GET ‘BACK TO FOOTBALL’ WITH NFL NETWORK FOR KICKOFF WEEK!

4.5-Hour ‘NFL Total Access: 2010 Kickoff from New Orleans

Presented by EA Sports Madden 11’ Thursday at 4:00 PM ET

Premiere of ‘America’s Game: 2009 New Orleans Saints’ Narrated by

Brad Pitt Wednesday, September 8 at 9:00 PM ET

‘Kickoff Fan Forum at the New Orleans Saints’ with Commissioner Goodell Wednesday, September 8 at 10:00 PM ET

NFL Network is the only place to get fans ‘Back to Football’ during Kickoff Week. The only network dedicated to football features several show debuts and specials to mark the start of another exciting NFL season while also paying tribute to the 2009 Super Bowl-champion New Orleans Saints.

NFL Total Access goes on location to the ‘Big Easy’ Thursday for full coverage of the 2010 season opener between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints. Rich Eisen, Deion Sanders and New Orleans native Marshall Faulk anchor NFL Network’s coverage from Jackson Square, while Fran Charles and Jason La Canfora report from the Superdome. Steve Mariucci, Warren Sapp, Trent Green and Jamie Dukes are live from NFL Network’s Los Angeles studios with hosts Spero Dedes (pregame) and Paul Burmeister (postgame).

The special 4.5 hour split edition of NFL Total Access: 2010 Kickoff Presented by EA Sports Madden NFL 11 begins Thursday at 4:00 PM ET and includes:

• Live remote interview with Jets head coach Rex Ryan
• Marshall Faulk sits down with Saints head coach Sean Payton
• Sean Payton wired from the Super Bowl
• Additional live interviews and surprises

At 7:30 PM ET, NFL Network will simulcast the NFL Kickoff 2010 Presented by EA Sports celebration with NBC featuring performances by the Dave Matthews Band and Taylor Swift.

Tonight at 10:00 PM ET, Sinner to Saint: Anthony Hargrove’s Super Bowl Journey chronicles the life of Saints DE Anthony Hargrove, who after being kicked out of the NFL following multiple failed drug tests, confronts his dark past and substance abuse issues to receive a second chance with the New Orleans Saints that materialized into a Super Bowl championship. Told in Hargrove’s own words, the compelling one-hour NFL Network-produced documentary also features interviews with Saints head coach Sean Payton, general manager Mickey Loomis, Rams RB Steven Jackson and numerous members of Hargrove’s support team including therapists, counselors and family members.

For a sneak peek of tonight’s documentary, please visit: http://ftp2.nflfilmstv.com/filmsint/ftp-inet/flashplayer.html?s_video=Preview/sbj_hargrove_trailer_83110_600ws.flv

A two-hour NFL Total Access 2010 Season Preview Wednesday at 7:00 PM ET takes an in-depth look at the 2010 NFL season with host Spero Dedes alongside analysts Steve Mariucci, Trent Green, Kurt Warner and Warren Sapp.

Wednesday also features more Saints-related programming with the premiere of America’s Game: 2009 New Orleans Saints at 9:00 PM ET. Narrated by Academy Award-nominated actor Brad Pitt, the latest episode in the America’s Game series chronicles the story of the Saints’ historic Super Bowl win through the words of head coach Sean Payton, quarterback Drew Brees and linebacker Jonathan Vilma.

Then at 10:00 PM ET, NFL Network presents the Kickoff Fan Forum at the New Orleans Saints with Commissioner Roger Goodell. Goodell participates in a discussion session with fans to answer their NFL questions.

NFL Network’s array of special programming during Kickoff week marks the start of an exciting fall season of the most comprehensive and informative NFL football content on television:

NFL Network’s 2010 Fall Programming Lineup

• On Mondays, NFL Replay Real-Time (3:00-4:00 PM ET), Up to the Minute (6:00-6:30 PM ET) and The Coaches Show (6:30-7:00 PM ET) are back, providing a complete wrap-up of Sunday’s action, leading into a 90-minute NFL Total Access at 7:00 PM ET prior to Monday Night Football.
• Tuesdays and Wednesday nights feature the ‘Field Pass’ block, taking fans inside the game like never before with exclusive NFL Films footage and sound. Starting at 8:00 PM ET both nights, back-to-back episodes of NFL Replay relive four of the week’s games in a condensed, fast-paced format, followed by Sound FX, with a ‘best of’ theme highlighting an NFL great on Tuesday nights and a compilation of the previous week’s top sound on Wednesdays.
• Tuesday through Friday at 6:00 PM ET, the ultimate Xs-and-Os show returns with Playbook, giving viewers the keys to victory for their favorite NFL team. Sterling Sharpe, Brian Baldinger, Solomon Wilcots, Mike Mayock, Joe Theismann and Brian Billick cover the ins and outs of every play, examining the outcome of previous week’s matchups as well as the upcoming week’s games.
• NFL Total Access, the NFL’s show of record, has all 32 teams covered Monday through Saturday at 7:00 PM ET. With hosts Rich Eisen, Fran Charles and Kara Henderson alongside an all-star analyst lineup including Jamie Dukes, Rod Woodson, Trent Green, Jay Glazer and Daryl Johnston, fans get a unique look inside team training facilities, with exclusive footage and interviews that cannot be found anywhere else on television.
• Monday through Friday at 4:00 PM ET, Around the League gives fans inside access to their favorite team’s facility each day with Team Cams at all 32 team sites. Randy Moss, Lindsay Soto and Paul Burmeister deliver analysis and commentary on the biggest stories in the NFL, straight from beat writers and bloggers who have a pulse on the teams.
• Thursday, September 16, The Top 100: NFL’s Greatest Players falls into its regular Thursday time slot at 9:00 PM ET, unveiling numbers 80-71 of the 100 greatest pro football players of all time, as determined by a blue-ribbon panel of experts.
• NFL’s Top 10 returns for its fourth season with new episodes debuting each week Saturday at 8:30 PM ET. The fast-paced countdown series provides a look at some of the most intriguing subjects in the NFL with commentary from network analysts, sports journalists, sports radio personalities, players, and coaches. This season’s topics include NFL’s Top 10 Oakland Raiders, Left-handed Quarterbacks, Jersey Numbers and Shortest Players.
• Sunday is NFL GameDay on NFL Network, starting at 9:00 AM ET with NFL GameDay Morning. New host Rich Eisen joins Steve Mariucci, Marshall Faulk, Michael Irvin and Warren Sapp for the first and most comprehensive pregame show on Sunday. At 1:00 PM ET, NFL GameDay StatZone delivers the latest stats from the early afternoon games, followed by NFL GameDay Scoreboard at 4:00 PM ET, with Paul Burmeister, Tom Waddle and Jamie Dukes taking viewers around the league with postgame press conferences, game highlights and up-to-the-minute scores from the afternoon matchups. Eisen and Mariucci return for NFL GameDay Highlights at 7:30 PM ET and joined by Deion Sanders, recap all of the day’s action prior to Sunday Night Football. Following Sunday Night Football, NFL GameDay Final provides with final word on the all Sunday’s action. New host Fran Charles joins Mariucci, Sanders and Irvin for complete highlights, insider commentary and interviews.

NFL Network’s Kickoff Week Programming Lineup

Tuesday, September 7

8:00 PM ET – Around the Table: 2010 Season Preview (HD)

• Roundtable featuring Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk and Steve Mariucci, who debate and discuss the biggest storylines leading into the 2010 NFL season.

9:00 PM ET – The Top 100: NFL’s Greatest Players: Episode #2 (90-81 revealed) (HD)

• Second episode of the newest NFL Films-produced series, revealing numbers 90 through 81 of Pro Football’s greatest players, as determined by a blue-ribbon panel of knowledgeable football minds. Each player is revealed by a presenter who possesses particular interest in that player and insight into his greatness.

10:00 PM ET – Sinner to Saint: Anthony Hargrove’s Super Bowl Journey (HD)

• After being kicked out of the NFL following multiple failed drug tests, Saints DE Anthony Hargrove confronts his dark past and substance abuse issues to receive a second chance with the New Orleans Saints that materialized into a Super Bowl championship.

Wednesday, September 8

10:00 AM ET – NFL Film Session: 2009 New Orleans Saints (HD)

• The season highlight of the 2009 New Orleans Saints that claimed their first Super Bowl title behind head coach Sean Payton’s vision and MVP quarterback Drew Brees’ leadership.

10:30 AM ET – NFL Film Session: Super Bowl XLIV – New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts (HD)

• Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints capped off a magical season by beating Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts for its first Super Bowl win.

7:00 PM ET – NFL Total Access: 2010 Season Preview (HD)

• A extended two-hour NFL Total Access …

9:00 PM ET – America’s Game: 2009 New Orleans Saints, narrated by Brad Pitt (HD)

10:00 PM ET – Kickoff Fan Forum at the New Orleans Saints (HD)

Thursday, September 9

4:00 PM ET – NFL Total Access: 2010 Kickoff Presented by EA Sports Madden NFL 11 (HD)

7:30 PM ET – NFL Opening Kickoff 2010 Presented by EA Sports Simulcast (HD)

11:30 PM ET – NFL Total Access: Updated postgame (HD)

Friday, September 10

8:00 PM ET – NFL’s Top 10: Top 10 Things We Loved About the 2000s (HD)

9:00 PM ET – CFL Game: Calgary vs. Edmonton (HD)

NFL Network Weekly Programming Schedule (all shows in HD; all times ET)

Monday

3:00 PM – NFL Replay Real-Time

4:00 PM – Around the League

6:00 PM – Up to the Minute

6:30 PM – The Coaches Show

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access

11:00 PM – NFL Total Access: MNF Postgame

Tuesday

4:00 PM – Around the League

6:00 PM – Playbook

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access

Field Pass Block (8:00-11:00 PM)

8:00 PM – NFL Replay

9:15 PM – NFL Replay

10:30 PM – Sound FX: Best Of

Wednesday

4:00 PM – Around the League

6:00 PM – Playbook

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access

Field Pass Block (8:00-11:00 PM)

8:00 PM – NFL Replay

9:15 PM – NFL Replay

10:30 PM – Sound FX

Thursday

4:00 PM – Around the League

6:00 PM – Playbook: AFC

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access

8:00 PM – The Top 100: NFL’s Greatest Players (previous week encore)

9:00 PM – The Top 100: NFL’s Greatest Players

Friday

4:00 PM – Around the League

6:00 PM – Playbook: NFC

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access

TBA – Canadian Football League LIVE

Saturday

12 NOON – NFL Films Presents

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access

8:30 PM – NFL’s Top 10

Sunday

9:00 AM – NFL GameDay Morning

1:00 PM – NFL GameDay StatZone

4:00 PM – NFL GameDay Scoreboard

7:30 PM – NFL GameDay Highlights

11:30 PM – NFL GameDay Final

NFL Network airs seven days a week, 24 hours a day on a year-round basis and is the first television network fully dedicated to the NFL and the sport of football. For more information, log onto www.nfl.com/nflnetwork. NFL.com is the exclusive internet home of NFL Network.

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