Shaq Vs.

Shaq Vs,

 is an American reality television show produced for ABC by Dick Clark Productions and Media Rights Capital starring American basketball star Shaquille O'Neal. It began airing on August 18, 2009.

Shaquille O'Neal claims to be "the greatest athlete" and challenged numerous top athletes in their own sports, such as Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in football, Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, retired boxer Oscar De La Hoya, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, and beach volleyball Olympians Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh. O'Neal reportedly stole the idea from Steve Nash, who hired an entertainment lawyer to address the issue and is now listed as an executive producer of the show.

Mike Goldberg, play-by-play announcer for the UFC, and Pat Tomasulo, sports anchor at WGN-TV, co-host the show. Charissa Thompson serves as the reporter and interviewer.

Seasons

Season 1

Each episode in Season 1 included preliminary challenges, banter from news conferences, and O'Neal and his rival negotiating a handicap. In each episode Shaq and his competitor do some form of charity work. Shaq mentions quite often that he loves to see the smile on the little kids' faces. The laughs come from "trash talking," but "when it comes to competing, there is no joking," O'Neal says.

Episode 1: Shaq vs. Ben Roethlisberger

Shaq takes on reigning Super Bowl champ Ben Roethlisberger in a quarterback challenge. Both men train at the Pittsburgh Steelers' practice facility before taking on a traditional 7-on-7 game at Ambridge High School in Ambridge, PA. Shaq started with the ball and both scored twice to tie the game at 14 points. Shaq completed a few big plays to the endzone while Roethlisberger preferred to move the ball methodically to score. However, on Shaq's ensuing possession, he threw a pass that was intercepted in the endzone, giving Roethlisberger a chance to win on the last possession. After working the ball some, Roethlisberger completed a pass to the back of the endzone, giving him the win.

Handicap: Shaq gets to start each possession at the 20-yard line while Ben must start at the 40-yard line.

Winner: Ben Roethlisberger (Final Score: 21-14)

First aired August 18, 2009

Viewers: 4.337 Million

Episode 2: Shaq vs. Misty & Kerri

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, Olympic gold medalists in beach volleyball, battle Shaq and his partner, Olympic gold medalist Todd Rogers and their ceremonial coach (another Olympic gold medalist) Phil Dalhausser, in a 2-on-2 match in Hermosa Beach. The competition consisted of a best of three sets, using rally scoring, 1st to 11 points, and a regulation net for women's beach volleyball. After Shaq lost the first set, he briefly replaced his partner Todd Rogers with Kerri Walsh's husband, Casey Jennings, in order to "get in her head". Shaq also lost the second set by a score of 11-8.

Winner: Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh (Final Score: 11-6, 11-8)

First aired August 25, 2009

Viewers: 4.2 Million[4]

Episode 3: Shaq vs. Albert Pujols

Shaq challenges Albert Pujols, first baseman of the St. Louis Cardinals, to a home run derby at T. R. Hughes Ballpark in O'Fallon, MO.

Handicap: Shaq only has to hit the ball 250 feet to center. Pujols has to hit it 382 feet. Also, Shaq got ten outs per round, while Pujols got only five.

Winner: Albert Pujols (Final Score: 16-10)

First aired September 1, 2009.

Viewers: 3.26 Million

Episode 4: Shaq vs. Oscar de la Hoya

Shaq battles championship fighter Oscar de la Hoya in a five-round sparring matchup at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, NV.

Handicap: Both fighters wore protective headgear. Also, instead of fighting 12 three-minute rounds, they fought four two-minute rounds with a one-minute fifth round.

Winner: Oscar De La Hoya (Unanimous Decision)

First aired September 8, 2009

Viewers: 3.85 Million

Episode 5: Shaq vs. Michael Phelps

Shaq takes on Olympic gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps in a series of swimming races at Mangione Aquatic Center at Loyola College in Maryland.

Handicap: Each race had its own different handicap (race 1 - Shaq swam 25m while Phelps swam 50m with a 5s. head start; race 2 - Shaq, Dana Vollmer, Rebecca Soni, and Ariana Kukors each swam a 50m segment of a 200m medley relay, while Phelps swam an individual 200m medley; race 3 - Shaq swam 50m while Phelps swam 75m).

Winner: Michael Phelps (2 out of 3 races)

First aired September 15, 2009

Viewers: 4.34 Million

Season 2

In February 2010, ABC announced that the series will return for a second season. Season 2 will premiere on August 3, and unlike Season 1 which relied on sporting matches, Season 2 will also feature comedic non-sports competitions such as a spelling bee, dance battle, or magic act. Shaq will compete against Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in a NASCAR race, track and field sprinter Tyson Gay in a race, chef and television personality Rachael Ray in a cook-off, pop musician Justin Bieber in a dance-off, Charles Barkley in a golf match, Joey Chestnut in a hot dog eating contest, national spelling bee champion Kavya Shivashankar in a spell off, Las Vegas magic duo Penn & Teller by performing classic stage magic acts, and Shane Mosley in a boxing match.

Episode 1: Shaq vs. Dale Earnhardt Jr; Shaq vs. Spelling Bee Champion

Shaq heads to North Carolina to take on Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a head-to-head race at Concord Speedway. Also: a visit to Washington, D.C., to square off with National Spelling Bee champion Kavya Shivashankar.

First aired August 3, 2010

Viewers: 5.44 million

Episode 2: Shaq vs. Shane Mosley; Shaq vs. Penn and Teller

The 7-foot-1, 320-pound NBA star laces on the gloves to challenge 5-foot-9, 150-pound Shane Mosley in an exhibition boxing match in Las Vegas. Also: the big man attempts some hocus-pocus with magicians Penn and Teller. Prior to the fight, Shaq gets tips from trainer Freddie Roach.

Will be airing August 10, 2010

Source:Shaq_Vs.