MNF’s Conference Call Recap; ‘Sunday NFL Countdown’ Previews Pro Bowl

Conference Call Recap: Monday Night Football Team Discusses 2010 Pro Bowl and Super Bowl XLIV

ESPN hosted a media conference call Wednesday to discuss the 2010 Pro Bowl telecast (Sunday, Jan. 31, ESPN and ESPN HD at 7:20 p.m. ET) and the Indianapolis Colts-New Orleans Saints matchup in Super Bowl XLIV. Monday Night Football commentators Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworksi and Jon Gruden, who will call the game, were joined by senior coordinating producer Jay Rothman. A full replay of the call is available here. Select comments from the call:

Rothman on producing the Pro Bowl telecast …

“We had it a couple years in Hawaii. It’s an opportunity for us to do a lot of things we’re not able to do during the regular season. The big thing for us is access in this game. We’ll be pretty aggressive at mic’s on players, including all the quarterbacks and other players as well … aggressive with interviews on the sidelines and bringing the stars to the fans. We will have cameras in locker rooms, pregame, halftime, postgame and huddles. We’re also excited about Super Bowl participants there including Drew Brees and Peyton Manning on the field with Chris Berman.

“We’ll have a ton of production elements, video packages and special graphics that we bring into the game because another thing is celebrating these athletes who made it into the Pro Bowl and celebrating their season. We have 25 cameras for this game, but it’s a little different plan for us. It’s more about maximizing all the audio we have versus the game coverage.”

On the new Pro Bowl format before the Super Bowl XLIV …

Jaworski: “To a certain degree the format negates some of the stars being able to play in the game. The fact that Super Bowl participants won’t be able to participate in the Pro Bowl you knock out some of the talent level, but clearly what I saw this morning at practice was an incredibly talented group of players … there’s elite talent on the field.”

Gruden: “It’s a change. The NFL wants to try something different and I’m eager to see how it works. It certainly will add some momentum, I think, to the Super Bowl. Every year there are players that choose not to play in the Pro Bowl with the regular format, whether it be for injury or whatever the reason may be. There is a talented group of players on these rosters and I think it’s going to be a great setup for the Super Bowl.”

On the Colts’ running game …

Gruden: “The running game for the Colts is always set up for play-action pass. The Colts will only run the football when Peyton Manning diagnoses that they have the proper look. You’ll see two safeties back there. Peyton Manning will not waste runs. He’s going to use the running game to set up the sting of their play-action pass, which is as good as I’ve seen in football over the last 10 years.”

Jaworski: “Balance is always important for an offense – some illusion of a running game if not a solid running game. …They’re a team that likes to draw the pass rush. They like to create seams by bringing those ends up the field … Never ceases to amaze me that they will run the play-action pass against cover 2.”

On Drew Brees and Peyton Manning and what they will do best against the opposing defense in the Super Bowl …

Gruden: “The key to Peyton Manning is his ability to use a snap-count in different tempos in terms of the entire game. He’ll jump a no-huddle and they’ll play fast. … You’ll see a lot of theater before the ball snap. It looks like Manning is calling an audible when he’s really not. … This is the ultimate CEO quarterback. Nobody in my lifetime I have ever seen does as much as Peyton Manning does on game day before the ball is snapped. And I don’t know anybody who has the freedom that he has to run the skills on offense.”

“As far as Drew Brees, I spent a lot of time there in New Orleans watching this guy. He is the surgeon. He will cut you up with three-yard passes. His guys will take those three-yard passes and they can run with it after they catch it. They can line up any formation and any personnel group you give them. They might line up in 30 different formations on the first 30 plays of the game. Drew Brees is totally on-line with Sean Payton, it’s a two-headed monster. Those two guys have been together for a long time and it shows on the practice field, it shows in the meeting room. They will put a full-court press on the Indianapolis defense with formation, personnel groupings and the talented group they send out there.”

On experiencing the Saints’ return to the Superdome post Katrina on MNF in 2006 …

Jaworski: “Despite what had happened, there was an incredible experience that the Saints were back, the Saints were playing, New Orleans was back or pride was back — it was an incredible feeling … I was standing right by the Saints tunnel when they came on the field. I don’t know if it was an illusion I was having, but the Saints players were three feet off the ground. That crowd, that noise, when they came on that field they were in the air. That’s how much that crowd impacted that football team. … They played a fantastic game and won that game. It really is a moment in time I will never forget.”

Tirico: “I’ve never seen a game matter more to the fans … because 13 months ago it was a place of last resort … Going from there 13 months later, it was the introduction to the rest of the world that New Orleans was open for business and could still in some ways be similar to the city we knew it as for many years. I don’t remember a crowd being louder at any event I’ve been at … I get chills talking about it. … I think it’s important because it was the first connection to everybody else that the city could come back. It was a symbol of hope unlike athletics has been to a city before, and a lot of the key faces on that team are still key faces on that team in Sean Payton, Drew Brees and Reggie Bush. The link is honest, legitimate and I do believe there is a tighter bond between that franchise and that city than any other professional sports team right now.”

On whether this Super Bowl matchup shows offenses can win championships …

Jaworski: “It started last year. As we watch the evolution of the NFL, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind it is a passing league. Look at the quarterback play, look at statistically the profile of teams and their numbers, efficiency of quarterbacks, the yards per game. Teams are building now for the passing game.”

On the NFL’s ratings success this year …

Tirico: “I don’t think we have a guess if this is a crest or (if) it can keep going. … Football fits our lives in 2010 better than any other sport. You can give six hours of your week to football and watch the game, pregame, postgame, surf one or two shows during the week and be pretty darn good and well-versed in your team. … I think the competitive balance of your team yells out to me too. You have national teams in small markets. You have not heard the word small-market once regarding Indianapolis, New Orleans, or Minnesota and they’ve driven unbelievable ratings. … You have a league of stars. It’s a league where stars are available on TV. It’s not oversaturated. Football goes away here after Super Bowl for six months and you’re dying for a taste of it in the preseason. I think the way the game has been put together in terms of competitive balance, it’s not oversaturated and the best players are playing at a very high level right now. … It fits our style. I would say overall once we hit the recession, leading into this year, people started being more careful with their discretionary spending, seems that more people are sitting at home and watching TV and family events around the TV. Football pulls a lot of people in under your roof to watch for three hours. I think it was a variety of things that come together all at once.”

On what Colts quarterback Peyton Manning does better than anyone else …

Gruden: “I don’t think anybody works harder than Peyton Manning. … He’s there early, he’s there late, here’s there all the time. He’s demanding. He’s able to adjust. … It doesn’t matter who’s around him, the guy is brilliant.  He’s a superb gameday player. His preparation is rare. He’s got a tremendous strong, accurate arm. He’s tough as nails. He’s an all day, every down problem for anybody, every week.”

Jaworski: “I thought from a cerebral standpoint, it was Peyton Manning’s best game of his career. … The speed with which he makes decisions is incredible. … He just has a brilliant mind. By the time that ball is snapped from the top of his drop he knows exactly where everyone is. He sees the field with incredible clarity and he is really smart. That’s not even talking about the physical attributes and how he threw the ball with incredible accuracy.”

On Drew Brees’ size and ability …

Jaworski: “You’ll see Drew get up on his toes to throw over people. He’s not a long strider. … I think he’s just uncanny with his movement in the pocket, the ability to find the lanes and throw from different platforms. He’ll move his passing slot to get to an open receiver. The accuracy is absolutely amazing. He didn’t have his best game last week so I do expect him to rebound in the Super Bowl.”

Gruden: “I stood there behind the Saints in training camp asking myself that very question. I stand back there and I can’t see two feet beyond the line of scrimmage. He can throw sidearm, he can throw off his back foot. He can reset, start one way, reset and get rid of the ball. When the ball comes out of his hand, it’s quick. Tremendous pocket presence and he is a way better athlete than people realize.”

On Brett Favre’s season with the Vikings and the possibility of him coming back …

Jaworski: “I have no inside information, it’s just an instinct, but I do believe Brett Favre will come back. I believe when he sits back and reflects upon the experience he had in Minnesota and what he did for that franchise, what he did for his teammates what he did for that city, he’s going to think very positively of it. I believe disappointment of that last play will be motivation for him to believe that his career didn’t end on a bad decision. He played great in that game. … The guy had a phenomenal, phenomenal regular season. He played terrific in that game. I think when he looks back and thinks about it, his body heals again, he’s 40-years-old, but I can tell you this, the guy can still throw the football with anyone. … Once his body heals, his mind will heal as well and he just loves to play the game. My instinct tells me he’s going to come back.”

Gruden: “I think when the dust settles, if we can just let Brett alone, I really think he’ll surface again and come back and play great again. I think he’s at the top of his game, why would he walk away? Unless he feels like he accomplished what he set out to accomplish, that’s the only thing he might say. He took the Vikings further than they’d been in a long time, he beat the Packers twice in a convincing fashion, and maybe he just wants to hang it up for that reason. I really believe the competitor that he is, once the grass starts smelling a certain way around football season, he’ll be back. Because the NFL needs him and he loves it. That guy loves to play.”

ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown to Preview the 2010 Pro Bowl Live from the Sun Life Stadium

ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown will preview the 2010 Pro Bowl live from Miami in a two-hour special Sunday, beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET.  The program will feature host Chris Berman and analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson and Keyshawn Johnson, with senior analyst Chris Mortensen and NFL insider Adam Schefter providing headlines and league news.

Countdown will lead into the Pro Bowl game telecast at 7:20 p.m. with Monday Night Football commentators Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski in the booth.  Reporters Suzy Kolber (AFC) and Michele Tafoya (NFC) will cover the Pro Bowl teams. Countdown highlights:

C’MON MAN – A three-part edition of the popular Monday Night Countdown segment as Berman and the analysts share their head-scratching plays from the 2009 NFL season.

SOUNDTRACKS: PRO BOWLERS – A special edition of Soundtracks will feature some of the best in-game audio of the season through the eyes of Pro Bowl players.

THE ALL-DECADE TEAM – Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and Baltimore Ravens defensive leader Ray Lewis have been among the perennial Pro Bowlers over the past 10 years.  Countdown will unveil the players who accomplished enough to make the NFL’s All-Decade team.

SUPER BOWL XLIV PREVIEW – The analysts will preview Super Bowl XLIV, focusing on how the Colts defense can slow down quarterback Drew Brees and the Saints’ big-play passing game.

FIELD PASS – A Pro Bowl edition of the recurring Monday Night Countdown series featuring an all-access look at pre-game preparations as the players get ready for kickoff.  Analysts will also breakdown the important storylines and key players before the game.

In addition, Monday Night Football’s Tirico, Jaworski and Gruden will preview the Pro Bowl matchups.

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ESPN AT 2010 PRO BOWL AND SUPER BOWL XLIV

Super Bowl XLIV week in South Florida will kick off Sunday, Jan. 31, with the 2010 Pro Bowl on ESPN, ESPN HD and ESPN Deportes at 7:20 p.m. ET from Sun Life Stadium. ESPN’s week-long comprehensive coverage of the Indianapolis Colts-New Orleans Saints matchup will continue across its multimedia platforms through Sunday, Feb. 7. Highlights:

• Super Bowl-related content across 18 ESPN platforms: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Classic, ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD, ESPNEWS HD, ESPNU HD, ESPN International, ESPN.com, ESPN Radio, ESPNRadio.com, ESPN Deportes Radio, ESPNdeportes.com, ESPN The Magazine and ESPN Mobile properties;
• More than 80 hours of Super Bowl-related programming on domestic television from South Florida;
• More than 55 hours of Super Bowl-related programming on ESPN Radio from South Florida;
• ESPN International will bring live coverage of the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl to more than 51 million households in 140 countries and territories throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Israel, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Rim, and much of Europe;
• More than 30 on-air commentators (hosts, analysts, reporters and contributors) covering on-site;
• ESPN’s coverage will peak with more than 16 hours of TV and radio coverage on Super Bowl Sunday (Sunday, Feb. 7), beginning with Mike & Mike in the Morning at 6 a.m. (ESPN Radio/ESPN2).
• ESPN’s weeklong television and radio coverage (Feb. 1 – Feb. 7) will originate from Lummus Park on Miami Beach (12^th Street and Ocean Drive).

McDonald’s Presents the 2010 Pro Bowl on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (Sunday, Jan. 31)

ESPN’s coverage of the 2010 Pro Bowl kicks off on ESPN and ESPN HD at 5:30 p.m. with a special edition of Sunday NFL Countdown hosted by Chris Berman from Sun Life Stadium with analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter. Countdown will lead into the Pro Bowl game telecast at 7:20 p.m. with Monday Night Football commentators Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski in the booth. Reporters Suzy Kolber (AFC Team) and Michele Tafoya (NFC Team) will cover the Pro Bowl teams. Berman will also have interviews with Colts and Saints players from a sideline set, including an anticipated halftime interview with Super Bowl quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. ESPN Deportes will also offer a Spanish-language telecast of the Pro Bowl with pre-game coverage beginning at 7 p.m.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson, and Titans running back Chris Johnson are among the league’s top players who will be on display for the annual NFL all-star game. The ESPN telecast will feature 14 live microphones on players and coaches that will allow fans to hear live audio of conversations in the huddle, during plays and in the locker rooms.

Reporter Bob Holtzman and Mortensen began providing Pro Bowl reports from South Florida on Wednesday, Jan. 27 on NFL Live and SportsCenter.

Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 7)

• Berman, covering his 28^th Super Bowl, will host the special four-hour Super Bowl edition of Sunday NFL Countdown (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.) from Lummus Park on Miami Beach with Carter, Ditka, Jackson, Johnson, Mortensen and Schefter. Analysts Trent Dilfer, Steve Young and Tedy Bruschi – all Super Bowl champions – will also appear on the show from Miami Beach, while MNF’s Tirico, Jaworski and Gruden will occupy a set at Sun Life Stadium. In all, ESPN’s Super Bowl Sunday analyst team features former players and coaches with a combined 12 Super Bowl rings in 20 appearances in the NFL’s biggest game. Reporters Suzy Kolber (Colts) and Ed Werder (Saints) will provide team updates.
• Postgame coverage on ESPN begins at 10 p.m. begins with NFL Primetime with Berman, Jackson and Young on the field at Sun Life Stadium, followed by a 90-minute SportsCenter.
• ESPN Radio’s “Super Sunday” program lineup will include Mike & Mike in the Morning for the third straight year (6-10 a.m./simulcast on ESPN2). Tirico will anchor ESPN Radio’s post-game coverage from radio row in Miami until 1 a.m.
• ESPN2’s SportsNation will have a special two-hour Super Bowl Sunday show (10 a.m., re-airing at noon).
• ESPN International will air Super Bowl XLIV live to more than 51 million households in 140 countries and territories throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Israel, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Rim, and much of Europe.  Commentary and analysis will be provided in English, French-Canadian, Portuguese, and Spanish.

ESPN – ESPN2 – ESPNEWS – ESPNU – ESPN Classic

ESPN’s primary host location throughout Super Bowl week will be an outdoor set – open for public viewing – Lummus Park on Miami Beach (12^th Street and Ocean Drive).  Planned highlights:

• SportsCenter (Monday, Feb. 1 – Sunday, Feb. 7) – daily editions with anchors Mike Greenberg, Steve Levy and Stuart Scott, joined by Mortensen, Schefter, reporters Kolber and Werder, and analysts Ditka, Jackson, Johnson, Young, etc.;
• SportsCenter Special: The Champions (Friday, Feb. 5 at 3:30 p.m., ESPN) – Tirico hosts this special with all of ESPN’s NFL analysts in Miami who have won Super Bowl rings – Bruschi, Dilfer, Ditka, Gruden, Johnson, Matt Millen, Mark Schlereth and Young. The panel — with a combined 19 rings in 24 Super Bowl appearances – will discuss their personal experiences of playing for the NFL title and what they expect for Super Bowl XLIV.
• Sport Science (Friday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m., ESPN) – The three-time Emmy Award-winning special hosted by John Brenkus will offer four football-based segments, including researching the common thread in quarterbacks, the physics of the greatest catches of the past several years (with Steelers’ wide receiver Santonio Holmes in-studio), exploring if a running back generates as much power as a Diesel engine (with Bills’ Marshawn Lynch), and Brenkus acting as live dummy when 14-year NFL veteran Matt Willig joins him in the lab to test the impact-forces when an unpadded referee accidentally gets hit.  Sport Science brings popular professional athletes together with cutting-edge technology in state-of-the-art scientific facilities to test the limits of human athletic abilities, while challenging popular assumptions about athletes and sports.
• SportsCenter Special and NFL Live (Monday, Feb. 1 – Thursday, Feb. 4, 3:30-4:30 p.m.) – Trey Wingo will host daily these consecutive 30-minute shows throughout Super Bowl week;
• NFL Matchup (Sunday, Feb. 7, 3 and 6:30 a.m., ESPN) – the popular 30-minute X’s and O’s analysis show hosted by Sal Paolantonio with Merril Hoge and Jaworski will preview the Super Bowl matchup from South Florida;
• Rome is Burning (M-F, 4:30 p.m., ESPN) – current and former NFL players will join host Jim Rome live in  South Florida to discuss the Super Bowl;
• Around the Horn (M-F, 5 p.m., ESPN) – daily panelists will opine from South Florida;
• Pardon the Interruption (M-F, 5:30 p.m., ESPN) – co-host Michael Wilbon and ‘Five Good Minutes’ guests will participate from South Florida;
• Sports Reporters (Sunday, Feb. 7, at 8:30 a.m., ESPN) – John Saunders will host the popular Sunday morning sports journalism and discussion program from the Super Bowl city;
• Mike & Mike in the Morning (M-F, 6-10 a.m./simulcast on ESPN2) – Co-hosts Mike Golic and Greenberg will kick off ESPN Radio’s on-site coverage from Miami on Monday, Feb. 1, followed by The Herd with Colin Cowherd (10 a.m.-2 p.m./ESPNU), and co-hosts Scott Van Pelt and Ryen Russillo on The Scott Van Pelt Show (2-4 p.m./ESPN2). Each show will feature NFL guests and experts on-set with the hosts throughout the week.
• First Take (M-F, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., ESPN2) – will include Super Bowl-related interviews and previews all week;
• SportsNation (M-F, 4 p.m., ESPN2) – Michelle Beadle will be joined by guest host and ESPN NFL analyst Marcellus Wiley in ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., studios all week. A special preview of Puppy Bowl VI is among the anticipated Super Bowl week features. A special two-hour SportsNation is also planned for Super Bowl Sunday, at 10 a.m. on ESPN2 (re-airing at noon).
• ESPN2 will feature a number of NFL Films-produced Super Bowl highlight shows throughout the week, including back-to-back 30-minute shows Saturday, Feb. 6 at 10 a.m. spotlighting two memorable South Florida Super Bowl games involving the Colts – SB III vs. Jets and SB XLI vs. Bears.
• ESPNEWS will provide live coverage of Super Bowl events with extensive reporting from Miami all week — including team arrivals, coaches’ and players’ press conferences, Media Day (Tuesday, Feb. 2), Commissioner Roger Goodell’s State of the NFL address (Friday, Feb. 5), and the Pro Football Hall of Fame announcement (Saturday, Feb. 6).  On Super Bowl Sunday, extensive pre- and postgame analysis will include interviews, news conferences, highlights and more.
• ESPN Classic will celebrate Super Bowl XLIV with 24 straight hours of NFL-related programming, including: SportsCentury shows spotlighting Pete Rozelle, Vince Lombardi and more; Who’s #1; Top 5 Reasons You Can’t Blame…; and classic interviews that have not been aired on ESPN in more than a decade, including Up Close Classics with Jim Kelly, Joe Namath and more, Firestone Chat with Brett Favre and Schaap One-one-One.

ESPN RADIO – ESPNRADIO.COM

ESPN Radio’s Super Week 2010 in South Florida will feature 10 hours of programming each weekday (6 a.m.-4 p.m./M-F), including on-site broadcasts of regularly scheduled weekday programs, special shows, reports from team headquarters, Media Day, and comprehensive analysis and post-game interviews. For the first time, The Herd (ESPNU) and The Scott Van Pelt Show (ESPN2) will be simulcast from the Super Bowl city, joining Mike & Mike (ESPN2).

Beginning Monday, Feb. 1, Mike & Mike in the Morning (6-10 a.m., M-F/ESPN2) with co-hosts Golic and Greenberg will kick off ESPN Radio’s on-site coverage, followed by The Herd with Colin Cowherd (10 a.m. – 2 p.m., M-F/ESPNU) and The Scott Van Pelt Show (2-4 p.m. M-F/ESPN2). All radio shows throughout the week will originate from 11^th St. and Ocean Drive in South Beach (adjacent to the ESPN television set). Friday’s coverage will also include the Weekend Blitz: Pro Football (8-9 p.m.) and The Mort Report (9-10 p.m.).

For the third straight year, Mike & Mike in the Morning will kick off “Super Sunday” with a special lineup (6-10 a.m./simulcast on ESPN2). Tirico will anchor ESPN Radio’s post-game coverage from Miami until 1 a.m.

ESPNRadio.com will provide live audio and video streaming of ESPN Radio programs throughout Super Bowl week, as well as on-demand highlights of every show and every interview.

ESPN.COM and ESPN MOBILE PRODUCTS

ESPN.com is providing complete coverage and analysis of the game, teams, players, coaches and the entire Super Bowl scene from Miami from the main NFL page (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/index) and the 2010 edition of Super Bowl Central (http://espn.go.com/nfl/superbowl). The site features interactivity through daily chats with writers and other personalities on SportsNation, as well as video reports throughout the week.

ESPN’s award-winning roster of contributors will be part of Super Bowl coverage, including Pro Football Hall of Famers John Clayton and Len Pasquarelli, as well as Gene Wojciechowski, Jeffri Chadiha, Greg Garber, Elizabeth Merrill, the NFL Blog Network and Scouts Inc., who will provide insight, commentary, breaking news and analysis of all facets of the Super Bowl XLIV match-up.  Other coverage highlights include:

• Complete coverage of Media Day, with users able to interact with bloggers on the scene;
• An interactive presentation called Inside A Moment In Time that takes readers inside Steelers linebacker James Harrison’s 100-yard interception return in Super Bowl XLIII;
• Behind-the-hero stories highlighting one player from each of the 43 teams that have earned Super Bowl rings;
• Video, essays and pictorials from 10 Super Bowl MVPs, including Pittsburgh’s Hines Ward, who tell stories about pivotal moments in their path to being named MVPs;
• In-depth analysis, scouting reports and rankings of all 106 players on the Super Bowl rosters from Scouts Inc.;
• Additional video features, interviews, news and analysis on the ESPN Video hub (http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/);

Fans on the go can access the latest action through the NFL Playoffs Hotcorner on the ESPN mobile Web site and up to the minute scores via the ESPN ScoreCenter mobile app for iPhone and iPod Touch devices. 

ESPN INTERNATIONAL

ESPN will deliver Super Bowl XLIV to some 51 million households in 140 countries and territories outside the U.S.  ESPN International will provide live coverage of Super Bowl XLIV throughout Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Israel, Europe and the Pacific Rim and Canada. Commentary and analysis will be provided in English, French-Canadian, Portuguese and Spanish. ESPN International will also air the Pro Bowl on January 31 to fans in these regions. Highlights:

• For the first time, ESPN International will host the “Super Bowl at Sea” Viewing Party for clients and VIPs.  The network will feature SportsCenter segments from aboard a Royal Caribbean Cruise. The four-day Caribbean cruise will depart from Miami on Feb. 4 and return Feb. 8;
• Coverage of the game in HD in Australia, Brazil and the rest of Spanish-speaking Latin America. In Latin America, ESPN will be the only network televising the game in HD;
• ESPN’s international SportsCenter production team will provide reports throughout the week to Latin America and throughout the Pacific Rim;
• Live coverage on Super Bowl Sunday in Latin America will begin at 3:30 p.m. with Cronometro Super Sunday Special, followed by a one-hour edition of SportsCenter: Super Bowl Special and NFL Esta Noche Super Bowl Special.

Spanish-language coverage in the U.S. and Latin America will feature Spanish-language Emmy nominee Álvaro Martín (play-by-play), analyst and former New York Giants Super Bowl-winning kicker Raul Allegre, and reporters John Sutcliffe and Ciro Procuna, who will offer daily reports from Miami on Spanish-language editions of SportsCenter and Radio Formula programs, and Los Capitanes en ESPN throughout Super Bowl week.  Live coverage on Super Bowl Sunday in Latin America begins at 3:30 p.m. with Cronometro Super Bowl Special and continues throughout the day through the telecast of Super Bowl XLIV at 6 p.m.

ESPN DEPORTES – ESPN DEPORTES RADIO – ESPNDEPORTES.COM
ESPN Deportes will offer the most comprehensive coverage of Super Bowl XLIV on Spanish-language television in the U.S.  The network will have a team in Miami all week, providing nightly segments for its edition of SportsCenter.  NFL Semanal, ESPN’s signature Spanish-language NFL news and analysis program, will be hosted by Procuna, Martin and Allegre from the ESPN set in South Beach. In addition, ESPN Deportes will feature exclusive live coverage in the U.S. of the Pro Bowl.

ESPN Deportes Radio, the only around-the-clock national Spanish-language sports radio network in the U.S., will feature NFL commentary throughout Super Bowl week. ESPNdeportes.com, the company’s Spanish-language Web site, will provide complete coverage all week, including chats with ESPN Deportes experts, daily blogs and ESPN Motion video.

ESPN THE MAGAZINE

Athlete and celebrity Super Bowl revelers will dance the night away at ESPN The Magazine’s sixth annual NEXT event at the “new” Fontainebleau Miami Beach in a custom-made, 25,000-square-foot, clear-top tent Friday, Feb. 5. The private, VIP event will feature Grammy Award-winning singer Ne-Yo and Grammy-nominated singer Keri Hilson as its headliners; A Tribe Called Quest front-man Q-Tip will DJ the event.  Universal Music Group recording artists rapper Nelly will report from the red carpet, interviewing athletes and celebrities in a Samsung sponsored tent on the carpet. ESPN The Magazine‘s NEXT event celebrates The Mag‘s NEXT issue and showcases what’s NEXT in sports, technology, lifestyle, and, of course, what’s NEXT from ESPN.

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