A consumer’s guide to the best and...

A consumer’s guide to the best and worst of sports media and merchandise. Ground rules: If it can be read, played, heard, observed, worn, viewed, dialed or downloaded, it’s in play here.

What: “Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel”

Where: HBO

When: Tuesday, 9:30 p.m.

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One of the segments is called “Pros and Cons.” The “pros” part refers to professional sports handicappers, called touts or sports advisors. The “cons” part refers to what most of them are. The segment takes a look at the real underbelly of sports gambling, the sleaze among sleaze, the lowest of low.

Reporter Jim Lampley says, “After a five-month investigation, here’s our tip of the day: Don’t.” The message is: If a tout claims to win 80% to 90% of the time, run as fast as you can the other way. Jack Stewart, who claims to keep track of such things, tells Lampley the best record ever documented over at least 100 games is 63%.

There are about 1,500 touts who advertise, but only about 50 are legitimate, says a tout named Danny, an unsavory character who gets a lot of air time during the segment.

Lampley, in introducing Danny, says, “What he does disgusts him, but the money is too good for him to quit.” Says Danny: “My business is to get into your wallet and steal every dollar you’ve got and your photo [collection] if you have one in there.”

Although some touts use actors to do their TV ads, most do their own. Stu Feiner promises “to . . . on your bookie.” Jack Price says he’s God because he can “save you from losing.” Price--not his real name--runs an elaborate a Southern California operation that HBO targets hard. Danny says of Price, “The only truth you get out of him is where to send the money. Everything he tells you is a lie.” But considering the source, Danny’s attack is a bit suspicious.

A victim called Barry G. is also interviewed. Barry is a 51-year-old college graduate who says he fell for Feiner’s line that he had gone 9-0 on a college football Saturday last season. Barry says he initially lost $4,000 and bowed out. But then Mark Duffy, Feiner’s brother-in-law, called Barry and convinced him to try again. “Trust me,” Barry says he kept telling him. Lampley reports that, over a seven-week span, Barry won $115,000 from bookies but ended up owing Duffy $256,000 in fees. Lampley says Barry was paying fees as high as $18,000 per night. Confronted by Lampley, who was seeking an interview, Duffy suddenly became camera shy.

The segment, produced by Matt Maranz, has a powerful message. If you’ve ever considered calling a tout, don’t miss this show.

Another powerful segment has Mary Carillo reporting on private country clubs that discriminate but still get government tax breaks. Also, Frank Deford takes a look at the Prairie View football team and its 70-game losing streak, and Sonja Steptoe profiles Atlanta Brave pitcher Greg Maddux.