in his career spans about a half century. he has authored more than 40 books, fiction as well as non-fiction. he is to me and to many americans america's greatest storyteller in history. he has been enormously successful. the winner of major awards for his books and for his lifetime devotion to american history. .. >> you have produced over the years and novels such as liberty tavern that came down 1977 just to remind you of fabric of the difficulties in the book of life during the american revolution. still lives that came out in 1981 about three west point soldiers and their wives about the resignation of the officers' wives that they would be for the rest of their lives so he has told a wonderful story. the lives of our -- "the intimate lives of the founding fathers" this book, end this incredible book just published within the last couple of weeks the influence of women in the shaping of our history, with men who were the mothers, wives, daughters, a nd friends of the founding fathers, washington, frankli n, adams, a hamilton, jefferson, madison , a very different women. enormously interesting providing material for the rebidding stories of the founders as we mentioned before in our conversation, it is six bookspan one. with all you have done in your career, we're at a new level of writing about american history and history in general. we're all products the bar associations and those who have made our history and consequently have reached a level of interest as historical characters were books. must we researched and written about within the context of their lives. their marriages comment liaisons', all of the association's. they do not exist -- exist in a vacuum. you say far from diminishing the men and women and examination of there intimate lives will in large them for our time. with your perspective what led up to the book that has now come out? >> guest: what got me going was this idea that i had written a great many books of the revolution, over a dozen but mostly concerned with the men but yet in my novels i have always taken a woman's point* of view whenever possible. i am fascinating -- fascinated to how women react to individuals. it hits me that maybe it can be done because now i could not have done this in 1961 a first-term a great team books, but now more and more of the papers of these women have become published. and the whole feminist movement has become a part of our lives. it seemed like a very logical thing to do do and very possible. and then i had a marvelous surprise. this book has been one surprise after another. the biggest was the opening. i think it is one of the best openings i have never had for a history book. i discovered by sheer accident that george washington wrote a letter to a woman named sally fairfax 1759. she was the wife of his good friend and neighbor george william fairfax. this was published in the new york herald which at that time in 1877 was the biggest newspaper in america. they called it a washington love letter. nobody could believe that it was a real act first but then people who knew a little about washington's life and there have been some very interesting biographies discovered he had written the letter four months after he was a engaged to martha who was incidentally the richest widow in virginia. [laughter] this caused consternation. they could not believe that george washington could possibly have thoughts for another woman. it was like a suspense story to probe to find out what happened and it turns out the letter never saw the light of day it was to be auctioned off with a mystery man bought it and it disappeared for 60 years than they found a buy sheer accident in the file of the harvard library. when i saw all of this i said this is a book i was born to write. 1/2 to read this book i have to explain this than i began to realize there were other things to discover about the other fathers. >> with all of the research you have done and all the things that kept coming out the -- at you about the women's papers which you could not have known about in 1960 at this stage if your career it really comes out. >> guest: it seemed to be a book to write considering i have published a great many novels, so i have a reputation and i have it as a historian i have got to get the facts but i have the ability to think intuitively at different points. >> host: set the stage. talking about george washington, the iconic figure the a gilbert stuart image that we're used to, we both went to grammar school in jersey city and every schoolroom has a copy or a print of george washington on the wall in every school in jersey city but he turns out to be much more of a human character? don't you think? you quote from the letter washington wrote after his marriage to march but to the richard washington merchant comment that washington is fixed up the seat of the mount vernon, with an agreeable life and hopes to find more happiness in retirement than i ever found in a wise and bustling world. it sounds like a happy man. >> guest: yes. happy. but agreeable does not suggest grand passion or a deep love. this is the problem washington had for the rest of his life. a lot of people thought marriage martha was convenience. she was the richest and widow and virginia and she was looking for somebody to manage this magnificent the states and washington was a colonel and commander of the troops of the french and indian war and was just about perfect in every way. incidentally she was pursued by some of the richest men in virginia before she decided to marry watching 10. they were the same age, but the more you think about it if you watch what happened after words, you realize there was definitely an attraction there. and the most surprising thing i found was more than a decade very happy married life george washington was appointed commander in chief of the american army 1775 and the first person he wrote a letter to when he got this assignment was to martha and the letter began my dearest, at. >> host: all of them did. >> guest: then it went and looked in her papers and there was martha rating my dearest. i think this is a good tribute to each other and assign there was a very deep love that had taken root between the two people. the reason is, martha washington is totally an appreciative of. i have said this in the book and elsewhere that we think of her as somebody's grandmother but when she married washington, she was 27 years old. she was very short, about 5-foot even but had a wonderful figure and also she had a marvelous disposition and very self possessed woman. she could deal with men and charm them when she wanted to. she had the southern charm. she had that an abundance. and washington slowly realized burying her was the best thing he had ever done and one of the reasons, as you mentioned the mothers of these people are very interesting and they are in the book. george's mother was almost as big as he was and a very tall woman and had a most tremendous temper that you could possibly imagine her husband died when george was 11 and she spent most of the time to get george to be a surrogate husband, a substitute and george was so thrilled he went to join their british navy at the age of 14 to get away. [laughter] but then intervening was a wonderful man, lawrence washington, his half-brother who was the master of mount vernon. that was the miles away from washington and lawrence said it was time to invite to this big tall teenager up to mount vernon. he was 16 when he started to come there and that is where he met sally fairfax and a very flirtatious wife of the man of the house down the road. for about one dozen years, sally flirted with him and tormented him. after he became a engaged to martha, she wrote him a letter saying are you inpatient to see the campaign over so you can embrace her? [laughter] he wrote her a pleasing letter because he is about to fight the indians and there may be a bullet with my name on it and they're probably will be but he could not resist. he wrote a blazing four page letter in which he simply said to you love me as much as i love you? i just want to know that before i march off to get shot. it was that letter that sally save for the rest of her life. so she also had a rather strong attraction to this tall muscular man, her husband was a when the shrimp i might add. [laughter] >> host: martha was also not too rare. george had a temper. he had his mother's temper. martha was not aware of that and i think he did everything he could to avoid telling her that. there is a great story when he sits down to have his portrait painted by gilbert stuart, the most famous portrait painter at the time. and gilbert fancied himself as an amateur psychologist and mentioned him holding back his temper you might want to share -- sure that storey. >> guest: he was painting and he said general your features you have the physiognomy of a man of violent passions. in the same room was martha washington she was 19 and listening and became offended and said you cast a great deal upon yourself mr. stewart and he said madam, let me finish, i was about to say that the general has those passions under perfect control 57 he was a very good to when he got themselves out of that. a little smile played on his face and said he is right. [laughter] >> host: you tell us about the 1877 letter which was also interesting is that nobody seemed to be interesting interested. it went for very little money. >> respect the probability that jpmorgan had bought the letter thinking he was doing something patriotic. but we don't know that for sure. it is a rumor. but the auctioneer announced it was sold for $13 which is ridiculous. it was a cover-up all the way. the demand that washington's reputation had been damaged by this letter but when you get deeper into the story you find out that is simply not the case. >> host: his reputation seems to have changed with his three. he was an icon right after his death and was with the democratic nation particularly as jackson became president and the american and sean representative painting became popular, washington was shown in these scenes of interiors of the family. after the centennial he was america's patriot. >> guest: he had a slightly sacred aura around him and his time. but he really needed morris of all this time. people did not realize this. he was barely in boston when he wrote her a letter saying would you consider coming up here to join me? this was not an eight -- easy thing to ask of the woman. it is 500 miles and the roads were so abominable and to cross the river your carriage and your horse had to go out on the flatboats and they would pull across the river and if it was a windy day and people did drown. it was awful. but yet to she said i am coming and she went up to join him and she did this every year for the eighth year revolution and journeyed up there every winter and she played the part not only as a wife but someone who he could confide he did not tell anybody else but also she was a hostess and washington was leader of the country we have a congress out there the only guy that really mattered was washington and anybody who came to this country wanted to have dinner with him. and washington really needed this charming woman at the head of his table to beat the conversation and she did that right straight the revolution then did it again when he was president. >> host: a very different situation than the case of benjamin franklin who these are opposite ends washington and franklin where we might question the story of whether washington was a ladies' man and there's a lot of that in the book and there was questioning whether he fathered this one or that one. >> guest: you know, this. i tell of the story but then i have it chapter called the other george washington scandal. there are so many. people want to believe the naughty stories about washington right straight through the revolution long after he was dead. >> host: you don't find proof. >> guest: they don't stand up to historical examination but it is believable -- unbelievable how may people who believe that the people were printing statements from people saying he was the father of thomas, the neighbor of another friend at mount vernon. thomas posey was 6-foot 2 inches and a soldier so people take the argument from resemblance, the weakest argument. it was interesting how that traveled with him but we do want to get on. >> host: bennett is a hilarious. nothing short of hilarious. first of all, he mary's deborah who does not follow him anywhere in heat -- she does not bode england. >> guest: she did not even go to boston. [laughter] >> host: she had a nasty temper and you can almost understand in one aspect that she lost her own son named frankie therefore took a dislike to benjamin franklin illegitimate son william who was born before they married. there is a lot to say about franklin's women but in terms of his place as a founding father, where does he fit 10? >> as i see it and other historians may not agree but he is second only to washington to really create the nation even before the revolution gave americans a sense of themselves as a people. but his achievements in france and became the ambassador over there, without the 80 procure from the french, the revolution would have collapsed within another year because congress was just printing money hoping for the best and pretty soon the money was worth less. they printed $200 million worth of paper money. the price -- price of a horse before was $200 and then the same horse cost $20,000 the revolution would have collapsed without that help but at the same time, unlike washington somewhat similar but he had someone accusing him of being a playboy a while he was ambassador to france that washington never had to cope with which it is john adams and other founding father he was convinced franklin was kissing and having affairs with some of the women in paris and adams wrote these violent letters back to the continental congress saying his house was dissipation and franklin tried to calm everybody down saying i like to kiss ladies in the french ladies like to be kissed not too much was going on but nobody believed him so to this day he has a bad reputation about what happened in france it. >> i have to quote this from the book because it is so funny. he greeted each one of them, the french women surrounding him when he was in fayette -- france with aid with an amicable attitude that they love. occasionally, one that the more mademoiselle would ask if he cared for her more than the others. with a smile, he would reply in french, yes coming when you are closest to me because of the power of the attraction. which immediately reminded me of the very same song in the 1938 or 47 production of phineas rainbows that says my heart is beating wildly all because you are here. when i am not near the girl i love i love the girl i am here. that is what he was saying to her. [laughter] also to discover they have the power of electricity so he was comparing himself to a magnet and a woman that he attracted himself to. and thought this made it even more thrilling. >> he was quite a character. >> guest: we have to tell a story when jefferson came over to replace franklin as ambassador. the war was one by this time. he decided he should go home so they sent jefferson over so he goes over to franklin's house and there is franklin on though bond with three or four beautiful french women they are kissing him and he is kissing them and jefferson finally waves his hand and says dr. franklin, would it be possible to transfer these privileges to the new ambassador? and franklin says you are too young of the man. [laughter] to me, that convinces me of what i was saying that nothing was happening. he really did not do much more than kissed ladies. >> host: there is no evidence and any other documentation that you found in terms of diaries. >> guest: absolutely not. >> host: nobody else claims to be involved. >> guest: one of my best friends told me for 30 years she read every diary, letter, a newspaper story, it anything with franklin and france and never found one that line there was a serious liaison. >> host: he was the amiable person escaping from a wife who was on present present -- unpleasant he had possibly a second wife, he was very eccentric and took what you would call an air bath to sit around the house nude for one hour every morning. >> guest: he was his own doctor. he thought that was healthy. >> he thought his madam should become his confessor and he would confess the sense and then she would decide to give him absolution and only if he would say he loved god and america and her, especially her. franklin is nothing short of hilarious. >> guest: the madam was his neighbor and a beautiful woman, a beautiful pianist and she would call him pawpaw but there was a wonderful story that shows a serious side of franklin she discovered her husband was having an affair with the governess and she rushed to franklin to pour her pro clint -- brokenhearted anybody was ready to be seduced it was the madam. this was his opportunity but instead he said you must learn to forgive her husband because revenging yourself against him all the plants you on his level and he convinced her it is a spiritual challenge for the sake of her children and her marriage it is a touching scene and shows this side of franklin. he knew there were serious feelings between people. >> host: he was second only to washington as a founding fathers other is a very serious side to him. i guess it is a release to get along with all of these ladies in england and france to relieve the tension almost. >> guest: that is part of it but he also understood something that most people don't appreciate at the time. these french ladies are all upper-class. and they were into politics and had salons were the best people came. when he was charming them he was also a charming their husbands and the husbands had huge influence and that helped things to go more smoothly and the alliance between ameritech and france. he was thinking politically as well as having fun and only franklin could do that. >> host: there is another side to the founding fathers which is almost heartbreaking really, when you get into the story of john and abigail adams, i know we have seen many recreations of their lives, books, television stories, you have a very, very serious side to this in this book. a real heart breaker. ego, fame, the whole idea that does permeate the lives of all founding fathers in this book. >> they were very aware that fame is what they were earning two found the country but that is not the same that you saw in the book is not the same megacelebrity. they cannot imagine a tiger woods although a wonderful golfer but that is not the same as they understood it. it had to do with founding a country are defending from inflation. very serious and demanding effort on the part of the man. that was part of the things that troubled john adams. he too had a very big inheritance from his mother. her problem was probably she was manic depressive and would go into these frenzies of house cleaning they go into a horrible depression for weeks at a time and john adams did this throughout his life and have frenzy activities in which he would achieve wonderful things like persuading people to vote for independence but then, the letdown would be horrible and then he would feel sorry for himself and when he was be envious of washington, franklin and all of the other problems would swell up. he was very fortunate he found a woman who could calm him down and get him out of the depressions and her name was abigail adams. >> host: an amazing woman because she was so he 6' 8, 8 1/2, can do it all. i mean when i say do it all and do it gracefully. i mean with the greatest of ease. >> benji will, so his game and personality were -- wilson, his game and personality were electric, a future star in the nba until one morning when everything changed. get an inside glimpse at the man the nfl mayors have chosen to lead them in -- players have chosen to lead them in the fighnewtive rgaient. 'll uce emar ith. >> t our stin >> and a truy th abou inws tvie' hello and welcome to this edition of net impact. we've seen nfl commissioner roger goodell and nfl players association executive director demaris smith exchanging pleasantries through the media and have even been in front of congress as the two sides attempt a collective bargaining agreement and as they do so the atmosphere will get more tense. we know goodell he's within on the job three years now but who is this man that the players have chosen to be their voice in this turbulent time? here's comcast sportsnet's mid- atlantic's jill sorenson. >> for our last practice we could play head coach. >> yea! >> we do head coach. >> reporter: this is fun for demaris smith the executive director of the nfl players association by day and a coach for his 10-year-old son allen and his baseball team in silver vince, maryland, by night. >> tag -- in silver springs, maryland, by night. >> tag him! >> reporter: the intensity and passion you see here is smith's day job as union smith named the successor to the late and edge legendary gene upshaw in march, the man everyone calls dean has not slowed down. >> i've been on the job six months. i've probably been on the road three and a half, four months solid. >> reporter: he was seen as an outsider to get the job with former players as the front runners. his background as a trial lawyer was far from the experience of an nfl player. >> i definitely think that's a positive that he was an outsider, you know, guy coming in, he doesn't have all the connections or, you know, any preconceived notions of what was happening before and, you know, can he come in and kind of look at things clearly. >> i'm very confident. i'm confident, that you know, he can get things done, whatever that may be. he's presented himself in such a way and i think he's broken it down to the players in such a way that we can understand it. >> reporter: as much as he's an outsider d. is a d.c. insider having grown up a stone's throw from fedex field. >> you come out of the room in d.c. and get smacked and then you're injected with burgundy and gold. >> reporter: on his resume counsel to then deputy attorney general eric holder and he also served on president obama's transition team. >> business worldwide in some way, shape or form always touches washington. it's one heck of a sports town. so yeah, those are things that are inextricably tied to who i am. does it affect what i do? probably. but hopefully affects it for the better. >> reporter: with the possible lockout on the horizon demorris smith has made it a priority to visit each team to help them understand the process. >> this was in one of the file drawers in our office and it slowly but surely i'm going through every drawer, every cabinet. >> reporter: why? >> a great deal of our history on what we have done internally to be a stronger union is there. the one thing i'm blessed about is gene was an incredible note taker. here on the back he'd clearly written out in longhand a speech that i don't know whether he gave or was going to give, but the most interesting part at the bottom is you see it in quotes, the nfl has always been willing to take a short loss for a long term gain. >> reporter: in the midst of negotiations or perhaps because of them d. and the union have made national headlines on a regular basis. >> as executive director, my no. 1 priority is to protect those who play and have played this game. to me it is probably a little bit of a combination of half negotiation, half trial lawyer. i mean both of those things are things that are in my dna for some way, shape or form. i think about my grandfather in the pulpit. there's probably a little bit of that, too. as a result, i'm really not afraid of my question. i want guys to be actively involved. truth be told, i probably lean on them in a very hard way, but this is their union. it's not my union. it's their union. >> reporter: always in the line of fire demorris smith is used to the heat. >> i thought that was a -- 17-year-old ben benji wilson was a rising star, a young basketball phenom with a definite nba future. in fact, in 1984 wilson was the no. 1 ranked high school basketball player in the nation. he'd been described as a magic johnson with a jump shot and kevin garnett with a better handle of the ball and a better perimeter game. luke stuckmeyer of comcast sportsnet chicago shows us wilson's wizardry on the court. >> reporter: chicago may be a football town and baseball crazy in summertime, but at its core in the city basketball is a way of life. we're not just talking about the m.j. glory days. we're talking about the kids who built their games here like isiah thomas on the west side and more recently dwayne wade and derrick rose on the south side, but 25 years ago somebody else owned these courts in chicago, a skinny silky kid with a smile named benji. >> and center for the wolverines a junior, 6' 7, no. 25 ben wilson. >> if you haven't seen him, you're in for a treat, 20 a game. >> i would go and i want to be successful and i do what it takes to be successful and that is when i go home i study and do my work and go to class. >> kind of corny stuff. >> well, it works. >> reporter: everything seemed to work for benjamin wilson, but especially basketball. >> wilson two. >> reporter: born and raised on the city's south side, he was the middle of five brothers and it wasn't long before that orange rock was the fiber of his life. >> looked like bruce lee with two basketballs. he approached the basketball hoops. just unbelievable what he could do with that ball three fingers pawning the ball like this. >> reporter: and with ben and his ball around the wilson's neighbors were always up early. >> the neighbors used to be furious about being woke up in the morning because he was always dribbling the basketball and one of the next-door neighbors mr. robertson said benji was the alarm clock to get him up and go to work in the morning. >> reporter: by 16 wilson could still play like a point guard but now he soared like an eagle with his new 7' 3 wingspan. >> bankston drops it down to wilson for a turnaround. >> we used to imitate ben when he shoots his jump shot. it was like he'll shoot it and then put his wrist back like this and run down the court but everybody used to emulate him in high school. that's how big he was in high school. >> reporter: and everybody wanted to be around him. benji's game and personality drew in friends and admirers from all over including the nba. >> ben wilson steps in, scores. >> 6' 8, 8 1/2, can do it all. i mean when i say do it all and do it gracefully. i mean with the greatest of ease. i mean and it looks so pretty when he was doing it. i mean it was smooth. it was silky. it was just you had to -- he had that camera that captured that moment. i mean he was that type of player. >> wilson slide down the lane. >> reporter: as a junior he was a starter on a lineup full of seniors. benji was third team all state and the wolverines went 30-1 for the 2a state title. that put simeon on the map. >> i think he helped push simeon into a more global nationwide type school, basketball power. i remember our senior year, you know, we thought we were world beaters, we could go anywhere and play anybody any time. >> reporter: after winning the state championship in the spring of 1984 ben kept improving stunning scouts at the nike all american camp. he left as the first kid from illinois to ever be ranked as a no. 1 player in the entire country. >> he was clearly, clearly benjamin wilson was the no. 1 player in the country. no one came close. >> reporter: ahead how benji wilson's life changed in less than a second. >> ben's thumb was rising and then at midday. >> reporter: a horrific crime on these streets in chicago is on these streets in chicago is remembered 25 years later. ♪(whi tun n't be h♪ benji wilson's future seemed secure. just a few years in college before fame and wealth would schuler follow in the nba -- would surely follow in the nba, but it wasn't meant to be. instead there was a tragic turn of events and now 25 years later benji wilson has never been forgotten. let's get back to his story. >> reporter: ben wilson had it all, sizzling basketball skills and an electric personality, but on november 20th, 1984, it was a gray cold fall day a on the like this one and on vinsenz avenue right in front of simeon high school the day was about to get even darker. >> the old guys, they've served their times and lived their lives, when the sun is eclipsed or the sun is rising it's so different. ben's sun was rising moving towards midday and then it became midnight at midday. >> reporter: at 12:37 on november 20th ben wilson was walking with his girl friend and mother of his 10-week-old son brandon. they were a block from the school. he liked to gather at a small store around lunchtime but benji bumped into two freshmen from calumet high school on the sidewalk. they pulled out a .22 caliber handgun and shot him twice, one bullet piercing his aorta and the other tearing a hole in his liver. >> to this day i still don't know the story. i've never tried to seek out the story because the only person that could tell is and while the chaos continued at simeon benji's brothers were miles away with a sibling connection that still haunts them. >> i was in library class and i heard somebody say i got shot. i got shot. i was in library class and i was like i'm going crazy, but then i thought about cain and abel when cain slew his brother and the most high said where's your brother? i heard his blood cry from the earth. right there something let me know that he got shot. >> and as a matter of fact, i had a dream two nights in a row before he died, somebody or something tried to tell me, had a dream that night benji was dead. next day i had a dream benji was dead. at that moment i heard my brother's voice say i got shoot just like i said to you there, came to me like. so this was something there and i was like what the hell's going on here? my mama always say you want the most high to talk to you, you got to be in a quiet place and i was in the library class at the time my brother was shot and i heard him. when i found out, i went be serk. >> ery as a we seen ben on the floor by himself. that's what brothers do. >> they weren't supposed to. i don't like to talk about that but they had to see him. >> they was telling us that he's in stable condition and kenny allen pulled the sheet back and we saw him. we had to see him and we knew he was gone. >> reporter: early the next morning the day his senior season was supposed to start ben wilson was pronounced dead at the age of just 17. even president ronald reagan called the family to offer h is dead. >> involved in extraordinary young man. >> he was gunned down. >> it's not how long you live. but how well you live. >> then i seen my brother in that casket. oh, tried to wake him up like man, you ain't dead. get up, man. get up. get up. you ain't dead. get up. then seeing those two guys who did it. >> did you know ben wilson? did you know him? >> reporter: after the shooting cousins billy moore and omar dixon were taken into custody charged with murder and attempted robbery. moore was later sentenced to 40 years for pulling the trigger and dixon 30 years as his accomplice. on the day that benji died his simeon teammates decided to play their first game of the season without no. 25. earlier in the day students sobbed at simeon simply overwhelmed with grief, but benji's mother stood tall in the gymnasium. >> so today i speak in love of all of you who keep benji's memory and dignity and be strength v and strength and love alive -- strength and love alive. >> reporter: the wake was held on the gymnasium floor and 8,000 people came to see benji lying in his no. 25 jersey. the line stretched blocks outside of the school, mourners waited seven hours. >> i still have dreams about him like, you know, he came back and he was able to play again, but just dreams. >> sometimes i sit down and, you know, when i'm going through things, you know, i speak, you know, just like i would to my grandparents, you know. hey, benji, how you doing, that type of thing. i just can't forget about him. this is very emotional. >> reporter: still an emotional story 25 years later. there are some updates to this story. at the time of his murder benji wilson left behind a 10-week- old son named brandon. well, brandon would go on to become a talented high school prep basketball player himself. even played some college basketball at the university of maryland eastern shore but he would leave after his sophomore season according to a school official and as for the two young men convicted of this horrific crime, william moore is still in federal prison for wilson's murder and omar dixon would tack on additional charms when he was arrested for aggravate -- charges when he was arrested for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in a separate attempted murder case. let's move on. next summer south africa will play host to the 2010fifa world cup but it was back in 1995 when they hosted another world cup that changed the country, a game of rugby that united 42 million south africans. now clint eastwood's new movie in vic us brings this amazing true -- invictus brings this amazing true story to life and sat down with matt damon is yuntr rep on ma ond sporth r tochan wor >> l s ouiny. rep onat inciple that the movie invictus was born. obviously you're a big sports fan yourself. what did sports do you think has the ability to unite people like the way we saw in this movie? >> weah, spare iqued ted o ite and ela was actually quoted as saying that. i guess there's something about getting, you know, 60,000 people in a space together g fotly sa thople ss tcoun caion peooss the . s cawas thiste >> b me paect faces the daunting task of a vide h afogetin the wake of apartheid. what struck you about this story that made you so interested in wanting to do it? >> that it was true. i couldn't believe it when i read it and i called clint and i said i can't believe this stor ther fog. as hand th wad thint make no e. leas pre, it kes teso me repomandout th of e taint rugby team. francois is a pretty big guy. how did you get ady ay >>gr world obly t th beey so >> sou i am i am gs d, spiroem. epor lm'stitle us rto aem t mandela used as a sou inspn anngthg near i because the country didn't fall into civil waby l e tionhould have and it's a decision that every single person in that country made. still to come he's a big and bad offensive lineman in the nfl but what are his keys to success off the field? take a look at san francisco 49er eric heitmann and you'd never know that off the field he's a pianoman. here's comcast sportsnet's bay area's brody brazil to show us. >> reporter: this is the side of eric heitmann people know, an offensive lineman for the 49ers since 2002. and this is the side most would never expect, at 6' 3 315 pounds he's got the frame of a football behemoth with the hands of a beethoven. >> my mom made me take lessons about 10, 11 years growing up as a kid. right around when i started playing football, football became more of a focus for me and piano you put on the back burner a little bit. it was always secondary for me, always a hobby but something that i always kept up. >> reporter: inside his home today heitmann employs both a piano and keyboard setup inner it connected with the apple program garage band. it is here where the stanford graduate composes his best work in the form of cinematic sound scapes. >> my style is more of a movie classical theme sounding stuff i guess i for a future behind the keyboard. >> you never know. we'll see at some point maybe if there's something you can put out there. i'd love to get in a recording studio at some point, maybe not for profit, just something i could show my kids at some point. i'll continue to do this for as long as i can. >> reporter: brody brazil, comcast sportsnet. >> he's pretty good. his team's not doing bad either. that's going to do it for this edition of net impact. i'm your host and for all of us thanks for watching, see you again next month. uth , yearoy ed ugamelf hisr. by e oe wa alrutplhim. th of entl ng tior chamips e ag4? fn 16on. dds t sa akino th feurpro-tour fn 7 n. th of e "sy" g opepionnce .s. chship? 780ion. e o rofel goavin a ciagnith ? 1 in erls eges tn ths ofm tism.org >> mike: the virginia cavaliers are ranked in the nation's top 25. a great season. but on the road today, against the wake forest demon deacons, a team that is experiencing rare air. at 3-3 in league play. acc women's hoops straight ahead! caption funding provided by fox sports net >> mike: it has not been a great weather weekend in win symptom salem, north carolina. it might keep the crowd away today but not the two teams, virginia and wake forest are here and ready to go at it. in winston, salem, the number 21 ranked virginia cavaliers set to take on wake forest. mike hogewood along with debbie antonelli. wake forest 3-3 in conference play. >> debbie: it's been a long time since a wake forest team has been at .500 going into february. but this is a very balanced offensive team. pretty good on the defensive end. and in their locker room, written on the board, this team understands that they win today, they move into fourth place in the league. >> mike: it's not going to be easy against virginia. the cavaliers have one of the best players in america in monica wright. >> debbie: not rain nor sleet nor snow will keep me from seeing monica wright. she is that good. leads the cc? scoring and steals and can get to places on the court because of they are explosive ability with the ball in her hands. she hat ability to play 1 through 4. that's how talented she is. fun to watch and can fill it up. >> mike: ray has been leading this team of late on virginia but other players need to step up for wake forest. >> debbie: secily ray has been carrying the offensive load. if wake forest is going to win today, brittany waters has led them in scoring all season and sandra garcia has to play big and has big numbers for wake forest to get a win at home. >> mike: we're ready to go and expecting a great game. both teams are coming off of wins. both of these teams are playing with a lot of confidence right now. it is virginia and wake forest straight ahead! f e crairy f oesnst. ake-e. y lethin undr pi ere' credit fairy we will. by d time ann: thno m tovingcred bure's andfree sta forfas fn ta nesms? i bring you ariche ied sed scor andive m vinls. fs good! ..goodou. f bby? on't worry thast ter he a announced yos arts. for ten simple ways to learn how, visit americansforthearts.org wks welcome back to winston-salem, virginia. wake forest 3-3 in conference play. let's take a look at our virginia starting lineup. monica wright averaging 26 points a game in acc play. shine in the paint and egwu and moorer and gerson fourth straight start and undefeated as a starter. for wake forest, waters ray. sandra garcia, a 6'3" freshman. brooke thomas and courteney morris round out the starting lineup for wake forest deacons. for virginia, debbie ryan, 32 years, over 700 wins, hall of fame. mike peterson coaching on the other side for wake forest. peterson in his sixth year. a former head women's coach at new mexico state and tcu and then came here after a stint as the shint assistant men's coach in minnesota and has arguably his best team here at wake forest. >> debbie: he is giving his team a challenge and a chance to make a run at the acc top half of the league. this is a year where you're not quite clear who is the best team it. of course, duke is putting some separation, based on the way they played against florida state the other night, but a lot of basketball to be played. >> mike: lawson newton and mark hardcastle and luis gonzalez are our officials this afternoon. and it's monica wright who controls the opening tip. >> debbie: this job defensively on monica wright is to try to keep her in front. and it is a difficult task. debbie ryan likes to say keep her between your feet. >> mike: here is shine. double-teamed in the paint. >> debbie: courteney moorer is creating a steal. >> mike: here comes brooke thomas, the point guard, 5'4" sof for out of orlando. >> debbie: if she can take care of the basketball that one of the keys for wake forest to get a win at home. >> mike: deacons turn it over. garcia gives them something different. something they haven't had over the last few years. >> debbie: 6'3", low post present. groves who played for them last year a pick and post player and garcia is a pick-and-roll. >> mike: foul is on courteney moorer. we've played a minute and we're scoreless democrats she is face guarding her right now. she is watching monica wright. >> mike: chelsea shine gets the roll. the first bucket of the game. the sophomore from wayne, pennsylvania. >> debbie: i spoke to debbie ryan before the game. i said i kept looking for something in the numbers that would indicate to me there is someone else that is playing well along with monica wright and coach ryan said you're not going to find it in the numbers. you're just going to find it in their playmaking abilities and the intangibles they bring playing alongside monica wright. >> mike: turnover gives the ball back to virginia. you talked about chelsea shine. she has had some big games lately. 10.7 rebounds past wednesday in boston college. >> debbie: she has more offensive rebounds than defensive. that tells you virginia taking shots inside their system and chelsea is making a conscious effort to get to the boards every time. >> mike: chelsea hitting the shot. three seconds called on the cavaliers. >> debbie: so far, face guarding monica wright and guarding her and not letting her touch it is working for wake forest. you go two minutes into the game and she hasn't scored, that's not bad. >> mike: not at all. we've only had one bucket scored here in the first two minutes. cavaliers come into this game shooting okay from the field, but not very good at all from three. especially in league play. only 22%. a drive and a nice shot there by moorer. the cavaliers take an early 4-0 lead. >> debbie: monica wright has brittany waters guarding her. >> mike: monica wright look at her go for the steal. a lot of times you overlook how good a defensive player she is. 76 steals on the season for wright. >> debbie: you know, this is a year that i really believe when elena beard was playing at duke, she was overshadowed. i think monica wright is overshadowed by the dominance of connecticut and charles this year. kks brooke thomas down in the lane and nowhere to go with it. here's ray. saw garcia miss the three-point attempt. she has not been very good out there this year. thomas leads it short. >> debbie: they go 1-4 low and thomas goes one-on-one. >> mike: here is shine. trying to get it into simone egwu, couldn't do it. ray is number 23 and you expect her to be the leader offensively. there is brittany waters. you talked to her in the open. she hits the deacons first bucket. >> debbie: it's important that waters knocks down a couple of early shots to get her confidence back. they have an advantage with garcia on the inside even though she is just a freshman. >> mike: and the block is called as wright trying to drive baseline. >> debbie: rain is running interference and waters comes off that screen ready to score. see, that time, monica wright caught the ball in the corner and garcia rotated over to double-team her. the defensive game plan is centered around trying to eliminate mob monica wright's opportunity to get touches. >> mike: the foul is courteney morris, her second. she has to come out of the game. there is wright, her first field goal. monica wright has given the cavs a four-point lead democrats that's the first open look she has had and because she was the inbounder. >> mike: whistle and foul off the ball. foul is going to be called on simone egwu. >> debbie: watch monica wright. she inbounds the basketball and steps in on the baseline. >> mike: tapped out to boykin who just came into the game, a freshman from raleigh. all of the freshmen from wake forest roster will see significant minutes. very young team. thomas is only a sophomore. there is boykin to the rim. >> debbie: there is that play a lot of teams run in the ac. you always get an open look outside the arc. you have to be able to knock it down. >> mike: 15:56 to play first half. cavs up 6- early. hostd swg to allyyou mor insu the n inire? ♪weet knoat m fron, whe co r, t. ♪ ♪r tiocki st: switto g 15% e onnsur st: "too jon ll? ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ man the ♪ [ ma lf torie f all hamm ] gonnt liutte f and like. ♪ f floa a bly. stke a nnat l buty d sike ♪ inga... 7 ting a [ wohalfalor the wom] i kat's. >> mike: it's all wake forest of lake. virginia started out shooting 3 of 4 but haven't hit a shot since. as you see, no field goals in the last 4 1/2 minutes. wake forest hasn't been light it up. 3 for 10. 0 for 3 from behind the arc here early. and there is sandra garcia who has had some big games. she had a career high 27 against high point. hasn't been scoring a lot lately. camille collier into the game for wake forest, number 3 in gold. >> debbie: nice screening action for brittany waters. she gets to the free-throw line, she could have shot a bank shot well but i don't know about the scoop shot from mike petersen. garcia takes out two defenders with her screening ability. and now waters gets to the free-throw line. >> mike: waters first trip to the free-throw line. junior from orlando leaves it short. a former florida high school player of the year. last game against clemson, waters did not shoot the ball well, just 2 for 9 from the field. she's had some good acc games. scored 14 points against miami. here's wright back in the game. monica wright 1 for 3 now. >> debbie: an opportunity in transition. >> mike: deep three. won't go from waters. look at her follow her shot. the scramble for the loose ball. it will be wake forest possession. >> debbie: it definitely looks like brittany waters got her focus on early on and ready to play and particularly on the offensive end. this is a shot that goes off the left part of the rim and good shooters recognize when they're off. >> mike: wraurts trying to chase it down and can't catch up with it. brittany took a hard fall here. early rebound story. look at the deacons. 11-4. waters will get a break for a moment. dshs. >> debbie: a different defender on monica wright. the third different defender we're seen try to face-guard her. >> mike: they are limiting wright's touches and her shots. and, again, they knock the ball out of the hands of telia mccall. still belongs to virginia. this wake defense has been pretty impressive. >> debbie: i've been very impressed with wake forest defense taking monica wright out. three different players face-guarding her and not letting her catch it. >> mike: brittany edwards, a sophomore from charlotte. their dad was a great player at east carolina. >> debbie: this is one of the ways monica wright scores on an out of bounds play. >> mike: shot clock winding down. whitny edwards had to take that. kellum takes the ball and gets it to the hole and she is fouled. foul is going to be on garcia. and kellum will go to the free-throw line. this will be the first free of the afternoon for the virginia cavaliers. that's the first points for virginia in over five minutes. paulisha kellum, who has been a spark for this team when monica wright has not been shooting the ball and scoring lights out. >> debbie: tough angle to try to get it inside to garcia. maybe an extra dribble and then improve your angle entry into the low block. virginia staying with their man-to-man. >> mike: nice pass inside. good job by brooke thomas and mykala walker scores her first points. walker is from duluth, georgia. fouls are starting to mounted up a bit here. no field goals in 6:25. >> debbie: yet they only trail by four. that's why you don't want her to catch it. exactly her ability to burst through the seam and score. >> mike: monica wright now with four points. >> debbie: she can see things with the ball in her hands that other players just can't see, mooi mike. when you don't think that there's a seam or you think there's three people in the paint that is going to discourage her from getting inside, it's not. >> mike: thomas drives in the lane. what a drive by brooke thomas who has shown flashes of brilliance the past couple of years. >> debbie: think if she learns to play the game at this stage. this is a slower pace today but when teams feed them up, she can take care of the basketball. they could take their team to another level. >> mike: williams down with the rebound. wake forest has to call a time-out. good defense by paulisha kellum and a strong rebound by williams. >> debbie: they have been face-guarding her, wake forest. then look at the gap. she can just split defenders and she can get inside off the bounce. she's been very patient and very mature about the way she has let the game come to her early on. >> mike: often, we talk about speed for a player. while monica wright might not be the fastest player out there, her first step, to me, seems to be really explosive. >> debbie: i might argue with you