What is it that attracts people to sports?

Is it a love for the game, the competition, the entertainment?

All that’s important, but behind the big hits, game-winning shots and monster home runs are the guys who make the plays.

The playmakers.

What happens before and after the game, to the people who play it, is the focus of ESPN’s new dramatic series “Playmakers.”

The storyline follows players from a fictional football team, the Cougars, through their trials and tribulations off and on the field.

The human aspect of professional football is put under the microscope. How do the players deal with the physical and mental pounding they receive week in and week out. Is a player’s health and safety a priority? Or is the bottom line getting the most talented bodies on the field?

“Playmakers” pulls no punches when it comes to dealing with the tough issues of football.

The show also tries to push the limits of what can be shown and said on cable TV. Strong language and nudity are a staple.

A large part of the storyline involves the competition between veteran running back Leon Taylor, played by Russell Hornsby, and rookie stud Demetrius Harris, played by Omar Gooding.

Taylor is the aging back in the league who’s looking for anything to help him stay on top and Harris is a new generation runner who likes to roll with a posse, talk trash and show off.

Quarterback Derek McConnell, played by Christopher Wiehl, has problems with prescription drugs, a-la Brett Favre, that put his health in jeopardy. Middle linebacker Eric Olczyk, played by Jason Smith, shows signs of Bill Romanowski syndrome; psycho on the field and mild-mannered off it.

Most of the acting is done well, but if you find the characters unbelievable at least they look the part.

Sports fans today are becoming more and more interested in what players do in their daily lives. People want to know who these guys really are. “Playmakers” gives its take at 6 p.m. PST, Tuesdays on ESPN.