May 17, 2012

ESPNBoston.com To Launch September 14

August 28, 2009 By 1 Comment

ESPNBoston.com To Launch September 14
Daily Sports News and Info Hub for New England Fans

ESPN announced today that Boston will be the next city to be featured in its expansion of local sports sites, joining Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and New York.  ESPNBoston.com, slated to launch September 14, will be ESPN’s home for New England sports news and information, online video, and original and customized content integrated from ESPN’s multiple platforms.  A stable of authentic Boston voices familiar to local fans will be at the core of the site, including newly hired Mike Reiss, formerly the Boston Globe NFL writer, who will cover the New England Patriots. The site will also feature dedicated reporter/blogger coverage of the Boston Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins, New England Revolution and major collegiate sports programs in the area.  The site will also grow to provide small college and regional high school coverage.

“Adding Boston to ESPN’s local sites network is a natural fit for our goal of serving sports fans,” said Jim Pastor, senior vice president, ESPN Business Divisions.  “It is one of the nation’s premier sports towns and home to one of the strongest and most passionate fan bases in the world.  We’re looking forward to launching ESPNBoston.com as a leading source of New England sports news and information.”

ESPN Boston.com will also feature contributions from ESPN writers and analysts with ties to Boston, including Peter Gammons and Michael Smith.  Gammons, the Hall of Fame honored ESPN Baseball analyst, is a Boston-area native (raised in Groton, Mass.) and spent nearly 15 years at the Globe. Smith, a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com and correspondent for E:60, spent three years covering the Patriots as they won two of their three recent Super Bowls.

Select columns and podcasts from ESPN.com columnist Bill Simmons (aka The Sports Guy) will appear on both ESPN.com and ESPNBoston.com. Simmons is a Boston native and devoted fan of the Red Sox, Celtics, Patriots and Bruins. Before joining ESPN, Simmons established himself by writing highly popular columns on his own Web site, BostonSportsGuy.com (part of AOL’s Digital City Boston).

Veteran ESPN.com editor Peter Lawrence-Riddell has been named the managing editor of ESPNBoston.com, supervising the day-to-day editorial operations. Like other local ESPN.com sites, ESPN.com executive editor Kevin Jackson will provide editorial oversight and coordination.

The announcement follows the recent news that ESPN will launch sites in Dallas, Los Angeles and New York in the next 10 months. ESPN’s first local site, ESPNChicago.com (which launched in April), has already established itself as the top sports site for Chicago fans and among the most popular news and information destinations for Chicago residents.  In July, ESPNChicago.com logged almost 1.7 million minutes of time spent on the site from over 700,000 unique visitors, up 19% in both metrics compared to June, and up 153 percent in total minutes and 87 percent in unique visitors since May. The site also struck a content syndication agreement with The Huffington Post Chicago in which ESPNChicago.com sports news and content complements HuffPost Chicago’s unique blend of news, opinion, politics, local news, food and style.  In exchange, The Huffington Post Chicago supplements ESPNChicago.com’s local content which includes ESPN Radio 1000, and Chicago news, traffic and weather from ABC-owned TV station WLS.

Like other local ESPN sites, ESPNBoston.com will have its own originally produced SportsCenter Boston, hosted by SC anchors and providing a 3-6 minute roundup of the city and region’s sports news, teams, figures and stories each day.  Additionally, ESPNBoston.com will feature:

  • Online video, including highlights, news, analysis and original content from ESPN programs including Baseball Tonight, NFL Live, College Football Live and more;
  • Coverage of the Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins, New England Revolution, Boston College, Boston University, Northeastern University, Harvard University and more;
  • Small college and regional high school coverage;
  • Real-time scores, GameCasts and video highlights;
  • Original reporting, blogs and commentary from a stable of local voices;
  • Breaking sports news and information;
  • Clubhouse pages from professional and college leagues;
  • Community tools such as Fan Profiles, SportsNation chats and polls, ESPN Conversations pages and ESPN Travel Passport, ESPN.com’s digital fan scrapbook;
  • ESPNBoston.com Mobile site and podcasts;
  • The same innovative local and national advertising opportunities that ESPN.com offers.

The launch of ESPNBoston.com coincides with ESPN’s Monday Night Football season opening doubleheader, featuring the Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots (7 p.m. ET). The MNF doubleheader will be part of the NFL’s celebration of the 50th anniversary season of the American Football League (AFL), of which the Patriots were an original member.  The game also marks Tom Brady’s anticipated return to the field following a season-ending knee injury in the opening game last year.

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Filed Under: ESPN

Fall 2009 Slate and Schedule Announced for ESPN Films’ “30 for 30″

August 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Fall 2009 Slate and Schedule Announced for ESPN Films’ “30 for 30”

ESPN Films has released the final slate and viewing schedule for the first seven “30 for 30” films to be televised this fall on ESPN. Beginning October 6, the films will be aired on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET through November 10, with a special post-Heisman slot reserved for Saturday, Dec. 12. This marks the official beginning of ESPN’s ambitious “30 for 30” film project, a unique undertaking by ESPN Films to celebrate ESPN’s 30th anniversary by engaging well-known filmmakers to create documentaries centered on the last 30 years in sports.

Some of Hollywood’s finest directors and producers such as Peter Berg, Barry Levinson, John Singleton, Ice Cube, Spike Jonze and Frank Marshall are among those participating in the “30 for 30” films project, exploring topics ranging from the end of the USFL to the title fight between Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes to the story of the Baltimore Colts Marching Band which continued to march even though the team had moved to Indianapolis. Peter Berg’s film exploring the effects of the shocking trade of Wayne Gretzky from Edmonton to Los Angeles in 1988 will kick off the series Tuesday, Oct. 6.

The finalized titles and air dates of the first seven films:

· Tuesday, Oct. 6, 8 p.m. – **Kings Ransom (Peter Berg)

· Tuesday, Oct. 13, 8 p.m. – **The Band That Wouldn’t Die (Barry Levinson)

· Tuesday, Oct. 20, 8 p.m. – Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL? (Mike Tollin)

· Tuesday, Oct. 27, 8 p.m. – Muhammad and Larry (Albert Maysles)

· Tuesday, Nov. 3, 8 p.m. – Without Bias (Kirk Fraser)

· Tuesday, Nov. 10, 8 p.m. – The Legend of Jimmy The Greek (Fritz Mitchell)

· Saturday, Dec. 12, 9 p.m. – The U (Billy Corben)

**Kings Ransom and The Band That Wouldn’t Die have both been named official selections of the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival’s Mavericks programme.

The Films

Kings Ransom (Peter Berg)

On August 9, 1988, the NHL was forever changed with the single stroke of a pen. The Edmonton Oilers, fresh off their third Stanley Cup victory in four years, signed a deal exporting Wayne Gretzky, Canadian national treasure and the greatest hockey player ever, to the Los Angeles Kings. Acclaimed director Peter Berg presents the captivating story of the trade that knocked the wind out of an entire country and placed a star-studded city right at the humble feet of “The Great One.”

The Band That Wouldn’t Die (Barry Levinson)

In late March of 1984, a moving company secretly packed up the Baltimore Colts’ belongings and its fleet of vans snuck off in the darkness of the early morning. A city of deeply devoted fans was left in shock and disbelief. What caused owner Robert Irsay to turn his back on a town that was as closely linked to its team as any in the NFL? Academy Award-winning filmmaker Barry Levinson, himself a long-standing Baltimore Colts fanatic, will probe that question in light of the changing relationship of sports to community. Through the eyes of members of the Colts Marching Band, Levinson will illustrate how a fan base copes with losing the team that it loves.

Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL? (Mike Tollin)

In 1983 the upstart United States Football League (USFL) had the audacity to challenge the almighty NFL. The new league did the unthinkable by playing in the spring and plucked three straight Heisman Trophy winners away from the NFL. The 12-team USFL played before crowds that averaged 25,000, and started off with respectable TV ratings. But with success came expansion and new owners, including a certain high profile and impatient real estate baron whose vision was at odds with the league’s founders. Soon, the USFL was reduced to waging a desperate anti-trust lawsuit against the NFL, which yielded an ironic verdict that effectively forced the league out of business. Now, almost a quarter of a century later, Academy Award-nominated and Peabody Award-winning director Mike Tollin, himself once a USFL employee, will showcase the remarkable influence of those three years on football history and attempt to answer the question, “Who Killed the USFL?”

Muhammad and Larry (Albert Maysles)

In October of 1980, Muhammad Ali was preparing to fight for an unprecedented fourth heavyweight title against his friend and former sparring partner Larry Holmes. To say that the great Ali was in the twilight of his career would be generous: Most of his admiring fans, friends and fight scribes considered his bravado delusional. What was left for him to prove? In the weeks of training before the fight, documentarians Albert and David Maysles took an intimate look at Ali trying to convince the world and perhaps himself, that he was still “The Greatest.” At the same time, they documented the mild-mannered and undervalued champion Holmes as he confidently prepared to put an end to the career of a man for whom he had an abiding and deep affection. In the raw moments after Ali’s humbling defeat in this one-sided fight, the Maysles footage never received a public screening or airing. Here for the first time is the unseen filmed build up to that fight, accompanied by freshly shot interviews by Albert Maysles with members from both the Ali and Holmes camps, as well as others who were prime witnesses to one of the last chapters of Ali’s legendary career.

Without Bias (Kirk Fraser)

More than two decades after his tragic cocaine overdose, the late Len Bias still leaves more questions than answers. When Bias dropped dead two days after the 1986 NBA Draft, he forever altered our perception of casual drug use and became the tipping point of America’s drug crisis in the mid-80s. Future generations continue to face the harsh punishment of drug policies that were influenced by the public outcry after his heartbreaking death. Instead of becoming an NBA star, he became a one-man deterrent, the athlete who reminded everyone just how dangerous drug use can be. Amazingly, questions still linger about his death nearly a quarter-century later. How good could he have been in the pro ranks? Has he become underrated or overrated as the years pass? How could a University of Maryland superstar and Boston Celtics lottery pick be derailed by a cocaine binge? Was Bias a one-time user as we were led to believe, or was there a pattern of recreational use that led to his fatal last night? Did he fall in with the wrong crowd? In the most ambitious, comprehensive and uncompromising account of Bias’ life and death ever captured on film, up-and-coming director Kirk Fraser utilizes dozens of interviews with Bias’ closest teammates, friends and family in an effort to determine exactly what happened on that fateful night. Maybe it wasn’t as much of a fluke as we thought.

The Legend of Jimmy The Greek (Fritz Mitchell)
The NFL Today on CBS was the preeminent sports program on television in the early 1980s. It was a perfect combination of reporting, analysis, predictions, humor and talent. But there was no personality on the show more popular than Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder. The son of Greek immigrants, Jimmy overcame early childhood tragedy, moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in the mid 1950s, and quickly became the biggest name in the world of sports handicapping. When CBS added him as an “analyst” on The NFL Today, “The Greek” not only further increased his stature as a sort of national folk hero, but he also gained an air of respectability never before associated with gamblers. Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Fritz Mitchell, who broke in as a researcher on The NFL Today, will examine Snyder’s impact on the growth of sports gambling, while also taking a fresh look at The Greek’s tragic downfall.

The U (Billy Corben)

Throughout the 1980s, Miami, Fla., was at the center of a racial and cultural shift taking place throughout the country. Overwhelmed by riots and tensions, Miami was a city in flux, and the University of Miami football team served as a microcosm for this evolution. The image of the predominantly white university was forever changed when coach Howard Schnellenberger scoured some of the toughest ghettos in Florida to recruit mostly black players for his team. With a newly branded swagger, inspired and fueled by the quickly growing local Miami hip hop culture, these Hurricanes took on larger-than-life personalities and won four national titles between 1983 and 1991. Filmmaker Billy Corben, a Miami native and University of Miami alum, will tell the story of how these “Bad Boys” of football changed the attitude of the game they played, and how this serene campus was transformed into “The U.”

“30 for 30”

Other previously announced “30 for 30” projects are: Reggie Rock Bythewood (One Night in Vegas), Academy Award winner Bill Couturié (Guru of Go), Ice Cube (Straight Outta L.A.), Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary (One Simple Gesture), Academy Award winner Alex Gibney (Steve Bartman: Catching Hell), Jonathan Hock (The Best That Never Was), Academy Award nominee Steve James (No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson), the duo of Lucas Jansen and Adam Kurland (Silly Little Game), Spike Jonze, Johnny Knoxville and Jeff Tremaine (Birth of Big Air), Peabody Award winner Dan Klores (Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks), two-time Academy Award winner Barbara Kopple (The Steinbrenner Family Business), Academy Award nominee Frank Marshall (Right to Play), Steve Michaels, Joel Surnow and Jonathan Koch (Charismatic), Academy Award nominee Brett Morgen (June 17, 1994), two-time NBA MVP and first-time filmmaker Steve Nash (Into the Wind), Academy Award nominee Ron Shelton (Jordan Rides the Bus), John Singleton (Marion Jones: Press Pause) and Jeff Zimbalist (The Two Escobars).

The remaining 23 films in the ESPN Films “30 for 30” project will be aired throughout 2010. For information about the “30 for 30” project and ESPN Films, visit: ESPN Films. To request a screener, please contact Jennifer Cingari at [email protected]

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Filed Under: ESPN

U.S. Figure Skating, NBC Sports Announce Broadcast Contract Extension

August 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment


U.S. FIGURE SKATING, NBC SPORTS ANNOUNCE BROADCAST CONTRACT EXTENSION

- Multi-year agreement guarantees figure skating will be broadcast through 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia -

Colorado Springs, Colo. and New York (August 27, 2009) – U.S. Figure Skating and NBC Sports announced today the continuation of their multi-year partnership to extend through the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. The agreement will ensure live primetime and afternoon coverage of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships as well as live afternoon coverage of the annual international Skate America competition for the next four years.

“The partnership with NBC has allowed figure skating fans to view numerous hours of live competition over the course of the last two years,” said Patricia St. Peter, president of U.S. Figure Skating. “The extension of this partnership again shows the dedication of both U.S. Figure Skating and NBC Sports to showcase this popular sport not just in an Olympic year but for the next four years.”

The partnership includes 12 hours of live event coverage on NBC Sports during the 2009-10 season, including live primetime coverage of the ladies free skate at the 2010 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Jan. 14-24, 2010, in Spokane, Wash. The 2010 U.S. Winter Olympic Figure Skating Team will be determined at the conclusion of this event. Universal Sports, available in more than 56 million homes, will once again offer additional coverage and re-airs of Skate America and the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

“We’re pleased to continue the great relationship with NBC,” said David Raith, executive director of U.S. Figure Skating. “We appreciate the support of Dick Ebersol, the chairman of NBC Universal Sports and Olympics, as well as Jon Miller, executive vice president of NBC Sports, for making figure skating a broadcast priority.”

“We are proud to extend our partnership with U.S. Figure Skating and to broadcast expanded live coverage of their marquee events,” said Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics. “Figure skating is the most popular sport in the Winter Olympics, and the U.S. Championships is always compelling programming especially in Olympic years when the event will help determine which men and women will represent our country at the Vancouver Games this February and at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.”

COVERAGE ON NBC SPORTS:
· Sun., Nov. 15, 2009 – Skate America – Ladies final – 2-4 p.m. ET (Live)
· Sat., Jan. 16, 2010 – 2010 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships – Pairs final – 4:30-6 p.m. ET (Live)
· Sun., Jan. 17, 2010 – 2010 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships – Men’s final – 4:30-6 p.m. ET (Live)
· Sat., Jan. 23, 2010 – 2010 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships – Ice Dancing final – 3-6 p.m. ET (Live)
· Sat., Jan. 23, 2010 – 2010 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships – Ladies final – 9–11 p.m. ET (Live)
· Sun., Jan. 24, 2010 – Skating Spectacular – 4-6 p.m. ET (Live)

This is the third year of a multi-year agreement between NBC Sports and U.S. Figure Skating. The 10 hours of coverage of the 2010 U.S Championships on NBC Sports is the most network coverage of this event since 1998. In the first year of this agreement, the U.S. Championships on NBC Sports drew nearly 12.5 million viewers, up 164 percent over the previous year on ABC and ESPN2 (4.7 million). It was the most-watched U.S. Championships since 2003 when the event benefited from the lift that figure skating received from the 2002 Salt Lake Games.

ICENETWORK.COM COVERAGE: Icenetwork.com, a joint partnership between U.S. Figure Skating and MLB Advanced Media, will provide exclusive online video coverage of competition in addition to backstage photos, interviews with former champions, video diaries and much more. Icenetwork.com’s coverage of Skate America and the U.S. Championships will once again include the “AT&T Ice Desk,” which will feature interviews with alumni from past U.S. Championships and current competitors as well as other backstage and special features.

About U.S. Figure Skating – U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body for the sport of figure skating in the United States as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Skating Union. U.S. Figure Skating is comprised of more than 700 member clubs, collegiate clubs, and school-affiliated clubs and more than 900 registered Basic Skills skating schools representing approximately 170,000 members. U.S. Figure Skating is charged with the development of the sport on all levels within the United States including athletes, officials, sanctioning of events and exhibitions, and establishing the rules and guidelines by which the sport is governed.

About icenetwork.com – Ice Network, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of U.S. Figure Skating, has the exclusive rights to U.S. Figure Skating’s interactive media properties and is a partnership between U.S. Figure Skating and MLB Advanced Media. Icenetwork.com is the premier destination for fans of ice skating, delivering exclusive live and on-demand coverage of domestic and international competitions, while offering fans the opportunity to interact with top athletes and stay updated with news and information from the world of ice skating year round. Icenetwork.com is dedicated to providing year-round, in-depth coverage of the all things ice skating to millions of fans around the world. Icenetwork.com is committed to expanding the audience by delivering compelling programming that fans won’t get a chance to see anyplace else, including exclusive back-stage interviews with top skaters, special programming featuring figure skating stars and additional video coverage from around the globe.

About NBC Sports – NBC Sports, known for amassing large audiences while presenting the most prestigious properties in sports, represents superior production that elevates sport, broad promotion and mutually-beneficial partnerships. As evidence of NBC Sports’ ability to amass large audiences, over the past year, NBC Sports broadcast two record-breaking television events: the Beijing Olympic Games, the most-watched event in U.S. television history with 215 million viewers and Super Bowl XLIII, which achieved the largest single audience in U.S. television history with a record 152 million viewers. NBC Sports is now home to eight of the top ten most-watched events in U.S. television history.

NBC Sports partners with many of the most powerful brands in sports. NBC Sports has broadcast 16 Super Bowls, tied with CBS for the most Super Bowls broadcast by a single network. As America’s Olympic Network, NBC has broadcast more Olympics than any other network and owns the rights to the Olympic Games through 2012. NBC is also home to “NBC Sunday Night Football,” the premier primetime NFL game of the week. Other prestigious NBC Sports properties include Notre Dame football, the U.S. Open Championship, The Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup, Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Wimbledon, French Open, the Stanley Cup Final and the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

Filed Under: NBC, Skating

Through Team ESPN, ESPN Employees Contribute 30,000 Hours Of Community Service In Recognition Of ESPN’s 30th Anniversary

August 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

THROUGH TEAM ESPN, ESPN EMPLOYEES CONTRIBUTE 30,000 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE IN RECOGNITION OF ESPN’S 30TH ANNIVERSARY

In commemoration of ESPN’s 30th Anniversary, ESPN has been conducting a companywide corporate outreach initiative called the “Team ESPN 30K Challenge” from May 1 to ESPN’s 30th anniversary, September 7, 2009. Today, Team ESPN reached and continues to surpass its goal of 30,000 hours of community service. From department team builds to regular Team ESPN activities to personal charities, employees worldwide from ESPN’s 30 plus offices have contributed a total of 30,000 hours of volunteerism in a variety of ways.

ESPN President George Bodenheimer commented, “Given the world economy and the challenges many people face, we felt that giving back in the communities in which we work was an appropriate way for ESPN to celebrate its 30th anniversary. In just four months, ESPN employees exceeded our expectations by surpassing the 30,000 hours. They continue to log in their hours of community service.”

Among the many initiatives are renovating sports fields; painting and landscaping at community facilities; serving meals at soup kitchens; delivering meals to senior citizens; running sports events such as Special Olympics; contributing food and clothing to homeless shelters; and raising money for cancer research – more than $2 million since May – through The V Foundation for Cancer Research, which ESPN founded with Jim Valvano.

Team ESPN is the brand name for ESPN’s corporate and employee outreach initiatives encompassing volunteerism, corporate giving and cause-related special events. Initiatives are conducted year round.

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Filed Under: ESPN

“For a preseason game this is probably as good as it gets.” – Michaels

August 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

CUTLER RETURNS TO DENVER FOR FIRST TIME SINCE TRADE AS BRONCOS HOST BEARS ON “SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL”

“It will be a big part of our broadcast conversations, but I’ll start you off by saying that I was stunned.” – Collinsworth on Cutler Trade

“For a preseason game this is probably as good as it gets.” – Michaels

NEW YORK – Aug. 27, 2009 – “NBC Sunday Night Football” preseason continues this Sunday as the Denver Broncos host their former quarterback Jay Cutler and his new team the Chicago Bears. Coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET.

Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, the new SNF booth duo, will have the call from Denver, with Andrea Kremer handling the reporting duties. For Michaels and Collinsworth, this will be their fourth game together in the booth having previously called last year’s Pro Bowl and the Seahawks-Bucs regular season game and this year’s preseason opener, the Hall of Fame Game.

MICHAELS ON THIS MATCHUP: “I can’t think of a preseason game, in all of the years I’ve been doing primetime football, where you’re going to have, at least at the outset of the game, this kind of intrigue. What’s kind of reaction is Cutler going to get? How will he react back? For a preseason game this is probably as good as it gets.”

COLLINSWORTH ON THIS MATCHUP: “The third preseason game is the one you want to watch, it’s the dress rehearsal. It is more important for the Denver Broncos in some ways. Jay Cutler is the man in Chicago. If Jay Cutler throws 17 interceptions in this game he’s still going to be the man in Chicago. For the Broncos, Orton had a rough first start with the three interceptions, but the one thing that’s been very consistent is that this offense has moved up and down the field. They have put up a bunch of yards and then made mistakes when they get down around the red zone, but this offense of Josh McDaniels and Kyle Orton is working exceptionally well on many occasions and in many of these drives. It would not surprise me at all to see the Denver Broncos at home have a big day offensively in this game.”

COLLINSWORTH ON CUTLER TRADED TO BEARS: “Stunned. It will be a big part of our broadcast conversations, but I’ll start you off by saying that I was stunned. You don’t see a guy that can do the things that Jay Cutler can do at 25 years of age being traded. You just don’t. I would like to know more details about it. We’re obviously going to be out there asking the questions and my guess is we’re not going to hear much of anything from the principles involved. I hope they tell me what really happened and the details of it, but if they don’t give me the details I’ll give you my opinion of it and we’ll see how we go from there.”

The “NBC Sunday Night Football” regular season begins Thursday, Sept. 10 with the Super Bowl Champion Steelers hosting the AFC South champion Titans. In the first “NBC Sunday Night Football” contest of the season, on Sept. 13, the Green Bay Packers will host their longtime rival the Bears.

2009 “NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” SCHEDULE
Pre Season
Sun. Aug. 30 – Chicago Bears at Denver Broncos, 8 p.m.

Regular Season – Football Night in America begins every Sunday at 7 p.m. ET
Thurs. Sept. 10 NFL Kickoff Tennessee Titans at Pittsburgh Steelers
Sun. Sept. 13 Week 1 Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers
Sun. Sept. 20 Week 2 New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
Sun. Sept. 27 Week 3 Indianapolis Colts at Arizona Cardinals
Sun. Oct. 4 Week 4 San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers
Sun. Oct. 11 Week 5 Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans
Sun. Oct. 18 Week 6 Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons
Sun. Oct. 25 Week 7 Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants
Sun. Nov. 1 Week 8 NO SNF GAME (Football Night airs 7-8 p.m.)
Sun. Nov. 8 Week 9 Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
Sun. Nov. 15 Week 10 New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts
Sun. Nov. 22 *Week 11 Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears
Sun. Nov. 29 *Week 12 Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens
Sun. Dec. 6 *Week 13 New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
Sun. Dec. 13 *Week 14 Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants
Sun. Dec. 20 *Week 15 Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers
Sun. Dec. 27 *Week 16 Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins
Sun. Jan. 3 *Week 17 TBA

*Flex Week

HIGHLIGHTS OF “NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” SCHEDULE

· All 12 NFL playoff teams from last season are featured.
· Fourteen of NBC’s 16 scheduled games involve at least one playoff team from last season.
· Giants at Cowboys opens the $1.2 billion Dallas Cowboys Stadium, “the 8th Wonder of the World.” It’s a rematch of the most viewed game ever on “Sunday Night Football.”
· Three appearances a piece from six marquee teams: this year’s Super Bowl champion Steelers, last year’s Super Bowl champion Giants plus Dallas, Indianapolis, Chicago and Philadelphia.
· Six games involving one of the Manning brothers, Peyton and Eli.
· Quarterback duels between Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, Peyton and Kurt Warner, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger and Donovan McNabb and Jay Cutler.
· Four matchups among bitter NFC East rivals: Giants-Cowboys, Cowboys-Eagles, Eagles-Giants and Cowboys-Redskins.
· A rematch of last year’s hard-hitting AFC Championship game between Pittsburgh and Baltimore and last year’s AFC divisional playoff game between the Steelers and the Chargers.

Filed Under: NBC, NFL

Joe Buck Live returns Sept. 22

August 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

HBO SPORTS’® JOE BUCK LIVE, HOSTED BY

THE ACCLAIMED BROADCASTER, RETURNS TUESDAY, SEPT. 22

HBO Sports’ new quarterly sports series JOE BUCK LIVE, hosted by the acclaimed broadcaster, returns with an all-new edition TUESDAY, SEPT. 22 (10:00-11:00 p.m. live ET/tape-delayed PT), exclusively on HBO.  Ross Greenburg and Rick Bernstein serve as executive producers of the show, which draws on the talents of HBO Sports’ Peabody- and Emmy®-winning production department.

Other HBO playdates:  Sept. 22 (2:05 a.m.), 24 (11:00 a.m.), 26 (10:00 a.m.) and 29 (5:00 p.m., midnight), and Oct. 4 (8:00 a.m.), 7 (1:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m.), 9 (7:00 p.m.) and 12 (1:40 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates:  Sept. 23 (10:00 a.m., 9:30 p.m.), 25 (7:00 p.m.), 26 (11:00 p.m.) and 28 (1:30 p.m., 2:45 a.m.), and Oct. 3 (9:30 a.m.) and 11 (7:45 a.m.)

HBO On Demand availability:  Sept. 28-Oct. 18

“We are eager to present the second edition of JOE BUCK LIVE,” says Greenburg, who is president of HBO Sports.  “We are looking forward to a high-profile and diverse collection of guests, who will visit with Joe to discuss topical sports issues.”

Says Buck, “Can’t wait to get back at it.  It’s been too long!”

Featuring a live studio audience in New York City, the hour-long show will include live interviews, panel discussions, pre-recorded features and commentary.

Among the panels teed up for Sept. 22 is a live gathering of four of the NFL’s all-time great quarterbacks: Terry Bradshaw (Steelers), Dan Marino (Dolphins), John Elway (Broncos) and Joe Namath (Jets), who collectively made 11 Super Bowl appearances and won seven world championships.  The guest lineups for additional segments will be announced when they are confirmed.

Joe Buck joined HBO Sports in February 2009.  The lead play-by-play broadcaster for FOX Sports on Major League Baseball and the NFL, he has won six Sports Emmy® Awards during his FOX broadcast career, which launched in 1994.  Buck has called 11 World Series and two Super Bowls.

Nick Dolin is the producer of JOE BUCK LIVE; Marc Payton directs.

® HBO Sports, HBO and related channels and services are the property of Home Box Office, Inc.

Filed Under: HBO

Ebersol: “We have a treasure trove of talent to bring to this show every Sunday night.”

August 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment


NEW LOOK FOR NBC’S “FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA”

Costas to Host Show from “Sunday Night Football” Game Site as Part of Increased Emphasis on Premier Primetime Game

“We have a treasure trove of talent to bring to this show every Sunday night.” – Ebersol

“When you see Bob Costas, you know it’s something big.” – Collinsworth

NEW YORK — August 26, 2009 — NBC Sports Chairman Dick Ebersol, who is also the executive producer of “Sunday Night Football,” today announced a new look for its NBC Sports’ Emmy Award-nominated NFL studio show “Football Night in America.” The show, which will still offer the most complete highlights and analysis from the day’s NFL action, will increase its emphasis on that night’s “Sunday Night Football” matchup, highlighted by Bob Costas moving from the studio to hosting the show from the game site.

Costas, the most honored studio host of all time with 19 Emmy Awards, will host the show from a set at the “Sunday Night Football” game site. He will be joined by the new SNF broadcast team of Al Michaels, a six-time Emmy Award-winner whom the Associated Press has called “TV’s best play-by-play announcer,” and Cris Collinsworth, the most honored studio analyst in sports television history, winning the award in nine of the 12 years of its existence and winning two additional Emmys for game analyst. Collinsworth moves from the studio to the broadcast booth alongside Michaels to replace the recently-retired John Madden.

Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann, who together redefined sports highlights during their time at ESPN, successfully reunited last year on “Football Night” and will continue their partnership. They are joined at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza studios by Tony Dungy, the historic Super Bowl coach whose teams made the playoffs each of the last 10 seasons, unprecedented in this era, the outspoken two-time Super Bowl winner Rodney Harrison and Sports Illustrated’s Peter King. “Football Night’s” Tiki Barber will report from the site of one of the NFL’s big games as he did towards the end of last season.

The announcement was made today by Ebersol on a media conference call, joined by Costas, Collinsworth and Michaels. For a complete replay, dial 719-457-0820 and enter passcode 4247954. Highlights follow:

EBERSOL ON EVENTS BROADCAST ON NBC SPORTS: “Many of you through the years have said to me, this recent year in particular, how an event feels on NBC. The feedback we’ve received consistently, is an event seems bigger or seems to have a certain stature or context when it’s on NBC — whether it’s the Beijing Olympics, the U.S. Open, the Kentucky Derby or hockey’s new Winter Classic — they feel like more than just a game, they feel like an event. Your feedback validates what I’ve always felt – that at our best, we aspire to give the viewer the best single seat at the event — not the hype around the event, but the story of the event itself. And if in a moment of weakness if I personally descend to too much hype, I’ve always had Bob around and he’s got the world’s best BS detector.”

EBERSOL ON ROLE OF COMMENTATORS: “Our commentators play a critical role in the success of these events, and I give a lot of the credit to Bob and the keen sensibility he brings to telling the story of an event. The news today is to take this incredible trio of talent, Bob, Al and Cris and give them a forum every Sunday night at the top of ‘Football Night in America’ to discuss the news of the National Football League, the big news of the week, the news of the day and if there are other major developments in the world of sports, I stress major, they’ll get into that.”

COSTAS ON BEING AT THE GAME SITE: “I think it’s obvious that when you’re at the scene of an event you get a whole different feel. You get to be part of the atmosphere. You’re talking about a specific event and it isn’t just any game it is always one of the biggest and very often the obvious biggest marquee game of that particular Sunday.

“While I’ve always enjoyed doing the studio show, we have Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann, kind of the highlight tag team, and Rodney Harrison and Tony Dungy to talk about the events of the day elsewhere and I just think it’s a better use of me at this point to have me at the scene of an event.”

COLLINSWORTH ON HAVING COSTAS ON SITE: “We have the peacock at the game site now. No question Al and I have been around a few other places in our career but Bob Costas, when you see his smiling face at an event, you know that it’s an NBC event and you know that it’s going to be something pretty special.”

EBERSOL ON COSTAS, MICHAELS & COLLINSWORTH: “This trio of talent is unsurpassed probably in the history of television. In Bob you have the best host/anchor in the sports world of his generation. In Al, you have unquestionably the best play-by-play guy of his generation. And Cris, phenomenally in the 12 years the Emmy’s have given an Emmy for studio analyst, he’s won 9 out of the 12 times, and two of the last three years he’s won the award for the best game analyst. We have a treasure trove of talent to bring to this show every Sunday night.”

EBERSOL ON HIGHLIGHTS: “The highlights will still come from New York and the best studio tag team ever of Dan and Keith will still be in New York. Highlights will still be a large focus of the show. There will be just as many highlights as there have been in the past. When we looked at the compelling schedule the league provided us, we wanted to showcase these games as the true events that so many of them are.”

EBERSOL ON “FOOTBALL NIGHT” BEING A STUDIO SHOW: “A pregame show would be something where you spend an inordinate amount of time making up what you think is going to happen in the game. None of these guys are ‘hypemasters’ and if I tried to get them to hype they would all laugh me out of the building. I think you’ll find that between the newsmakers’ segments, the live interviews and the expertise that these guys bring to the dance, that this won’t be a comedy show of guesswork.”

EBERSOL ON HIGHLIGHTS: “The highlights are a very, very important key role in the show. We fought very hard to get the right to be the main highlight distributor on Sundays from the league and they will still be more than half of the show.”

COSTAS ON WHAT HE BRINGS TO AN EVENT: “Even events like the Winter Classic or the Kentucky Derby — it’s been a long time since I was around the NHL on a regular basis and I don’t ever try to pass myself off as a horse racing expert — but I think I’m still able to bring something to those events by capturing the atmosphere and making it more accessible to the casual fan, the guy who doesn’t read the Racing Form everyday or doesn’t follow the NHL day in day out. The idea is that this is a big event that captures the interest of hardcore and casual fans alike. That’s what we try to do on the Olympics as well. I think it was the difference in our Super Bowl coverage. That’s really more of what sportscasting is about then being confined to a studio.”

COSTAS ON WORKING WITH MICHAELS: “Al and I who have been friends for a longtime and with the exception of our epic collaboration on BASEketball have not had a chance to combine talents until now.”

MICHAELS ON WORKING WITH COSTAS: “Bob and I are also here to announce that we will not be a part of the sequel to BASEketball despite the fact that we have been offered $463 million apiece to do it.”

COSTAS: “But Al will be appearing in the Pooty Tang sequel.”

MICHAELS: “That is your deal my boy.”

MICHAELS ON OPENING THE STUDIO SHOW FROM THE GAME SITE: “It just really helps set the tone for the Sunday Night game. I know you guys have been on so many of these calls for years and we’re always talking about ‘oh we’ve got the best schedule and it’s great,’ but if you look at the schedule, it’s phenomenal. We have all of the NFC East rivalries, we have Chicago-Green Bay, we’ve got Indianapolis and New England. These are the games that people want to see. Just to have Bob there and to have Cris there as well is going to lend a different look to it and enable us to do some of the things that we couldn’t do in the past. This is going to be a lot fun for us.”

COLLINSWORTH ON THE ENERGY OF BEING AT A LIVE EVENT: “As we saw this year on the Olympic coverage, when Bob got out of the studio it seemed to put a little spring in his step. I would come back in and he would come flying back in from his police escort through Beijing like the President of the United States. You could see the energy that we all felt being at the Olympic events and Bob was getting a feel of that too. That energy carried over to the broadcast.

“I think you’re going to get that same sense now with Bob at the event. Clearly, he means something. When you saw Al Michaels and Howard Cosell in the day you knew it was something big. When you see Bob Costas you know it’s something big.”

COLLINSWORTH ON CHANGES TO STUDIO SHOW: “I think it’s going to do tremendous things for the studio. We’ll handle a lot of the preliminary news of the day at the game site. It will allow the studio to really focus in on what happened that day in the games because certainly that is enough of a challenge. I really like the changes. I think this is going to make the entire broadcast from 7 p.m. until midnight streamlined and efficient and a lot of fun to be a part of.”

COSTAS ON THE INTERVIEWS IN THE 8 PM ET SEGMENT: “We hope to make that window the premier destination for players and coaches and football figures. It will be the place that they want to reach the largest audience in the most credible way — those who are at the site of the game we are doing or if we need to use the satellite if something really major has happened earlier in the day, we’ll try to do it in that window. This is going to bolster the quality and content of what we would have if I were confined to the studio.”

“FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA”: “NBC Sunday Night Football” the premier primetime game of the week, is preceded by the “Football Night in America” studio show, which kicks off NBC’s regular season coverage each Sunday at 7 p.m. ET. Bob Costas, the most honored studio host of all time with 19 Emmy Awards, will host the show from a set at the “Sunday Night Football” game site, joined by Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth. Co-hosts Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann, who together redefined sports highlights at ESPN, will narrate the highlights from the 30 Rock studio. They are joined by analysts Tony Dungy, the historic Super Bowl coach whose teams made the playoffs each of the last 10 seasons, unprecedented in this era, and Rodney Harrison, the three-time All-Pro and two-time Super Bowl champion. Peter King, who covers the NFL for Sports Illustrated and is considered one of the country’s foremost NFL reporters, serves as a reporter for the “Football Night in America” studio show.

HIGHLIGHTS OF “NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL” SCHEDULE

  • All 12 NFL playoff teams from last season are featured.
  • Fourteen of NBC’s 16 scheduled games involve at least one playoff team from last season.
  • Giants at Cowboys opens the $1.2 billion Dallas Cowboys Stadium, “the 8th Wonder of the World.” It’s a rematch of the most viewed game ever on “Sunday Night Football.”
  • Three appearances a piece from six marquee teams: this year’s Super Bowl champion Steelers, last year’s Super Bowl champion Giants plus Dallas, Indianapolis, Chicago and Philadelphia.
  • Six games involving one of the Manning brothers, Peyton and Eli.
  • Quarterback duels between Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, Peyton and Kurt Warner, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger and Donovan McNabb and Jay Cutler.
  • Four matchups among bitter NFC East rivals: Giants-Cowboys, Cowboys-Eagles, Eagles-Giants and Cowboys-Redskins.
  • A rematch of last year’s hard-hitting AFC Championship game between Pittsburgh and Baltimore and last year’s AFC divisional playoff game between the Steelers and the Chargers.
Filed Under: NBC, NFL

Live Doubleheader Saturday On NFL Network — NFL Network Programming Notes (8/26-9/1)

August 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

NFL NETWORK PROGRAMMING NOTES (8/26-9/1)

LIVE DOUBLEHEADER SATURDAY:

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS VS. DETROIT LIONS AT 1:00 PM ET

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS VS. OAKLAND RAIDERS AT 4:00 PM ET

Vick’s Debut: Live Look-Ins of Jaguars-Eagles Thursday on NFL Total Access Followed by Complete Game Re-Air at 11:00 PM ET

Interview with Cris Collinsworth Tuesday on NFL Total Access

Brett Favre and Vikings vs. Texans Tuesday at 10:00 AM ET

THIS WEEK ON NFL TOTAL ACCESS: Interview with Cris Collinsworth

Wednesday, August 26

  • Listen in on New York Jets training camp as head coach Rex Ryan is mic’d up
  • Jason La Canfora takes fans Around the League providing breaking news and up to the minute reports on all 32 teams

Thursday, August 27

  • Live “look-ins” every time Philadelphia has the ball during Michael Vick’s scheduled debut vs. Jacksonville
  • Listen in on Indianapolis Colts training camp as head coach Jim Caldwell is mic’d up

Friday, August 28

  • Marshall Faulk sits down with Saints QB Drew Brees for a 1-on-1 interview
  • Listen in on St. Louis Rams training camp as head coach Steve Spagnuolo is mic’d up

Saturday, August 29

  • Highlights from the Colts-Lions and Saints-Raiders preseason matchups

Sunday, August 30

  • 7:00 PM edition: Highlights from preseason matchups around the league and a preview of Bears vs. Broncos
  • 11:00 PM edition: Highlights from the Bears-Broncos game

Monday, August 31

  • Listen in on Baltimore Ravens training camp as head coach John Harbaugh is mic’d up
  • Jason La Canfora takes fans Around the League providing breaking news and up to the minute reports on all 32 teams

Tuesday, September 1

  • Interview with NBC game analyst Cris Collinsworth
  • Listen in on New York Giants training camp as head coach Tom Coughlin is mic’d up
  • Jason La Canfora takes fans Around the League providing breaking news and up to the minute reports on all 32 teams

THIS WEEK ON NFL.COM

Thursday, August 27

  • 12:00 PM ET – NFL Network analyst Solomon Wilcots chat
  • 4:00 PM ET – NFL Network host Rich Eisen chat

Friday, August 28

  • 2:00 PM ET – NFL.com senior analyst Pat Kirwan chat
  • 3:00 PM ET – NFL.com senior columnist Thomas George chat

DAY-BY-DAY PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE (all times listed are ET; all preseason games in HD)

Wednesday, August 26

4:00 PM – NFL Preseason Game: Cincinnati Bengals vs. New England Patriots (HD)

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

8:00 PM – NFL Preseason Game: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Washington Redskins (HD)

11:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

12 MIDNIGHT – NFL Preseason Game: Oakland Raiders vs. San Francisco 49ers (HD)

3:00 AM – NFL Total Access (HD)

Thursday, August 27

7:00 AM – NFL Preseason Game: Carolina Panthers vs. Miami Dolphins (HD)

10:00 AM – NFL Preseason Game: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Indianapolis Colts (HD)

1:00 PM – NFL Preseason Game: San Diego Chargers vs. Arizona Cardinals (HD)

4:00 PM – NFL Preseason Game: New York Giants vs. Chicago Bears (HD)

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

8:00 PM – NFL Follies: Follies on Parade (1990)

9:00 PM – NFL Follies: NFL Football Card Follies (1991)

10:00 PM – NFL Follies: NFL’s 100 Greatest Follies (1993)

11:00 PM – NFL Preseason Game: Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Philadelphia Eagles (HD)

2:00 AM – NFL Preseason Game: St. Louis Rams vs. Cincinnati Bengals (HD)

Friday, August 28

10:00 AM – NFL Preseason Game: St. Louis Rams vs. Cincinnati Bengals (HD)

1:00 PM – NFL Preseason Game: Miami Dolphins vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (HD)

4:00 PM – NFL Preseason Game: Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Philadelphia Eagles (HD)

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

8:00 PM – NFL Follies: Super Duper Follies (1988)

9:00 PM – NFL Follies: Football Comedy

10:00 PM – NFL Follies: Phenomenal Football (1990)

11:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD) – updated with post-game analysis from preseason matchups

12 MIDNIGHT – NFL Total Access (HD)

1:00 AM – NFL Preseason Game: Green Bay Packers vs. Arizona Cardinals (HD)

Saturday, August 29

7:00 AM – NFL Preseason Game: New England Patriots vs. Washington Redskins (HD)

10:00 AM – NFL Preseason Game: Green Bay Packers vs. Arizona Cardinals (HD)

1:00 PM – NFL Preseason Game: Indianapolis Colts vs. Detroit Lions (HD) – LIVE

4:00 PM – NFL Preseason Game: New Orleans Saints vs. Oakland Raiders (HD) – LIVE

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

8:00 PM – NFL Follies: Best of Football Follies (1984)

9:00 PM – NFL Follies: The NFL TV Follies (1986)

10:00 PM – EA Madden Show: 2009 Pigskin Pro-Am (HD)

11:00 PM – NFL Preseason Game: Seattle Seahawks vs. Kansas City Chiefs (HD)

2:00 AM – NFL Preseason Game: San Diego Chargers vs. Atlanta Falcons (HD)

Sunday, August 30

7:00 AM – NFL Preseason Game: Baltimore Ravens vs. Carolina Panthers (HD)

10:00 AM – NFL Preseason Game: New York Jets vs. New York Giants (HD)

1:00 PM – NFL Preseason Game: Buffalo Bills vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (HD)

4:00 PM – NFL Preseason Game: San Francisco 49ers vs. Dallas Cowboys (HD)

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

8:00 PM – NFL Follies: Son of Football Follies (1975)

8:30 PM – NFL Follies: NFL Symfunny (1979)

9:00 PM – NFL Follies: Follies Go to Hollywood (1982)

9:30 PM – NFL Follies: Foul Up’s, Fumbles, Follies (1990)

10:00 PM – NFL Follies: Festival of Funnies (1980)

11:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD) – updated with post-game analysis from preseason matchups

12 MIDNIGHT – NFL Preseason Game: Tennessee Titans vs. Cleveland Browns (HD)

3:00 AM – NFL Preseason Game: San Francisco 49ers vs. Dallas Cowboys (HD)

Monday, August 31

6:00 AM – NFL’s Top 10: Top 10 Return Aces

7:00 AM – NFL Preseason Game: San Diego Chargers vs. Atlanta Falcons (HD)

10:00 AM – NFL Preseason Game: New England Patriots vs. Washington Redskins (HD)

1:00 PM – NFL Preseason Game: Buffalo Bills vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (HD)

4:00 PM – NFL Preseason Game: Chicago Bears vs. Denver Broncos (HD)

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

8:00 PM – NFL Follies: The Football Follies (1968)

8:30 PM – NFL Follies: Fantastic Football Funnies (1970)

9:00 PM – NFL Follies: Fall Follies (2007)

9:30 PM – NFL Follies: Foul Up’s, Fumbles, Follies (1990)

10:00 PM – NFL Follies: Most Super Fantastic Follies (2008)

11:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD) – updated with post-game analysis from preseason matchups

12 MIDNIGHT – NFL Preseason Game: Minnesota Vikings vs. Houston Texans (HD)

Tuesday, September 1

7:00 AM – NFL Preseason Game: Tennessee Titans vs. Cleveland Browns (HD)

10:00 AM – NFL Preseason Game: Baltimore Ravens vs. Carolina Panthers (HD)

1:00 PM – NFL Preseason Game: New York Jets vs. New York Giants (HD)

4:00 PM – NFL Preseason Game: Minnesota Vikings vs. Houston Texans (HD)

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

8:00 PM – NFL Preseason Game: San Francisco 49ers vs. Dallas Cowboys (HD)

11:00 PM – NFL Total Access (HD)

12 MIDNIGHT – NFL Preseason Game: Green Bay Packers vs. Arizona Cardinals (HD)

Filed Under: NFL, NFLN

Excerpts From NFL Network Conference Call Announcing “The NFL Head Coaches”

August 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Excerpts from Tuesday conference call featuring NFL Network Executive Producer Eric Weinberger and NFL Network analysts Mike Martz & Steve Mariucci introducing

The NFL Head Coaches

NFL Network gives fans more inside access into the game with the debut of The NFL Head Coaches, presented by Travelers Monday, September 14 at 6:30 PM ET. Hosted by Charles Davis, the weekly half-hour show features a trio of former head coaches – Steve Mariucci, Mike Martz and Jim Mora – who have been on the sidelines and experienced the ups and downs associated with being at the helm of a team in the National Football League.

Below are quotes from a conference call featuring Weinberger, Martz and Mariucci held Tuesday:

“It is extremely rare to get these staffs and these men together to discuss coaching philosophies, rules within the league, players within the league and everything that’s going on in their lives. Every time we’ve gotten a chance to do it, especially at the Combine, a light bulb really goes off with us on how cerebral and how entertaining these segments can be.” – NFL Network executive producer Eric Weinberger on the idea behind the show “The Head Coaches”

“These guys, while they are not coaching, directly impact the league with their connections to arguably three of the best quarterbacks, being Peyton Manning with Coach Mora, Kurt Warner with Coach Martz and Brett Favre with Coach Mariucci. They have a real current and relevant touch to everything they that’s discussed on Monday.” – NFL Network executive producer Eric Weinberger on NFL Network’s featured coaches, Mike Martz, Steve Mariucci and Jim Mora

“The coach’s perspective often times differs from a player’s point of view because of your experiences and what you’re responsible for.” – NFL Network analyst Steve Mariucci on the head coach’s point of view

“I thought he stayed composed so well and recognized their pressure. He knew right where to go with the ball. He had one bad read and he’ll learn from that, but he just never got unsettled. There was a lot of recognition going on in that game for a young quarterback against a great defense. That was impressive to me. I really do think that this is a young man that can probably play as a rookie.” – Martz on Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez

“I believe it’s also based on what the alternative is and they have a pretty good alternative right now with Daunte Culpepper…I would go with Daunte until I feel that either he’s not getting it done or Matthew Stafford is ready.” – Mariucci on the Detroit Lions quarterback situation and the factors in determining whether or not to start a rookie quarterback

“The biggest thing for me, in a situation like that is if you’re picking a quarterback in the top five picks, chances are you’re not a very good football team. It’s more about what’s around this young man than it is about him.” – Martz on the Detroit Lions quarterback situation and the factors in determining whether or not to start a rookie quarterback

“This young man needs to sit for awhile, watch how his game is played, how Daunte deals with the media and how he deals with players. It’s just different in the NFL than it is in college and he needs to be a student for awhile.” – Martz on Lions rookie QB Matthew Stafford

“I’d like to see the kid get another opportunity to start, whether it’s for the 49ers or somebody else, because I think there’s something there.” – Mariucci on 49ers QB Alex Smith

“The biggest issue is all the history. There isn’t good history for (Alex). You look at Kurt Warner and Trent Green, guys that bounced around to different teams and finally, it just kind of set in for them. He probably is going to need to go to another team. He deserves another opportunity. I think he can play.” – NFL Network analyst Mike Martz on 49ers QB Alex Smith

“It’s hard to put staffs together and keep them. When you get that going over a period of time, it’s really unusual and I think you need to be able to keep that.” – Martz on the importance in continuity in NFL coaching staffs

“They’ve acquired some players that are going to help them. It’s not going to be a quick fix.” – Mariucci on the Detroit Lions

“To have an offensive line that’s substantial together for years is vital to any organization…the meat of any organization is inside and that’s been lacking over the years.” – Martz on the Detroit Lions and its needs at offensive line

Filed Under: NFL, NFLN

Final NFL Preseason Matchup Tonight @ 8PM on FOX

August 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

FOX SPORTS NOTES, QUOTES & ANECDOTES

Dolphins @ Bucs Battle In Final NFL Preseason Matchup

Tomorrow On FOX

Marvez On Jets Awarding Starting Job To Sanchez: “Clemens Has Self To Blame”

NFL ON FOX BROADCASTS ITS FINAL PRESEASON MATCHUP FROM RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM – The Miami Dolphins travel up I-75 to Tampa for a clash with the Buccaneers Thursday, August 27 (8:00 PM ET) in the final preseason matchup on FOX Sports.  NFL on FOX’s lead broadcast team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman call the action from the booth with Pam Oliver patrolling the sidelines. For instant updates during the week from the entire NFL on FOX crew, follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NFLONFOX.

DODGERS LOOK TO HANG ON TO NL WEST LEAD IN CINCINNATI – With the Colorado Rockies charging fast, Manny Ramirez and the Dodgers look to remain in first place in the NL West as they travel to Cincinnati to take on Joey Votto and the Reds on Saturday, August 29 at 4:00 PM ET. In Chicago, Derek Lee and the Cubs welcome the Mets to Wrigley.  Also, Evan Longoria and the Rays continue their Wild Card push in Detroit, against Miguel Cabrera and the Tigers.  This week, the pregame show originates live from Wrigley Field with host Chris Rose.  Once game action begins, Rose joins the game crew of Joe Buck, Tim McCarver & Ken Rosenthal as a field reporter.  For instant updates during the week and games from the entire MLB on FOX crew, follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MLBONFOX.

Fans can gain more access to exclusive FOX Sports content by logging on to www.facebook.com/foxsports and www.myspace.com/foxsports.

GAME PLAY-BY-PLAY/ANALYST COV.

New York Mets at Chicago Cubs                                  Joe Buck, Tim McCarver                                                 63%

& Ken Rosenthal

Wrigley Field – Chicago, IL

MARKETS INCLUDE: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Birmingham, Buffalo, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Greensboro, Greenville, Hartford, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Knoxville, Louisville, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Richmond, San Antonio, San Diego, St. Louis, Tulsa, Washington, West Palm Beach

Probable Pitchers: Bobby Parnell, RHP (3-6, 5.08 ERA) vs. Ryan Dempster, RHP (7-7, 4.07 ERA)

Los Angeles Dodgers at Cincinnati Reds                    Thom Brennaman & Eric Karros                                   21%

Great American Ballpark – Cincinnati, OH

MARKETS INCLUDE: Albuquerque, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Portland, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle

Probable Pitchers: Charlie Haeger, RHP (1-1, 1.93) vs. TBA

Tampa Rays at Detroit Tigers                                         Kenny Albert & Mark Grace                                            15%

Great American Ballpark – Cincinnati, OH

MARKETS INCLUDE: Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Minneapolis, Orlando, Providence, Tampa

Probable Pitchers: David Price, LHP (6-6, 4.93) vs. Rick Porcello, RHP (10-8, 4.39 ERA)

ROSENTHAL: HOW WILL CUBS, METS GMS TURN THINGS AROUND – Despite the Mets and Cubs turning in disappointing seasons, both teams are likely to bring back their current GMs. FOXSports.com senior writer & MLB on FOX insider, Ken Rosenthal says Omar Minaya and Jim Hendry don’t have easy jobs. “I understand why Minaya and Hendry will keep their jobs as both are under contract through 2012.  Hendry produced three postseason teams in the previous six seasons.  Minaya built a club that came within one victory of the World Series in 2006. The problem is both general managers have created messes that could take years to untangle. The Mets and Cubs rank second and third in the majors, respectively, in payroll, and that’s just this season. Their future financial commitments also are stifling.”

For more on this story log onto:

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9979394/How-will-Cubs,-Mets-GMs-turn-things-around

MOROSI: RETURNING ZAMBRANO CAN’T SAVE CUBS’ SEASON – Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano made his return to the mound on Tuesday. As a distant second place behind the NL Central leading Cardinals, FOXSports.com national MLB writer Jon Paul Morosi says even the return of ‘El Toro’ won’t make a difference for the North Siders.  It’s “probably time for a skywriter to fly across the North Side with the seasonal message: ‘NOT GOING TO HAPPEN THIS YEAR, EITHER. BEARS OPEN SOON.’ For this team to have any chance of catching the strengthened-and-streaking Cardinals, Big Z needed to show that he’s capable of pitching like an ace in September. But at this stage of the season, after two stints on the DL, he isn’t ready to do that.”

For more on this story log onto:

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9985116/Returning-Zambrano-can’t-save-Cubs’-season

MARVEZ: KELLEN CLEMENS HAS SELF TO BLAME – FOXSports.com senior NFL writer Alex Marvez believes that New York Jets QB Kellen Clemens has himself to blame for head coach Rex Ryan’s decision to start rookie QB Mark Sanchez. “After a sound debut against St. Louis, Sanchez’s inexperience was exposed in Monday night’s loss to the New York Jets.  Sanchez, though, has already shown resiliency to bounce back from his mistakes and the penchant for big plays – a trait Clemens has sorely lacked.  I think Ryan is wise to take his lumps with Sanchez because of his upside rather than play Clemens, who hasn’t shown much of that quality during his time with the Jets.”

– FOX SPORTS –

Filed Under: FOX, MLB, NFL
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