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Archives for January 2009

ESPNU’s 2009 College Lacrosse Schedule

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ESPNU’s 2009 College Lacrosse Schedule  ESPN2 to Televise Two Regular-Season Games in HD; Entire NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Tournament Exclusively on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU

ESPNU will present wide-ranging coverage of the 2009 college lacrosse season, including an extensive regular-season schedule and the NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship. The networks combined will televise 45 games, including 30 regular-season contests and 15 NCAA Tournament games across ESPNU, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN360.com. Coverage will begin on ESPNU Friday, Feb. 20, when #4 Johns Hopkins will host Siena at 6 p.m. ET. Additionally, ESPN2 will feature two regular-season men’s games in high definition, including #1 Virginia vs. #3 Maryland at noon on March, 28 and #1 Virginia vs. #7 Duke at 4 p.m. on Saturday, April, 11.

ESPNU will air games with 14 of the top 20 men’s teams according to the NIKE/IL Men’s Division I Preseason Media Poll. The network will also feature two women’s matchups, including #11 Georgetown vs. #19 John Hopkins on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 4 p.m. and reigning NCAA champion #1 Northwestern at #19 Johns Hopkins Friday, April 17 at 7 p.m.

Other highlights include the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic that will showcase #12 Princeton vs. #4 Johns Hopkins (noon) and #7 Duke vs. #3 Maryland (2:30 p.m.) on Feb. 28 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md., as well as the inaugural Big City Classic, set to display #5 North Carolina vs. #1 Virginia (noon) and #2 Syracuse vs. #12 Princeton (2:30 p.m.) on April 4 from Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The Day of Rivals will pit #9 Navy vs. Army (11:30 a.m.) and #3 Maryland vs. #4 Johns Hopkins (2 p.m.) on April 11 at M&T Bank Stadium.

In addition to the aforementioned events, every game on the ESPNU schedule will feature a ranked team, including the following top 10 matchups: #8 Georgetown vs. #3 Maryland (Feb. 21), #5 North Carolina vs. #3 Maryland (Mar. 21) and #1 Virginia vs. #4 Johns Hopkins (Mar. 21).

The 2009 ESPNU Lacrosse Season Preview Show on ESPN2 will commence the season on the ESPN networks with a one-hour preview special hosted by ESPNU anchor Lowell Galindo and lacrosse analyst Quint Kessenich on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 3:30 p.m., while throughout the season, ESPN.com will offer extensive online coverage of lacrosse and integrated coverage of professional, collegiate and prep lacrosse content from Insidelacrosse.com and Inside Lacrosse Magazine.

For the third year in a row, the ESPN networks will televise the complete NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship. ESPNU will televise all eight First Round games and Quarterfinal contests (May 10 – May 17). ESPN2 will televise the National Semifinals (May 23) and ESPN will offer the National Championship game on May 25. ESPN360.com will simulcast the National Semifinals and Championship games. Two days following the Championship, ESPNU will televise the Major League Lacrosse Draft for a third consecutive year, live, at 8:30 p.m.

The commentators slated for this season’s coverage will include play-by-play announcers Dave Ryan, Rob Simmelkjaer, Allen Hopkins and Scott Garceau and analysts Quint Kessenich (Four-Time Johns Hopkins All-American), Mark Dixon (Johns Hopkins), Jack Emmer (former Army Head Coach and the NCAA’s winningest DI head coach), Matt Ward (University of Virginia and Tewaaraton winner) and newcomer Stephen McElduff (former defenseman from the University of North Carolina).

2009 ESPNU COLLEGE LACROSSE REGULAR-SEASON SCHEDULE

Date Time (ET) Game

Fri., Feb. 20

6 p.m.

Siena at Johns Hopkins

Sat., Feb. 21

1p.m.

Georgetown at Maryland

Sun., Feb. 22

6:30 p.m.

*^Towson at Loyola (Md.)

Wed., Feb. 25

4 p.m.

Georgetown at Johns Hopkins (women)

Sat. Feb. 28

12 p.m.

Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic: Princeton at Johns Hopkins

Sat. Feb. 28

2:30 p.m.

Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic: Duke at Maryland

Sat., Feb. 28

5 p.m.

Cornell at Army

Fri., Mar. 6

12 a.m.

*^Princeton at UMBC

Sat., Mar. 7

12 p.m.

Hofstra at Johns Hopkins

Sat. Mar. 7

2 p.m.

*Maryland at Towson

Sat. Mar. 14

12 p.m.

*UMBC at Maryland

Sat., Mar. 14

2 p.m.

Duke at North Carolina

Fri., Mar. 20

3 p.m.

Albany at Princeton

Sat., Mar. 21

2 p.m.

North Carolina at Maryland

Sat., Mar. 21

8 p.m.

*Virginia at Johns Hopkins

Tues., Mar. 24

7 p.m.

Hofstra at Army

Sat., Mar. 28

12 p.m.

Maryland at Virginia (on ESPN2/ESPN2 HD)

Sat., Mar. 28

12 p.m.

*Syracuse at Loyola (MD)

Sat., Mar. 28

2 p.m.

Johns Hopkins at North Carolina

Sat. Apr. 4

12 p.m.

Big City Classic: North Carolina at Virginia

Sat., Apr. 4

2:30 p.m.

Big City Classic: Syracuse at Princeton

Sat. Apr. 4

9 p.m.

*^Albany at Johns Hopkins

Sat., Apr. 11

11:30 a.m.

Day of Rivals: Army at Navy

Sat., Apr. 11

2 p.m.

Day of Rivals: Johns Hopkins at Maryland

Sat., Apr. 11

4 p.m.

Virginia at Duke (on ESPN2/ ESPN2 HD)

Sat. Apr. 11

10 p.m.

*^Hofstra at Towson

Fri., Apr. 17

7 p.m.

Northwestern at Johns Hopkins (women)

Sat., Apr. 18

2 p.m.

*Navy at Johns Hopkins

Sat., Apr. 25

1 p.m.

*Vermont at UMBC

Sat., May 2

1 p.m.

*Loyola (Md.) at Johns Hopkins

*Will co-exist on WMAR-TV (ABC affiliate in Baltimore)

^Tape delay

2009 NCAA DIVISION I MEN’S LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIP COVERAGE ON ESPN, ESPN2 AND ESPNU

Date Network Time (ET) Game

Sat., May 9

ESPNU/ESPN2

12 p.m.

NCAA First Round – Game 1 (TBD)

ESPNU

2:30 p.m.

NCAA First Round – Game 2 (TBD)

ESPNU

5 p.m.

NCAA First Round – Game 3 (TBD)

ESPNU

7:30 p.m.

NCAA First Round – Game 4 (TBD)

Sun., May 10

ESPNU

12 p.m.

NCAA First Round – Game 5 (TBD)

ESPNU

2:30 p.m.

NCAA First Round – Game 6 (TBD)

ESPNU

5 p.m.

NCAA First Round – Game 7 (TBD)

ESPNU

7:30 p.m.

NCAA First Round – Game 8 (TBD)

Sat., May 16

ESPNU

12 p.m.

Quarterfinal # 1 – Annapolis, Md.

ESPNU

2:30 p.m.

Quarterfinal #2 – Annapolis, Md.

Sun., May 17

ESPNU

12 p.m.

Quarterfinal #3 – Ithaca, N.Y.

ESPNU

2:30 p.m.

Quarterfinal #4 – Ithaca, N.Y.

Sat., May 23

ESPN2

12 p.m.

Semifinal #1 – Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, Mass.)

ESPN2

2:30 p.m.

Semifinal #2 – Gillette Stadium

Mon., May 25

ESPN

1 p.m.

NCAA National Championship – Gillette Stadium

ESPNU

ESPNU launched on March 4, 2005. The 24-hour college sports television network features more than 550 live events annually, including college football, college basketball and Olympic sports from more than 25 Division I conferences, as well as premier high school content. The network also has a wide-ranging, long-term agreement with the NCAA for enhanced coverage of 22 NCAA Championships.

ESPNU also offers comprehensive studio programming, including live simulcasts of ESPN Radio’s The Herd with Colin Cowherd, and replays the best games of the week from ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Regional Television. The brand is also available in high definition on ESPNU HD and online at ESPNU.com. In addition, ESPNU Campus Connection, a multi-platform student-generated content initiative, was introduced in August 2007.

ESPNU is available nationwide in more than 23 million households and has long-term carriage agreements with several top 10 providers, including Charter, Cox, DIRECTV (Channel 614), DISH Network (Channel 148), Insight Communications, Mediacom, Suddenlink, and Time Warner. ESPNU is also available on Verizon FIOS TV and AT&T U-verse.

Visit www.espnmediazone.com for ESPN’s latest releases, schedules, news, photos, video and audio clips, and more.

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NASCAR Now Returns for Third Season Feb. 2 with Roundtable Discussion, New Features

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NASCAR Now Returns for Third Season Feb. 2 with Roundtable Discussion, New Features

ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program NASCAR Now returns to the air for its third season on Monday, Feb. 2, to coincide with the beginning of the 2009 NASCAR racing season. The season’s first program, a one-hour roundtable discussion, airs at 5 p.m. ET.

Mike Massaro, who has been a pit reporter on ESPN’s NASCAR coverage the past two years, moves to the studio this year as a new co-host of NASCAR Now, joining returning co-hosts Nicole Manske and Allen Bestwick. NASCAR Now includes the latest news, highlights, opinion, debate and analysis from drivers, crew chiefs and insiders both on and off the track. The program regularly airs at 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with all programs 30 minutes except for the one-hour Monday roundtable. ESPN2 also airs a one-hour edition at 10 a.m. on the morning of each NASCAR Sprint Cup race, and a weekend wrap-up edition will begin in July.

On Monday’s return episode, Bestwick leads the roundtable discussion of the latest NASCAR news with ESPN.com motorsports writer Ed Hinton and NASCAR Now lead reporter Marty Smith, both award-winning journalists, and ESPN motorsports analyst and NASCAR driver Boris Said.

A five-part feature during the first week of the NASCAR Now season will tie in the 60th anniversary of NASCAR with Top 10 lists by the five former NASCAR Sprint Cup champion analysts on ESPN’s NASCAR coverage team. Dale Jarrett, the 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, will reveal his Top 10 personalities in NASCAR history, while 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace lists his Top 10 tracks. Andy Petree, two-time champion crew chief, reveals his Top 10 drivers and two-time champion crew chief Tim Brewer lists his Top 10 finishes. Analyst Ray Evernham, a three-time champion crew chief, lists his Top 10 “coolest cars.”

Other features during the first week include conversations about NASCAR with actor Tom Cruise and Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton; a visit by driver Ryan Newman to Fort Bragg as part of his new sponsorship from the U.S. Army; and a review of NASCAR’s “Silly Season.”

During the week leading up to the Feb. 15 running of the Daytona 500, NASCAR Now airs a three-part series on NASCAR and the economy, looking through the eyes of the NASCAR fan, a NASCAR team crew member and legendary driver/team owner Richard Petty. The five weekday episodes of the program will expand to one hour during Daytona 500 week and originate from Daytona International Speedway.

Live NASCAR racing returns to the ESPN networks for the 2009 season when ESPN2 airs flag-to-flag coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series Camping World 300 from Daytona on Saturday, Feb. 14, at noon.

About NASCAR on ESPN:
ESPN and ABC have comprehensive, multi-platform coverage featuring telecasts of the final 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup races, including the 10-race “Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup” on ABC. Additionally, ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season. All programming is produced totally in high definition. ESPN’s comprehensive, multimedia NASCAR coverage extends to ESPN.com, SportsCenter, ESPN the Magazine, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPNRadio and ESPN International, among other ESPN platforms. ESPN aired 262 NASCAR Cup Races over a 20-year period starting in 1981 and returned to NASCAR coverage in 2007. The network’s award-winning, live flag-to-flag coverage on ESPN has been honored with 18 Sports Emmy Awards, as well as many industry honors. It is widely credited for helping to popularize the sport nationwide. NASCAR races have appeared on ABC for decades, beginning with broadcasts on the award-winning Wide World of Sports program in the 1960s.

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Fans To Vote At Superbowl.Com, NFL.Com & Via Mobile Devices For Cadillac Super Bowl MVP

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FANS TO VOTE AT SUPERBOWL.COM, NFL.COM &

VIA MOBILE DEVICES FOR CADILLAC SUPER BOWL MVP

Fan Votes Will Count 20 Percent

Who will be the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XLIII…KURT WARNER, BEN ROETHLISBERGER, LARRY FITZGERALD or HINES WARD?

In the fourth quarter, fans can vote for the Super Bowl MVP on SUPERBOWL.COM and NFL.COM. Fans voting on their web-enabled mobile devices can vote at NFL.COM. The fan vote will count 20 percent (four votes) with another 16 on-site media members representing the other 80 percent.

The four fan votes will be distributed as follows:

Leading Super Bowl.com vote-getter      2.5 MVP votes
#2 vote-getter  1.0 MVP vote
#3 vote-getter  0.5 MVP vote

The Super Bowl MVP receives the Pete Rozelle Trophy and a 556 horsepower 2009 Cadillac CTS-V.  Cadillac is the official vehicle of Super Bowl XLIII.  Last year, Super Bowl XLII MVP ELI MANNING received 2.5 MVP votes from fans.

The announcement will be made immediately following the game on NBC.

SUPERBOWL.COM is part of the NFL Internet Network, the most popular sports league property.

#        #       #

Filed Under: NFL

NBA All-Star LeBron James to Serve as TNT NBA Analyst for 2009 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam

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MEDIA ADVISORY

All-Star LeBron James to Serve as TNT NBA Analyst for 2009 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam

Kevin Durant &, Derrick Rose headline selections for sophomore and rookie squads

Perennial NBA All-Star LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, a participant in the 2004 and 2005 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge, will join TNT’s Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Kenny Smith (analyst) and Craig Sager (reporter) as part of the network’s telecast of the 2009 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam on Friday, Feb. 13 at 9 p.m. ET.  The Emmy® award-winning studio show Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai will follow the game live from U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix.  TNT’s exclusive coverage of the 2009 All-Star Game from Phoenix, AZ will air on Sun., February 15 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

The participants in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam were selected by the NBA’s assistant coaches. For the first time in the game’s history, two current NBA players, All-Star starters Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat will serve on the coaching staffs, Howard for the Sophomores and Wade for the Rookies.

Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant, the 2007-08 NBA Rookie of the Year, will join teammate Jeff Green, on the Sophomore team, which also includes Atlanta Hawks’ Al Horford, Los Angeles Clippers’ Al Thornton, Philadelphia 76ers’ Thaddeus Young, New York Knicks’ Wilson Chandler, Detroit Pistons’ Rodney Stuckey and a pair of teammates from the Houston Rockets – Aaron Brooks and Luis Scola.

Derrick Rose, the first pick in the 2008 NBA Entry Draft, will be joined on the Rookie team by two sets of teammates – O.J. Mayo and Marc Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies and Greg Oden and Rudy Fernandez from the Portland Trail Blazers.  The Thunder’s Russell Westbrook, the Clippers’ Eric Gordon, the Miami Heat’s Michael Beasley and the New Jersey Nets’ Brook Lopez round out the Rookie team.

Exclusive content, analysis from TNT announcers and replays of Inside the NBA are available on TNT OverTime on NBA.com. The broadband channel gives fans the inside scoop on players, coaches and storylines taking place around the league seven days a week.   Check out the NBA on TNT pages on MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/nbaontnt) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com) to see the latest NBA on TNT schedule, news updates and special features from TNT announcers.

ESPN and MAC Reach Agreement on Extension for Multiplatform Rights Through 2016-17

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ESPN and MAC Reach Agreement on Extension for Multiplatform Rights Through 2016-17

ESPN, Inc. and the Mid-American Conference (MAC) have reached an eight-year agreement to extend their current contract for rights across multiple platforms for football, and men’s and women’s basketball through the 2016-17 academic year.

As a result of the comprehensive deal, ESPN will receive national exclusive rights to distribute MAC football, and men’s and women’s basketball, including conference Championships for all three across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Regional Television, ESPN360.com, ESPN Mobile TV, ESPN GamePlan, ESPN FULL COURT, ESPN International, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Classic.

“Through demonstrated audience growth and success, both on the field and on the court, the MAC has proven to be a very popular and competitive conference,” said Burke Magnus, ESPN senior vice president, college sports programming. “The MAC and its member institutions have always had a shared vision of the benefits of creative scheduling. We are excited to continue to provide national exposure of their football and men’s and women’s basketball action across our multiple platforms including significant coverage on ESPNU.”

The pact, coming off the second highest rating for the conference football championship in ESPN’s last 12 years televising the event (a 1.7 rating), is the most extensive in the 63-year history of the conference.

“The breadth of this agreement, both in terms of the overall number of MAC events televised as well as the scope of the ESPN networks involved, truly solidifies the conference’s long-term television future,” said MAC Commissioner Rick Chryst. “It brings further structure and consistency to our regional and national football television package, while offering important growth for both our men’s and women’s basketball programs.”

As part of the agreement, the MAC will receive:

· A minimum of 11 nationally televised football games a year, with six on ESPN or ESPN2 — including the popular MAC Football Championship — and five on ESPNU.

· A minimum of six men’s or women’s regular-season basketball conference games a year on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU, plus full participation in the ESPNU BracketBusters event, which the conference joined as a founding member in 2003.

· The men’s basketball tournament title game on ESPN or ESPN2, where it has been televised since 1987, and the potential for the women’s championship game on ESPNU based on the tournament format, which would mark the first-ever national telecast of the matchup.

· A multi-year commitment to a six-week ESPN Regional Television syndicated football package on broadcast stations across the MAC geography, continuing the success of this effort from the 2007 and 2008 seasons.

ESPN, Inc.

ESPN, Inc. is the world’s leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring a portfolio of over 50 multimedia sports assets. The company is comprised of six domestic television networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPNU), ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS and ESPNU HD simulcast services, ESPN Regional Television, ESPN International (45 networks, syndication, radio, web sites), ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Enterprises, ESPN PPV, ESPN Zones (sports-themed restaurants), and other growing new businesses including ESPN360.com (Broadband), ESPN Mobile Properties, ESPN on Demand and ESPN Interactive. Based in Bristol, Ct., ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.

Mid-American Conference
Founded in 1946, the Mid-American Conference is an NCAA Division I, 12-member conference that sponsors 23 championships and is one of 11 members of the Football Bowl Subdivison (FBS). With total enrollment of nearly 300,000 students, the league represents institutions of higher learning in six (6) states – Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York, and Ohio. In addition a 13th school – Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa. — is an affiliate member for football only.

Current MAC schools that hold full membership and the year they joined are — East Division: the University of Akron (1992), Bowling Green State University (1952), University at Buffalo (1998), Kent State University (1951), Miami University (1947), Ohio University (1946). West Division: Ball State University (1973), Central Michigan University (1971), Eastern Michigan University (1971), Northern Illinois University (1975-86, rejoined in 1997), University of Toledo (1950), Western Michigan University (1947). Temple University (2007) competes in the East Division in football only.

The league office is based in Cleveland, Ohio.

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“We just want one thing – Double Overtime.” – NBC’s Michaels

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SUPER BOWL XLIII PREVIEW WITH NBC’S MICHAELS, MADDEN EBERSOL AND GAUDELLI

“It’s not to get to the Super Bowl; it’s to win the Super Bowl, and I think both teams understand that.” – NBC’s Madden

PREGAME CONFERENCE CALL TODAY AT 1PM, ET

NEW YORK – Jan. 28, 2009 – NBC Sports’ coverage of the Super Bowl begins at Noon ET, Sunday, Feb. 1. Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa will mark the 16th broadcast by NBC, equaling CBS for the most Super Bowls broadcast by any network and its first since 1998, Super Bowl XXXII. In that Super Bowl played in San Diego, John Elway finally broke through for his first Super Bowl championship, as the Denver Broncos defeated Brett Favre and the defending champion Green Bay Packers, 31-24.

NBC Sports conducted a media conference call yesterday with John Madden (game analyst), Al Michaels (play-by-play) Dick Ebersol (Chairman, NBC Universal Sports and Olympics) and Fred Gaudelli (game producer) to preview the matchup for Super Bowl XLIII.

MICHAELS ON THE EXCITEMENT OF THE SUPER BOWL: “Now that we’re on site it’s a different feeling then when you’re sitting at home prior to coming down here. There is great anticipation about this game, and there’s mystery. I think it’s going to be really exciting. It’s building and you can feel it and I’m delighted to be working my third Super Bowl with John and we just want one thing – Double Overtime.”

MADDEN ON HANDLING PRESSURE OF SUPER BOWL WEEK: “I’m impressed how both these teams are handling media day. It’s the first test they’ll have to face down here. There are two important things you have to remember about the Super Bowl. When you win your championship game, it’s not the end. You haven’t done anything yet. It’s not to get to the Super Bowl; it’s to win the Super Bowl, and I think both teams understand that. The other thing is, don’t take these things as distractions. Just enjoy it. You’re going to look back on your life and say, ‘that was the best time of my life.’ If it’s going to be a highlight, act like it and enjoy it. These teams are handling it that way, and the teams that enjoy this usually win.”

GAUDELLI ON THE SUPER BOWL: “There is no greater opportunity in sports than to put the Super Bowl on your network for hundreds of millions of people. There are just some tremendous stories in this game, and interesting matchups on both sides of the ball. We wish the game was tomorrow because we are ready to go.”

EBERSOL ON NBC RETURNING TO DO A SUPER BOWL: “This is the first Super Bowl NBC has had in 11 years. In the five years that preceded our last Super Bowl in San Diego in 1998, we had four Super Bowls in six seasons, the greatest bounty that anyone had ever had. It teaches you humility in this business when you hit a home run like that and you think it’s going to stay forever but it goes away. So my joy is high in having another Super Bowl and most importantly going into the Super Bowl with Al, and John and Freddy and Drew Esocoff, the best team to do football, I believe, in my lifetime.”

ON AL AND JOHN CALLING ANOTHER SUPER BOWL TOGETHER:
MICHAELS: “I’d like to be back in three, six, nine, 12, 15 years. You can’t do enough of these. This is the essence of why any of us get into this business, and God-willing everyone stays healthy there is more to come.”
MADDEN: “It doesn’t get any better than this, these are always the biggest years you do when you end up with a Super Bowl. This has been a very special year working with Al. This is our third one, and a fourth sounds pretty good.”

MICHAELS ON HIS GAME PREPARATION: “John and I like to follow the saying ‘let the game come to you.’ We’re going to go into this game with about eight million things to talk about, but we’re not going to start by talking about them, we’ll let the game develop, see where the stories are, and then get into them.”

EBERSOL ON THE DIFFERENCE OF TELEVISING A SUPER BOWL TODAY: “For starters, I expect this Super Bowl experience, which so far has been perfect, will continue that way. This is the first time that we have been involved doing regular season football as a playoff caliber production every week with the size and scope of what goes into a Sunday Night game. It’s the closest thing to a big playoff game or a Super Bowl. I feel like we do it every week at a high level. I think that we are better prepared for it and the experience that John and Al bring certifies that.”

EBERSOL ON THE EFFECT THE ECONOMY HAD ON THE SUPER BOWL:
“We had one incredible lucky break against what has been a very slipping economy. Our sales department sold more Super Bowl inventory before the beginning of September than anyone had in history. On September 5, they announced they were 85% sold. I’m not going to tell you it hasn’t been a tough slog to this point since then, but as we sit here this afternoon they’re down to the last four spots left in the game and they have not crashed price in any way shape or form. A dozen of those spots in the game were priced and accepted at $3 million and all the other spots are in the high $2 millions, so we’re pretty happy with that situation.”

“I won’t sit and tickle you and try to tell you it’s the same for the pregame side, because historically that is sold in the last couple of months before the game and we had a tough time, but we’re selling quite a bit this week. It won’t be a record-setter, but I think the game, in terms of gross dollars in because of the high price of so much of the inventory that’s already been sold, will set a record.”

MICHAELS ON FINDING NEW ANGLES: “What we might try to do here is find a little different twist. Everybody is going to know the stories but maybe we can find a little different angle that very few people know about or have heard about or come in a side door when we address that. I’m not talking about ignoring these stories. I’m talking about trying to illuminate them in a different manner than you might work just a regular season game.”

EBERSOL ON THE EXPANSION OF THE PREGAME SHOW: “I’m still looking for people right now as we get to this point in the conversation. We were catching up with ourselves today, and we have not announced all of them but at this moment between the pre-show and the game we have twenty-one people and I want twenty-two so we can fill two complete teams. John and Coach Holmgren and Coach Dungy will all have to play; they won’t be able to be on the sidelines. One of the things that’s a challenge when you do a whole afternoon, as we’re about to do with our pregame, is to be interesting all the way through. What Sam Flood and Michael Weisman have laid out for Sunday afternoon is indeed incredibly interesting, and they have some very interesting fellows to talk us through this stuff. To have Mike Holmgren and Tony (Dungy) fresh out of the game, one three years removed from the Super Bowl and the other two years removed, they have a lot they can help enlighten the audience about how the Super Bowl is different from other games in terms of the way the guys prepare. Mike Holmgren is unbelievably excited about doing this. I guess he has never really put this out there but has harbored for a long time this desire to try the television thing. This is his grand experiment and he’s going to have a good time doing it.”

GAUDELLI ON CONTROVERSIAL PLAYS: “The great thing about this game is Mike Pereira is in the stadium; he’s a phone call away. We have communication from our announce booth directly to him as well. Under no circumstances will any play go unexplained on television by Al and John on Sunday. In terms of looks, obviously on a regular Sunday night game we have a good deal of equipment. We’ve amplified that for this game. We have a really solid plan for how the game gets covered and to make sure that controversial plays – was he touched, was his foot in or out of bounds – the additional cameras are placed so we would have defining looks at plays like that.”

EBERSOL ON THE PRESSURE TO DELIVER RATINGS: “I don’t know if this is a secret or not but if it is I’m going to put it out there. The Super Bowl is the last remaining event in all of American television that does not guarantee a rating. I think the largest reason for that is that it’s been more than two decades that the Super Bowl rating has varied more than three rating points between a forty and a forty-three. Al reminded me of that fact as I was exhibiting some concern. This was before the conference championship games were being played, and I won’t go into detail but things were looking a little shaky, and he recalled that immediately from memory. I went and looked at it and it is unbelievable. I did know the fact, though, that the Super Bowl rating has never been guaranteed. I’m very comfortable with the fact that this game will be a 40 rating or somewhat above that.”

PREGAME CONFERENCE CALL TOODAY (WEDNESDAY) 1 PM ET: NBC Sports will conduct a media conference call today (Wednesday) at 1 p.m. ET with the “Football Night in America” team of Bob Costas, Cris Collinsworth, Keith Olbermann, Dan Patrick, Jerome Bettis and Tiki Barber.

NBC’s Super Bowl XLIII Technical By The Numbers

450 More than 450 people will be part of the NBC production, technical, administrative and support crews

93 Microphones (including 12 on-field parabolic microphones)

52 High Definition Cameras (2 SD Cameras for Game Clock and Play Clock)

50 Miles of Camera and Microphone cable

45 Vehicles (control trucks, mobile units, office trailers, Horse Trailer)

24 Digital Video Replay Sources

22 Hard Cameras (including 2 Super Slo-Mo’s and three “X-Mo’s)

20 Hand-held Cameras (including two SteadyCams)

10 NEP Supershooter Trailers in the TV Compound

8 Digital Post-Production Facility (5 Avid Suites, 3 Final Cut Pro Suites)

5 Robotic Cameras (including two fixed on the Field Goal posts)

2 RF Hand-held cameras

1 “Cable-Cam” camera suspended above the playing field

1 Hard Camera for scenic views of Tampa Bay

Madden and Michaels At The Super Bowl

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MADDEN AND MICHAELS AT THE SUPER BOWL

When NBC broadcasts its first Super Bowl in 10 years on February 1 in Tampa, the men behind the microphones will be the legendary duo of Al Michaels and John Madden, whom the Washington Post called “the most entertaining two-man pro football announcing team on television,” and USA Today readers just voted as the best NFL game announcers. They will call their third Super Bowl together having previously called Super Bowls XXXVII and XL for ABC.

For Madden, the most honored NFL broadcaster of all time with 16 Emmy Awards, this will be the 11th Super Bowl of his distinguished broadcasting career and 13th Super Bowl overall when combining his coaching and broadcasting career. Only Pat Summerall with 16 has called more Super Bowls than Madden. Of Madden’s previous 10 Super Bowl broadcasts, eight were called with Summerall. Madden won Super Bowl XI as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders and served as an assistant coach for the Raiders in Super Bowl II.

For Michaels, who’s been called “TV’s best play-by-play announcer” by the Associated Press, this marks his seventh Super Bowl, which equals the number called by the legendary Curt Gowdy.

Since 1982 when John Madden called his first Super Bowl, the 49ers 26-21 victory over the Bengals in Super Bowl XVI, Madden and Michaels have combined to call 14 of the 27 Super Bowls played.

MADDEN AND MICHAELS SUPER BOWL HISTORY
Madden and Michaels Together
Super Bowl XXXVII
San Diego Tampa Bay 48 Oakland 21
Super Bowl XL
Detroit Pittsburgh 21 Seattle 10

Madden Only
Super Bowl XVI
Pontiac San Francisco 26 Cincinnati 21

Super Bowl XVIII
Tampa L.A. Raiders 38 Washington 9

Super Bowl XXI
Pasadena N.Y. Giants 39 Denver 20

Super Bowl XXIV
New Orleans San Francisco 55 Denver 10

Super Bowl XXVI
Minneapolis Washington 37 Buffalo 24

Super Bowl XXXI
New Orleans Green Bay 35 New England 21

Super Bowl XXXIII
Miami Denver 34 Atlanta 19

Super Bowl XXXVI
New Orleans New England 20 St. Louis 17

Michaels Only
Super Bowl XXII
San Diego Washington 42 Denver 10

Super Bowl XXV
Tampa N.Y. Giants 20 Buffalo 19

Super Bowl XXIX
Miami San Francisco 49 San Diego 26

Super Bowl XXXIV
Atlanta St. Louis 23 Tennessee 16

Madden as a coach: Assistant Coach in Super Bowl II, Head Coach in Super Bowl XI

Super Bowl II
Miami Green Bay 33 Oakland 14

Super Bowl XI
Pasadena Oakland 32 Minnesota 14

CBS’s Cowher and Dierdorf Analyze SB XLIII

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AUDIBLES WITH CBS SPORTS’ BILL COWHER AND DAN DIERDORF ABOUT SUPER BOWL XLIII

CBS Sports’ NFL TODAY studio analyst and former head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bill Cowher, and NFL ON CBS game analyst and former Hall of Fame offensive lineman for the St. Louis Cardinals, Dan Dierdorf, give their thoughts on Super Bowl XLIII.

BILL COWHER

Keys to Super Bowl XLIII: The key to any game is the turnover situation.  Kurt Warner has proven throughout the playoffs that he’s not only played productive football, but he’s played smart football.  The Cardinals have run the ball enough to make the play-action work, and a big key from Arizona’s standpoint will be not to turn it over against the best pressure defense in the National Football League.

On having quarterbacks on each side that have both won Super Bowls: Playing in your first Super Bowl is quite an experience.  The fact that Ben Roethlisberger was just there three years ago, I would be surprised if he didn’t play well.  Throughout this year Ben has proven what type of quarterback he is particularly in the fourth quarter.  That is what has been most impressive.  The fact that both Kurt Warner and Ben have played in the Super Bowl before will lend itself to both of them not letting the stage get too big.

On Arizona Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt: I’m happy for Ken Whisenhunt, Russ Grimm, Kevin Spencer, Mike Miller, all of those guys.  What Kenny has done is turn around a culture in that city and with that football team.  The run they have made is nothing less than spectacular.  Certainly you would like that to culminate with a victory.  Without a doubt he has changed the whole persona of the Arizona Cardinals franchise and its history with this year.

On Pittsburgh Head Coach Mike Tomlin: Mike Tomlin has come in and put his blueprints on this team.  Certainly with Dick LeBeau and the same staff that was there three years ago in that Super Bowl, one can argue that Dick’s defense this year is one of the greatest defenses of all time.  When you look at the starters on this football team, I believe 15 of them were there three years ago.  So there is a lot of experience.  The experience factor will be big.  Mike has been to one Super Bowl as an assistant.  That will help him tremendously.

On experience: From a player’s standpoint, the experience goes to Pittsburgh.  But from a coach’s standpoint, there is a lot of experience on both sides of the ball.  I couldn’t be happier for both staffs.

DAN DIERDORF

On Cardinals making Super Bowl: I’m thrilled and delighted.  You don’t want to be a part of that graphic that is put up when someone talks about how long it’s been since a certain team has or hasn’t won a playoff game, or how long it’s been since they’ve had a playoff game at home.  This current edition of the Cardinals team has removed the Cardinals from that list.  Now the list just got a little smaller and for that I’m grateful.  I’m proud and happy for them since it’s the only team I played for during my 13-year career in the NFL.  Even though it was here in St. Louis and now they’re in Arizona, it’s still the same organization.  I played for the Bidwill family, have known them all of my adult life and am very proud of them.

Keys to Super Bowl XLIII: The Cardinals are decided underdogs in this game on so many different levels.  It’s going to be harder for them because it’s their first time in the Super Bowl.  Granted Kurt Warner has been there before, but the vast majority of these guys haven’t.  They can’t act like tourists in New York City staring up at all of the tall skyscrapers.  They can’t get caught looking up because the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to be looking down.  The Steelers are going to have their eyes fixed on what they have to do to win this game.

On Expectations: The Steelers went to training camp fully expecting to be where they are.  I don’t know that anyone went to training camp for the Cardinals expecting to go to the Super Bowl.  There is a big psychological difference there.  Hopefully the leadership they get from Kurt Warner and Ken Whisenhunt, and members of his coaching staff, who have been to and played in Super Bowls both as players and coaches, like Russ Grimm, will be able to pass that experience along to the rest of the team and they will take their cue.

On Super Bowl XLIII: The rule of thumb that I’ve always found in my career is that whenever a really good offense meets a really good defense, more often than not it’s the defense that usually wins.  It just seems to work out that way.  There is so much riding on Kurt Warner’s ability to engineer a passing game.  That is the only way for the Cardinals to be successful against Pittsburgh.  The Cardinals are not capable of running the ball for 200 yards against the Steelers.  Despite Edgerrin James’ recent success, they are a passing team.  They have to throw the ball, and throw it well if they are going to win.  I’m not sure they can do that against this Steelers defense.  It’s going to have to come down to Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston.  Somebody is going to have to repeatedly make big, big, highlight film-kind of plays against the Steelers for the Cardinals to win.

On Steelers’ defense: They are so good.  Their pressure is extraordinary but their coverage is excellent as well.  They are good at all three levels defensively.  They have outstanding play at the line.  They’re strong on the corners.  They’re strong at the safety with Ryan Clark and Troy Polamalu, and of course the Dick LeBeau factor.  They are fun to watch defensively.

On Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger: Ben Roethlisberger is looking for redemption in this game.  I doubt there is another player in this world wearing a Super Bowl ring that looks at it quite the way Ben Roethlisberger looks at his.  He was so disappointed in his performance in winning Super Bowl XL.  He is seeking redemption in this game and will be a man on a mission.

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Joba Chamberlain On MLB Network Tonight

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YANKEES PITCHER JOBA CHAMBERLAIN INTERVIEWED ON TONIGHT’S HOT STOVE

Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain stopped by MLB Network studios today for an interview that will air on tonight’s Hot Stove, beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET.  Interviewed by Matt Vasgersian and Al Leiter in Studio 42, Chamberlain discussed his thoughts on the upcoming season, Andy Pettitte returning to the team, CC Sabathia joining the team, and being part of the farewell to Yankee Stadium.

Highlights of the interview include:

ON BEING IN THE STARTING ROTATION THIS YEAR:

“It’s just nice to know what I’m going to do the entire year. For me, mentally it’s calming. You know, every fifth day I know what I’m going to do.”

ON ANDY PETTITTE RETURNING TO THE YANKEES:

“I think it brings a staple back to this uniform. I think he’s going to help the younger guys out a lot and he’s going to win you games.”

ON NEW TEAMMATE CC SABATHIA:

“I got the opportunity to meet CC right after he signed. It was great, just to be there, just to socialize with him. He’s more than the uniform. He’s a fun guy to talk with; I think he’s going to fit in great. You know, playing against us, I think his ERA was like negative 2, it’s nice to have him on our side.”

ON COMPARING JOE GIRARDI AND JOE TORRE AS MANAGERS:

“Joe Girardi is a younger guy, he likes to lift weights. He makes us feel like wimps lifting dumbbells, but he’s fun. Torre was a little more relaxed, more laid back. It’s just different.”

ON WHAT HE’S LEARNED FROM MARIANO RIVERA:

“I think, just to pay attention. When you’re out in the bullpen for most of the game, you do kind of weird things like how many pieces of gum you can fit in your mouth and stuff, but there’s a time you got to lock down and focus. I have ADD so it’s important to keep that focus for when it’s time to get out there.”

ON THE FINAL GAME AT YANKEE STADIUM:

“The tradition and the legacy that everybody’s left in the stadium, not only baseball but football and boxing, a lot’s happened there. Knowing the guys who put the uniform on before, you get chills. It’s nice to put the uniform on and know that 50-60 years people know that you did it well and you did it right.  I cleaned out my locker and I took my cleats; I know that sounds kind of weird, but I thought about framing them, actually I was looking at them the other day.  I also took my uniform, but nothing else, really.”

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NFL Network at Super Bowl XLIII – What’s on Tuesday, January 27 and Wednesday, January 28

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NFL NETWORK AT SUPER BOWL XLIII: WHAT’S ON

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27 & WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28

TONIGHT  ON NFL TOTAL ACCESS AT 7:00 PM ET & REPLAYED AT 11:30 PM ET:

Don’t miss:

  • NBC Super Bowl announcers Al Michaels and John Madden
  • Arizona Cardinals defensive end Bertrand Berry and fullback Terrelle Smith
  • Top interviews from Media Day

The following is NFL Network’s Super Bowl Programming for Wednesday, January 28 (All Times listed are ET) – Presented by BlackBerry

8:00 AM – NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl – (LIVE Cardinals press conference)

11:00 AM – NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl – (LIVE Steelers press conference)

12:00 Noon – NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl – (LIVE from Super Bowl Media Center)

Scheduled to appear:

· Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana

· FOX analyst Michael Strahan

· CBS analyst Phil Simms

· Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan

· Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck

· Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington

· Cowboys tight end Jason Witten

· Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl – (LIVE from NFL Experience)

  • Guest Analyst: John Lynch
  • NFL Network and NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth

8:30 PM – Playbook – Pittsburgh Steelers offense

9:00 PM – Super Bowl Classics – Super Bowl XL: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Seattle Seahawks (complete game re-air with The Rolling Stones halftime show and original network announcers and graphics)

11:30 PM – NFL Total Access at the Super Bowl

1:30 AM (10:30 PM PT) – Super Bowl Classics – Super Bowl XL: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Seattle Seahawks (complete game re-air with The Rolling Stones halftime show and original network announcers and graphics)

Top Videos from NFL Network on NFL.com:

Around the League: Media Day: Adam Schefter discusses potential personnel issues for the Cardinals and Steelers.

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80e61df9

Hines Ward’s knee speaks: Hines Ward crashes the NFL Total Access set and lets his knee speak out to its health.

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80e61e3b

Media Day: Santonio Holmes: Deion Sanders talks to Santonio Holmes during the Steelers Media Day.

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80e626db

Media Day: Anquan Boldin: Deion Sanders hops on stage with Anquan Boldin and gets the scoop from the receiver.

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80e602a9

Media Day: Rod Graves interview: Steve Mariucci talks with Cardinals General Manager Rod Graves about assembling a Super Bowl caliber team

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80e623e9

Media Day: Bill Bidwill: Deion Sanders speaks with Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill at Media Day.

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80e61e1e

Media Day: Russ Grimm interview: Steve Mariucci talks with Cardinals Assistant Head Coach Russ Grimm about coming back to the Super Bowl.

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80e6250a

Media Day: Todd Haley interview: Steve Mariucci talks with the Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley about attacking the Steelers defense.

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80e626c0

Media Day: Bruce Arians: Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians talks about coaching against the former Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt.

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80e626ad