

By EARNEST HOOPER

Of all the lists tied to the turn of the century, ESPN's has been at the forefront. The network has expertly handled the mammoth project by keeping its choices secret.

Now, after more than a year of research, 1,700 interviews and 45,000 photos, viewers are days from shows about the final four. ESPN profiles Nos. 4 and 3 at 10 tonight, and ABC will reveal the top two at 5 p.m. Sunday.

The four are Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan and Jim Brown, and coordinating producer Mark Shapiro said not even his wife knows how they rank.

"She keeps saying, "If I wanted to know, you would tell me,' " Shapiro joked this week. "Not even Dan Patrick, host of the show, knows. We taped all of his on-camera segments four times, with him saying a different person's name each time."

Members of the selection panel said everyone has asked them who is No. 1. Robin Roberts, a frequent speaker on college campuses, said the top question used to deal with women reporters in locker rooms but now everyone wants to know who's No. 1.

The list has sparked debates around the nation. The inclusion of Secretariat sparked notable arguments, and Wilt Chamberlain's rank over Bill Russell set off controversy in the Boston area.

the shows have been successful because of their quality. The blend of archival film and photos with new testimonials have given us fresh information in an old-fashioned style. And few stones were left unturned. This week, Shapiro found rare footage of Ruth's called home-run shot in the 1932 World Series.

The best aspect of the shows have been the warts-and-all approach. It has been painful to learn about heroes' frailties, such as Joe Louis' bouts with drug addiction and paranoia in his later years, but Shapiro said the inclusion of such information shows the athletes are human.

"I've just got an e-mail from Joe Louis Barrow saying how proud of the show he was, how fair he thought it was and what a credit he thought it was to his father's legacy," Shapiro said. "Now, I'll be honest. Certainly not all of them (responses) are like that. Most athletes would probably like to see that 30-minute show just recap how great and how magnificent they were, but really, this was the 50 greatest people slash athletes more than anything else."

Shapiro said a niece of Wilma Rudolph expressed displeasure with Rudolph's portrayal because the show revealed her difficulties assimilating into society after running to Olympic glory in Rome. It also detailed her struggles with taxes and hinted at possible drug use.

"(The niece) said some grandchildren hadn't yet been told about that part of Wilma's life," Shapiro said. "It was difficult for them to hear it on television. I certainly sympathize with her."

Overall, however, Shapiro said such inclusions have helped the project underscore the impact sports has on our culture.

"So many times, sports is a lightning rod for so many of these issues, and so I'm proud I've been enlighten by that," he said. "And I only hope viewers have been educated by it as well."

TAKING OVER: Each week, Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin shoots a Chalk Talk segment with WTVT-Ch. 13 sports director Chip Carter, but this week Kiffin filmed the segment by himself because Carter was filming a fishing piece with Times Outdoors Editor Terry Tomalin.

"It's better this week than it's ever been before because Chip Carter went fishing," said Kiffin, who saw his team lose 45-0 on Sunday. "I did the show myself. Can you believe a guy does a show and he doesn't even show up, he goes fishing? I told him the thing I should have done was gone fishing last Sunday."

FINE TUNING: NBC airs a prime-time NBA doubleheader at 7 p.m. Saturday with a Pacers-Knicks matchup followed by Lakers-Spurs. . . . Fox previews today's Saints-Cowboys game with a touching piece on Dallas defensive tackle Chad Hennings and his 6-year-old son, who has juvenile arthritis. . . . CNN/SI's Peter King's Christmas wish list included "a package of courage for Bucs coach Tony Dungy -- moxie enough to say goodbye to Trent Dilfer. Give the team to Shaun King."