HBO jumps into Michaele and Tareq Salahi circus, adding them to 'Real Sports'

Add HBO to the list of networks getting in on the Salahi act.

Clever HBO found a way to dive into the pool, putting Michaele and Tareq in Tuesday night's edition of the series "Real Sports," on the pretext that the show was covering the Salahis' America's Polo Cup because polo is, you know, a sport.

"Real Sports" correspondent Bernard Goldberg kicks things off (according to a copy sent to the press in advance of the telecast) by letting us know that the polo match, especially in a tanking economy, provides "time for rich folks to have some well-deserved, much-needed fun."

Except, he notes, there are a few "teensy-weensy problems with this supposed charitable event of international importance between India and the United States -- the Indian Embassy says India has absolutely nothing to do with it."

Right on cue, Here Come the Salahis!

Goldberg introduces the two as "America's best-known party crashers, even though they insist they were invited to that state dinner at the White House," and explains that they're behind this polo match that is supposedly the reason they're on this HBO show about sports.

To drive home his point, Goldberg spits out a few polo facts. Then he gets on with the juicy bits:

"Forgive me, but there have been lots of allegations that you don't pay your bills," Goldberg says apologetically to the Salahis, looking chagrined, as if he'd just used the wrong fork at one of their formal dinner parties.

"Real Sports" reports that the America's Polo Cup is under investigation by the state of Virginia for possible fraud and was "bare bones" this year; six of what "Real Sports" said were the match's 20 vendors said in interviews that the Salahis owe them money -- one claimed the couple owes him $25,000.

"We're misjudged -- and people have been misinformed," Tareq explains to Goldberg.

"It's only up until recently that we are beginning to set the record straight," Tareq adds.

Here is Tareq setting the record straight, on pay-cable TV: