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CBS SPORTS TO FEATURE BLACK ATHLETES WITH ORIGINAL PROGRAMMING AND VIGNETTES THROUGHOUT BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Big House, The Pearl & The Triumph of Winston-Salem State, Voiced by NBA All-Star and Winston-Salem Native Chris Paul, Debuts Thursday, Feb. 11 at 7:00 PM, ET on CBS Sports Network
Network to Air Vignettes Featuring Josh Gibson, Cheryl Miller, Alice Coachman, Maurice Ashley and Others Written, Produced and Edited By Black CBS Sports Employees
CBS Sports will feature Black athletes – including Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, Josh Gibson, Cheryl Miller, Alice Coachman, Doug Williams, Maurice Ashley and others – to celebrate Black History Month as the network debuts new original programming and vignettes.
CBS Sports Network will air a new documentary on Thursday, Feb. 11 (7:00 PM, ET), Big House, The Pearl & The Triumph of Winston-Salem State, highlighting Monroe and voiced by NBA All-Star and Winston-Salem native Chris Paul, along with a special We Need to Talk With interview on Sunday, Jan. 31 (2:00 PM, ET) with the former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Williams. Additionally, the network will produce animated and regular-footage vignettes featuring Black athletes from over the past century.
“It is imperative that we at CBS Sports, and as an industry, work towards a more diverse and inclusive landscape,” said Harold Bryant, Executive Producer and Executive Vice President, CBS Sports. “Telling these stories of Black athletes is incredibly important, and we are proud that many of our Black employees have the opportunity to lead these productions. These vignettes written, produced and edited by Black CBS Sports employees continue that necessary mission of utilizing our resources in front of and behind the camera to push for more diversity and inclusion.”
Below is an outline of CBS Sports’ plans throughout the month:
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Big House, The Pearl & The Triumph of Winston-Salem State (Thursday, Feb.11 at 7:00 PM, ET on CBS Sports Network)
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In a time of intense racial turmoil, a star from Philadelphia descended upon a North Carolina teachers college, Winston-Salem State. Earl “The Pearl” Monroe was so spectacular that the Rams had to move from their tiny campus gym to the Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum so thousands more fans could see him play. As a senior in 1966-67, “The Pearl” averaged 41.5 points per game and helped Winston-Salem State become the first HBCU to win a NCAA championship in any sport (Div. II). In the process, Monroe helped ease racial tensions in the still-segregated Winston-Salem by bringing everyone together to marvel, collectively, at his greatness.
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The documentary, voiced by NBA All-Star Chris Paul, features interviews with Monroe; teammates including Eugene Smiley and Ernest Brown, among others; former Wake Forest coach and former CBS Sports analyst Billy Packer; and Head Coach Clarence Gaines’ son, Clarence Gaines II. Produced by Blake Berson with Sammy Smith as Associate Producer.
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CELEBRATING BLACK STORIES VIGNETTES
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Beginning on Monday, Feb. 1, the network will produce vignettes that will air throughout the year on CBS Sports Network. These vignettes, stemming from conversations from members of CBS Sports’ Black Steering Committee, will be researched, written, edited and produced by Black CBS Sports employees from a variety of different departments. Sharán Watson is Coordinating Producer. Abdiel Bermudez, Ade Ellis, Mark Grant, Sanaa Harris, Taylor Ralph, Chinyere Vann, Adrienne Ford, Guy Thomas and Kevin Major produce. A few of the topics include: Cheryl Miller, Greg Gumbel, Maurice Ashley, Makur Maker, and others.
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Also beginning Monday, Feb. 1, the network will debut four animated vignettes – airing across CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports digital properties – of Black athletes, each featuring original spoken word compositions and original music by Guy and Gaston Thomas. Produced by Sammy Smith and Dominique Johnson, with art direction by Jason Dooley. The featured athletes are:
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Josh Gibson, Hall of Fame catcher who played most of his career in the Negro Leagues and is regarded as one of baseball’s greatest players;
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William Edward White, thought to be the first Black player to ever play Major League Baseball;
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Alice Coachman, the first Black woman to win an Olympic Gold Medal;
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Lucy Diggs Slowe, the first Black woman to win a national title in any sport by earning the first women’s title at the American Tennis Association’s national tournament in 1917.
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WE NEED TO TALK WITH DOUG WILLIAMS (Sunday, Jan. 31 at 2:00 PM, ET)
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CBS Sports Network kicks off Super Bowl week with a new spinoff of the all-female sports show, We Need To Talk, as Lesley Visser sits down with Doug Williams on We Need to Talk With. The first Black quarterback to start in and win the Super Bowl, Williams was born in Zachary, La. and played under the legendary coach, Eddie Robinson, at Grambling State. In Washington’s 42-10 win over Denver in Super Bowl XXII, Williams was named MVP as he set Super Bowl records for passing touchdowns, passing yards, and longest touchdown pass. Produced by Kalil Cage.
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Ahead of Super Bowl LV, CBS Sports will also produce special coverage across Instagram featuring original spoken word compositions, stories from Super Bowl players, and more.
Additionally, CBS Sports Network will air previous Black History Month documentaries and specials throughout the month, including The Black 14: Wyoming Football 1969, Jacksonville U: Can Do!, Althea & Arthur, One2One: Misty Copeland, and more.
Emilie Deutsch is VP, Original Programming and Features, CBS Sports.
CBS Sports Network, the 24-hour home of CBS Sports, is widely available through all major cable, satellite and telco distributors as well as via OTT streaming service providers YouTube TV, fuboTV, DirecTV and Hulu. Additionally, a live CBS Sports Network stream is available through CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports App by authenticating with select providers. For more information, including a full programming schedule, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.
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Media Contact:
Harrison Raboy, 212-975-6655, Harrison.raboy@cbs.com