Dhani Jones on New Travel Channel Show
June 4, 2008 by David Kindervater
Filed under Cincinnati Bengals
Photo courtesy Travel Channel
National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones is currently filming a series of segments for the Travel Channel (Dhani Tackles the World) in which he learns how to play international sports that are unknown to most Americans. Earlier this year he played in a rugby union match in England for Blackheath R.C. in the EDF Energy Trophy against Launceston RUFC. And he’s currently in Ireland learning the ancient Gaelic sport of hurling (yes hurling, not curling) and aims to play for a county team.
“I thought it would be a great way to not only travel, but also learn different cultures and play different sports, maintain my level of workouts — to maintain a high performance level ….. One of the most amazing things is the sports translation — how we speak as athletes and how they speak as athletes. They mirror each other.”
Dhani’s series is currently slated to air in 1Q of 2009. I don’t really have any more details on the show because it’s still in production. Dhani will join the Bengals for a mandatory minicamp June 12-14.
Sources: Cincinnati Enquirer, Wikipedia
Updated Links:
Dhani Tackles the Globe Episode One Preview – Muay Thai
Dhani Tackles the Globe Episode Two Preview – Schwingen
Dhani Tackles the Globe Episode Three Preview – Rugby
EMQB Interview: Dhani Jones
I had an aduition for the commercial on this new show. It looks good, I’ll be watching it…
The Show promises to enlighten Americans in ways that will give them an appreciation for the mantra of Sport in an difficult world.
The Travel Channel reaches a new low in this show. Dhani sounds like he’s functionally illiterate – can’t get through more than a line at a time of his voiceovers without faltering, and after all that buildup in the Muy Thai show – he’s proud to kick the ass of a big fat hippo of a guy who clearly can’t defend himself. Pathetic.
As a female athlete myself I found that the show had electricity and a lot of potential!
Lay off Dhani, he’s not a talk show host.
The show was awesome, he gave alot of respect to the athletes he can across.
He will improve his entertainment skills as the show goes on. He’ll still kick your and makes more money then you tackling people. chill out.
I think the show is very entertaining. I don’t know much about Dhani the football player or care about football for that matter, but I think he handled himself well on each episode thus far, and draws in the viewer with his honest interest in the sport he is attempting to master. Great work ethic. Need more shows like this one. I hope he continues to be blessed in his future career choices.
Saw his show when he visited Switzerland and tried the local wrestling…I enjoyed the show at the beginning, but as a former American collegiate football player and extensive globe-traveller myself, Dhani came across as a whiner and cry-baby when he was losing his matches in this episode. Come on, if you’re gonna try these different, cultural sports around the globe, don’t make us Americans look like a bunch of pansies who complain about the rules and outside, irrelevant factors when they get their ass kicked at something. Man the F-Up and drop the victim mentality. The guy even bitched about the language barrier in Switzerland…which is pointless…anyone (including myself) that has ever visited Switzerland knows that the people there are extremely well-educated and speak at least 3 languages and PERFECT English (some whose English is better than some Americans!). Luv the Travel Channel, but don’t think I will continue watching this program. Not interested in watching someone ‘complain’ about a sport or its rules and blame other people for their shortcomings. I can get that here in America with a certain percentage of the population. I invite anyone, especially those with foreign travel experience under their belt (i.e. Europe), to watch the “Switzerland” episode to see what I’m referring to. Any person around the globe, other than North-Americans, know that soccer (football) is the most popular sport in the world anyway. Stick with Anthony Bourdain.
On a positive note, at least he’s trying something educational and bettering himself by traveling, and not training dogs to kill each other for monetary gain or shooting himself in the leg in a nightclub.
The shows continue to impress and draw on an ever widening audience, sophisticated and culturally sensitive…The transformation erudite of NFL Sunday is setting a niche bar on the uprights… Lone Wolf on the move!
RESPONSE TO BRET: Bret you are apparently an idiot and sound a bit jealous to me of Dhani’s success as an athlete, entertainer, and the success of the “man” altogether. As far as the “trying something educational and bettering himself” comment, it seems to me that Dhani has always been educated and cultured. Perhaps that is why he was chosen to do the show in the first place. That comment was stereotypical and prejudiced on so many levels, and it appears you should study more cultures in depth before commenting on the behaviors of any.
I love Dhani’s travel channel show! I haved to admit that I never even heard of the man before this show aired, but now I have to say I have the upmost respect and admiration for him. He’s very funny and very entertaining but what I admire the most is that he’s willling to challenge himself and expose himself to entirely new cultures and environments and he does it in a most fascinating way, through sports! Great Idea! I just love the show and I think Dhani is wonderful! Oh yeah, and did I forget to mention that he’s very cute as well ;O)
You go Dhani, you have found a new fan in me!
THE SHOW IS GREAT!!!ITS ORGINAL,FULL OF ENERGY,KEEPS YOUR ATTENTION FROM BEGINNING TO END!HES A GREAT HOST…GOOD JOB!
I Live in Cincinnati. I am proud to see Dhani trying to educate Americans on other sports. Its good to think outside the box