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"Ballers" Makes Sports Sexy On BET
Hosted By John Salley, Hugh Douglas And Guy Torry;
"Ballers" Premieres On Friday, April 20, 2007 At 10:00 p.m. ET/PT
Los Angeles, CA (April 6, 2007) - BET is bringing the feel of a night
out with the boys to your living room with BALLERS - a fresh new series
that talks about sports in a sexy club environment hosted by four-time
NBA World Champion John Salley, three-time NFL Pro Bowler Hugh Douglas
and comedian Guy Torry. The club's party vibe will be enhanced each
week with co-host, DEAL OR NO DEAL's gorgeous Claudia Jordan along with
DJ Rashida on the turntables. Premiering on Friday, April 20 at 10 p.m.
ET/PT, the series will hit the sports topics making the news each week
with fresh perspectives and plenty of trash talking from the hosts and
guest athletes. From the comedic outbursts of Guy Torry, to the
insider's look that Salley and Douglas will provide, the talk will be
loud, insightful and filled with commentary unlike that on any other
sports show.
With special features like "the dumb play of the week," the bullsh*t
flag and gossip in the girls' booth, BALLERS kicks it up a notch while
other sports shows are toning it down.
"This show brings a whole new type of sports program to BET due to its
broad appeal," said Reginald Hudlin, President of Entertainment. "Women
enjoy the show as much as men. The comedic interaction makes it
appealing to non-sports fans."
John Salley -- who has earned a reputation as one of the smartest, most
well-rounded athletes as well as one of sports' best story tellers --
comes back home to BET where he had an 86-episode run as host of BET
LIVE. The Georgia Tech alum can also be seen in his co-host role on Fox
Sports. In addition to being the first person in NBA history to win
the championship as a player
for three different teams, Salley has a distinguished list of film and
television credits, including the Bad Boys franchise. Most recently,
Salley served as the host of THE JOHN SALLEY BLOCK PARTY on Los Angeles'
100.3 The Beat, KKBT-FM. In 2002 Salley founded Black Folk
Entertainment, a production company aimed at developing feature films
with urban-based storylines. He currently resides in Los Angeles with
his wife and three children.
Hugh Douglas burst into the NFL with his Hulk-like demeanor in 1995. He
was voted the NFL Defensive rookie of the year and never looked back. A
three-time Pro Bowl selection, Douglas sits third on the illustrious
Philadelphia Eagles all-time sack list with 54.5. A Central State
University Alum, Douglas began his broadcast career in 2003 as a
reporter on the NFL Network. Douglas and Salley built a rapport on the
set of BEST DAMN where Douglas serves as a frequent guest. In 2006
Douglas became a Studio Analyst for NBC, covering the Arena Football
League. In addition to his passion for the Marvel Comics character, The
Incredible Hulk, he is passionate about the Hugh Douglas Foundation,
which has benefited children since its inception in 1999.
Guy Torry is a native of St. Louis, Missouri. Torry attended Southeast
Missouri State University, the alma mater of fellow comedian and St.
Louisan, Cedric The Entertainer. Torry often held impromptu comedy"slams" in dorm breakrooms, leaving fellow students in stitches. Like
his brother Joe, he left Missouri for Hollywood to find success in
comedy and film. Torry established his reputation as one of Hollywood's
brightest comics with numerous appearances on DEF COMEDY JAM. His film
and television credits include "Slow Burn," "Runaway Jury" and THE
SHIELD among others. He actively supports his brother's "Give Back The
Love" Foundation, a St. Louis charity dedicated to helping disadvantaged
children with basic needs such as clothes and school supplies.
ABOUT BALLERS:
Created by the architects of THE BEST DAMN SPORTS SHOW PERIOD, BALLERS
shoots straight from the hip and leaves no topic within the world of
sports untapped. Led by Salley, Torry and Douglas, BALLERS infuses the
fun of an after hours club with outrageous "real talk" that will keep a
non-sports fan glued to his or her seat! From the NBA to the NFL to
NASCAR to the black rodeo, BALLERS will be there for the serious issues,
the silly plays, and everything in between.
At the helm of BALLERS are Tony McCuin and John Johnston. McCuin is one
of the most respected directors in sports and entertainment television.
As creator, executive producer and director, Tony brings his expertise
to BALLERS after launching more than twenty shows at the Fox Sports
Network. His credits include Emmy-Award winning Fox NFL Sunday, Fox
Saturday Baseball, and ESPN's SportsCenter.
John Johnston is an Emmy award winner, who also serves as executive
producer. A 25 year television veteran who currently serves as Senior
Supervising Producer for EXTRA, Johnston has served as executive
producer for 54321, The Last Word with Jim Rome, PREPS: Chicago Hoops,
and NASCAR: Victory Lane.
ON THE WEB: bet.com.
ABOUT BET:
BET, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc., provides contemporary entertainment that speaks
to young Black adults from an authentic, unapologetic viewpoint of the
Black experience. BET connects with its target audience in a way no
other media outlet can; providing hit music, entertainment and news
programming that is reflective of their experiences such as: 106 & PARK,
RAP CITY, MEET THE FAITH, COLLEGE HILL, and AMERICAN GANGSTER. In
addition, outstanding mega-specials such as the BET AWARDS (the #1
Awards Show on Cable Television), BET HIP-HOP AWARDS and CELEBRATION OF
GOSPEL keep viewers regularly tuned in for the latest and greatest in
Black entertainment. Reaching more than 84 million homes, BET can be
seen in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.
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