Vice Sports will again add to its sports programming lineup this spring with a new show, The Grudge.
The half-hour, 12-episode series is aptly titled as it examines some of the most famous feuds in modern sports.
Former NFL linebacker Will Compton, now the co-host of the popular Bussin’ With the Boys podcast, will narrate the series. It will debut on March 26 at 10 p.m. on Vice TV and air on Wednesdays in that time slot.
There’s certainly no shortage of material for the show to tackle. The premiere examines the uneasy relationship between former Los Angeles Lakers teammates Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. The second episode features the feud between former MLB stars Roger Clemens and Mike Piazza. Other episode titles speak for themselves and include Brett Favre vs. Aaron Rodgers, Colorado Avalanche vs. Detroit Red Wings, Terrell Owens vs. Donovan McNabb, and Brooks Koepka vs. Bryson DeChambeau.
While some feuds lasted years, others stemmed from one wild moment, as in the episode Jose Bautista vs. Rougned Odor.
“I couldn’t be more fired up to be teaming with Vice Sports for The Grudge,” Compton said in a Vice Sports media release. Witnessing the chaos in NFL locker rooms and being a massive fan of the rivalries that unfold in sports — this show is everything you want. They are some of the most iconic stories that take a deeper dive into the passion, hate, and bad blood that fuel the need to win.”
What remains to be seen is whether the series will add anything new to the conversation about these feuds. The 30-second trailer did not show interviews with any of the principals involved in these feuds but instead comments from the media, other players, and managers.
Vice Sports, part of Vice Media, has been building its sports programming lineup, notably including the recent three-part series, Brady vs. Belichick: The Verdict. Two shows debuted in February: Calipari: Razor’s Edge, a show on basketball coach John Calipari, and a series on coach Rick Pitino (Pitino: Red Storm Rising). Other new sports ventures include BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing and Arena Football One coverage.
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.