The next edition of Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel is set for tonight at 1opm ET on HBO.  We were once again given a preview copy of tonight’s segments. I’m not sure if it was intentional or not, but all four segments deal with individuals overcoming an illness or other afflictions.

Here’s a breakdown of the show:

AWOL- Andrea Kramer recounts the story of former Oakland Raiders center Barret Robbins, who made news just before Super Bowl XXXVII by inexplicably leaving the team two days before the big game.

What the Raiders, and Robbins, did not know was that he was suffering from severe bipolar disorder.  His manic episodes would often lead Robbins to abuse drugs and alcohol, and eventually get himself shot after encountering with police in Miami.

The piece does a good job of unlocking what was going on (or not) in Robbins’ mind during this difficult time for himself, his family, and his teammates.

The media can learn something from Robbins’ story.  Not knowing the facts at the time of his disappearance may have led many in the media to speculate about Robbins’ motives.  We don’t need to be reminded about making assumptions, do we?

All The Right Moves- Mary Carillo profiles the career of famed boxing trainer Freddy Roach.  Roach had a mixed career in the ring, but has been a much sought after trainer since his retirement.  Roach has accomplished so much in the face of battling Parkinson’s Disease.

Carillo and Producer Lisa Bennett tell us how Roach is able to keep his symptoms under control and still play an active role in the success of so many prizefighters.

Friends of Jaclyn- There have been many stories told of athletes visiting young children battling cancer, but the story of Jaclyn Murphy takes it a step further.

Jaclyn was diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of nine.  She is also a fan of lacrosse.  As a way to take her mind off her pain and treatments,  Jaclyn’s father made arrangements for her to be “adopted” by the Women’s Lacrosse team at Northwestern University.

The team did more than just correspond with Jaclyn, they included her in all their success.   Among them, 5 straight NCAA Championships.

The respect the team paid Jaclyn helped her deal with her illness.  Her family became so inspired by the results of this interaction that they started the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation which pairs children with malignant brain tumors with college teams from across the country.

Make a point to watch this  story as there are plenty of coincidences which make it truly inspirational.  Frank Deford hosts the segment.

The Next Posada- Gumbel recounts the story produced in 2003 of the struggles facing the son of Yankees’ catcher Jorge Posada.  Jorge Posada IV was diagnosed with a life-threatening condition that causes the bones in his skull to fuse before his brain fully grows.

The first part of the segment looks back at the original report and provides an update at how well the young Posada is progressing today.  As with the story of Jaclyn Murphy, the Posada family has created a charitable foundation to increase awareness of their son’s affliction.