Robert Abbott (director)

Robert Abbott (born August 28, 1964) is an American film director and TV producer, known most notably for his work in sports journalism and documentary films. Abbott has worked for CNN and ESPN, before starting his own company, Hey Abbott! Entertainment in January 2009. Abbott's projects are not limited to sports entertainment, as is seen in his most recent 2018 documentary titled Port of Destiny: Peace. The film focuses on former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize winner, and his extraordinary work in ending the five-decade civil war between far-left rebel group FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and the government of Colombia.[1] Prior to Port of Destiny: Peace, he produced, directed, and narrated ESPN's 30 for 30 entitled The Last Days of Knight (2018), where Abbott tells the story of his investigation that led to the 2000 firing of longtime and legendary head coach of Indiana University Men's Basketball, Bob Knight.[2]

Robert Abbott
Abbott on location in Bogota, Colombia in 2018.
BornAugust 28, 1964
Alma materFlorida State University
OccupationFilmmaker/Executive Producer at Hey Abbott! Entertainment

Other noteworthy projects include ESPN's 30 for 30: Catholics vs. Convicts, ESPN's SportsCentury documentary series, Field of Screams, CNN Special Reports: The Moses Project, ESPN Backstory with Don Van Natta, and the CNN Breaking News Coverage of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing.[3][4][5] In addition to directing and producing, Abbott is responsible for the creation of several television shows: ESPN's E:60, ESPN Classic's Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame..., and SEC Storied.[3][6] Abbott has won six Emmy Awards in five different categories, and has been nominated over 30 times for projects he has been involved in.[3]

Career

Robert Abbott graduated from Florida State University in 1986, earning his bachelor's degree in communications. After graduation, he began his career at CNN in 1987, where he worked as a Senior Producer for Special Projects / Investigations. It was during his tenure at CNN that Abbott began his investigation into Indiana University Basketball coach Bob Knight.  In addition, he led CNN's coverage of five Olympic Games (1992 Albertville and Barcelona Games, 1994 Lillehammer Games, 1996 Atlanta Games, and 1998 Nagano Games).[3]

Abbott left CNN in 2001 and began working for ESPN, where he remained until 2011. As the network's Coordinating Producer, his team created such shows as E:60, The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame..., Who's No. 1? hosted by Stuart Scott, and The Headlines for ESPN25 hosted by Robert Lee (sports announcer). Abbott later became the Senior Coordinating Producer of Content, managing different ESPN television and film projects.  He still works as an Executive Producer / Show-runner for ESPN Backstory with Don Van Natta Jr..[7][2][3] In 2009, while still working at ESPN, Abbott launched his own media company, Hey Abbott! Entertainment.[2]

Filmography
Year Project Role
1994 Battle of the Sexes (CNN) Director
1994 The Moses Project (CNN) Supervising Producer
1994 Field of Screams (CNN) Producer
2011 ESPN Films - Yes Sir: Jack Nicklaus and the '86 Masters Coordinating Producer
2011 ESPN Films: Roll Tide War Eagle Senior Coordinating Producer
2014 An Exile's Home in the Bronx Executive Producer
2016 ESPN 30 for 30: Catholics vs. Convicts Executive Producer
2018 ESPN 30 for 30: The Last Days of Knight Director
2018 Port of Destiny: Peace Director

Battle of the Sexes (1994)

Robert Abbott directed the 1994 CNN documentary Battle of the Sexes, where Nick Charles took an in depth look at the inequalities between male and female college athletes. It focused on the Auburn University Women's Soccer Team, and their journey to achieve the same equalities and varsity status as the University's male soccer team. The documentary highlighted Title IX, a federal law for equal treatment of sexes, and how many schools, like Auburn, violated it with its grossly unequal treatment of women's sports vs. their male counterparts.[8][9]

The Moses Project (1994)

In 1994 Abbott produced the special, The Moses Project, which told the story of 19 Bosnian Junior Olympic basketball players and their two coaches, who were seeking refuge from their war-torn homeland. With the help of Illinois lawyer, Jim Minnihan, the boys were granted asylum in the United States where they could live safely and continue their basketball careers. The documentary chronicles their journey, and the obstacles they faced along the way. Some of the players went on to play basketball in college, at top tier universities. The special was well received, and nominated for an Emmy and a CableACE Award for Outstanding News Special or Series.[10][11][12][13][14]

The film won a Gold Medal for International TV and Programming at the New York Festivals in 1994, and a Gold Award in 1995 at the Houston International Film Festival.[15]

Field of Screams (1994)
De Becker's handwritten note to Abbott following the release of Field of Screams. He is quoted praising his work, saying "Yours is the best I've seen on this -- I've seen them all".

The CNN Special, Field of Screams, (released in the fall of 1994), showcases the disturbing confrontations and experiences had by some professional athletes at the hands of obsessed fans. With Jim Huber reporting and Abbott producing, the special interviewed multiple athletes who shared their personal stories of being stalked and harassed. Katarina Witt and Mitch Williams were two of the athletes that were featured in the special.[4][16]

The film received critical praise, including from Gavin de Becker, the world's leading expert on stalking, who told Abbott “The CNN piece was great work on your part … Yours is the best work I’ve seen on this -- and I’ve seen them all.” Also noteworthy, in an article for Premiere Magazine in July 1996, Robert De Niro spoke about the preparation for his role as a psycho fanatic in The Fan (1996 film). He had watched Abbott's CNN Special in order to dive deeper into the mind of the stalker he would be portraying.[17] The film also received a CINE Golden Eagle award in 1995.

ESPN Films - Yes Sir: Jack Nicklaus and the '86 Masters (2011)

As a senior coordinating producer for ESPN Films’ Yes Sir: Jack Nicklaus and the ‘86 Master’s released in 2011, Abbot helped tell the story of Jack Nicklaus's come-from-behind victory.  The special was told by Nicklaus himself, his son Jack Nicklaus II (who served as his caddy), and other golfing professionals such as Tiger Woods. At age 46, Nicklaus became the oldest golfer to win the tournament, earning him his 6th coveted green jacket. The documentary dives into the relationship between Nicklaus and his son as they worked together to make history at Augusta.[18]

ESPN Films: Roll Tide War Eagle (2011)

ESPN Films Roll Tide War Eagle focuses on the longstanding rivalry between two powerhouse college football teams in Alabama: The Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers. The two teams face off once a year in the nationally televised “Iron Bowl”.  The documentary looks at the historic rivalry between the two programs, interviewing famous alumni from both schools. The film is available to stream on ESPN+.[19] Abbott worked on the film as senior coordinating producer alongside director Martin Khodabakhsian.

An Exile's Home in the Bronx (2014)

The film focuses on Irish Immigrants living in New York, and their desire to stay in touch with their heritage through the national sport of Ireland: Gaelic Football. The immigrants play for the New York Football team and are followed through their journey of competing in the All-Ireland Championship (A 32-team Gaelic Football Tournament). Abbott was Executive Producer for the Documentary, which was released in Ireland in 2014.[20][21]

ESPN 30 for 30: Catholics vs. Convicts (2016)

Abbott pitched and was the executive producer of Patrick Creadon's Catholics vs. Convicts, which documents the 1988 college football game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Miami Hurricanes and the hype leading up to this face-off. Notre Dame students labeled the University of Miami’s team “convicts” creating added tensions and animosity by both teams. The documentary gives student and player accounts during this time, and highlights the widespread media publicity surrounding the game. The special is available to stream on ESPN+.[22] The documentary was nominated for Best Documentary or Nonfiction Series at the 2017 Emmy Awards.[2][23]

ESPN 30 for 30: The Last Days of Knight (2018)

In 2018, Abbott partnered with ESPN to direct his own 30 for 30 special titled The Last Days of Knight.  Here, he expands on his initial investigation into why three All-American recruits had left Indiana University’s basketball team in just two years. Abbott unravels the unethical actions of legendary head coach Bob Knight and the scandal that led to his eventual dismissal in 2000. Abbott’s investigative journalism, at the time of the controversy, was featured in major newspapers and magazines such as the New York Times and Sports Illustrated.[24][25] The film debuted in 2018 and is available to stream exclusively on ESPN+.[2]

ESPN’s 30 for 30 Season 9 was nominated for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television series at the 30th Producers Guild Awards. The Last Days of Knight was one of only four films made that year for ESPN’s 30 for 30.[26]

Port of Destiny: Peace (2018)

Abbott directed the film Port of Destiny: Peace (2018) telling the story of the former Colombian President and 2016 Nobel Peace Prize winner Juan Manuel Santos, and his hard-fought fight for peace in Colombia. Santos grew up during the decades-long civil war between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and the Colombian government. Santos would become the Defense Minister of Colombia, and lead the fight against FARC. When Santos was elected president, he changed his approach to one of diplomacy in an attempt to broker peace and end the civil unrest. Although he faced backlash for his change in tactics, Santos achieved an end to the five-decade long war that killed over 250,000 Colombians. The film is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.[1]

In the film, Abbott and Sellers Easton Media interviewed former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, former US President Bill Clinton, and former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. The documentary received much praise, including from Jonathan Powell (former Chief British Negotiator in Northern Ireland) stating, “Port of Destiny brilliantly captures the determination and courage of President Juan Manuel Santos in ending 50 years of civil war in Colombia. This riveting drama shows what it took to end the violence, and the political price Santos had to pay on his way to winning the Nobel Peace Prize.".[1]

Lesley Stahl, a CBS correspondent for 60 Minutes, said the following about the film: "Magnificent. Such an appealing, compelling and articulate subject—yet it's the storytelling that makes the documentary so rich. [The film would] get an A+ at 60 Minutes."[1]

Television
Year(s) Title Role
1989–1992 CNN Baseball Producer
1989–1992 CNN College Basketball Producer
1989–1994 NBA Show on CNN & TNT Producer
1989–1994 Sports Tonight (CNN) Producer
1989–1994 Sports Late Night (CNN) Producer
1990 Countdown to Signing Day (SportSouth) Producer
1990–1993 SportSouth Journal Producer
1991 Atlanta Braves Exhibition Games (SportSouth) Producer
1991–2001 Olympic Update (CNN / CNN International) Creator / Producer
1992 The Sporting Life with Jim Huber (CNN) Producer
1992–2001 CNN Presents Producer
1995 The Return of Mike Tyson Producer
2001–2007 SportsCentury (ESPN) Coordinating Producer
2003–2004 ESPN 25 Co-Creator / Coordinating Producer
2004 ESPN 25: The Headlines Co-Creator / Coordinating Producer
2004 ESPN 25: Who's No. 1? Co-Creator / Coordinating Producer
2005–2007 The Top Five Reasons You Can't Blame... (ESPN Classic) Creator / Coordinating Producer
2005–2007 All-Time Greatest (ESPN Classic) Co-Creator / Coordinating Producer
2007 E: 60 (ESPN) Co-Creator / Coordinating Producer
2007 Missing Link (ESPN) Creator / Coordinating Producer
2011 SportsCenter (ESPN) Senior Coordinating Producer
2011 SEC Storied (ESPN) Co-Creator / Coordinating Producer
2019 Backstory with Don Van Natta Jr. (ESPN) Co-Creator / Executive Producer / Show-Runner

Awards

Robert Abbott has been awarded six Emmy Awards in five different categories for his work on the following projects:

  • 18th Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards: Outstanding Instant Coverage of a Single Breaking News Story: “Coverage of the Olympic Park Bombing” - CNN[27]
  • 22nd Annual Sports Emmy Awards: Outstanding Edited Sports Series / Anthology - SportsCentury[28]
  • 29th Annual Sports Emmy Awards: Outstanding New Approaches - Long Form: ESPN.com “Ray of Hope” [29]
  • 31st Annual Sports Emmy Awards: Outstanding Long Feature: E:60 “Catfish Hunters”[30]
  • 31st Annual Sports Emmy Awards: Outstanding Sports Journalism: E:60 “Wanted: Fugitive”[30]
  • 32nd Annual Sports Emmy Awards: Outstanding Long Feature: E:60 “Survival 1”[31]

E:60, a show Abbott Co-created and produced, has won many awards through the years. In the year 2010, E:60's “Catfish Hunters” won a National Headliner Award, along with an Edward R. Murrow Award (Radio Television Digital News Association) for Outstanding Sports Journalism.[32] The show won another National Headliner Award in 2011 for its episode “Picking up Butch”, and the episode “Corrective Rape” won a Gold Award at the United Nations Public Information Department-New York Festivals Event.[33][32] E:60 has also won two Gracie Awards for Outstanding Soft News Feature in 2009 for the episode “Alba Colon” and in 2011 for “A League of Her Own”.[34][35]

Abbott won multiple awards for his work on this series.  The show was nominated for Sports Emmy awards 26 times between 2007–2011. The documentaries “The Moses Project” and “Catholics vs. Convicts” which he produced, were nominated for their own Emmy Awards.[14][23]

In addition to being nominated and receiving multiple Sports Emmy Awards, Robert Abbott  but has also received the following honors : Gold Medal for International TV Programming at the New York Festivals in 1994 (“The Moses Project”), Gold Award in 1995 at the Houston International Film Festival (“The Moses Project”), CINE Golden Eagle award in 1995 (Field of Screams), a Gold Medal for Sports Reporting at the 2001 National Headliner Awards (Bob Knight Investigation), and a Silver World Medal for 2000 International TV Programming at the New York Festivals (Bob Knight Investigative Report).[15][36][33]

Personal life

Robert Abbott grew up in Miami, Florida and attended Florida State University, where he played on the 1983 men's golf team and graduated in 1986.[3] He currently lives in Connecticut with his wife and three sons.

References
  1. "Port of Destiny Home". portofdestiny.com. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  2. "Last Days of Knight - ESPN Films: 30 for 30". www.espn.com. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  3. "Robert Abbott Joins Back9Network as Executive Vice President, Production & Content Development". PRWeb. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  4. "There's More Than Football on Air". Los Angeles Times. 1994-10-07. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  5. ""It Wasn't LeBron James' Idea": Executive Producer Looks Back at "The Decision" Ahead of the Release of its Backstory". EssentiallySports. 2020-06-27. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  6. "Inside SEC Storied: Herschel, Part 2". ESPN Front Row. 2011-09-07. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  7. "With ESPN's "Serena vs. The Umpire," Dahl invites audience to experience the "Backstory"". ESPN Front Row. 2019-08-16. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  8. Abbott, R. (Director). (1994). CNN Presents "Battle of the Sexes". United States: CNN. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  9. "CNN's 60 Minutes : THE NEWS NETWORK EXPANDS ITS DOCUMENTARY 'SHOWCASE'". Los Angeles Times. 1994-01-16. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  10. Armour, Terry. "MOVIE MAY BE NEXT TO CHRONICLE BOSNIAN TEENAGERS". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  11. Huber, J. (2009). Chapter 14. In A Thousand Goodbyes A Son's Reflection on Living, Dying, and the Things That Matter Most. Thomas Nelson.
  12. CNN Special Reports: The Moses Project. (n.d.). Retrieved July 30, 2020, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2295140/fullcredits
  13. CNN Special Reports: The Moses Project - Awards. (n.d.). Retrieved July 30, 2020, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2295140/awards?ref_=tt_awd
  14. March 31; 1995. "NBC LEADS PACK WITH 22 SPORTS EMMY NOMINATIONS". www.sportsbusinessdaily.com. Retrieved 2020-08-04.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. Remi Winners – Worldfest-Houston. (n.d.). Retrieved July 30, 2020, from https://worldfest.org/2020-remi-winners/
  16. Nidetz, S. (1994, October 07). `SCREAMS' SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT ATHLETES' FEAR OF FANS. Retrieved July 30, 2020, from https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1994-10-07-9410070090-story.html
  17. Zeman, N. (1996, July). Look Who's Stalking. Premiere Magazine.
  18. "Jack Nicklaus' 1986 Masters Win Subject of New ESPN Film". ESPN Press Room U.S. 2011-03-29. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  19. "ESPN Films: Roll Tide War Eagle". ESPN.com. 2011-09-12. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  20. McCarry, Patrick. "Sports Film of the Week: An Exile's home in The Bronx". The42. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  21. An Exile's Home in the Bronx, retrieved 2020-08-04
  22. "Catholics vs. Convicts - ESPN Films: 30 for 30". www.espn.com. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  23. "Emmys 2017: Full List of Nominations". Variety. 2017-07-13. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  24. Sandomir, Richard (2000-04-14). "TV SPORTS; The Evidence Arrives by Video: Knight Indeed Had a Choke Hold". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  25. Abbott, Robert. "VAULT: Indiana let Bob Knight off with a slap on the wrist". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  26. Hipes, Patrick (2019-01-04). "Producers Guild Unveils Film And TV Nominations". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  27. 18th Annual News Documentary Emmy Awards For Programming Originally Aired in Calendar Year 1996 Winner. (n.d.). Retrieved July 31, 2020, from http://emmyonline.com/download/18th-Annual-News-Documentary-Emmy-Awards-For-Programming-Originally-Aired-in-Calendar-Year-1996-Winner_2.pdf
  28. "ESPN SportsCentury Wins 1999, 2000, 2001 National Sports Emmy for Outstanding Sports Series". Silver Horn Media. 2019-02-25. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  29. "WINNERS OF 29th ANNUAL SPORTS EMMY® AWARDS ANNOUNCED BY NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES, FRAN CHIRKINIAN HONORED WITH LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD | The Emmy Awards - The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences". Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  30. "WINNERS OF 31st ANNUAL SPORTS EMMY® AWARDS ANNOUNCED BY NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES, JOHN MADDEN HONORED WITH LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD | The Emmy Awards - The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences". Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  31. "WINNERS OF 32nd ANNUAL SPORTS EMMY® AWARDS | The Emmy Awards - The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences". Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  32. "ESPN's E:60 Returns April 12 with Five New Episodes". ESPN Press Room U.S. 2011-04-06. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  33. "South African Story 'Corrective Rape' to Receive Top Television Award, 12 April, at United Nations Public Information Department-New York Festivals Event | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases". www.un.org. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  34. "2009 Gracies Winners". Alliance for Women in Media. 2016-10-13. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  35. "2011 Gracies Winners". Alliance for Women in Media. 2016-10-05. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  36. "2001 – TV/Radio | National Headliner Awards". www.headlinerawards.org. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
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