'Real Sports' hits new highs with NFL special

Peter King

HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" is always good but this month's episode is especially noteworthy.

The piece on Peter King is good, and captures some -- not nearly all -- of the manic pace King keeps in producing his weekly stories, columns and blogs for Sports Illustrated, as well as TV and radio appearances. (If you'v enever experienced his "Monday Morning Quarterback" column, start now.

But more illuminating are three other pieces:

Short-Changed

1) A disturbing examination of two former NFL players who are broke after burning through millions of dollars in a few short years. What's crazy is more than half of NFL players go broke after they retire. Why? Simply living like kings while they're in the league, unwilling to accept the fact their careers are the shortest of any pro league.

Troy Aikman

2) An illuminating profile of Troy Aikman, who is earning respect in his second career as a TV analyst, following his playing career as a three-time-winning Super Bowl quarterback.

Supersized Linemen

3) A sad update on a previous look into the post-career health problems experienced by the growing number of players who weigh more than 300 pounds. You couldn't script a story where one of your subjects dies just five days after you interview him. But here you have it.

I was heartened to read recently that B.J. Raji, the fearsome Green Bay defensive tackle who weighs in at about 350 pounds, saying his retirement planning includes a full-time chef who will keep him on a healthy diet. Raji knows his big weight is a part of his job, but also smart enough to know that he'll need to plan to ensure he doesn't become just another casualty among linemen whose weight earns them short-term glory but long-term pain, let alone early death.

NFL offers free iPad version of Super Bowl program

The iPad version of the Super Bowl game program is available for freeThe NFL has already cranked out the shell of a game program for the Super Bowl matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

And they're making an iPad version of that program -- complete with a dozen videos and other interactive features -- available for free, thanks to sponsorship from Van Heusen. 

The program contains all kinds of info and scouting reports on the two teams, but given the game is in Dallas' new $1 billion-plus stadium, also delivers features on the stadium and legendary Cowboys coach Tom Landry. 

I suspect content will be added as the game draws closer. 

Pretty cool. 

Go Pack!

Finally, a museum devoted to the 8 Track

I couldn't make this up if I tried. And no this isn't something from The Onion.

Yep, a museum devoted to the 8 Track tape is opening next month in Dallas. As the museum motto says, "No track left behind."

Admit it: You've been waiting for this day for decades. I mean, who wouldn't want to celebrate a technology that, by design, interrupted music midsong to change tracks?

Museum "formatician" Bucks Burnett is proud to have a whole bunch of 500 shrinkwrapped copies of "The Rutles." I like The Rutles but am not sure it's something to brag about as a centerpiece of one's museum. I mean, I could imagine getting all giddy about a cache of 3 Dog Night tapes, something more befitting what actually got played on 8 Track players.

Click.