Every Morning Quarterback » Dhani Jones

Bengals Land HBO ‘Hard Knocks’ Series

David Kindervater — Fri, 15 May 2009 00:48:59 +0000

The Cincinnati Bengals will be featured on the annual HBO Sports series Hard Knocks later this summer. A 24-person NFL Films crew will set up shop at the Bengals’ training camp site — Georgetown (Kentucky) College — to shoot more than 1,000 hours of exclusive video beginning July 30. There will be a total of five shows, debuting August 12 at 10 p.m. ET.

Cincinnati Bengals / Image: Zuma Press

A lot of teams would consider this type of coverage more of a distraction than anything else, but Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis isn’t one of them:

“I think our football team is beyond that point. I think we’ve got a mature group of guys that are fighting for jobs. They won’t notice the cameras. We know there will be special things that guys will be a part of; I think that way we’re mature enough. Steve (Sabol, NFL Films) has approached me before and we didn’t come to the same conclusion. This time I did because I think we’re in a different step in the team’s maturity and where we are. I think it’s great for our fans. I felt like we could handle this.”

I love this show. It’s easily my favorite reality series and it typically offers a very unique look inside an NFL organization. As a fan of the league, you’ve got to love that. You get to know a handful of the players quite well and it’s usually very compelling from week-to-week. Hard Knocks launched with the Baltimore Ravens in 2001 (still the best season to-date), followed by the Dallas Cowboys in 2002. After an unexplained five-year layoff, the series resumed in 2007 with the Kansas City Chiefs (blah) and the 2008 edition, which received a Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Post Produced Audio/Sound, featured the Cowboys for the second time.

I have to think the Bengals were way down on the list of teams HBO and NFL Films wanted to see on the Hard Knocks series. I mean, the Bengals are coming off a 4-11-1 season and I have little reason to believe they will be much better in 2009. I’m so discouraged by the choice, I wonder if we’ll see another season of Hard Knocks after this one? The reason is I’m not sure there will be any teams willing to allow this kind of insider coverage anymore. I hope I’m wrong, but by choosing the Cincinnati Bengals as their featured team, I think NFL Films is sending a bleak message: We couldn’t get anyone else to do it!

Nevertheless, I’ll be watching. Receiver Chad Johnson Ochocinco will keep things interesting and should be worth the price of admission alone. And it will be intriguing to see Dhani Jones back in his natural environment after observing him in his “world traveler” role on The Travel Channel’s Dhani Tackles the Globe. But the Bengals aren’t even close to having the cast of characters the Dallas Cowboys showcased last year. Not that the show needs that, but I’m wondering how entertaining the Cincinnati Bengals will be.

Source: Bengals.com

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Bengals Land HBO ‘Hard Knocks’ Series

Dhani Tackles the Globe: New Zealand

David Kindervater — Mon, 11 May 2009 11:50:32 +0000

Tonight on Dhani Tackles the Globe (9 p.m. ET, Travel Channel), Dhani visits Auckland, New Zealand, on a quest to conquer the sea as the next great kiwi sailor. In this City of Sails, he has just one week to work his way on to an Americas Cup yacht and then take the ultimate test in an actual Team New Zealand tryout.

About Dhani Tackles the Globe

Dhani Jones will need more than shoulder pads where he’s going. This NFL linebacker and Renaissance man is about to embark on a global sports odyssey that will take him anywhere with a scoreboard. By trying his hand at beloved national pastimes from around the globe, Dhani explores the way sports help to define culture. As a top athlete, Dhani will be able to demonstrate the thrills and challenges of each game by playing it himself. Off the field, Dhani immerses himself fully in each city, getting the locals’ take on the best places to eat, drink, shop and sleep. Throughout his travels, Dhani finds the love of sports to be universal, providing common ground wherever he lands.

Sources: Travel Channel, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Bengals.com

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Dhani Tackles the Globe: New Zealand

Dhani Tackles the Globe: Episode Seven

David Kindervater — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:00:58 +0000

Tonight on Dhani Tackles the Globe (9 p.m. ET, Travel Channel), the location is Australia. It takes more than just a Speedo to become an Australian Surf Lifesaving champion. In and out of the ocean, Dhani must prove his strength, endurance, agility and love of the surf to the Aussie locals and lifeguards.

About Dhani Tackles the Globe

Sources: Travel Channel, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Bengals.com

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
Dhani Tackles the Globe Episode Four Preview – Dragon boat racing
Dhani Tackles the Globe Episode Five Preview – Jai alai
Dhani Tackles the Globe Episode Six Preview – Hurling
EMQB Interview: Dhani Jones

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Dhani Tackles the Globe: Episode Seven

Dhani Tackles the Globe: Episode Six

David Kindervater — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:29:48 +0000

Tonight on Dhani Tackles the Globe (9 p.m. ET, Travel Channel), the location is Ireland. And the sport is called hurling. Hurling is similar to hockey, played with a small ball (sliothar, similar in size to a hockey ball but with raised ridges) and a curved wooden stick (“hurley” or camán in Irish) on a grass field.

About Dhani Tackles the Globe

Sources: Travel Channel, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Bengals.com

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Dhani Tackles the Globe: Episode Six

Dhani Tackles the Globe: Episode Five

David Kindervater — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 04:31:55 +0000

Tonight on Dhani Tackles the Globe (9 p.m. ET, Travel Channel), the location is Spain. And the sport is called jai alai. Jai alai consists of 24 different games. Cesta Punta is one of the 24 games. Cesta Punta has two meanings — instrument (gear), which is one of the four models of Chistera — the long, narrow, curved wicker basket that incorporates a glove. The second meaning is the name of the game played with such gear mentioned above. The Basque sport is similar to the America’s Squash. Watch as Dhani “dodges death.”

About Dhani Tackles the Globe

Sources: Travel Channel, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Bengals.com

Dhani Tackles the Globe Episode One Preview – Muay Thai
Dhani Tackles the Globe Episode Two Preview – Schwingen
Dhani Tackles the Globe Episode Three Preview – Schwingen
Dhani Tackles the Globe Episode Four Preview – Dragon boat racing
EMQB Interview: Dhani Jones

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Dhani Tackles the Globe: Episode Five

Dhani Tackles the Globe: Episode Four

David Kindervater — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:21:33 +0000

Tonight on Dhani Tackles the Globe (9 p.m. ET, Travel Channel), the location is Singapore. And the sport is dragon boat racing. With its origin dating back 2,000 years in Southern China, the challenge of dragon boat racing lies in strong paddling and, even more importantly, in synchronizing all paddlers on the boat through all phases of the stroke over the entire race course. First introduced to Singapore in 1978 with an invitation from Hong Kong (the home of modern dragon boat racing) to participate in the Hong Kong Races.

About Dhani Tackles the Globe

Sources: Travel Channel, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Bengals.com

Dhani Tackles the Globe Episode One Preview – Muay Thai
Dhani Tackles the Globe Episode Two Preview – Schwingen
Dhani Tackles the Globe Episode Three Preview – Schwingen
EMQB Interview: Dhani Jones

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Dhani Tackles the Globe: Episode Four

EMQB Interview: Dhani Jones

David Kindervater — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 04:02:04 +0000

A poet, philanthropist, artist, and environmentalist, Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones stars in what can only be described as a global sports odyssey — a Travel Channel new original series — Dhani Tackles the Globe (Monday nights, 9 p.m. ET).

Photo courtesy Travel Channel

By actively participating in some of the most beloved national pastimes from around the world, Dhani discovers that sports have the universal ability to open a window into a culture, define a destination, and unlock a common passion in people that is as different as it is familiar. Tapping into his athletic abilities, Dhani experiences the thrills and challenges of each game by playing it himself. In each episode, he tries his hand at a new sport including Rugby in England, Muay Thai in Bangkok (Thailand), Hurling in Ireland, Dragon Boat racing in Singapore, Schwingen in Switzerland, and Jai alai in Spain.

Floundering at times and triumphing at others, he throws himself completely into the team and individual competitions he faces. Off the field, with the help of his adopted teammates and coaches, Dhani immerses himself fully in each locale’s sights and sounds, getting the locals’ take on the best places for any traveler to eat, drink, shop, and stay. Throughout his travels, he finds the love for sports and competition is shared internationally, providing an immediate common ground wherever he lands. I spent some time talking with Dhani about his new show and the accompanying experiences he’ll never forget.

Photos courtesy Travel Channel

0:14 – The multi-talented Mr. Jones has many interests
0:51 – What Dhani Tackles the Globe is all about and how it got started
1:42 – Dhani traveled and filmed between Bengals offseason worlkouts
2:16 – Visiting Thailand, Switzerland, England, Singapore, Ireland and Spain
3:19 – Hand-to-hand combat sports were most difficult — Muay Thai, Schwingen
4:16 – Dhani has one week to learn the sport and compete against “veterans”
4:50 – The body is confused but relaxing and get back to the basics helps
6:02 – Street vendors — eating bugs in Thailand vs. hot dogs in NYC
6:37 – Milking cows in Switzerland also part of the whole cultural experience
7:28 – Dealing with the challenges and embracing the rewards
8:07 – Seeing life through different eyes — more mature, less ignorant
9:00 – Dhani Tackles the Globe Season Two? It’s up to you!

Links: Travel Channel, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Bengals.com

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

Special thanks to Michaé Holloman and Marjorie Hall.

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EMQB Interview: Dhani Jones

Dhani Tackles the Globe: Episode Three

David Kindervater — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 04:01:35 +0000

Tonight on Dhani Tackles the Globe (9 p.m. ET, Travel Channel), the location is England. And the sport is Rugby. The main objective of Rugby is to score a try, which consists of an opponent running with the ball towards the opposing team’s goal line, carrying it over and placing it down. The ball must touch the ground as a result of downward pressure from the player.

About Dhani Tackles the Globe

Sources: Travel Channel, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Bengals.com

Dhani Tackles the Globe Episode One Preview – Muay Thai
Dhani Tackles the Globe Episode Two Preview – Schwingen
EMQB Interview: Dhani Jones

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Dhani Tackles the Globe: Episode Three

Dhani Tackles the Globe: Episode Two

David Kindervater — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 05:01:29 +0000

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

Tonight on Dhani Tackles the Globe (9 p.m. ET, Travel Channel), the location is Switzerland. And the sport is Schwingen. Mountain farmers (the “Sennen”) measured their brute strength by this traditional form of wrestling. The starting position is a key component to Schwingen. The weight has to be evenly distributed on both legs so neither wrestler has an advantage. Each wrestler places his/her right hand on the small of the back of their opponent, and grips the belt where it is exposed in the rear cutout of the trousers. The left hand grips the bottom of the rolled-up left pant leg. The thumb may not be “rolled up” into the material to help with gripping. As the rules state, the fabric must be held with the fingers throughout the entire bout.

About Dhani Tackles the Globe

Sources: Travel Channel, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Bengals.com

Dhani Tackles the Globe Episode One Preview – Muay Thai
Dhani Tackles the Globe Episode Three Preview – Rugby
EMQB Interview: Dhani Jones

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Dhani Tackles the Globe: Episode Two

Dhani Tackles the Globe: Episode One

David Kindervater — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 05:01:59 +0000

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast

Nine months ago I alerted you to a new Travel Channel show featuring Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones. Well, the time has come for that show to premiere. Dhani Tackles the Globe will make its debut tonight at 9 p.m. ET. The first episode is Muay Thai in Thailand. Muay Thai, or Thai boxing, is the cultural martial art of Thailand. Its origin dates back to the 1300s. Muay Thai was developed as a form of close combat that used the entire body as a weapon. It’ll be an interesting introduction to what should be a great series.

About Dhani Tackles the Globe

Sources: Travel Channel, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Bengals.com

Dhani Tackles the Globe Episode Two Preview – Schwingen
Dhani Tackles the Globe Episode Three Preview – Rugby
EMQB Interview: Dhani Jones

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Dhani Tackles the Globe: Episode One