HBO nabs eight Sports Emmys

'Real Sports,' boxing lead network to victory

By STUART LEVINE

'Real Sports With Bryant Gunbel,' which featured an April seg on Barack Obama, garnered a sports journalism Emmy for HBO.

HBO won a network-leading eight Sports Emmys at a Monday-night presentation at Lincoln Center. Kudos are presented by the Gotham-based National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

HBO took home Emmys for top sports documentary ("Ghosts of Flatbush") and sports journalism ("Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel"). The pay cabler's boxing coverage also garnered two Emmys.

Fox came in second with five Emmys, while ESPN finished third with four. CBS, ESPN.com, NBC and TNT each drew three apiece.

Al Michaels won for his work on NBC's "Sunday Night Football" as best play-by-play announcer while his in-booth colleague, John Madden, was tabbed top event analyst. CBS' James Brown drew the studio host nod, Cris Collinsworth the studio analyst prize for his work on the Peacock.

Other winners included Fox's Fiesta Bowl, live sports special; "NASCAR on Fox," live sports series; ESPN's "College Gameday," studio show (weekly); and TNT's "Inside the NBA," studio show (daily).

The lifetime achievement award was given to Frank Chirkinian, who spent his entire career at CBS and produced 38 consecutive Masters golf tournaments.