Archives for March 2009

Coverage of University of Connecticut & Texas Pro Days on Path to the Draft Wednesday — NFL NETWORK PROGRAMMING NOTES (3/25-3/31)

March 25, 2009 By admin

NFL NETWORK PROGRAMMING NOTES (3/25-3/31)

Full Coverage of University of Connecticut and Texas Pro Days on

Path to the Draft Wednesday at 6:30 PM ET

Reports from the Jets & Buccaneers Training Facilities on

NFL Total Access

Follow the ‘Draft Journey’ of Michael Crabtree, Matthew Stafford and Brian Cushing on NFL Total Access Thursday

THIS WEEK ON NFL TOTAL ACCESS

Wednesday, March 25

Exclusive coverage from NFL Annual Meeting

Thursday, March 26

Kara Henderson reports from the Jets training facility
‘Draft Journey’ – An inside look at the journey to Draft Day for prospects Michael Crabtree, Matthew Stafford and Brian Cushing

Tuesday, March 31

Scott Hanson reports from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training facility

THIS WEEK ON PATH TO THE DRAFT

Wednesday, March 25

Mike Mayock reports from University of Connecticut Pro Day
Michelle Beisner reports from Texas Pro Day
On the Clock: Houston Chronicle beat writer John McClain gives his take on the Texans’ draft needs

Thursday, March 26

First Draft: Michigan State RB Javon Ringer
NFL Network analyst Jamie Dukes gives his take on the Saints’ draft needs

Friday, March 27

On the Clock: Redskins Radio Network’s Frank Hanrahan gives his take on the Redskins’ draft needs

Monday, March 30

First Draft: Illinois CB Vonte Davis

Tuesday, March 31

First Draft: Alabama S Rashad Johnson

DAY-BY-DAY PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE (all times listed are ET):

Wednesday, March 25

6:30 PM – Path to the Draft

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access

8:00 PM – America’s Game: 2003 New England Patriots (HD)

9:00 PM – America’s Game: 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (HD)

Thursday, March 26

1:00 PM – NFL Film Session: Heart of a Champion

2:00 PM – Path to the Draft: Wednesday edition

2:30 PM – NFL Film Session: 2004 Year in Review

3:00 PM – America’s Game: 2003 New England Patriots (HD)

4:00 PM – America’s Game: 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (HD)

5:00 PM – NFL’s Greatest Games: 1967 Ice Bowl – Green Bay Packers vs. Dallas Cowboys

6:30 PM – Path to the Draft

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access

8:00 PM – NFL’s Greatest Games: 1992 – San Francisco 49ers vs. Dallas Cowboys

9:30 PM – Film Session: Super Bowl XXVII – Dallas Cowboys vs. Buffalo Bills

Friday, March 27

1:00 PM – NFL Film Session: Master Blasters

2:00 PM – Path to the Draft: Thursday edition

2:30 PM – NFL Film Session: Super Bowl XXVII – Dallas Cowboys vs. Buffalo Bills

3:00 PM – NFL Film Session: Autumn Ritual

4:00 PM – NFL Film Session: Wizard – Jimmy Johnson

5:00 PM – NFL’s Greatest Games: 1992 – San Francisco 49ers vs. Dallas Cowboys

6:30 PM – Path to the Draft

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access

8:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Top 10 Coaches Who Belong In College

9:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Top 10 Receiving Corps

Saturday, March 28

Path to the Draft – Full Week Encore

10:00 AM – Path to the Draft: Monday edition

10:30 AM – Path to the Draft: Tuesday edition

11:00 AM – Path to the Draft: Wednesday edition

11:30 AM – Path to the Draft: Thursday edition

12 NOON – Path to the Draft: Friday edition

12:30 PM – Path to the Draft: Monday edition

1:00 PM – Path to the Draft: Tuesday edition

1:30 PM – Path to the Draft: Wednesday edition

2:00 PM – Path to the Draft: Thursday edition

2:30 PM – Path to the Draft: Friday edition

3:00 PM – America’s Game: 2003 New England Patriots (HD)

4:00 PM – America’s Game: 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (HD)

5:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Top 10 Coaches Who Belonged In College

6:00 PM – NFL’s Top 10: Top 10 Receiving Corps

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access: Week in Review

8:00 PM – NFL Classic Games: Week 6, 2007 – Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears (Oct. 14, 2007) (HD)

Sunday, March 29

9:00 AM – NFL’s Top 10: Top 10 Things That Changed The Game

10:00 AM – NFL’s Top 10: Top 10 Football Families

11:00 AM – NFL’s Top 10: Top 10 Coaches Who Belonged In College

12 NOON – NFL’s Top 10: Top 10 Receiving Corps

1:00 PM – NFL Replay Real Time: Week 4

2:00 PM – NFL Replay: Arizona Cardinals vs. New York Jets (2008, Week 4)

3:30 PM – NFL Replay: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Chicago Bears (2008, Week 4)

5:00 PM – NFL Replay: Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (2008, Week 4)

6:30 PM – NFL Replay: Washington Redskins vs. Dallas Cowboys (2008, Week 4)

8:00 PM – NFL Replay Real Time: Week 4

9:00 PM – NFL Replay: Arizona Cardinals vs. New York Jets (2008, Week 4)

10:30 PM – NFL Replay: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Chicago Bears (2008, Week 4)

12 MIDNIGHT – NFL Replay: Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (2008, Week 4)

1:30 AM – NFL Replay: Washington Redskins vs. Dallas Cowboys (2008, Week 4)

Monday, March 30

6:00 AM – NFL Film Session: 2005 Year in Review

6:30 AM – NFL Classics: 1998 NFC Wildcard – Green Bay Packers vs. San Francisco 49ers

9:30 AM – NFL Classics: 2007 AFC Wildcard – Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (HD)

12:30 PM – NFL Classics: 2007 NFC Divisional – New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys (HD)

3:30 PM – NFL Classics: Sept. 15, 2008 – Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys (HD)

6:30 PM – Path to the Draft

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access

8:00 PM – NFL Classic Games: 1998 NFC Championship – Atlanta Falcons vs. Minnesota Vikings

Tuesday, March 31

10:30 AM – NFL Classic Games: 1998 NFC Championship – Atlanta Falcons vs. Minnesota Vikings

2:00 PM – Path to the Draft: Monday edition

2:30 PM – NFL Film Session: 2007 Fall Follies

3:00 PM – NFL Film Session: 75 Greatest TDs

4:00 PM – NFL Film Session: Jim Brown

5:00 PM – NFL’s Greatest Games: 1993 – Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions

6:30 PM – Path to the Draft

7:00 PM – NFL Total Access

8:00 PM – Game of the Week: 2004 AFC Divisional – New York Jets vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (HD)

9:00 PM – Game of the Week: Super Bowl XXXIX – New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles (HD)

How’s YOUR Bracket? How Fans Have Fared So Far in the ESPN Men’s Tournament Challenge

March 25, 2009 By admin

How’s YOUR Bracket?
How Fans Have Fared So Far in the ESPN Men’s Tournament Challenge

Through the first two rounds of this year’s NCAA Men’s College Basketball tournament, the brackets in ESPN.com’s 14th Annual ESPN Men’s Tournament Challenge presented by State Farm and Sprint show that there are no “perfect” brackets remaining. However, eight brackets have correctly picked 46 of the 48 game outcomes. An analysis of the more than five million entries submitted also reveals:

6 entries (0%) predict that Arizona, Purdue, Gonzaga and Xavier will advance to the Final Four;
459,038 entries (9.9%) predicted all four top-seeded teams – Pittsburgh, North Carolina, Louisville and Connecticut – will advance to the Final Four
80,931 entries (1.7%) predicted Arizona, Purdue, Missouri and Gonzaga would reach the Sweet 16;
3,925,017 entries (84.8%) predicted that all four top-seeded teams – Connecticut, North Carolina, Pittsburgh and Louisville – would advance to the Sweet Sixteen;
28,791 entries (.6%) predicted that Cal State Northridge would defeat Memphis in the first round;
1,339,080 entries (28.9%) incorrectly predicted Wake Forest and Washington would reach the Sweet Sixteen;
11,115 entries (.2%) predicted Oklahoma, Memphis, Michigan State and Duke advancing to the Final Four
382,802 entries (8.3%) predicted USC would defeat Michigan State in the Second Round;
1,511,193 entries (32.6%) predict Syracuse will defeat Oklahoma in the Sweet Sixteen;
207,520 entries (4.5%) predict Xavier will defeat Pittsburgh in the Sweet Sixteen;
86,663 entries (1.9%) predicted Purdue and Missouri advancing to the Elite Eight;
6,817 entries (.1%) predict Gonzaga and Purdue meeting in the Final Four;
536 entries (.1%) predict Xavier and Arizona meeting in the Final Four.

The Men’s Tournament Challenge “National Bracket” – reflecting the percentage of people picking each match-up throughout the Men’s Tournament – showed that more fans picked Louisville, Memphis, Pittsburgh, North Carolina to reach the Final Four than any other teams. In those predicted games (Louisville vs. Memphis, Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina):

Louisville was picked to defeat Memphis 62.9 percent of the time;
North Carolina was picked to defeat Pittsburgh 58.3 percent of the time;
Fans picked North Carolina to defeat Louisville in the national championship game 60.0 percent of the time.

The more than five million entries to the Men’s Tournament Challenge surpassed last year’s record of 3.65 million entries by 37 percent. At the peak period, fans registered nearly 3,900 entries per minute (nearly 65 entries per second).

The growth in the Tournament Challenge entries has been spurred by multiple factors, including the newly redesigned ESPN.com front page (which allowed users to submit their brackets directly from the main engagement area of the site) and buzz surrounding the bracket submitted by President Barack Obama. Fans could also submit (and can follow) their ESPN Tournament Challenge entries via mobile devices. In addition to President Obama’s bracket, Miami Heat star (and former Marquette star) Dwyane Wade and Hollywood heavyweight Samuel L. Jackson squared off in the first-ever SportsCenter Bracket Challenge (the SportsCenter Bracket Challenge group has 14,055 entries from others as well).

At the end of the Tournament the Men’s Tournament Challenge entrant with the most points wins $10,000. Runner up is a random drawing $5,000 Best Buy gift card. The Women’s Tournament Challenge winner will receive a $3,000 Best Buy gift card and a $1100 Best Buy random drawing. Entries for the Men’s Tournament Challenge game were accepted until just prior to the tip-off of the Tournament’s first game today. The Women’s Tournament Challenge will accept registration until just prior to tip-off of the first game on Saturday, March 21st.

Additionally, for the first time, this year’s downloadable bracket on ESPN.com is a special Adobe(r) Acrobat(r) 9 interactive PDF file* – the Ultimate Tourney Guide*. It is an interactive document that can be saved to your computer and delivers live updates, news, information and more straight to your desktop. The downloadable Ultimate Tourney Guide includes:

Tournament Challenge Bracket;
Tournament news
Team Preview Videos
Polls
A chance to sign up and win an LCD TV being given away by Adobe.

*The Ultimate Tourney Guide will feature your personal bracket picks once input to Tournament Challenge.

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Notes from TNT’s Coverage of the NBA – Tuesday, March 24, 2009

March 25, 2009 By admin

Notes from TNT’s Coverage of the NBA – Tuesday, March 24, 2009

TNT NBA Thursday continue on Thursday, March 26 at 8 p.m. ET featuring the Miami Heat @ Chicago Bulls followed by the Phoenix Suns @ Portland Trail Blazers

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

“I’ve played a lot of games against Allen Iverson when he was with the Philadelphia 76ers, and he is one of the toughest guys I’ve ever gone against. But having said that and knowing the information we know, what (Pistons strength and conditioning coach) Arnie Kander is saying, it’s almost like (Iverson) is holding this team hostage because he cannot accept the responsibility of coming off the bench and that’s sad because he is one of the truly great little men we’ve ever had in the game.”

— Miller on the possibility that Pistons guard Allen Iverson is sitting out of resentment for coming off the bench

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TNT NBA Tip-off presented by AutoTrader.com

Announcers: Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith

Barkley on bad teams thinking they have an “easy schedule”: “The headlines (in Phoenix) say the Phoenix Suns have a soft schedule coming up. You know what those other teams are saying about the Phoenix Suns? We’ve got the Phoenix Suns coming up. No one is intimated by the Chicago Bulls, the notion that, ‘we have an easy schedule,’ that makes me laugh. When you’re a bad team you don’t have a favorable schedule.”

Smith on the Bulls not having any games they can confidently say they should win: “When you win 33 games, you really don’t play well at home. (Chicago) is 33-38 so there are no games that you’re supposed to win, you’ve gone beyond that point. You don’t say, ‘ok, that’s a game we should win.’ When the Pistons come in to (play) the Celtics, the Celtics say, ‘that’s a win for us,’ but the Chicago Bulls can’t say that.”

Smith on the Pistons playing better with guard Allen Iverson out: “Detroit is a better team right now without (Allen) Iverson only because their roles are defined. Rip Hamilton knows his role, (Rodney) Stuckey knows his role. When (he’s) out, guys know their roles and they actually had too many guys in that position. They are a team that has an identity now which they didn’t have when AI was in the lineup. And they actually played well when Rip Hamilton was out and AI was a guy who knew his role.”

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Game #1: Detroit Pistons (91) @ Chicago Bulls (99)

Announcers: Marv Albert, Reggie Miller and Mike Fratello; Craig Sager reporting

TNT’s Craig Sager reported on the unknown condition affecting Pistons guard Allen Iverson: “The Pistons are playing their 14^th consecutive game without Allen Iverson, who is out with a sore back. I talked to Pistons strength and conditioning coach Arnie Kander, he said Iverson has been given an MRI, a bone scan and an EMG nerve test. (They) all came back negative, they cannot find any cause for the back pain. That has led some to speculate that Iverson simply does not want to accept the role of coming off the bench, to which Iverson says, ‘I’ve been a warrior my entire career. The back injury is what it is, when I feel like I can go, I’ll go.’ Meanwhile, Michael Curry told us before the game he doesn’t know if or when Iverson will return this year.”

Miller on the possibility that Pistons guard Allen Iverson is sitting out of resentment for coming off the bench: “I’ve played a lot of games against Allen Iverson when he was with the Philadelphia 76ers, and he is one of the toughest guys I’ve ever gone against. But having said that and knowing the information we know, what (Pistons strength and conditioning coach) Arnie Kander is saying, it’s almost like (Iverson) is holding this team hostage because he cannot accept the responsibility of coming off the bench and that’s sad because he is one of the truly great little men we’ve ever had in the game.”

Fratello on the Detroit Pistons organization avoiding discussion of guard Allen Iverson’s back injury: “There is no question about (Allen Iverson’s) toughness, and willingness to play with pain. The question is can he accept the fact that he could be more valuable coming off the bench? Craig Sager’s point in asking that question was outstanding because not one person is willing to talk about it in the Detroit organization. They all avoid it, they avoid answering the question, they know how sensitive a subject it is. They also know that might be the key to making the playoffs or having any chance at all of winning a round in the playoffs.”

Miller on the impact a healthy Allen Iverson could make by coming off of the bench during the game: “The back you really have to be careful about because it’s one of the things that obviously makes the body go. We know that Allen Iverson has played with so many injuries throughout his career and he has battled through them. I believe that (Iverson) coming off the bench for the Pistons would be unbelievable. I don’t think there is a guy in the league that can do what Allen Iverson does for 25 or 30 minutes if he’s given full reign going against second string guys who are coming off the bench.”

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T-Mobile Halftime Report

Announcers: Johnson, Barkley and Smith

Smith on the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons’ lack of identity: “They are both struggling to make the playoffs and they both have losing records because they really don’t have a style or identity you can put your finger on.”

Barkley: “They’ve got an identity.”

Smith: “What is it?”

Barkley: “They suck.”

Smith on the Golden State Warriors going against the San Antonio Spurs: “(The Golden State Warriors are) not really playing out there tonight, that team has one foot in Cancun and one foot on the court.”

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Miller on the rumors of Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas’ potential return from a season-long injury: “If I’m Gilbert Arenas and I’m a competitor, like we know Gilbert is, I have 111 reasons why I need to play a week from this Thursday (April 2). I want to test the knee, I want to go against some of the best teams, one of which is Cleveland on that Thursday. Gilbert has got to show up. If you sign a contract like that, and you just sat out, it’s time to play. You’ve got to step up. Has he been practicing from all accounts of what we’ve been hearing? Don’t blog, don’t tweet (on Twitter), don’t Facebook and don’t Myspace to a newscaster and say, ‘I’m getting ready, I’m coming back.’ I don’t want to hear it unless you’re on the court.”

Miller on Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey: “If I’m (Pistons head coach) Michael Curry, I’ve got to talk to my young point guard in Rodney Stuckey. (Stuckey) has had ebbs and flows all year, ups and downs. He’s got to understand, if you’re going to be given the keys to the Ferrari, you’ve got to know how to drive it.”

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas after the Bulls defeated the Pistons.

Thomas on trying to win as many games as possible to secure a playoff seed: “Right now it’s very important that we secure all these wins, especially the ones at home and the ones on the road that we should get and just try to secure a spot in the playoffs.”

Thomas on what he needs to do as a player to help the Bulls: “Understand the game more and understand what I need to do at what time and what the team needs from me. I have the ability to do a little bit of a lot of things and I’ve just got to know when the team needs what from me.”

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Game #2: Houston Rockets (86) @ Utah Jazz (97)

Announcers: Kevin Harlan and Doug Collins; Cheryl Miller reporting

Jazz guard Deron Williams on why the Jazz have a much better record at home versus on the road: “It’s a mentality, we have that mentality at home, but when we get on the road we get a little complacent, we don’t come out with the same energy and same intensity. I don’t know why, it dates back to last year. It’s just something we’ve got to turn around if we want to win these road games and get in the playoffs because nothing’s guaranteed right now.”

Collins on what the Jazz need to address during their road games: “(The Jazz) are going to have to find a way to defend the paint and rebound, do a better job challenging the shots. That’s their weakness on the road, they can live through that at home because their offense has been so good and because they force a lot of turnovers here.”

TNT’s Cheryl Miller interviewed Jazz guard Kyle Korver at halftime.

Korver on the Rockets’ offense in the first half: “(The Rockets) are a good team, they are scrappy, that’s the way they play. They have Yao Ming down low, he’s a load, we double him and they’re kicking it out. They hit some threes in the last couple minutes there, and we’ve just got to do a better job.”

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T-Mobile Halftime Report

Announcers: Johnson, Barkley and Smith

Barkley on the assertion that the Rockets are a better team without guard Tracy McGrady, who is on injured reserve: “The notion that they are better without (Tracy McGrady) I think is ridiculous. Tracy McGrady is a really good player. The problem with that team is they need to make it Yao Ming’s team and go inside-outside. Tracy has got to become more of a role player, he’s got to be better defensively and rebound the ball better. They can’t run their offense through Tracy McGrady.”

Smith on why people believe the Rockets are a better team without guard Tracy McGrady: “When Ron Artest and Yao Ming are together they are a better team than they were with Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. Now people look at that team and say they are better without (McGrady), I think that’s where the ‘better without (McGrady)’ comes from. That tandem never lived up to the expectation of what they are actually doing right now and how well they are doing.”

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TNT’s Cheryl Miller interviewed Jazz coach Jerry Sloan after the third quarter.

Sloan on what he wants the Jazz to do in the fourth quarter: “Make better shots, these are the worst shots I’ve ever seen them take.”

Collins on the quickness of the game due to Rockets guards Kyle Lowry and Von Wafer allowing the Jazz to pull away in the fourth quarter: “When you make mistakes and take bad shots in this building the Jazz will make you pay for it. What has happen is with (Kyle) Lowry and (Von) Wafer in the game, the game gets so fast and they’ve taken two or three bad shots. Those two guards have picked up the pace of the game and Yao Ming, (Luis) Scola and Shane Battier are no longer a part of it.”

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Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai

Announcers: Johnson, Barkley and Smith

Barkley on the depth of the Utah Jazz bench: “Whoever is drafting the players in Utah is doing a good job. They are one of the deeper teams in the NBA.”

Barkley on Spurs point guard Tony Parker: “(Tony Parker) has been (the Spurs) best player all season. Tim Duncan has been injured a lot and (Manu) Ginobili has clearly been injured. Tony Parker has been fantastic all season.”

Smith on the Spurs bench improving once Manu Ginobili returns from injury: “Roger Mason helps spread the floor. Obviously, Manu Ginobili helps spread the floor and he drives to the basket so having him come off the bench where I think he is more effective is going to make them a better team.”

Barkley on the Spurs having another successful season despite injuries to key players: “You have to take your hat off to (Spurs head coach) Gregg Popovich for the Spurs to have the second best record in the West (Conference) with (Tim) Duncan and (Manu) Ginobili missing (games with injuries). I’m a big Popovich fan and for them to be right there (at the top), you have to give (Spurs general manager) R.C. Buford credit. (Guard) Roger Mason is definitely the free agent signing of the year. He’s been fantastic. You have to take your hat off to the entire Spurs organization because they play basketball the right way.”

Smith on the Toronto Raptors’ disappointing season: “The Toronto Raptors fired their coach and they have had a very disappointing season to this point. They never got into a rhythm, they’ve made some trades and brought in Shawn Marion, (Chris) Bosh has been injured. What they need to start doing is learning how to get a style and push the ball up the court. Chris Bosh will be a free agent and he’s going to be looking (elsewhere) if they aren’t playing well (in Toronto). Shawn Marion is a guy who only plays well in an up-tempo (system).”

Smith on the Memphis Grizzlies learning how to utilize O.J. Mayo: “(The Memphis Grizzlies) are a young team and they haven’t figured out how to win yet. They have a lot of young talent and a lot of good players but they haven’t figured out what to do and how to win. They need to figure out (O.J. Mayo). Is he really an 18-point scorer or is he going to become a 25-point superstar? They need to start running more plays for him down the stretch to see if he can carry the load offensively.”

Smith on the Chicago Bulls improving since the trade deadline: “The Bulls are an interesting team because they are finding their stride a little bit in the latter part of the season especially after the trade that brought in two veterans; (John) Salmons and (Brad) Miller. They have really brought a calming affect to that team.”

Log onto TNT OverTime on NBA.com for a full replay of Inside the NBA and exclusive reports from TNT announcers.

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ESPN Commemorates 30th Anniversary of Bird-Magic NCAA Championship Game

March 25, 2009 By admin

ESPN to Commemorate 30th Anniversary of Bird-Magic NCAA Championship Game

Replay of the 1979 Indiana State-Michigan State NCAA Telecast on ESPN Classic (March 26) and ESPN2 (April 3 and 5)

Interviews with Bird, Johnson, plus Indiana State’s Bob Heaton and Michigan State’s Greg Kelser

Sports fans will have three opportunities on ESPN networks to see the classic 1979 NCAA championship game in which Earvin “Magic” Johnson (an ESPN analyst) and Larry Bird battled in the highest-rated college basketball game of all time, on its 30th Anniversary of the game, Thursday, March 26, at 5 p.m., ET, on ESPN Classic. It will also be aired Friday, April 3, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, April 5, at 2 p.m., on ESPN2.

The ESPN2 telecasts will include interviews with Bird and Johnson. In addition, host John Saunders will interview two players from that historic game, Bob Heaton (Indiana State) and Greg Kelser (Michigan State), as well as Dick Enberg, who called the play-by-play for NBC.

Also, a special one-on-one conversation between Magic and Bird will debut on the 11 p.m. ET SportsCenter Monday, April 6 and air on subsequent SportsCenters. The legends will sit down together in Detroit, site of that night’s NCAA men’s basketball championship.

In the NCAA championship game, Michigan State beat a previously undefeated Indiana State 75-64 in the first of many battles between Magic and Bird. Magic had 24 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Bird shot 7-for-21. The game earned a remarkable 24.1 Nielsen rating, a number unsurpassed before or since for college basketball. The following year, the two legendary players became fierce rivals in the NBA.

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World Baseball Classic Delivers Growth Across ESPN Platforms

March 24, 2009 By admin

World Baseball Classic Delivers Growth Across ESPN Platforms

ESPN’s coverage of the 2009 World Baseball Classic demonstrated growth across multimedia platforms, including strong audience totals for the semifinals and final from Los Angeles. ESPN’s telecasts of this year’s semifinals (Korea vs. Venezuela Saturday, March 21, and USA vs. Japan Sunday, March 22) and final (Korea vs. Japan, Monday, March 23) averaged 1,820,000 viewers (up 24 percent), 1,402,000 households (up 24 percent) and a 1.4 rating (up eight percent). In 2006, the three games averaged 1,465,000 viewers, 1,133,000 households and a 1.3 rating.

Additionally, ESPN’s USA vs. Japan telecast on Sunday, March 22, averaged 2,784,000 viewers, 2,148,000 households and a 2.2 rating to become the most-viewed and highest-rated World Baseball Classic telecast (previous high – USA vs. Mexico March 16, 2006 – 2,458,000 viewers, 1,870,000 households and a 2.1 rating).

ESPN’s nine telecasts averaged 1,616,000 viewers (up 14 percent), 1,232,000 households (up nine percent) and a 1.3 rating (up eight percent). In 2006, ESPN’s eight live telecasts averaged 1,417,000 viewers, 1,129,000 households and a 1.2 rating.

ESPN Deportes

ESPN Deportes’ 39 live World Baseball Classic telecasts averaged a 2.0 Hispanic household rating, 84,000 Hispanic households and 120,000 Hispanic viewers;
The United States vs. Puerto Rico game (March 14) was the network’s highest-rated World Baseball Classic telecast, delivering a 3.4 Hispanic rating, 148,000 Hispanic households and 211,000 Hispanic viewers;
The USA/Puerto Rico telecast was ESPN Deportes’ highest-rated, non-soccer event ever;
World Baseball Classic telecasts account for the network’s top 16 highest-rated, non-soccer events;
ESPN Deportes’ total-day average was up 87 percent during the World Baseball Classic; the network averaged a 0.9 Hispanic total day coverage rating, 40,000 Hispanic households and 55,000 Hispanic viewers.

ESPNdeportes.com

The World Baseball Classic section on ESPNdeportes.com enjoyed nearly two million visits;
The World Baseball Classic has helped lead ESPNdeportes.com to five of the site’s highest traffic days – including the No. 1.

ESPN Deportes Mobile

The World Baseball Classic has helped drive the ESPN Deportes Mobile Web site to 1.1 million visits. It makes March the mobile destination’s biggest month ever, with one week still to go.

ESPN.com

There have been 5.2 million views of World Baseball Classic-related video.

ESPN360.com

Fans have watched an average of nearly 40 minutes per stream for World Baseball Classic games.
The World Baseball Classic Final between Japan and Korea was the third most-watched event in March to date on ESPN360.com.

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Super Bowl XLIII Champion Steelers To Open NFL Season On NBC As NFL Announces Kickoff Weekend & Thanksgiving Day Games

March 24, 2009 By admin

Traditional Rivals Bears-Packers First “NBC Sunday Night Football” Game

NEW YORK – March 23, 2009 – The NFL today announced that the Pittsburgh Steelers will open defense of their Super Bowl championship, Thursday, September 10 on NBC, hosting the AFC South champion Tennessee Titans, who had an NFL-best 13-3 record last season. In the first “NBC Sunday Night Football” contest of the season, the Green Bay Packers will host their longtime rival the Chicago Bears.

In a tradition that began in 2004, the Super Bowl champion annually hosts the NFL Thursday night season kickoff the following year. The first Sunday night primetime game on NBC will feature a division matchup between teams that have won seven of the past eight NFC North titles.

The announcement of the Kickoff Weekend and Thanksgiving games was made Monday by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at the NFL Annual Meeting in Dana Point, California.

The rest of the 2009 regular-season schedule will be completed and announced in April.

The 2009 Kickoff Weekend national primetime and Thanksgiving Day television games:

KICKOFF WEEKEND

September 10
Thursday
Tennessee at Pittsburgh
NBC
8:30 PM

September 13
Sunday
Chicago at Green Bay
NBC
8:30 PM

September 14
Monday
Buffalo at New England
ESPN
7:00 PM

San Diego at Oakland
ESPN
10:15 PM

THANKSGIVING

November 26
Thursday
Green Bay at Detroit
FOX
12:30 PM

Oakland at Dallas
CBS
4:15 PM

New York Giants at Denver
NFL Network
8:20 PM

Enberg To Be Honored with Scully Award

March 24, 2009 By admin

CBS Sports Play By Play Legend heads WFUV Radio honorees…

DICK ENBERG, PAUL SIMON AND JIM LEHRER TO RECEIVE AWARDS AT WFUV 90.7-FM’S SPRING GALA ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 AT THE PUCK BUILDING; ENBERG CITED WITH SECOND ANNUAL VIN SCULLY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD IN SPORTS BROADCASTING

DAZZLING ARRAY OF NEWS, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORTS CELEBS TO JOIN HUNDREDS OF SUPPORTERS OF THE THREE ICONS AND FORDHAM UNIVERSITY’S MAJOR NYC PUBLIC RADIO STATION

New York, March 24—Oh, My, indeed! Dick Enberg, the distinguished sports play-by-play broadcaster, will receive the second Vin Scully Lifetime Achievement Award in Sports Broadcasting from WFUV Radio (90.7 fm, National Public Radio from Fordham University) at its second annual Spring Gala at the Puck Building in New York City on Wednesday, May 6, it was announced today.

Renowned PBS Television newscaster Jim Lehrer will receive the Charles Osgood Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism, and music icon Paul Simon will be cited with the WFUV Sound & Vision Award. As a special bonus, Simon will also perform for the anticipated 400 attendees. The honorees were nominated by many of their well-known colleagues in their respective fields.

Enberg, known for his signature “Oh, My,” exclamation at key moments of sporting events, joined CBS Sports in January 2000 as play-by-play announcer for THE NFL ON CBS, college basketball and the U.S. Open Tennis Championships. Enberg is calling play-by-play for CBS Sports’ coverage of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship for the tenth year. Enberg has called selected tennis broadcasts for ESPN since 2004, and is the lead commentator on Wimbledon, the French Open and the Australian Open.

The award is named for the iconic Hall of Fame voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Vin Scully, the WFUV and Fordham alumnus who is now in his 60^th season calling Dodgers’ games. WFUV will recognize their contributions and raise much-needed funds to continue to provide unique music, news, and sports services, and train the next generation of journalistic talent.

When Scully was informed that Enberg would receive the award that bear’s Scully’s name, he had an “Oh, My” reaction. When Scully called Enberg with the news the reaction was the same.

The Spring Gala ’09 will be held at the Puck Buil ding, 295 Lafayette Street (at Houston) in lower Manhattan on May 6, beginning at 6 p.m., festive attire. Individual tickets are $1,000 and $2,500; tables may be purchased for $10,000, $25,000, $50,000 and $75,000. For further information about the event or to purchase tickets, please email elizabethg@eventassociatesinc.com or call 212 245-6570 ext. 18.

Spring Gala ‘09 begins at 6 p.m. with cocktails, and is followed at 8 p.m. by dinner, entertainment, and a terrific live auction that includes Adventures in Rock VIP Vacation Package to Dublin to hear U2; US Open Golf and Tennis VIP packages; and autographed rock memorabilia.

Last year, WFUV’s first gala raised $750,000 rivaling its sister stations. WFUV’S galas are attracting the big names.

About WFUV

WFUV (90.7 FM, wfuv.org) is a 50,000-watt, noncommercial, member-supported radio station, licensed to Fordham University for nearly 60 years, serving approximately 330,000 weekly listeners in the New York area and thousands more worldwide on the Web. Professionally run by a full-time staff of 28 broadcast veterans with the help of student interns, WFUV has pioneered a unique format of musical variety, news anD cultural programming, while providing unparalleled professional experience to Fordham students, who have gained invaluable experience working in the most competitive media market in the world.

WFUV has built a large, devoted following in the New York City area for its award-winning weekday format of adult album alternative music [a mix of adult rock , singer-songwriters, world and other music], news from NPR, and a culturally diverse weekend lineup. The station has garnered over fifty prestigious awards in the past two years for news direction, public affairs programming, sports coverage, news documentaries, news reporting, and individual achievement. Over the past sixty years, WFUV has fostered many outstanding broadcast journalists, who return to give of their time, talent, and support.

As an affiliate of National Public Radio and Public Radio International, WFUV carries programs such as The Thistle and Sham rock, World CafC3, Mountain Stage and American Routes. WFUV has partnered with NPR to podcast “WFUV’s Take Five,” a daily series of five-minute conversations and performances with many of today’s finest singer-songwriters and bands, recorded in the WFUV studios. At the same time, WFUV is itself a national programming producer, supplying specials such as The Downtown Messiah,” “It Was 40 Years Ago Today” (marking the Beatles’ arrival in New York), “Start Making Sense” (a literacy documentary), and “Democracy on the Block” (spotlighting grassroots activism) to public radio stations around the country.

More on Enberg

He also contributes to the Masters and PGA Championship broadcasts. Enberg called Thursday night NFL games on Westwood One and CBS Radio Sports during the 2006 and 2007 seasons. Enberg spent 25 years with NBC Sports, beginning in 1975 as the play-by play announcer for college basketball. Known as one of the most versatile play-by play announcers in sports broadcasting, he has taken on assignments including NFL football (41 seasons), the Super Bowl (10 times), the Rose Bowl (nine times), the Orange Bowl (six times), the Olympic Games (1972, 1988, 1992, 1996), the Australian Open (six times), the French Open (22 times), Wimbledon (25 times), the U.S. Open Tennis Championships (nine times), the Masters (seven times), the PGA Championship (five times), the U.S. Open Golf Championship (five times), the Ryder Cup (three times), the American and National League Playoffs (three times), the World Series, heavyweight boxing championships (three times), the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship (13 times), the NBA Playoffs and the NBA All-Star Game. Along with football, baseball, tennis, golf, basketball and boxing, he has called gymnastics, figure skating, Breeders’ Cup horse racing and track and fie ld. Enberg began his full-time broadcasting career in 1 965 in Los Angeles as the radio a nd television voice of the California Angels, UCLA basketball and the Los Angeles Rams.

Before joining NBC, he was named California Sportscaster of the Year four times. He hosted the long-running national series “Sports Challenge” and was co-producer of the Emmy Award-winning PBS series “The Way It Was.” Throughout his career, he has earned a series of national honors, including 14 Emmy Awards, nine Sportscaster of the Year Awards, the Ronald Reagan Media Award and the Victor Award as the top sportscaster of the past 40 years. Enberg’s versatility is reflected in the fact that he is the only person to win national Emmy Awards as a sportscaster (1981, 1983, 1990, 1993), writer (1988, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999 [2], 2004) and producer (1978).

In February 1998, he became only the fourth sportscaster to be honored with a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame. Along with his 15 National Sportscaster Awards, Enberg has been named the 1989 Tennis Play-by-Play Man of the Year (Tennis Magazine) and the 1989 NFL Press Box Award winner as football’s top play-by-play announcer. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award in 2000. Enberg was awarded the 1984 Eclipse Award (thoroughbred racing), the 1995 National Basketball Hall of Fame’s Curt Gowdy Award, the 1999 Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Pete Rozelle Award. In 1974, he won a local Emmy Award for coverage of the Rose Bowl Parade.

In 1973, he became the first American sportscaster to visit the People’s Republic of China (USA vs. China basketball, Beijing). A native of Armada, Mich., Enberg began broadcasting as a student at Central Michigan University, where he was the 1957 student body president. He earned a master’s degree (1958) and a doctorate (1962) at Indiana University. Prior to his sportscasting career, he was an assistant professor and assistant baseball coach at California State University at Northridge (1961-65). He is currently active in fundraising for education (Armada High School, Central Michigan University, Indiana University and California State at Humboldt).

He has been named a Distinguished Alumnus by both Central Michigan and Indiana University and in 1993 was inducted into the Central Michigan University Athletic Hall of Fame. He received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Indiana University in May 2002, and was inducted into the Indiana University Sports Hall of Fame in 2005. Since 1985, Enberg has served as the spokesperson for the Verizon Academic All-America program, which recognizes the academic and athletic achievements of more than 700 student athletes each year. He also serves as host of the Academic All-America Hall of Fame ceremony, an annual event created in 1988 to pay tribute to past Academic All-America team members who have gone on to make contributions to society.

In 1999, Indiana University established the Dick Enberg Distance Learning Center in the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. Enberg has authored two best-selling books, Dick Enberg Oh My! and Dick Enberg’s Humorous Quotes for All Occasions, and is a critically acclaimed playwright with the recent production of his one-man play, McGuire, about legendary Marquette University basketball coach, broadcasting partner and friend, Al McGuire. Enberg lives in La Jolla, Calif., with his wife, Barbara, and the three youngest of his six children.

TNT NBA Thursday Continues with Doubleheader Action

March 24, 2009 By admin

MEDIA ADVISORY

TNT NBA Thursday Continues with Doubleheader Action

Heat/Bulls followed by Suns/Trail Blazers

TNT NBA Thursday heats up on March 26 with Eastern and Western Conference showdowns. The first game will feature Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat taking on Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls at 8 p.m. ET. Marv Albert (play-by-play) will call the game alongside analysts Mike Fratello and Reggie Miller with Craig Sager reporting. Shaquille O’Neal and the Phoenix Suns host Brandon Roy and the Portland Trail Blazers at 10:30 p.m. ET. Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) and Doug Collins (analyst) will be courtside with Cheryl Miller reporting. The Emmy® award-winning studio show Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai with Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Kenny Smith (analyst) and Chris Webber (analyst) will recap the games.

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

TNT NBA THURSDAY SCHEDULE:

DAY/DATE

TIME (ET) EVENT

Thu., March 26

8 p.m. NBA Tip-Off presented by AutoTrader.com

Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Kenny Smith (analyst) and Chris Webber (analyst)

8:15 p.m. Miami Heat @ Chicago Bulls

Announcers: Marv Albert (play-by-play), Mike Fratello (analyst), Reggie Miller (analyst) and Craig Sager (reporter)

10:30 p.m. Phoenix Suns @ Portland Trail Blazers

Announcers: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Doug Collins (analyst) and Cheryl Miller (reporter)

Post-game Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai

Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst), Kenny Smith (analyst) and Chris Webber (analyst)

NBA ON TNT UPCOMING SCHEDULE:

Thu., April 2

8 p.m. NBA Tip-Off presented by AutoTrader.com

Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)

8:15 p.m. Cleveland Cavaliers @ Washington Wizards

Announcers: Marv Albert (play-by-play), Mike Fratello (analyst), Reggie Miller (analyst) and David Aldridge (reporter)

10:30 p.m. Utah Jazz @ Denver Nuggets

Announcers: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Doug Collins (analyst) and Craig Sager (reporter)

Post-game Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai

Ernie Johnson (host), Charles Barkley (analyst) and Kenny Smith (analyst)

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NBC Sports & Oxygen Media Combine For 16 Hours Of World Figure Skating Championship Coverage

March 24, 2009 By admin


	preview / download

Michelle Kwan, the Most Decorated Figure Skater in U.S. History, Joins NBC’s Coverage as Guest Analyst

Oxygen to Present 14 Hours of Coverage, 10 Live in ET

NEW YORK – March 23, 2009 – NBC Sports and Oxygen Media will combine to air 16 hours from the World Figure Skating Championships, the most prestigious and important figure skating competition outside of the Olympics, as the skaters prepare for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver next February on NBC. Oxygen, available in more than 74 million homes, will air 14 hours (10 hours live in ET) Wednesday through Friday, and NBC Sports will air the Ladies Free Skate live ET in primetime this Saturday (9-11 p.m., ET/PT) from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

COSTAS HOSTS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ON NBC; JOINED BY BUTTON & KWAN: NBC’s primetime Olympic host Bob Costas will host of NBC’s coverage when the world’s best skaters take the ice in Los Angeles. Costas will be joined by Dick Button (co-host), the most recognizable voice in figure skating, and Michelle Kwan (guest analyst), the most decorated skater in U.S. history. Joining them to form the deepest talent roster ever assembled to broadcast the World Figure Skating Championships will be Tom Hammond (play-by-play), Scott Hamilton (analyst), Sandra Bezic (analyst), Tracy Wilson (analyst) and Andrea Joyce (reporter).

In all, NBC Sports’ broadcast team has totaled an amazing 19 medals at Worlds including 14 gold medals. Button won gold every year from 1948-1952 and took silver in 1947; Hamilton won gold in four consecutive years (1981-1984); and Kwan has a total of nine World Championship medals including five gold medals (1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003), three silver medals (1997, 1999, 2002) and a bronze medal (2004).

This is the 99th World Figure Skating Championships and the first ever to take place in Los Angeles. The first Worlds were held in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1896. The United States has played host to 11 World Championships, most recently the 2003 Worlds in Washington, D.C.

COVERAGE ON OXYGEN (all times live ET except where noted):
Pairs Short Wednesday 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. ET/PT (taped Tuesday)
Men’s Short Wednesday 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. ET/PT
Pairs Free Wednesday 12 midnight – 2 a.m. ET/PT

Men’s Free Thursday 11p.m.- 1a.m. ET/PT

Original Dance Friday 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. ET/PT (taped Thursday)
Ladies Short Friday 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. ET/PT
Dance Free Friday 12 midnight – 2 a.m. ET/PT

COVERAGE ON NBC SPORTS:
Ladies Free Skate Saturday 9 – 11 p.m. ET/PT

BUTTON ON U.S. LADIES: “Rachel Flatt is just charming and Alissa Czisny is beautiful. She’s a dreamboat.”

HAMILTON ON LADIES FAVORITES: “With Kim Yu-Na (Korea), watching her and seeing what she’s capable of doing, you have to look at her as probably the favorite coming into this. She will be challenged by Mao Asada (Japan), last year’s World Champion, but defending at Worlds is really tough to do.”

HAMILTON ON THE AMERICAN LADIES: “For the Americans, it’s a very important World Championships because their placements determine how many entries they’ll have at the Olympics next year. Alyssa Czisny’s done everything she can to break down her technique to be more consistent and that showed with a win at the National Championship. I hope she can go to L.A. and throw down two great performances.”

HAMILTON BREAKS DOWN THE MEN’S COMPETITION: “It’s going to be a hotly contested World Championship on the Men’s side. If Patrick Chan (Canada) continues as an extension of the rest of his year, I’ve got to look at him as a favorite to win a World title. Jeremy Abbott (USA) won the Grand Prix title and Brian Joubert (France) is a former World Champion. And there is a perceived level of opportunity because Jeffrey Buttle, the defending World Champion has decided not to compete anymore.”

HAMILTON ON U.S. MEN: “You have someone who’s been there for a long time in Jeremy Abbott who has finally broken through and won a National Championship, you’ve got a veteran like Evan Lysacek, who has been at this level for years and years and you’ve got Brandon Mroz who just came out of nowhere. So it’s a real good mixed bag of American men.”

HAMILTON ON THE UNLIKELY RISE OF BRANDON MROZ: “Brandon Mroz? He’s been second in everything he’s ever done so maybe he’ll be second in Worlds too. He was second in Juniors last year and you look at what he did at the National Championships this year, his first year as a senior. To be on the podium this year, well that’s just superhuman.”

WHO TO WATCH AT THE WORLD FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS:

LADIES:
Mao Asada, Japan: 2008 World Champion (Kwan, last woman to win back-to-back World titles (2000-’01)
Kim Yu-Na, Korea: Two-time World bronze medalist; 2008 Four Continents Gold medalist
Rachel Flat, USA: 2008 U.S. Silver medallist; 2008 World Junior Champion
Alissa Czisny, USA: 2008 U.S. Champions; second appearance at the World Championships
Fumie Suguri, Japan: Three-time World medalist
Miki Ando, Japan: 2007 World Champion

MEN:
Evan Lysacek, USA: Two-time World bronze medalist; Two-time U.S. Champion
Jeremy Abbott, USA: 2009 U.S. Champion; 2008 Grand Prix Final Gold medalist
Patrick Chan, Canada: 2008 Four Continents Champion
Brian Joubert, France: 2007 World Champion; Three-time European champion
Nobunari Oda, Japan: 2008 Japanese Champion; 2005 World Junior Champion
Brandon Mroz, USA: 2009 U.S. Silver medalist; making World debut

PAIRS:
Aliona Savchenko & Robin Szolkowy, Germany: 2008 World Champions; 2009 European Champions
Pang Qing & Tong Jianm China: 2008 Grand Prix Final Champion and Four Continents Champion
Zhang Dan & Zhang Hao, China: 2006 Olympic Silver medalists; 2008 World Silver medalists
Yuko Kawaguchi & Aleksandr Smirnov, Russia: Two-time Russian Champions; 2009 European Silver medalists
Jessica Dubé & Bryce Davison, Canada: 2008 World Bronze medailists; two-time Canadian Champions
Keauna McLaughlin & Rockne Brubaker, USA: Two-time U.S. Champions; 2007 World Junior Champions
Caydee Denney & Jeremy Barrett, USA: 2009 U.S. Silver medalists

DANCE:
Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto, USA: 2006 Olympic Silver Medalists; Four-time U.S. Champions
Jana Khokhlova & Sergei Novitski, Russia: 2008 World Bronze medalists; 2009 European Champions
Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir, Canada: 2008 World Silver medalists; 2008 Canadian Champions
Meryl Davis & Charlie White, USA: 2009 U.S. Champions
Oksana Domnina & Maksim Shabalin, Russia: 2008 European Champions

About Oxygen:
Oxygen is a program service of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment and is currently available in over 74 million homes. The network was launched in 2000 to fill a void in the television landscape — creating a network targeted to younger women. Oxygen is rewriting the rulebook for women’s television, with a vast array of unconventional and original programming including “Bad Girls Club,” “The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency” and “Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood.”

Fantasy Baseball Season Returns on ESPN.com

March 24, 2009 By admin

Free Fantasy Baseball Returns on ESPN.com

Fans Get Live Scoring, Mobile Alerts and Expert Analysis;

Baseball Tonight Fantasy Baseball Draft Special – March 25 at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Baseball is back, and ESPN.com is calling all players — league managers, veterans and newcomers — to report in for its third year of FREE ESPN Fantasy Baseball. To kick off the season, ESPN2 will air the Baseball Tonight Fantasy Baseball Draft Special on March 25 at 2 p.m. ET to break down this year’s roster of players and to analyze the playing field with Baseball Tonight host Karl Ravech, “The Talented Mr. Roto” Matthew Berry and ESPN baseball analyst and senior writer Buster Olney.

ESPN Fantasy Baseball participation grew 33 percent in 2008 (it has grown more than 12X since 2006). Additionally, time spent per visit with ESPN Fantasy Baseball content grew 20% last season.

As always, fans will have access to the industry’s most in-depth collection of tools and content including live scoring, multiple draft options, full wireless control of ESPN.com teams, and content across the Internet, television, radio, podcasts, mobile phones and other portable devices — all for free.

Fans will also find free ESPN Fantasy Baseball and all of ESPN’s fantasy baseball tools and content online.

FREE ESPN Fantasy Baseball

ESPN Fantasy Baseball will be entirely free for the third straight year and will deliver fans a host of features. New to the offerings this year is ESPN FantasyCast, an interactive tool that uses live scoring and real-time results to track fantasy team players as the games are being played. Users will be able to click through multiple games within FantasyCast for the latest box scores and stats. Additional viewing options include match-up comparisons with other fantasy teams in a specific league, a My Team tab and league scoreboards. Other returning features for ESPN Fantasy Baseball include:

Live Scoring – live player-by-player scoring and results, including live updating box scores.
Mock Draft Lobby – lets players drop in at any time to run through a draft, try out a new draft strategy or just see who and how other players are drafting.
Multiple Draft Options – including live online Auction drafts, Private drafts, Live Draft Lobby, Automated drafts and offline drafts.
Online Draft Kit –includes complete rankings, projections and profiles for more than 850 players, rankings for the top 100 prospects for 2009, cheat sheets and dollar values for mixed, AL- and NL-only leagues, updated average draft and auction results, draft and auction strategies, mock drafts, in-depth analysis and a look at the most pressing questions for all 30 major league teams.
Mobile Alerts – players can keep up with their team while away, with the ability to get breaking news and scoring alerts sent directly to wireless devices (all carriers).
Draft Pick Trading – players have the option to trade draft picks in league with a fixed draft order.
Player Cards 2.0 – embedded player information cards allow players to see recent news, analysis and game-by-game stats without leaving the page.
Keeper Options – League Managers can transfer keeper settings by entering keepers prior to their draft.
Customizable Rules and Scoring
League Message Boards, Chat and Polls– players can discuss news, create their own polls and even chat online – all from right within their ESPN.com league.

ESPN will again provide the most useful and comprehensive information, analysis and insights in the industry with an unmatched roster of writers, analysts and media personalities. The ESPN Fantasy Baseball team includes Berry, Eric Karabell, Christopher Harris, Jason Grey, Tristan Cockcroft, Brendan Roberts, James Quintong, AJ Mass, Nate Ravitz and injury analyst Stephania Bell.

Fans will also find baseball news and insights from leading pro baseball Insiders, including ESPN.com’s Buster Olney, Keith Law, Jayson Stark, Rob Neyer, Jerry Crasnick, ESPN The Magazine’s Amy Nelson and ESPN’s Peter Gammons, Steve Phillips and Tim Kurkjian.

Mobile

Players will be able to get alerts across all major carriers, and will have exclusive team management via ESPN MVP on Verizon Wireless. Additionally, fantasy baseball-related video content is available on ESPN Mobile TV (via the MediaFlo and MobiTV platforms).

Fantasy Baseball On ESPN TV and Radio

This season, ESPN will continue to bring fans fantasy baseball insights, information and analysis on its television and radio networks.

Baseball Tonight Fantasy Baseball Draft Special: On March 25 at 2:00 p.m. ET, ESPN2 will televise a 60-minute “Baseball Tonight Fantasy Baseball Draft Special.” The program, hosted by Ravech and with Olney and Berry, will break down each position, potential sleepers and busts, draft strategies, rookies and more.

ESPNEWS, Baseball Tonight, First Take and The Bottom Line: ESPN’s signature news, information and analysis programs will feature fantasy baseball content integration, with additional in-depth attention to fantasy baseball in late March. ESPNEWS will air live segments Monday through Friday and taped segments airing every Tuesday through Saturday beginning at midnight, as well as live news-reaction reports from Berry and Bell on Baseball Tonight. First Take will also feature fantasy baseball content, while The Bottom Line will integrate custom fantasy content with Baseball Tonight and live games.

ESPN Radio: Beginning March 2, ESPN Radio and ESPNRadio.com will devote attention to fantasy baseball in its popular programs Mike and Mike in the Morning, The Herd with Colin Cowherd and SportsNation. Fantasy Baseball Special with ESPN Radio’s John Seibel and special guest Berry will also air this Friday, March 20 and next Friday, March 27 from 8-10 p.m. ET.

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