Bradley Cooper segment banned from NFL Network show

Bradley Cooper has been banned from the NFL Network in a move that Hollywood honcho Harvey Weinstein is calling "censorship."

The star of the Weinstein Company's "Silver Lining Playbook" was set to headline Friday night's "Rich Eisen's Thanksgiving Special" with co-star Chris Tucker.  But after the segment was already taped and approved, the network was told on Wednesday by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's office to sack it.

The league's reason?  Because Robert De Niro's Eagles-obsessed character in the film is a part-time bookie.

 What's next?   Banning movies with concussions?

The awkward attempt by the NFL to bury its head in the sand has left host Eisen and his producers doing a last minute Hail Mary in the editing room.

An NFL Media rep confirmed, "The segment was pulled because the movie included content related to gambling on NFL games."

"The interview was planned for weeks," said a source. "The  network requested the interview."

Until Thursday, the segment from the Oscar-buzzing film was promoted online as the show's big interview.  There was even a photo of Eisen posing with Cooper and Tucker.  It was later replaced by a shot of Eisen and another guest, actor John Slattery.

Weinstein, never one to pass up a promotional opportunity, said, "We are deeply disappointed in the NFL's decision, and we are quite frankly surprised .  Pulling a pretaped interview with our stars is nothing short of censorship . . . [Silver Linings'] is not a film about gambling in the NFL.  It's a film about fathers and sons and football bonding a family together."

It looks like we'll just have to wait for next year's special to see the heartthrob Cooper promoting "Hangover III."  That movie will probably only have drugs, guns and Mike Tyson singing but, hopefully, no bookies.